2008 Cadillac DTS: complaints, problems and recalls

EMAIL FORWARDED ABOUT CONCERNS ON GM CADILLACS, THE TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT TURN OFF UNLESS THE VEHICLE MAKES A 90 DEGREE TURN, WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. *KB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10214984 at NHTSA ↗

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TAILLIGHTS OF LATE MODEL CARS, SPECIFICALLY CADILLAC'S. THESE TAILLIGHTS, I SUSPECT ARE LED, ARE TOO BRIGHT, AND SEEM TO "PULSATE" IN A WAY THAT IS VERY TROUBLING FOR DRIVERS TO LOOK AT. EVEN FROM A DISTANCE THE LIGHTS HURT EYES AND CAUSE FOR A MAJOR UNSAFE DISTRACTION ON THE ROADS. PLEASE EXAMINE THIS ISSUE, AND REGULATE THE BRIGHTNESS ON TAILLIGHTS, OR ELIMINATE THE LED TYPE, IF, INFACT THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE. THANKS. MIKE *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10216841 at NHTSA ↗

2008 CADILLAC DTS HAS SEVERAL SAFETY PROBLEMS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE CHIMES SOUNDED, THE DOORS UNLOCKED AND LOCKED, THE GAUGES AND SPEEDOMETER WENT TO ZERO AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED. THE CONSUMER STATED ALL OF THE MALFUNCTIONS HAPPENED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE TRACTION LIGHT THEN ILLUMINATED, THE GAUGES WOULD COME BACK UP AND THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DRIVERS INFORMATION SCREEN THAT READ SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST, SERVICE PARK ASSIST, SERVICE STABILITRAK AND CRUISE WILL NOT RESUME YOU MUST RESET. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10242630 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NOT IDENTICAL TO THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS RIGID AND NOTICEABLY SHORTER THAN THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER SENT A SEAT BELT EXTENDER, BUT IT HAS NOT REMEDIED THE ISSUE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 275. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 10/17/08.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 275 miles reported. Look up ODI 10243334 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 15-20 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN IMPACT. AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE AND THEN CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT WOULD NOT STATE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZAR…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10244137 at NHTSA ↗

LTR FROM SENATOR CARDIN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE THE RIGIDNESS OF THE SEAT BELTS IN HER 2008 CADILLAC DTS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELTS WERE VERY TIGHT TO THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER STATED GM NO LONGER USED THE FLEXIBLE STEM FOR THE SEAT BELTS ON ANY OF THE DTS VEHICLES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10249232 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2008 CADALLIC DTS WAS TRYING TO START ON ITS ON. THE KEYS WERE ON THE TABLE AND THE SPARE KEY HANGING ON THE KEY RACK. IN DOING SO IT CAUSED MY CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE WHICH CAUGHT MY GARAGE ON FIRE. MY FAMILY WAS ALL IN BED WHEN WE WERE AWOKEN BY A PERSON PASSING BY THE HOUSE AND RECOGNIZED THAT THE LIGHT HE WAS SEEING WAS A FIRE. IN RETURN OUR LIVES WERE SAVED, ALSO IT WAS DETECTED THE NEXT DAY THAT OUR SPOKE DETECTOR BATTERY WAS DEAD. WE THANKFUL TO GOD ABOVE FOR THE YOUNG MAN WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AND OUR HERO. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10258882 at NHTSA ↗

THE REAR PASSENGER LAP-SHOULDER BELTS ARE UNUSABLE BECAUSE THE BUCKLES ARE TOO FAR DOWN INTO THE SEAT CREVICE TO GET THE LATCH PLATE INTO THE BUCKLE. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO PULL THE BUCKLES OUT FURTHER BUT CANNOT. I HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER CADILLAC AND BUICK AUTOS AND THE BUCKLES ARE LOCATED MUCH FURTHER OUT SO THAT THE LATCH PLATE CAN BE EASILY INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE AS DESCRIBED ON PAGE 1-24 OF THE CADILLAC DTS OWNERS MANUAL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REAR SEAT PASSENGERS CANNOT USE THE LAP-SHOULDER BELTS. WHAT IS NEEDE…

Owner-reported narrative. 80 miles reported. Look up ODI 10259966 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2008-08-28 (August 28, 2008)

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

Reported: 2010-06-04 (June 4, 2010)

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Reported: 2014-06-23 (June 23, 2014)

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.