Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 709 | 09/01/2005 | 10018126 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. gm tech link. *tt | 12/15/2005 | |
| 040602003 | 04/01/2004 | 10012593 | Engine coolant block heater cord extension available. *eh | 03/08/2005 | |
| 020601037 | 12/01/2002 | 10000748 | Excessive engine noise. *tt | 03/28/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TB-050601-001B | 04/01/2009 | 10030121 | Cadillac: when operating in extremely cold weather conditions, some vehicles may leak engine oil from the cam/valve cover seals, especially from the left side just below the oil fill hole in the cam/valve cover. *pe | 08/05/2009 | |
| 4555 | 10022560 | Intermittent stall, surge, stumble, or hesitation dtc p1629. *kb | 08/20/2007 | ||
| 3658 | 3658A | 10019193 | Tcc surge, chuggle, or fishbite 5l40e with v6 engine. *tt | 02/16/2006 | |
| 0804 | 08/01/2004 | 10014346 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
| 040605002 | 03/01/2004 | 10008674 | Rattle/buzz type noise from under engine compartment during acceleration / deceleration. *tt | 08/13/2004 | |
| 01278B | 01/01/2004 | 01278C | 10007837 | Intermittent stall. *tt | 07/12/2004 |
| 01346A | 11/18/2003 | 10004152 | Engine control module (ecm) idle learn procedure. *tt | 11/20/2003 | |
| 051603 | 05/16/2003 | 10003649 | Cold start rough idle or misfire on vehicles with a manual transmission if an engine block heater is inappropriately installed. *tt | 10/27/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 041602 | 04/16/2002 | 636548 | An abnormal louder upper engine lifter tick noise. *tt | 11/10/2002 | |
| 040402 | 04/04/2002 | 636507 | Concerns about abnormal upper engine lifter tick noise. *tt | 11/09/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/13/2012 | 145000 | ||
| An oil leak after driving about 35 miles, completely drained oil. brought car to cadillac dealer who charger me $4500 to repair. looked on mycarstats.com web site and saw another of the same problem...case #10317004. | |||
| 12/20/2002 | 90100 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. the contact stated whenever the vehicle was not started for a few days it would only start with a jump start. the vehicle was taken to the dealer at least three times who stated the battery caused the failure to occur. a brand new battery was installed but the vehicle would not start. the contact also stated that the trunk was too heavy to stay in the up position each time she opened it. the trunk had fallen onto her head but there were no injuries. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 90,100. | |||
| 10/14/2010 | 130000 | ||
| 2003 cadillac cts all i can say is im disgusted with this car nothing but problems. i dont know if that leakeage that is reported on here had something to do with what happened but now i have a car sitting in my driveway which i can't use because it has a loud knocking sound coming from engine. which most than likely needs replaced which is very expensive can i say first cadillac and will never buy another one ever.. | |||
| 01/28/2011 | 73638 | ||
| While traveling at moderate speed vehicle began shaking violently and loosing power. the engine was missing on one or more cylinders. dealer recommended replacing coil, sparkplug, valve cover gaskets and oil cooler. this seems to have been caused by a defect mentioned in cad cts tsb id # 1609265 dated 2005. this tsb states that the crankcase vapors and engine oil will vent through the cam/valve cover seals when the crankcase ventilation system becomes blocked. the oil on this vehicle evidently vented and leaked several places including into the ignition coils causing a short. if this had happened in interstate traffic at high speeds this could have caused an accident or if the oil had leaked on very hot surfaces possibly a fire. the tsb specified kits that were to be installed to prevented this from happening. evidently, these were never installed on this vehicle. | |||
| 10/14/2010 | 130000 | ||
| 2003 cadillac cts all i can say is im disgusted with this car nothing but problems. i dont know if that leakeage that is reported on here had something to do with what happened but now i have a car sitting in my driveway which i can't use because it has a loud knocking sound coming from engine. which most than likely needs replaced which is very expensive can i say first cadillac and will never buy another one ever.. | |||
| 01/28/2011 | 73638 | ||
| While traveling at moderate speed vehicle began shaking violently and loosing power. the engine was missing on one or more cylinders. dealer recommended replacing coil, sparkplug, valve cover gaskets and oil cooler. this seems to have been caused by a defect mentioned in cad cts tsb id # 1609265 dated 2005. this tsb states that the crankcase vapors and engine oil will vent through the cam/valve cover seals when the crankcase ventilation system becomes blocked. the oil on this vehicle evidently vented and leaked several places including into the ignition coils causing a short. if this had happened in interstate traffic at high speeds this could have caused an accident or if the oil had leaked on very hot surfaces possibly a fire. the tsb specified kits that were to be installed to prevented this from happening. evidently, these were never installed on this vehicle. | |||
