NHTSA Complaint #10692562 — 2011 CADILLAC CTS

MY CTS WAS IN A NON GM AUTHORIZED MECHANICS SHOP HAVING OIL CHANGE AND BRAKES DONE. WHILE WORKING IN THE CAR I ASKED TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT MY REAR ASSIST CAMERA. THE CAMERA AND WIRING TO THE CAMERA WERE ACTUALLY SMOLDERING AT THIS POINT. MY MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS LEAKING AND THAT THE CENTRAL DRIVE SHAFT WAS BAD. MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE SMOLDERING REAR ASSIST CAMERA, PUT THE CTS BACK TOGETHER AND I DROVE IT OVER TO THE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WARRANTY WORK DONE ON TRANSFER CASE AND DRIVE SHAFT. MY MECHANIC ALSO REPLACED THE SMOLDERING CAMERA AND GAVE IT TO ME IN A BUBBLE WRAPPED BAG ALONG WITH WIRE HARNESS. YOU CAN SEE WHERE FIRE OCCURRED ON THE CAMERA AND THE SMOLDERING WIRES. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT CROWN CADILLAC GAVE ME THE PRODUCT ALLEGATION PHONE NUMBER WHICH I CALLED AND GOT A FILE NUMBER. I INFORMED GM ABOUT THE FIRE/SMOLDERING REAR ASSIST CAMERA AND WAS TOLD BY [XXX] AT THE PRODUCT ALLEGATION DEPARTMENT THAT SINCE THE REMOVAL OF THE CAMERA WAS NOT DONE BY AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE CAMERA. I ASKED HER IF IT MADE SENSE TO LEAVE A PRODUCT IN THE CAR THAT WAS ON FIRE AND SMOLDERING? THIS PRODUCT COULD HAVE BEEN SMOLDERING FOR 30 DAYS WHEN THE REAR ASSIST CAMERA QUIT WORKING. MY CONCERN IS THIS, THE CAMERA HAD BEEN SMOLDERING FOR SOME TIME. THE CAMERA WAS STILL SMOLDERING AND AT ONE POINT OBVIOUSLY WAS IN FLAMES. I BELIEVE WE DODGED A BULLET THAT THE CAR DID NOT ERUPT IN FLAMES AND DESTROYED OUR 2000 CORVETTE AND F150 PLUS THE HOUSE ITSELF AS WE HAVE AN ATTACHED GARAGE. THE CTS HAS OTHER INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUES SUCH AS SEAT HEATERS SOMETIME WORK AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. THE CAR WHEN YOU TURN IT OFF WILL CONTINUE TO RUN. AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR