NHTSA Complaint #10669370 — 2010 CADILLAC STS

DRIVING HOME ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE POSTED 70 MPH SPEED MY ELECTRONIC STABILITY LIGHT GOES OFF AND THE CARS ENGAGED SUDDENLY BEGINS TO RAPIDLY POWER DOWN. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 40 MPH AS THE TRANSITION REVIVED TO 2X NORMAL LEVELS. I WAS FORCED TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE AND TURN OFF THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES, RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE WHILE THE TRANSITION LIGHT REMAINED LIGHT UP. OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY LIGHT/ENGINE POWERING DOWN SITUATION HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND ALMOST A DAILY SITUATION I EXPECT--NOT A COMFORTING FEELING WHEN ON THE INTERSTATE. I TOOK THE CAR THE A LOCAL MECHANIC TODAY AND FOR ONCE THE TRANSMITION LIGHT WAS NOT ON AND THE TRACTION STABILITY SITUATION WAS NOT A PROBLEM--GO FIGURE. ANYWAY, THE MECHANIC TESTED THE CAR AND SAID THE ISSUE APPEARED TO BE MOISTURE GETTING INTO THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR AND CAUSING THE ISSUE. HE WAS NOT 100% SURE AND RECOMMENDED I KEEP DRIVING THE CAR AND BRING IN ONCE THE ISSUE POPS UP AGAIN--SURE IT WILL. DIFFICULT TO PROVE WITHOUT BEING AN EXPERT MECHANIC BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT WITH THE CAR CREATING THIS ISSUE AND THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH A NEWLY ENGINEERED MOISTURE SEALED PART. ALL ACCELERATION ISSUES LIKE THIS ARE VERY SERIOUS AS GM SHOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX. I REPLACED THE SAME SENSOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO AND PROBLEM PERSISTENT OVER THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME. NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU INVEST IN THE CADILLAC BRAND. *JS