Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Cadillac CTS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT QUIT WORKING. I REPLACED THE LIGHT WITH A NEW LIGHT. I FOUND OUT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE HAS GONE OUT NOT THE LIGHT AND WILL BE AROUND $600 TO REPLACE. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOTICED A LOT OF OTHER CADILLAC CTS HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.
I PURCHASED A NEW 2011 CADILLAC CTS4 IN AUGUST 2012 FROM HERB CHAMBERS CADILLAC IN LYNNFIELD MA. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS VIRTUALLY ALL (TENS OF THOUSANDS!) CADILLAC CTS AND SRX VEHICLES BUILT SINCE 2008. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS, I NOTICED THAT CONDENSATION APPEARED IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES AFTER DRIVING IN OR PARKING IN THE RAIN. THE CONDENSATION WOULD NATURALLY EVAPORATE DURING EVAPORATE AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED. OVER TIME, THE LOW BEAMS BECAME DIMMER AND DIMMER. THEY HAVE BECOME SO DIM THAT DRIVING IN OTHER THAN WELL-LIT AREAS IS DANGEROUS. I CONTACTED THE MIKE ANAGNOS, SERVICE MANAGER AT HERB CHAMBERS CADILLAC. I PRESENTED THE PROBLEM TO HIM. WITHOUT INSPECTING THE CAR, HE STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE STATED THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO HEADLIGHTS COST WOULD BE $1400.00. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY WATER INGRESS TO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS TO CORRODE AND 'MELT'. HE OFFERED NO FURTHER EXPLANATION AS TO WHY TWO HEADLIGHTS WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE CAR'S BLUEBOOK VALUE. I ASKED HIM IF THE CORRODED WIRING THAT MELTED PRESENTED A FIRE HAZARD. HE DID NOT REPLY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PRESENTS A RISK OF UNDER-HOOD FIRE. IF YOU DO AN INTERNET SEARCH ON CTS OR SRX DIM HEADLIGHTS, YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THE OUTRAGEOUS COST TO REPAIR. SEE ALSO CADILLACFORUM.COM AND JUSTANSWERS.COM MY RESEARCH INDICATED THAT WHEN CADILLAC REPAIRS THESE VEHICLES, THEY USE THE SAME PARTS THAT WERE USED WHEN THE CAR WAS BUILT...VIRTUALLY GUARANTEEING THAT THE PROBLEM WILL PRESENT ITSELF AGAIN. THIS CAR IS A DANGER TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AND A FIRE RISK FROM THE 'MELTED' WIRING HARNESS.
PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2012 FROM CAMARGO CADILLAC IN CINCINNATI,OHIO VECHILE HAS 41,000 MILES AND WELL TAKEN CARE,IN 2015 NOTICED HEADLIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE HAVING A LOT OF CONDENSATION.TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD CAR OUT OF WARRENTY. 6 MONTHS LATER DRIVERS SIDE DOING SAME THING. TOLD IT WOULD COST 2800.00 HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS. CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. IF I HAD KNOWN THESE HEADLIGHTS WAS SUCH A PROBLEM WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED VECHILE. AT THIS TIME DRIVERS SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT IS OUT. THE LIGHTS ARE CALLED HID/XENON LEDS.
HEADLIGHTS DIMMING OVER TIME. CAR IS BARELY DRIVABLE AT NIGHT. DEALER SAYS I NEED TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS AND WIRING HARNESS. STATED THAT WIRING HARNESS WAS LIKELY MELTED. I ESTIMATE THAT HEADLIGHTS WILL BE AT TOTAL FAILURE BY 12/31.18. DEALER WANTS $1200+ TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS AND DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS. CADILLAC REFUSES WARRANTY SUPPORT. AT LEAST TWO CLASS ACTION COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED IN USDC. FIRE RISK! FIRE RISK! FIRE RISK!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. ON MARCH 25, 2017, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBURBAN BUICK OF TROY (1810 MAPLELAWN, TROY, MI 48084 (248), 643-0070) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. ON FEBRUARY 15, 2018, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 8-3904418827. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,532. *TT *TR
BOTH REAR TAILLIGHTS ARE SEPARATING FROM THE BODY AT THE TOP. THERE IS A GAP OF APPROX. 1/4-3/8 INCH FROM THE TOP PEAK OF TAILLIGHT TO BODY. THIS IS ON A 2011 CADILLAC CTS AWD LUXURY WAGON. *TR
BOTH REAR TAILLIGHTS ARE SEPARATING FROM THE BODY AT THE TOP. THERE IS A GAP OF APPROX. 1/4-3/8 INCH FROM THE TOP PEAK OF TAILLIGHT TO BODY. *TR
THIS CONCERNS THE PWM FREQUENCY USED ON MANY LED RUNNING LIGHTS BEING USED ON RECENT MODEL CARS. MY WIFE IS VERY SENSITIVE TO MANY OF THE NEW LED RUNNING LIGHTS AND REFUSES TO DRIVE AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THEM. THE STROBING OF THE LED LIGHTS MAKES THEM APPEAR TO BE IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. THIS MAKES DRIVING BEHIND THEM AND PASSING THEM VERY DIFFICULT FOR HER. I DON'T NOTICE IT BUT SHE DOES AND SHE WILL COVER HER EYES WHEN WE'RE OUT DRIVING AT NIGHT AND GET CLOSE TO THEM. READING ON THE INTERNET, SHE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT THESE LIGHTS. AS AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEER I UNDERSTAND HOW PULSE WIDTH MODULATED DRIVE CIRCUITS ARE USED TO CONTROL THE BRIGHTNESS OF LEDS AS WELL AS THEIR COLOR TEMPERATURE. HOWEVER, I SEE NO REASON FOR THE LOW FREQUENCY BEING USED IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS. CERTAINLY RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE AS TO WHAT PWM FREQUENCY IS ACCEPTABLE TO 99.9% OF THE POPULATION. I THINK THAT LEDS HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE, INCLUDING IN VEHICULAR APPLICATIONS, AND AM ALL FOR THEIR USE. HOWEVER, THEY NEED TO BE DRIVEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT DOESN'T COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE ROAD. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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