1997 CADILLAC SEVILLE Complaints

I PURCHASED A 1997 CADILLAC STS WITH ALL OPTIONS. THE CAR HAD JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING GO WRONG WITH IT, INCLUDING IT REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE. MANY OF THE PROBLEMS EARLY ON WERE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT LATER ONES WEREN'T. HOWEVER, THE MOST DISTURBING PROBLEM WAS THE REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. THEY DO NOT SEAL PROPERLY AND ALLOW WATER TO SEEP IN. THIS CAUSES CORROSION OF THE BULB SOCKETS AND EVENTUALLY CAUSES A SHORT THAT BLOWS A FUSE, EXTINGUISHING THE TAIL LIGHTS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND THE DRIVER HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THERE IS AN IMPENDING FAILURE. CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE ACKNOWLEDGED TO ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE OTHER THAN REPLACEMENT AND THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS ON SEVERAL YEARS OF THAT MODEL. THE REPLACEMENT COST IS $500 PER SET OF TAIL LIGHTS AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IT WILL LAST OR HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. ON E OF THE METHODS PEOPLE HAVE USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CURE THE ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM IS TO DRILL HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE LENS TO ALLOW WATER TO ESCAPE. WHEN I LAST TALKED TO THE CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TALK TO THE AVM (ZONE MANAGER FOR THIS DISTRICT), NOR WOULD THEY OFFER TO WORK WITH ME ON REPLACING THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY GENERAL MOTORS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE READILY ADMITS IT IS A PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE OTHER THAN REPLACEMENT AT THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSE. INCIDENTALLY, THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A COMPLETELY UNRELATED PROBLEM. SO, THAT IS EVIDENCE THE PROBLEM WAS WELL KNOWN BY BOTH GM AND THE DEALERSHIP NETWORK. *NLM

WHEN TURNING LEFT THE POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING BUT WORKS TO THE RIGHT. THEN IT SEEMS TO WORK ALRIGHT A FEW TIMES THEN QUIT AGAIN WHEN TURNING LEFT. IT IS SO HARD TO TURN THAT I HAVE PARKED THE CAR.

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THEY HAD OIL CHANGED ON VEHICLE WAS INFORMED THAT,THE FUEL RAIL WAS LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE MOTOR AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE, ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER. MR *NLM

WHILE PULLING IN VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF, LOST ALL POWER. AAA CAME, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, BATTERY ACID LEAKED AND BURNED BATTERY CABLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE RAN OVER A PIECE OF RETREAD, AND BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME.*AK

POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING, HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN JULY 2002 PUMP FAILED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT BACK UP LIGHTS ARE GETTING TOO MUCH MOISTURE MAKING IT HARD FOR OTHER VEHICLES TO KNOW WHEN VEHICLE IS BACKING UP.*JB. CONSUMER STATES TAIL LIGHTS ARE ALSO GETTING MOISTURE IN THEM.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE LIGHTS AND BACK UP LIGHTS ARE GETTING A LOT OF MOISTURE ON THEM, MAKING IT DIFFCUILT FOR OTHER VEHICLES TO KNOW WHEN CONSUMERS VEHICLE IS STOPPING OR AT A STOP OR WHEN VEHICLE IS BACKING UP.*JB *TT

VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A MAJOR LEAK THAT IS PUMPING OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. NLM OIL LEAK CAUSED BY A FAULTY REAR MAIN SEAL. ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH DUE TO FAULTY 02 SENSOR, FUEL GAUGE READING ERRATICALLY DUE TO BAD SPOT ON SENDER. WHILE DRIVING AND HITTING A BUMP, THERE WAS A RATTLE UNDER THE VEHICLE, DEALER REPLACED THE RIGHT STRUT AND MOUNT. *SLC

I REPORTED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL AT A STOPPED POSITIONS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND "DROVE IT FOR TWO DAYS" AND COULD NOT "FIND" ANYHING WRONG WITH IT. DEALER REFUSES TO LET A CERTIFIED CADILLAC DEALERSHIP INSPECT MY CAR. *AK