| 03/06/2010 | 104060 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. while driving 60 mph the vehicle shut off without warning. the failure has occurred on three separate occasions. the manufacturer informed the contact that there were no related recalls and that the call volume had not accumulated enough to issue a recall. the contact stated that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs. the failure mileage was 104,060. | |||
| 12/09/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Oil leak from frozen pcv valve and valve cover gasket. causes oil to leak onto engine and exhaust and fumes from burning oil to enter into the cabin of the car. *tr | |||
| 03/06/2009 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Oil leakage from cam cover gaskets that require repair. 3.2l v-6 in my 2003 cadillac cts. black smoke with extreme burning smell flooded vehicle interior compartment also smoke starts to come from under hood of vehicle. pulled into safe location found huge oil leak on left side of engine around valve cover. could have possibly started a fire due to highly combustible oil being blown on engine but luckily did not catch on fire. check on-line found tsb 05-06-01-007a stating gm knows this is a problem. when operating in extremely cold weather conditions. and gm doesn't have the parts available till june for my car and at a cost of 860.00 dollar. pcv hose kit, p/n 55558592 and oil filter cap, p/n 12589430. safety of the drivers and passengers should be considered cause of the fumes being released in the passenger compartment. several people i know have the same problem and there waiting also. a known problem and gm should step up and issue a recall on this. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2008 | 49000 | 1 | |
| V6 engine with coolant leaks. 3rd time something dealing with a leak reason for service. this time a water pump that lead to broken,crack pulley. i can find no one ever having this problem. i have been without a car almost 30 days. *tr | |||
| 03/20/2008 | 37000 | 1 | 11/10/2002 |
| Design flaw? plastic valve cover failure. oil leaking on engine. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2007 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. the service engine soon light illuminated and now the engine is running hot. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that antifreeze was leaking into the engine. the engine needed to be replaced at the cost of $7,000. the vehicle is currently parked and has not been repaired. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 73,076 and failure mileage was 70,000. | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 2000 | 1 | 06/28/2002 |
| I am and have been experiencing numerous failures with my vehicle. i have contacted gm numerous times beginning approximately a few months after i purchased the vehicle to inform them that the vehicle is defective, only to be told my vehicle is out of warranty, so they refuse to fix it or give my one that is not defective. my vehicle is still defective to this date. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 27772 | 8 | 07/23/2002 |
| (1) flickering display lights; buzzing when turn signal engaged; battery died after 30,000 mile maintenance; eight [8] consecutive times of engine hot--ac turned off on dic--last time with check engine light on display.*ak | |||
| 03/13/2004 | 26000 | 1 | 09/23/2002 |
| While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. the consumer managed to restart the vehicle. *ak there was a loud noise inside of the vehicle, rough jerks at shifts, vibration at mid to high speeds, loud noise from back tires when riding over bumps, burning smell from under the hood along with smoking, water in the tail light, black exhaust dust/dirt in the tail pipe, the engine would shake. the jerking was as if the brakes were applied while in drive. *sc *jb | |||
| 1 | 07/13/2002 | ||
| The dealer unkinked a fuel tank hose. this problem made it difficult to pump gas into the tank. this vehicle is not getting the proper gas mileage and burns too much oil, engine cooler leaking fluid, when the vehicle sits overnight it has to be cranked two or three times before the engine starts . *jg *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 10/27/2009 | 68782 | ||
| I've had numerous problems ever since i bought my 2003 cadillac cts. my engine starts smoking under the hood when i turn on my heater when it's cold outside. i replaced my brake lights several times. my winshield wiper module is broke. i had to get a new motor for my window because that broke. i had nothing but problems with this car and many other people have the same conditons as me. why isn't it on recall ??? i mean we payed good money for it so we should get the same quality back !!! i know gm has to review our comments. they just don't care about there customers. gm needs better customer service because there service sucks!!!! recall....recall....recall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| 10/29/2010 | 70000 | ||
| 2003 cts - service tracking system began to display and engage frequently. took to local dealer and was told nothing was wrong with vehicle. problem continued and began vibrating badly and pulling toward left (unable to brake). returned vehicle several times before they replaced steering sensor $650.00. two months later began to lose power immediately after start up, dealer replaced battery. while driving vehicle home problem began again. displayed low battery, then multiple warning lights for service (abs, tracking, aribag ect...). returned vehicle to dealer and they are currently replacing alternator. i have no confidence that this is the real problem based on what i have read on-line regarding this same issue. i also have same leakeage issues from both cooliant and oil sources that i have read on-line. dealer continues to tell me to replace both gaskets and themastat. these again are common issues that are posted consistently on-line by consumers. these are seriously dangerous failures based on people's personal safety. gm must step up and honor these safety issues by recalling these items. inability to control vehicle due to tracking system engaging and not able to brake, vehicle losing power and stalling while driving 50 miles an hour, and lastly fire hazzard due to leaking plastic valve cover gaskets. | |||
