NHTSA Complaint #11258340 — 2019 CADILLAC ESCALADE

CAR PURCHASED FEBRUARY 2019 BRAND NEW. WHEN SEAT COOLING, THE BACK OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS HEAT UP IN ALL COOLING MODES FROM HIGH TO LOW. RETURN VENTS ON BACK SIDE OF DRIVER/PASSENGER SEATS BLOW OUT VERY HOT AIR PROVIDING SAFETY CONCERN IF TOUCHED BY PASSENGER. INFRARED THERM. PERSONALLY PURCHASED AND RECORDED A LOG OF SEAT TEMPS FOR OVER A MONTH. RETURN VENTS ON BACK OF BOTH SEATS REACHED A MAXIMUM OF 132FON DRIVERS SIDE AND 129F ON PASSENGER. ON AVERAGE, INFRARED THERM. SHOWED DRIVER/ PASSENGER BACK OF SEATS MEASURING AVG 92-96 DEGREES F. ON OCASSION COOLING SEATS WORK WITH NO ISSUE BUT USUALLY OCCURS 15 MINUTES INTO DRIVING WITH COOL ON. WHEN SEAT COOLING TURNED OFF, SEATS/VENTS COOL OFF. WHEN TURNED BACK ON SEATS/VENTS HEAT UP. CAR SERVICED BY DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. AFTER NOTIFYING GM CUSTOMER RELATIONS WITH CERTIFIED LETTER, A GM SERVICE ENGINEER WAS SENT TO ASSESS MY CAR ISSUES ON THE THIRD TIME. PER INVOICE 10644 9/24/19, GM SERVICE ENGINEER CONFIRMED THERE WAS AIR BEING TRAPPED IN FOAM OF BACK SEAT CAUSING RETURN AIR VENTS TO HEAT UP. HE MEASURED THE BACK SEATS TO HEAT TO 81F AFTER TWO TEST RUNS ONLY WITH A DIGITAL THERMOMETER. HIS CORRECTION IS REMOVAL OF OPEN CELLED FOAM IN BACK OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS AND REPOSITIONED THEN REMOVED HOT AIR EXHAUST PORTS ON LF/RF SEAT BACK COOLERS. NOTES COOLING SEATS OPERATE AS DESIGNED. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH REMOVAL OF MANUFACTURERS DESIGN PARTS FOR FUNCTIONING OF CAR. HAVE CONFIRMED OTHER CADILLAC SUV OWNERS HAVE HEATING ISSUES WITH RETURN VENTS IN A 2016 SUV SERVICED BY SAME DEALERSHIP AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ALSO, 2019 ESCALADE ESV LOANER PROVIDED TO ME EXHIBITS EXACT SAME ISSUES AS THOSE REPORTED IN MY CAR WITH HEAT IN BACK OF SEATS AND RETURN VENTS DURING COOLING SEATS ACTIVATED.