NHTSA Complaint #10561134 — 2003 CADILLAC CTS

TSB 05-06-01-007A THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY CADI ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS. FIRST TIME, CADILLAC DEALER CHARGED TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT. DIDN'T WORK. NEXT TIME, REPAIR SHOP REPLACED OIL GASKET. DIDN'T WORK. THIS TIME I FOUND THE BELOW DESCRIPTION ON LINE AND WILL ASK MY REPAIR SHOP TO FIX. IF THIS IS RECURRING TO CTS OWNERS, THERE REALLY SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT IS ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. IRRITATING. MY RESEARCH FOUND THE BELOW AND IT IS RIGHT ON TARGET.....IT RARELY HAPPENS BECAUSE IT IS RARELY BELOW 10 DEGREES IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS.... THE CAR INVOLVED WAS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. STARTED VEHICLE IN APPROXIMATELY 7 DEGREE WEATHER. AFTER STARTING VEHICLE AND RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES NOTICE SEVERE POWER LOSS. WITHIN NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES BLACK SMOKE WITH EXTREME BURNING SMELL FLOODED VEHICLE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT ALSO SMOKE STARTS TO COME FROM UNDER HOOD OF VEHICLE. PULLED INTO SAFE LOCATION FOUND HUGE OIL LEAK ON LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE AROUND VALVE COVER. COULD HAVE POSSIBLY STARTED A FIRE DUE TO HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE OIL BEING BLOWN ON ENGINE BUT LUCKILY DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. CHECK ON-LINE FOUND TSB 05-06-01-007A STATING GM KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM. "WHEN OPERATING IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHERCONDITIONS, SOME 2003-2004 VEHICLES WITH 3. 2L V6 ENGINE MAY LEAK ENGINE OIL FROM THE CAM/VALVE SEALS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE LEFT SIDE JUST BELOW THE OIL FILL HOLE IN THE CAM/VALVE COVER. " THIS IS QUITE A BIT MORE THAN A LEAK SINCE APPROXIMATELY A QUART OF OIL WAS BLOWN ON THE ENGINE IN ONLY A COUPLE MINUTES. IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN HOTTER THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN A FIRE. SINCE THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH A KNOWN CAUSE SHOULDN'T THIS BE TAKEN CARE OF BY GM OR AT LEAST THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. *TR