| 02/07/2010 | 121000 | 1 | |
| Engine oil leaks into the coolant system through the oil cooler located in under the intake manifold. the coolant will then turn into a thick substance which does not easily flow through the coolant system and the car engine will overheat. to correct the failure the oil cooler needs to be replaced as well as all rubber coolant lines and then the coolant system needs to be flushed to remove all contaminated coolant. typical cost is around 4500 dollars for parts and labor. the mileage on my car was 121,000 when this happened but from reading on line many other people have had this same problem with mileage from 50,000 on up. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2008 | 49000 | 1 | |
| V6 engine with coolant leaks. 3rd time something dealing with a leak reason for service. this time a water pump that lead to broken,crack pulley. i can find no one ever having this problem. i have been without a car almost 30 days. *tr | |||
| 03/29/2003 | 5 | 04/18/2003 | |
| Low coolant message three times in my cadillac cts dic. dealer found nothing wrong, but added antifreeze every time. antifreeze under the car took to dealer, antifreeze leaking from oil cooler plate. car would not start even after a jump. needed new ignition relay and battery. *nlm | |||
| 1 | 07/13/2002 | ||
| The vehicle was in for repairs twice concerning a coolant problem. the dealership could not find the problem. the coolant reservoir was replaced, and then a month later there was a leak coming from the engine cooler, also it takes two to three cranks before the engine starts and the engine is burning oil to fast. *jg | |||
| 07/01/2002 | |||
| 8/13/02 malformed fuel tank inlet hose replaced; 8/28/02 low coolant sensor internal failure, replaced coolant reservois and added coolant; 9/17/02 red fluid leaking from engine oil cooler. resealed oil cooler and again filled cooling system; 10/8/02 now car must be cranked several times before engine starts. car is a lemon. dt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 6 | ||
| 2003 cadilac cts. consumer writes in regards to problems with brake system *tgw the consumer stated the metal brake line had to be replaced, due to severe corrosion. the consumer stated he received a recall letter two days later. also, the struts, three wheel bearings, radiator, transmission cooler line also had to be replaced due to corrosion. the cruise control and gas tank, which was leaking had to replaced. *jb | |||
| 01/21/2005 | 1 | ||
| 2003 cadillac cts, no sevice lights on, when stopped at light, smoke coming from under the hood, then smoke inside of the car. turned off engine and assistance opened the hood, flame under hood and smoke from fire near battery. was told that pvc valve burst under pressure from cold outside temperatures, caused oil to spray over engine and under hood and because engine was hot from use, caused it to ignite. also told that this was the 3-4th car reported last week to one dealership with same problem. not sure what repairs were done, car is repaired today.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 06/10/2011 | 31000 | ||
| Under 33,000 miles on this car. while driving down a hill i heard a lound clank noise. car lost all steering and brake power completely locked up. had towed to shop and they said timing chain is broken and passenger side of engine is locked up with bent valves. no warning what so ever. check engine light never came on. now this car needs a new engine | |||
| 10/27/2009 | 68782 | ||
| I've had numerous problems ever since i bought my 2003 cadillac cts. my engine starts smoking under the hood when i turn on my heater when it's cold outside. i replaced my brake lights several times. my winshield wiper module is broke. i had to get a new motor for my window because that broke. i had nothing but problems with this car and many other people have the same conditons as me. why isn't it on recall ??? i mean we payed good money for it so we should get the same quality back !!! i know gm has to review our comments. they just don't care about there customers. gm needs better customer service because there service sucks!!!! recall....recall....recall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 62000 | ||
| Oil in coolant reservoir due to oil cooler located under the intake manifold, between the cylinder heads leaking. cadillac 2003 cts with 6 cylinder opel motor with only 62,000 miles. | |||
| 12/12/2009 | 88000 | 2 | 01/21/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. whenever the contact drove the vehicle at any speed including approximately 10 mph, the vehicle suddenly began to stall and shut off without notice. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the crank shaft sensor and the ecm computer were replaced; however, the failure continued to occur. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 88000. updated 2/1/10 *cn the cam sensor and crankshaft position sensor were defective. updated 02/02/10.*jb | |||
