NHTSA Complaint #10198934 — 2007 CADILLAC CTS

AFTER STARTING UP MY CAR (A 2007 CADILLAC CTS) AND ATTEMPTING TO GO IN REVERSE, IT STALLED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND BEGAN TO ROLL DOWN THE HILL. I TRIED TO BRAKE AND TO STEER THE CAR, BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY TRACTION ENGAGED LIGHT WAS ON. I ENDED UP SLIDING INTO THE RETAINING WALL AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL UNTIL I CRASHED INTO THE BRICK PILLAR OF MY GARAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND ONSTAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE CRASH. I SUSTAINED INJURIES ENDED UP IN THE ER. THE LOCAL GM DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR AND SAID THAT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DUE TO THE "ANGLE" OF THE HIT. MY CAR HAD NEARLY $8000 WORTH OF DAMAGE SO THIS WAS NOT A LITTLE "FENDER BENDER". WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TALKING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER, HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER CUSTOMER WHO WAS FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST GM BECAUSE THEY HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THEY HAD AN ACCIDENT IN THEIR CADILLAC AND SUSTAINED MUCH MORE DAMAGE THAN I DID, BUT THEIR AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY ALSO. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE CAR AT 463 MILES AND MY INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AROUND 503 MILES OR SO. I HAD THIS CAR LESS THAN 30 HOURS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I STILL CONTEND THAT THE CAR STALLED AND CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT, BUT GM SAID THAT THERE WERE NO CODES FOUND WHEN THEY RAN THE DIAGNOSTIC. I BOUGHT THIS CAR DUE TO THE ONSTAR, AND EVEN THOUGH THEIR WEBSITE SAYS THAT IT CAN DETECT A COLLISION WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING, IT DID NOT WORK IN MY CASE. *JB