NHTSA Complaint #10193575 — 2001 CADILLAC CATERA

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEMO IS TO REQUEST NHTSA TO EVALUATE AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO HAVE THE MANUFACTURER CORRECT DESIGN DEFECT IN THE HOT WATER VALVE OF THE 2001 CADILLAC CATERA COOLING SYSTEM. *AK RECENTLY THE HOT WATER VALVE, FP NUMBER 90566947, IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF MY 2001 CATERA FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN 2005 WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED LAST MONTH WITH LESS THAN 75,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND WAS REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. BOTH REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED BY VAL WARD CADILLAC, FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS, INCLUDING FOUR GENERAL MOTORS (GM) CARS, AND THIS COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM HAS NEVER OCCURRED ON ANY OF THEM. ON JUNE 5, 2007 I SENT A LETTER TO GM ASKING THAT THEY ISSUE A RECALL OF THE 2001 CATERA TO CORRECT THIS DESIGN DEFECT. I WAS ADVISED, VIA A TELEPHONE CALL FROM MS. JOLENE BLAZUKIEWICZ, IN THEIR EXECUTIVE OFFICE, THAT GM DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT OR SAFETY HAZARD AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. SHE WENT ON TO SAY THE FAILED PART IS MADE OF PLASTIC, AS THOUGH THIS WAS A REASON FOR THE FAILURE. I SUGGESTED THEY MAY WANT TO CONSIDER MAKING THE PART FROM A STRONGER MATERIAL, SHE SAID SHE WOULD FORWARD MY LETTER TO THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT. I LIVE IN A RELATIVELY RURAL PART OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AND SUDDEN LOSS OF COOLING FLUID ON A ROAD FAR FROM A TOWN OR SERVICE STATION, COULD PRESENT A VERY REAL AND SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AND RESULT IN SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. THE FACT THAT THIS VALVE HAS NOW FAILED TWICE INDICATES IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT. IT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE FOR GENERAL MOTORS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND REPLACE THE VALVE WITH A MORE ROBUST PART. I THEREFORE REQUEST THE NHTSA TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM AND, IF APPROPRIATE, DIRECT GM TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. SINCERELY, TORSTEN ROTHMAN