| 04/23/2008 | 30948 | 1 | |
| Car engine failed at 30,000 miles - it started making a clicking sound, so my husband decided to take it to the shop. he didn't even make it to the shop - just had to tow it. the car was driven gingerly by my 80 year old grandmother for 7,000 miles, then by me (age 40 with two children in car seats) for the remaining miles. cadillac offered to pay 1/2 the cost to rebuild, but the total cost was estimated at over $15,000. they said there weren't any new engines to drop in, but they found one used engine (with 1 mile on it) that they could use that would cost about $4,150. however, they wouldn't pay any of the cost of dropping in the used engine. we opted to replace the engine at our cost instead so we could get away with paying $4,150 instead of $7,500. i complained to gm service department, and kept being given incorrect information. one person would tell me they would pay 1/2 the cost to repair or replace the engine, the next would say they would not pay. i kept good records of all persons contacted during the long, long process. they even had me gather all my prior service records so they could be certain the car) had been properly maintained (which it had.) at one point i was even told (by the district specialist office at gm) that my grandmother had apparently purchased an extended warranty on it, and they could just use that. later, i was told that no extended warranty existed. i was led on and misinformed for 1 1/2 months, while my car sat at the dealership 90 miles away. i was without my vehicle for 1 1/2 months, while everyone decided what should be done, and as it ends up, it could have been done immediately if i hadn't been given the run around being told gm was going to help with the repair cost. not a good experience - not a good car. *tr | |||
| 01/24/2008 | 90500 | 1 | |
| Picked up vehicle from short term parking in approximately 7 degree weather. after starting vehicle and running for approximately 15 minutes notice severe power loss. within next couple of minutes black smoke with extreme burning smell flooded vehicle interior compartment also smoke starts to come from under hood of vehicle. pulled into safe location found huge oil leak on left side of engine around valve cover. could have possibly started a fire due to highly combustible oil being blown on engine but luckily did not catch on fire. check on-line found tsb 05-06-01-007a stating gm knows this is a problem. when operating in extremely cold weatherconditions, some 2003-2004 vehicles with 3.2l v6 engine may leak engine oil from the cam/valve seals, especially from the left side just below the oil fill hole in the cam/valve cover. this is quite a bit more than a leak since approximately a quart of oil was blown on the engine in only a couple minutes. if the engine would have been hotter there could easily have been a fire. since this is a know issue with a known cause shouldn't this be taken care of by gm or at least the safety of the drivers and passengers should be considered. they have a correction listed in their tsb that looks to fairly inexpensive but since this is not on a recall list the cost for repair will be much larger due to the blown out gaskets. it could have been much worse if the vehicle would have caught fire. to fix before this happens to you use gm pcv hose kit, p/n 55558592 and oil filter cap, p/n 12589430. *tr | |||
| 02/05/2007 | 71000 | 1 | 04/15/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact has a 2003 cadillac cts with a current and failure odometer reading of 71000 miles. the contact stated that she was driving under cold dry conditions at about 55 mph, while exiting the freeway she notices dark smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. the contact was able to reach a parking lot, and when she lifted the hood she saw flames. the fire department came out and extinguished the fire, but were unable to determine the cause of the fire. the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they also have been unable to determine the cause. | |||
| 12/08/2006 | 45282 | 1 | 05/30/2006 |
| 2003 cadillac cts with 45852 miles - oil leaked from the engine cam/ valve cover seals due to extreme cold weather operations. i was merging onto a major highway and had just removed my foot from the brake to the accelerate when thick black smoke began pouring through the heating system into the car. visibility was obstructed and breathing was impaired. within seconds, i was forced to evacuate the car. smoke began rolling out from beneath the hood. i opened the hood and saw sparking and small flash fires along the left side of the car near the tire. i was in a rural area in 20 degree weather and was forced to slowly limp the car to a safer area to get help and contact towing service. as of december 20th, my car has not been repaired and i am receiving conflicting information between cadillac and the dealership. general motors document id # 1644918 states that they were aware of this problem on april 7, 2005 and also states that to prevent recurrence an after market part must be installed. however, there has not been a recall and general motors/cadillac are refusing to assist me in either handling the issue as a warranty or repairing the car which is still awaiting parts and service at the dealership. this is a serious consumer safety issue as it only occurs during extreme cold and could pose serious health concerns due to exposure as well as traffic incidents due to visibility impairment from the smoke. *nm | |||
