NHTSA Complaint #10526029 — 2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV

WE JUST WANTED TO ALERT YOU OF A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION THAT OCCURRED WITH OUR 2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV, ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013. I HAD JUST PICKED UP MY KIDS FROM SWIM PRACTICE AND WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE WHEELS AND HAD NO ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR... IT JUST FREELY SPUN AROUND AND AROUND. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE HITTING A TREE AND MY KIDS AND I WERE NOT INJURED, JUST VERY SHAKEN. HOWEVER, IT WAS AND STILL IS VERY PRESENT IN MY MIND WHAT THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN HAD WE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY OR GOING AT A FASTER SPEED. CADILLAC ROADSIDE WAS VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD ALL MAINTENANCE DONE IN THE PAST. AFTER REVIEW OF THE VEHICLE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE REALLY NOT SURE WHAT WENT WRONG, AS THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. APPARENTLY THE WHOLE FRONT STEERING SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO COLLAPSE IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, BUT FOR SOME REASON IT COLLAPSED WITHOUT WARNING OR REASON. CONSEQUENTLY, DUE TO THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUOUSLY SPINNING, IT HAD RIPPED OUT ALL THE POWER CORDS TO THE RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING, POWER STEERING, STABILITRAC, ETC. THE CAR WAS A DISASTER AND AT THAT POINT I HAD NO TRUST IN THE CAR TO EVER DRIVE IT AGAIN. I HAD ENJOYED MY VEHICLE UP TO THIS POINT, BUT THIS HAS MADE ME INCREDIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING MY FAMILY IN ANOTHER CADILLAC VEHICLE. *TR