1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE Complaints

MY 1996 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 3-20-10 AFTER I STARTED THE ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHICH INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE ENGINE FUEL RAIL WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE OF. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE DAMAGES TO MY CAR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE STATUE OF LIMITATION HAD EXPIRED ON MY CAR. MY PROBLEM IS HOW COULD THEY HAVE FORSEEN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN UNLESS THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE STATUE OF LIMITATION EXPIRED ON 2-13-02 AND THE RECALL WAS ISSUED UNTIL 4-16-04 WHICH DOES NOT MAKE SENSE UNLESS THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND JUST DIDNT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY QUESTION IS DID I HAVE TO GET BURNT OR LOSE MY LIFE IN THAT CAR FOR GENERAL MOTORS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. NOW I HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION AND GENERAL MOTORS WONT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. AN EMPLOYEE FROM GERALDS TIRES HAD TO RUN AND GET A FIRE EXTINGUSHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE ANY OF THERE CUSTOMERS OR EMPLOYEES GOT HURT WHEN THE FIRE IGNITED. WHO IS GOING TO HOLD THESE MANUFACTURES LIABLE FOR THERE NEGLIGENCE. IF I HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE I WOULD HAVE HAD THE FUEL LINE REPLACED BECAUSE THATS SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS AND I DRIVE MY KIDS AND GRANDKIDS IN THAT CAR BECAUSE THATS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I FEEL THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD STAND UP AND TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THERE NEGLIGENCE IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY MANUFACTURED AND ALSO DANA THE MAKER OF THE FUEL LINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE STS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL FAILED. HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 95V224000 (EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL). HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT HIS EXPENSE. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE IN THE PAST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED WITH SMOKE AND WAS VERY HOT. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO HIS RESIDENCE AND THE AUTO CLUB CAME OUT TO CUT THE AIR BAGS. THE DEALER DENIED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT ONLY FOR THE 1995 SEVILLE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V115000 (AIR BAGS)). ANOTHER DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY ALSO DENIED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SPRAINED THUMB AND BRUISES ON BOTH HANDS. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS ONLY SMOKE INHALATION FROM THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS INSPECTED AND APPEARS TO HAVE A DEFECT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.

NORTHSTAR ENGINE PROBLEM - THE HEAD BOLTS PULLED LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE EXHAUST. HAD INSERTS PUT IN BY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE TWO SUCH REPAIRS (CADILLAC ADVISED THAT IT ONLY HAD A 60% CHANCE OF FIXING THE PROBLEM IF THEY DID THE WORK AND THE COST WOULD BE $3,000 - $4,000). CAR HAD ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT AT TIME OF FAILURE. CAR RAN WELL UNTIL OCTOBER 2008 WHEN COOLANT LOSS STARTED AGAIN. HAVE TRIED VARIOUS SEALANT BUT IT IS LIKELY THE HEAD BOLTS AGAIN. AN ALUMINUM BLOCK WITH ALUMINUM HEADS AND HIGH COMPRESSION APPEARS TO BE COMBINE WITH A WEAK DESIGN OF THE HEAD BOLTS. FROM WHAT I HEAR ALL NORTHSTAR'S OF THIS ERA WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED UNTIL 2001 OR SO. IT IS SAID THAT A JEG'S MOTOR HAS ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM BUT AT A COST OF WHAT, $3,000 PLUS INSTALLATION? I LIKE THE CAR BUT IT IS HARD TO WORK ON AND HAS ITS SHARE OF ISSUES. *TR

I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED A FUEL ODOR FROM CAR. WHEN FILLING UP WITH GAS I NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE FILLER TUBE. UPON INSPECTION THE TUBE IS RUSTED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT FOR ABOUT $400.00. I AM SURPRISED THAT THE FILLER TUBE WOULD RUST THROUGH. IS THERE A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OR THICKNESS OF THE FILLER TUBE? *TR