| 08/27/2005 | 45000 | 5 | 08/23/2005 |
| 1. i purchased a used 2003 cadillac cts in 2005 with 45,000 original miles from a gm dealership in ontario, oregon. it was reputed to be in excellent mechanical condition by the gm mechanics. 2. this vehicle has since cut engine power spontaneously several times on the freeway and in town, presenting sudden and serious danger to driver, passenger, and other motorists as the vehicle must be steered powerless to the median/shoulder. once we were in the middle lane of 75 mph freeway traffic and several vehicles were nearly involved in an accident. 3. gm tech's are unable to diagnose the problem after 7-8 attempts, so it continues to recur. gm refuses to repurchase the vehicle despite their inability to diagnose, enforce the warranty, and the obvious danger to all involved. the better business bureau would not arbitrate because mileage was over 24,000. i am currently seeking legal counsel, but feel this vehicle should not be on the road. *nm | |||
| 01/03/2005 | 20170 | 6 | 05/24/2003 |
| Dt: vehicle lost power when the consumer hit the brakes. the transmission jolts and then the engine shuts off. it has been to the dealer 6 times since january. the dealer tried something different every time she took it in. manufacturer said she could have a new vehicle if she paid for it. she wanted to get rid of the vehicle.*ak the check engine light illuminated. *jb | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 14900 | 3 | |
| After heavy rain and if undercarriage gets wet oil pressure low warning alert. requesting driver to stop engine. dealer can not find anything wrong. *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 1 | 07/13/2002 | ||
| The vehicle was in for repairs twice concerning a coolant problem. the dealership could not find the problem. the coolant reservoir was replaced, and then a month later there was a leak coming from the engine cooler, also it takes two to three cranks before the engine starts and the engine is burning oil to fast. *jg | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 20 | 06/01/2002 | |
| The car stalls at 25 mph to 45 mph, over 20 occurances, dealer attempted 3 repairs. dt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 5000 | ||
| Driving our 2003 cts it will shut off without notice. it was put on a machine and nothing showed wrong since 2003. evenetually it shut off and would startup for 45 min (2010) the crank sensor was replaced and 2 weeks later it shut off again.. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 74000 | ||
| Purchased 2003 cts used in 2007 with 54000 miles. at 60000 miles, the serpentine belt broke and destroyed engine in the middle of rush hour traffic. 30 days later coil went out and had to be towed again. approximately 30 days after that the other coil went out and again vehicle was towed to the dealer for repairs. currently the car is sittling in my driveway and will not start. took to repair shop close to my house and they said the electrical system is too messed up to run a diagnostic on it. prior to the vehicle dying in the driveway, the engine shut down in the middle of the road on two seperate occasions. i lost steering and had to push it off the road. it is a dangerous and unreliable vehicle and should not be on the road. i contacted cadillac but received no response. the car currently has only 74000 miles on it with a total of maybe 20000 added in three years of ownership mostly due to the car needing constant repairs. i cannot afford to make the payments and pay for repairs both at the same time. i do not trust the safety of this vehicle. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| While driving at any speed,the vehicle will suddenly shut off. the steering wheel and the brake pedal becomes very stiff. consumer feels its very unsafe to drive. please provide any further information. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CRANKCASE (PCV) | |||
| 12/22/2008 | 66164 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. the contact stated that the pcv passage froze and caused oil to spill onto the exhaust. he called the local dealer and was informed that the pav passage was faulty. the dealer redesigned the pcv passage in the vehicle. three months after the repair, the pcv passage began leaking again. the contact called the manufacturer about the leak, but has not received any feedback from the manufacturer or the dealer. he feels this is a safety issue because the burning oil leaves a toxic smell in the vehicle, and the leaking could cause the vehicle to shut off. the current mileage was 67,000 and failure mileage was 66,164. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 6 | 03/22/2002 | ||
| Steering mechanism failed on 2003 cadillac cts. *mr the power steering mechanism failed, which made the vehicle difficult to turn, which was replaced. both front struts were replaced due to leakage and the intermediate steering shaft bolt was under torqued. the left front shock leaked, the intake manifold leaked. the consumer was unable to pump gas due to a defective gas line. a rubbing sound was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle, squeaking from the front end, and a hollow sound when passing over bumps. the consumer requested that the dealer/manufacturer repair the vehicle in accordance to the lemon law bill. (lawyer, joseph ardito on behalf of client robert genovese)*scc *jb | |||