Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||||
| 08-014 | 09/01/2008 | 10026792 | Gm: water in headlamps-install new vent tubes. certain vehicles may have a condition in which water may enter the headlamp assemblies in limousine/livery vehicles. csc letter was received. *pe | 12/16/2008 | |
| 08014 | 10/01/2009 | SB-08014A | 10026523 | Gm: water in headlamps - install new vent tubes of certain limousine/livery vehicles. vehicles may have a condition in which water may enter the headlamp assemblies. program is in effect until october 31, 2009. csc letter was receiv | 11/04/2008 |
| PIC4812 | 03/01/2008 | 10024583 | Headlamp flicker - 2006-2007 cadillac dts built before june 19, 2007. *nj | 04/25/2008 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES | |||||
| 08-014 | 09/01/2008 | 10026792 | Gm: water in headlamps-install new vent tubes. certain vehicles may have a condition in which water may enter the headlamp assemblies in limousine/livery vehicles. csc letter was received. *pe | 12/16/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 11/15/2012 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the headlights flickered on and off without any warning. the driver had to use the switch to get them to turn back on. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. after diagnosis, the contact was informed that the bulbs and the ballasts were burned out and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. the current mileage was approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable. mah | |||
| 11/15/2012 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that while driving with the headlights on they would flicker on and off without any warning. the driver would have to use the switch to get them to turn back on. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. after diagnosis they advised him that the bulbs and the ballast were burned out and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. the current mileage was approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 11/29/2012 | 65901 | 1 | |
| This 2006 cadillac dts was purchased used in november of 2011. at the time of purchase the vehicle only had 30,743 miles, was lightly used and never involved in any accidents. the vehicle currently has approximately 69,000 miles. a couple of months ago, i noticed the right side hid headlight flickering and going out while driving. thinking it was a bulb, i spoke to the dealer by phone who advised it may be a bulb, ballast or loose connection. from research and dealer conversation, i learned it was a costly and time consuming repair just to replace the bulb, due to design issues requiring removal of the entire bumper cover just to access the headlight. i took it to the dealer for repair, but was told that they could not duplicate the problem. since then, the flickering has gotten worse, now affecting both headlights. they randomly flicker off and on while driving proving to be a distraction to me, as well as drivers of other vehicles. it is also a safety issue as there is no warning when they are going to go out. a search of this issue via google reveals this is not an isolated instance with my vehicle, but in fact, is very widespread with many documented cases mirroring my situation. cadillac / gm to my knowledge has not offered any relief to an issue that is obviously a defect. per the dealer, repair of the ballast could be well over $1000. however, reviewing other's experience, there has been little success in finding or repairing the issue. cadillac is supposed to be a flagship for gm and a premium automobile. i would think reliable, safe and functional headlights would be a minimum threshold for safety. i ask your assistance in reviewing the documented issues from many frustrated cadillac owners who experience the same issues that i am having and exert some pressure on gm / cadillac to rectify this known issue. *tr | |||
| 11/29/2012 | 65901 | ||
| This 2006 cadillac dts was purchased used in november of 2011. at the time of purchase the vehicle only had 30,743 miles, was lightly used and never involved in any accidents. the vehicle currently has approximately 69,000 miles. a couple of months ago, i noticed the right side hid headlight flickering and going out while driving. thinking it was a bulb, i spoke to the dealer by phone who advised it may be a bulb, ballast or loose connection. from research and dealer conversation, i learned it was a costly and time consuming repair just to replace the bulb, due to design issues requiring removal of the entire bumper cover just to access the headlight. i took it to the dealer for repair, but was told that they could not duplicate the problem. since then, the flickering has gotten worse, now affecting both headlights. they randomly flicker off and on while driving proving to be a distraction to me, as well as drivers of other vehicles. it is also a safety issue as there is no warning when they are going to go out. a search of this issue via google reveals this is not an isolated instance with my vehicle, but in fact, is very widespread with many documented cases mirroring my situation. cadillac / gm to my knowledge has not offered any relief to an issue that is obviously a defect. per the dealer, repair of the ballast could be well over $1000. however, reviewing other's experience, there has been little success in finding or repairing the issue. cadillac is supposed to be a flagship for gm and a premium automobile. i would think reliable, safe and functional headlights would be a minimum threshold for safety. i ask your assistance in reviewing the documented issues from many frustrated cadillac owners who experience the same issues that i am having and exert some pressure on gm / cadillac to rectify this known issue. | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the headlights would flicker on and off before completely failing. the contact would have to turn the headlight switch on and off in order to get them to remain illuminated. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 54,000. | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the headlights would flicker on and off before completely failing. the contact would have to turn the headlight switch on and off in order to get them to remain illuminated. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 54,000. kmj | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds at night the headlights would flicker on and off and then go out. the contact would have to turn the headlight switch on and off in order to get them to stay on. the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 54,000. tb | |||
