RoadVitals

2002 Cadillac Cadillac

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
6
Latest May 7, 2007
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Cadillac Cadillac, most frequently naming the brakes, engine and exterior lighting categories. 11 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes116.7%
  • Engine116.7%
  • Exterior lighting116.7%
  • Suspension116.7%
  • Transmission116.7%
  • Visibility116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed May 7, 2007

I OWN A 2002 CADILLAC STS AND JUST HAD THE BRAKES FAIL , BUT FORTUNATELY NOT IN A WAY THAT THERE WAS A CRASH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE WRITER AT SAINT CLARE CADILLAC IN SANTA CLARA, CA THAT THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CLIP. HE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FOURTH CAR THIS MONTH THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC CLIP COMES LOOSE AND THE BRAKE LINE RUBS AGAINST THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING AND EVENTUALLY FAILS. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AS I LIVE IN A MOUNTAIN AREA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA. THE BRAKE FAILED BY PUMPING FLUID OUT OF THE HOLE EVERY TIME THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED UNTIL THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT FLUID TO KEEP THE PEDAL FROM GOING TO THE FLOOR. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. SHOULD NOT THIS BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL ITEM BY GENERAL MOTORS

NHTSA ID
10190096
Incident
May 5, 2007
Mileage
90,080 mi
Suspension
Filed Dec 17, 2004

2002 CADILLAC DEVILLE, CLICKING IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING. DEALING CHECKED BEARING, FOUND IT TO BE BAD, AND NOTED THAT LEFT FRONT WAS ALSO GOING BAD. REAR BEARING REPLACED, FRONT BEARING TIGHTED, DEALER SUGGESTED PERIODIC CHECKS, MAY NEED REPLACEMENT IN FUTURE. THIS CALL IS LESS THAT 3 YEARS OLD, 60K MILES, BEARING SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD. THIS CAR WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, NOR CURBS STRUCK, NOT WAS IT SETTING UN-USED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. THESE ARE SCENARIOS THE DEALER TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WHEEL BEARING WENT BAD WITH 60K MILES. I EXPLAINED THAT NEITHER OF THOSE SCENARIOS WERE EXPERIENCED BY ME/THIS CAR.L *JB

NHTSA ID
10104000
Incident
Dec 10, 2004
Mileage
60,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 30, 2003

HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM ON THE CADILLAC CTS 2000 HAS A BLACK BAR THAT REDUCES VISION TO ABOUT 75 FT AND ON DARK COUNTRY ROADS, THIS SHORTENED VISION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE HEADLIGHT SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THIS CONDITION. WHAT WAS CADILLAC THINKING? CADILLAC DOESN'T SEEM TO THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T EVER DRIVE THEIR PRODUCT ON DARK ROADS AT NIGHT. THIS HEADLIGHT PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED!! IT IS AWFUL! *AK

NHTSA ID
10045060
Incident
Oct 15, 2002
Mileage
1 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 1, 2003

THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE EXITING A RAMP. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10011280
Incident
Mar 1, 2002
Mileage
48,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Mar 17, 2003

FRONT GLASS BLOW OUT AT 75MPH. *AK

NHTSA ID
10009614
Transmission
Filed May 21, 2002

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION BURNED UP, AND WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR, IT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION. *AK CADILLAC DTS 2002 *YH

NHTSA ID
8010200
Incident
May 8, 2002

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

010846004

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

VEHICLE INTEGRATION OF CELLULAR PHONES AND NORMAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS. *TT

020730001A

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1870, TRANSMISSION COMPONENT SLIPPING FOR 2000 - 2002 PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT UPDATE TO INCLUDE 2004 MODELS. *TT UPDATED *EH

010089011A

NEW TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION FORM FOR 2002 AND PRIOR PASSENGER VEHICLES AND TRUCKS. *TT TO INCLUDE 2005 MODELS. THIS BULLETIN REPLACES PREVIOUS DATED 08/01/01. *TT

060203

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

REFER TO BULLETIN 03-06-04-028 FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT WITH A P0420 CODE. MODEL UNKNOWN. *TT

051403

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

NORTHSTAR OIL ECONOMY CONCERN. MODEL UNKNOWN. *TT

070901

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

SUBJECT REGARDING A CHANGE IN THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RADIO DATA SYSTEM RADIOS. *SLC

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Cadillac Cadillac by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003300—
2002Viewing600—
2001200—
2000120041.2
1999500—
1998600—
1997110039.4
1996700—
1995300—
1994200—
1993600—
1992200—
1991300—
1990300—
1989400—
1988001—
1987101—
1986201—
1985203—
1984102—
1983102—
1982001—
1978010—
1977020—
1976010—
1975010—
1974020—
1973010—
1972010—
1970110—
1969010—
1968010—
1966100—
1960010—
1959010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.