NHTSA Complaint #10451110 — 2006 CADILLAC DTS

HEADLIGHT FAILURE BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES. INITIALLY, IT STARTED WITH THE INTERIOR INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT GROWING DIM AND THEN BRIGHT AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THEN, HEADLIGHTS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. SOON THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT STARTED GOING OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT WOULD INITIALLY FLICKER, THEN GO TOTALLY OUT. AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT STARTED DOING IT. RECENTLY, ABOUT 18 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THEY BOTH GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME! DURING AN 80 MILE TRIP I MAKE ON A REGULAR BASIS, AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK, MY HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT BETWEEN 8 AND 20 TIMES! I CAN GET THEM BACK ON BY JIGGLING THE ON/OFF LIGHT SWITCH. BUT, ONE OR BOTH WILL TURN BACK OFF WITHIN A MATTER OF A FEW MINUTES. I TRY TO DRIVE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT THIS TRIP IS USUALLY JUST BEFORE DAWN OR AFTER DUSK. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY'VE NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT... ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TALK TO OTHER CADILLAC OWNERS, AS I HAVE; OR LOOK ON THE INTERNET. THIS HAS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM! IN CHECKING WITH ANOTHER DEALER, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A BALLAST PROBLEM, AND WOULD BE BETWEEN $1400 AND $1800 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A $7000 CAR. FOR CADILLAC TO EXPECT ME TO PAY 20% PLUS OF THE CAR'S VALUE TO HAVE HEADLIGHTS THAT WORK, IS WAY OUT OF LINE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AT A COST OF $44,000. I EXPECT TO HAVE HEADLIGHTS THAT WORK!! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CADILLAC SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING A FIX! *TR *JS