| 04/05/2012 | 69700 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the driver's side headlight would fail sporadically. the dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for repairs. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance to the contact. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 69,700. | |||
| 04/05/2012 | 69700 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the driver's side headlight would fail sporadically. the dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for repairs. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance to the contact. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 69,700. kmj | |||
| 04/05/2012 | 69700 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the left headlight goes on and off on it's own whether the vehicle is being driven or parked. the dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 69,700. dt | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 67000 | ||
| Continued problem with left headlight going out. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2011 | |||
| The left headlight will turn a rose color & then go out. the right is o.k. i bought the car used last july & possibly the right has been repaired already. the high cost to change a bulb is because of the design of the front. the inner fender & the front fasica has to come off to access the ballast or bulb. i think g.m. should pick up the cost for headlight repairs. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the headlights illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that water entered the head light capsule through a faulty vent, causing it to corrode. the dealer stated that the head lights needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance because the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 77,000. sm. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the vehicle head light would go off and on intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that water had enter the head lamp capsule through a faulty vent causing it to corrode, as a result the head lamps needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 77,000. pm | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 90000 | ||
| Headlight failure began at approximately 90,000 miles. initially, it started with the interior instrument panel light growing dim and then bright at any given time. then, headlights started doing the same thing. soon thereafter, the right headlight started going out on a regular basis. it would initally flicker, then go totally out. after a few months, the left headlight started doing it. recently, about 18 months after the first incident, they both go out at the same time! during an 80 mile trip i make on a regular basis, at least twice a week, my headlights will go out between 8 and 20 times! i can get them back on by jiggling the on/off light switch. but, one or both will turn back off within a matter of a few minutes. i try to drive during daylight hours as much as possible, but this trip is usually just before dawn or after dusk. i have called the dealer where i purchased the car, and have been told they've not heard of this problem. i don't believe that... all they have to do is talk to other cadillac owners, as i have; or look on the internet. this has to be a widespread problem! in checking with another dealer, they told me it was a ballast problem, and would be between $1400 and $1800 to repair. this is a $7000 car. for cadillac to expect me to pay 20% plus of the car's value to have headlights that work, is way out of line. i purchased this car new at a cost of $44,000. i expect to have headlights that work!! this is a safety issue and cadillac should be responsible for providing a fix! | |||
| 03/15/2011 | |||
| Tampa fl the headlights will flicker then one of them will shut off, turn the switch on and off the lights will comeback on and then the other will flicker and go off. this will happen while driving .i have replaced one bulb , it stopped for one day then the problem is ongoing,same as the other postings on this side, maybe a recall should be put in place,before somebody will get hurt do to this problem with the headlights shutting off while driving @ night.thank you. | |||
| 11/03/2011 | 51000 | ||
| Right light flickers then went off .reset went on again for a while,then same problem | |||
| 09/01/2011 | |||
| Headlights flicker on and off then one or both will just go out. | |||
| 11/04/2010 | 85000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the driver side head light malfunction intermittently. the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive at night. the contact is unclear on what was causing the problem. the contact not taken the vehicle to the dealer. the failure mileage was 85,000. jo | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact noticed the headlights went out on there own. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the headlight bulb was replaced. the failure continued after the replacement of the bulbs. also, the contact stated the head lights would flicker on there own. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where the failure was diagnosed. the contact did not know the repairs that needed to be performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure 100,000. ds | |||
| 10/15/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed that both the driver and passenger side headlights were flickering abnormally and suddenly stopped functioning. the contact stated that the failure occurred when driving at any speed, intermittently. the vehicle was taken to two different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000. | |||
| 10/15/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact noticed both the drivers and passengers side headlights began to flicker and suddenly stopped functioning. the contact stated the failure occurred at any speed and intermittently. the vehicle was taken to two different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000. ds | |||