I OWN A 1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V110000 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA04003 MY GM SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER: 71-584885453 ISSUE: MY CADILLAC'S FUEL RAIL HAS A LEAK (IN FACT 3). I FOUND THE RECALL ON-LINE, AND CALLED CADILLAC. THEY STATED THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON 9/13/2004 AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO LEAK. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE FUEL RAIL WITH THE STAINLESS STEEL RAIL. THEY TOLD ME YESTERDAY (LIN FOSTER AT GM CORPORATE 800-333-4223) THAT THEIR DUTY WAS TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. AND AS THEY HAD INSPECTED IT IN 2004 AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES THEN, THEY HAD NO DUTY NOW. I TOOK THE CADILLAC TO MY CADILLAC DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING (BOB ALLEN CADILLAC IN DANVILLE, KY). THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RAIL ON THE CAR. I CALLED GM CADILLAC AGAIN (800) 458-8006. SPOKE WITH JILL THIS TIME. SHE STATED SHE COULD NOT PULL UP THE NHTSA INFORMATION TO READ IT HERSELF... SO I READ IT TO HER. SHE HAD MY VIN, AND TO ME, THE RECALL INFORMATION IS QUITE CLEAR. THE 8TH DIGIT OF MY VIN IS "Y", AND AS I READ THE RECALL INFORMATION, GM IS SUPPOSED TO INSTALL THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RAIL. GM/CADILLAC STATE THEY HAVE NO DUTY WHAT-SO-EVER. THAT THEIR OBLIGATION WAS PERFORMED IN FULL WITH THEIR 9/13/2004 INSPECTION (IN WHICH THEY ALSO CONFIRM THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE FUEL LINE). THEY WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY. THEY DEALER IS READILY WILLING TO DO THE REPAIR, IF I PAY FOR IT. HELP PLEASE!! STEPHEN MARK HILLIS *TR

NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V110000 FUEL RAIL LEAK CADILLAC REFUSES TO REPLACE THE LEAKING FUEL RAIL. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR ON 9/13/2004, AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. NOW, THERE IS A LEAK, AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE FUEL RAIL WITH THE NEW STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RAIL. THEY HAVE STATED THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO REINSPECT THE VEHICLE. I READ LIN FOSTER (FROM CADILLAC AT 800-333-4223) THE NHTSA BULLETIN "THE RECALLED CADILLACS WILL RECEIVE THE NEW STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RAILS," AND HE CONTINUED TO STATE THAT CADILLAC HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE TWICE. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNLESS THERE IS AN OPEN "SERVICE CAMPAIGN" AND CADILLAC REFUSES TO OPEN A SERVICE CAMPAIGN STATING THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOOKED AT ONCE, AND THAT IS ALL THAT THEY HAVE A DUTY TO DO. THE RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED AND THE FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER SIDE DOOR CONTROL BOX CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DAMAGED THE DOOR, DASHBOARD, AND CEILING OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND PROVIDED A REPORT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 131,000.

GM HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE CADALLIC NORTHSTAR 4.6L HEAD GASKETS. THEY BROKE DOWN BETWEEN 70,000 AND 140,000 MILES GM WILL NOT ASSIST IN THE REPAIR OF THE HEAD GASKETS. AT THE DEALER BY MY HOUSE THERE WERE 3 OF THESE VEHICLES IN THE SHOP IN THE LAST WEEK THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY DID 2 A MONTH. THIS WAS ONLY ONE DEALER YES THIS COULD BE ON A CAR THAT WAS A 1994 OR UP THAT I KNOW OFF. THIS WAS A $3500-$6500 REPAIR THEY WILL NOT GUARANTEE THE REPALACMENT OF JUST THE HEAD GASKET THEY SAID WAS NEEDED . I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SERVICE BULLITTINS ON PUTTING INSERTS IN THE BLOCK FOR THE HEAD BOLTS. I THINK OVER 50% OF THESE ENGINES HAVE HAD THE GASKET REPLACED OR A NEW ENGINE PUT IN FROM THE LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO DO, AND THE DEALER HAVE CALLED A FEW . THIS WAS A PROBLEM, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY LIKE THE MONEY THAT IT BRINGS IN TO THEM. I THINK SOME ONE NEEDS TO INVESTAGE THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP WITH ALL THE TALK OF PEOPLE BUYING OVERSEAS CARS I DO NOT WANT TO BUY ONE MYSELF BUT WITH THE INPUT FROM GM ON THIS THEY ARE FORCING PEOPLE TO DO THIS. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 95V224000, REGARDING THE EQUIPMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.