2002 Cadillac Sls Owner Complaints

WHEN SLOWING AT ABOUT 20 MPH TO 3 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST DIES. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ALL ELECTRICAL IN THE VEHICLE STOPS WORKING. THE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN ONCE STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK OFTEN HAVING TO REMOVE THE KEY AND PUTTING IT BACK. AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS AND OVER 1500 MILES, WORKING WITH THE DE LA FUENTE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, HAVING A RED BUTTON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUSH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK CYLINDER PART NUMBERS 12369550 AND 25725312 AT A COST OF $615.73 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED ON ME THE FIRST TIME I KEPT TO SURFACE STREETS AND DROVE AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN DEVIATING HAD IT HAPPENED WHILE ON THE FREE WAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10641036

Incident

Dec 19, 2012

Mileage

140,393 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200.

NHTSA ID

10575153

Incident

Apr 27, 2012

Mileage

58,806 mi

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY *ONE* KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS *NOT* A MATTER OF THE SWITCH BEING "WEIGHED DOWN" BY AN OVERLOADED KEY CHAIN. I WILL TAKE THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC ON MONDAY AND SUGGEST THAT A NEW IGNITION SWITCH BE INSTALLED. BUT ALL THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A "HEADS UP" WARNING TO GM OWNERS WHO DRIVE NON-COMPACT GM CARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10574184

Incident

Jan 24, 2014

Mileage

7,800 mi

A "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT APPEARED ON MY 2002 CADILLAC SLS (4.6L NORTHSTAR VIN-Y). WHILE PARKED STEAM/SMOKE (SMALL AMOUNT) BEGAN RISING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A SMALL PUDDLE OF COOLANT WAS FOUND BELOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DISCOVERED. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS VERY ODD. VEHICLE HAS 103K MILES. WATER PUMP GASKET WAS REPLACED AT 65K MILES, HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT & RADIATOR WERE REPLACED AT 78K MILES AND WATER PUMP CLAMP/HOSE REPLACED AT 83K MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. NO OTHER REPAIRS (TO MY KNOWLEDGE) WERE MADE TO THE ENGINE/COOLING SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10252119

Incident

Dec 9, 2008

Mileage

103,000 mi

HEAD BOLTS PULLED OUT OF BLOCK ON A 2002 CADILLAC WITH A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 74,000 MILE AND WAS FIXED UNDER THE VEHICLES EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 87,000 ON IT AND THE SAME HEAD BOLT THAT WAS FIXED FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A PATCH JOB THAT GM KNEW WAS NOT PERMANENT AND THEY NOW DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SHODDY REPAIR PROCEDURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10234414

Incident

Jun 15, 2008

Mileage

87,000 mi

DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10234219

Incident

Jun 15, 2008

Mileage

87,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT FEELS THE HYDROPLANING IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NEVER BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE DEALER. UPDATED 3/3/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID

10149362

Incident

Feb 3, 2006

Mileage

41,000 mi

INQUIRY REGARDING ENTITLEMENT OF $1,000.00 DISCOUNT.*MR *PH

NHTSA ID

10050224

THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED AT TIMES WHEN THE DOORS WERE OPENED WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE, AND THERE WAS NO ALARM SOUND TO NOTIFY HIM. *NLM *TT *JB

NHTSA ID

10020334

Incident

May 21, 2003

REPAIRING DEALER DEVOE CADILLAC OF NAPLES FL, REPLACED RETAINING CLIP AND FOAM SPACER, BUT NOT THE INTERFACING COMPONENT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH CONTAINS THE GROOVE INTO WHICH THE RETAINER CLIP FASTENS. REPAIR BECOMES QUESTIONABLE BECAUSE OF LIMITED PARTS REPLACEMENT. DT

NHTSA ID

770379

Incident

Nov 27, 2002