| 10/16/2010 | 58000 | ||
| 2006 cadillac dts left headlights flicker on and off, turn on manually to get them back on. sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. dealer says they cannot duplicate. | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated the right headlight failed it turns on and off intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer while under warranty the dealer replace the right head light assembly, but the failure was not corrected, the right head light continues to turn on and off intermittently. the manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin information was not available. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 68,000. li | |||
| 12/20/2010 | |||
| 2006 cadillac dts left hand headlight was intermittent and had signs of water inside the lens. complete assy. replaced replaced at dealer expense within 30 days of vehicle purchase. right hand light assy has now become intermittent and also shows signs of water inside lens. | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated the right headlight failed it turns on and off intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer while under warranty the dealer replace the right head light assembly, but the failure was not corrected, the right head light continues to turn on and off intermittently. the manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin information was not available. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 68,000. li | |||
| 12/20/2010 | |||
| 2006 cadillac dts left hand headlight was intermittent and had signs of water inside the lens. complete assy. replaced replaced at dealer expense within 30 days of vehicle purchase. right hand light assy has now become intermittent and also shows signs of water inside lens. | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated the right headlight failed it turns on and off intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer while under warranty the dealer replace the right head light assembly, but the failure was not corrected, the right head light continues to turn on and off intermittently. the manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin information was not available. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 68,000. li | |||
| 12/20/2010 | |||
| 2006 cadillac dts left hand headlight was intermittent and had signs of water inside the lens. complete assy. replaced replaced at dealer expense within 30 days of vehicle purchase. right hand light assy has now become intermittent and also shows signs of water inside lens. | |||
| 10/10/2010 | 76173 | ||
| Ow.h from memphistn.2006 cadillac dts left headlights flicker on and off, turn on manually to get them back on. cigarette lighters seem to work when they want to. my car pulls to the left for no apparent reason, had the front end checked,nothing was found wrong with my front end , headlights were checked for loose connection,nothing found wrong but they continue to flicker when i drive at night, until i keep turning the light switch on and off. i had the cigarette lighters fixed twice, only to have the front lighter on the console to quit working for no apparent reason. | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 99545 | ||
| Headlights turn off by themselves without warning. they do come back on when turned on manually but continue to turn off for no apparent reason. they turn off in no particular order, sometimes one or the other or sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. hedligths were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / enginering critcal problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 99545 | ||
| Headlights turn off by themselves without warning. they do come back on when turned on manually but continue to turn off for no apparent reason. they turn off in no particular order, sometimes one or the other or sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. hedligths were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / enginering critcal problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 99545 | ||
| Headlights turn off by themselves without warning. they do come back on when turned on manually but continue to turn off for no apparent reason. they turn off in no particular order, sometimes one or the other or sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. hedligths were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / enginering critcal problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 99545 | ||
| Headlights turn off by themselves without warning. they do come back on when turned on manually but continue to turn off for no apparent reason. they turn off in no particular order, sometimes one or the other or sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. hedligths were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / enginering critcal problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 99545 | ||
| Headlights turn off by themselves without warning. they do come back on when turned on manually but continue to turn off for no apparent reason. they turn off in no particular order, sometimes one or the other or sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. hedligths were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / enginering critcal problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. | |||
| 04/01/2010 | 15000 | ||
| 06 cadillac dts has had serious electrical/computer system failures since new. vehicle will suddenly lose all electronics, instruments, lights but engine will still run. after dealer attempted repair, problems continue. headlights flicker and sometimes go out. gps goes to night screen during the day. auto headlight dimmer fails. power points, instruments, seats periodically fail. one day seat cooler will work, others it won't. windshield wipers automatic function, rainsense starts normally but then stops in heavy rain requiring manual operation. all items reported to dealer multiple times with the same result unable to duplicate customer's problem. provided cell phone video of system failures but dealer still says they cannot duplicate. | |||
| 01/31/2010 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) my 2006 cadillac dts [xxx] has an intermittent hid headlight problem that occurs in colder temperatures. the lamps will flicker and one or the other will go out. the only way to get the headlight to come on again is to turn off the headlights and turn them on again. the vehicle has been in to the local cadillac dealer, and is in there now, but they don't seem to be able to fix the problem. also, the right taillight/brakelight/turnsignal will occasionally go out completely. the side-marker led lights still illuminate, but the rest of the light assembly goes dark and the turn signal in the back doesn't work. this also happens in cold weather. the dealer hasn't been able to fix this problem either. similar problems are being documented in the cadillac owners forum online. *tr | |||
| 12/04/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a used 2006 cadillac dts in october of '06. in the spring of 2009, the headlights on said vehicle began to flicker. i thought it was a bad headlamp. i took it to a mechanic and they could not duplicate the problem to determine why this was happening. i've been driving the vehicle for 8 - 9 months since this problem started and now one headlight or the other or sometimes both will go out. took it back to the mechanic and it was determined after 4 hours of testing that the ballasts in the headlight unit are both bad causing the headlights to do this. repair cost at a non-gm mechanic was $1700 - $2000. a gm certified mechanic verified the problem and repair cost will be $1403.82. this is to replace the ballasts, headlamps and the labor costs. i feel this is a ridiculous cost for repair of headlights, but have ordered parts and hopefully will have my car repaired next week. this is very unsafe, as i can be driving down the road at night and have my headlights just shut off. the only way to get the headlights back on is to turn them off and back on, but even then it only works for a short period of time before repeating the same problem. in researching this, i have seen other internet posts from cadillac owners experiencing similar issues with the headlights. i did complain to gm/cadillac and they are offering to cover 25% of the repair costs. in the interim, i have been pulled over by police for having headlights not working and i have not even been aware that they had gone out while i've been driving. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2009 | 38917 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact took his vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 08v441000 (electrical system). he stated that there was a recall for the third brake light, but the parts for the repair were unavailable. the vehicle has not yet been repaired according to the recall. currently, the third brake light is fractured and the brake light does not illuminate when braking. the failure mileage was 38,917 and current mileage was 40,000. updated 3/16/09 *cn the consumer stated the problem has been corrected.updated 03/19/09.*jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 09/27/2006 | 800 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated there is an intermintent issue with the headlight and dashboard instrument panel.they go into the nighttime mode in the daytime and it is very hard to see the dashboard when driving. the contact stated that the dashboard instrument panel goes into night mode when starting the engine as well. the contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer for diagnostic and testing twenty times, in regards to the exterior lighting and electrical system. the dealer was able to duplicate headlight failure, however no repairs had been made to the vehicle at the time of the complaint.the approximate failure mileage was 800. the approximate current mileage was 15000. | |||
| 12/03/2007 | 36352 | 8 | |
| Headlights stop working on our sedan fleet. the high intensity headlights will just stop working. we have had this happen on eight of our cars so far. it is now starting to reoccur on the cars. thee is a problem with the high intensity ballast assembly. we have two additional cars that have to go back to the dealer this morning, with a car at the dealer now for the same problem. the vehicles started failing at about 25,000 miles and it is a constant occurrence. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | |||
| 10/13/2006 | 7200 | 1 | 09/13/2006 |
| The headlights flash-to-pass feature only functioned on 20'06 cadillac dts when the headlights were turned on. also, on all of my previous automobiles the headlights would illuminate and flash-to-pass even though the headlights were not turned on at the time. i demonstrated this to the dealer, and he tried it on a similar vehicle and it did not work either. i consider this an important safety feature and would use it frequently.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 1 | ||
| Cadillac vehicles with vertical strip led tail lights are highly distracting. i can see the lights blink as i look at them and away from them. many of the newer cadillac vehicles exhibit this same problem. this is by far the most distracting thing on the road today. i believe that i am in the minority as my wife doesn't even notice them. but i can see them from some distance and it's all without any concerted effort to look at them or stare at them. it's as if someone had a strobe light on! *jb | |||
| 04/09/2006 | 1 | ||
| Flickering tail lights. recent models of cadillac (e.g. dts), use led tail lights. on this car, they flicker at about 50 hz. i work in the software industry and can clearly see computer monitors flickering at 60 hz or below. at night, and especially while in motion, these tail lights are extremely distracting, and occasionally nauseating. i have noticed this beginning to occur on more types of vehicles each year. i am very concerned about the effect on safety and comfort should this trend be allowed to continue. i believe the dot should mandate that led lights on all vehicles have a refresh rate of 100hz or greater in each mode (dim: tail light, bright: brake light...). there are examples of led tail lights that do not flicker, in particular, most large semi-trailers do not have this flicker effect. *nm | |||