NHTSA Complaint #11319185 — 2013 CADILLAC XTS

AFTER DRIVING AROUND TOWN FOR 30 MINUTES, I PARKED THE CAR, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, GOT OUT TO TALK TO A NEIGHBOR 6 HOUSES AWAY FROM WHERE I LIVE. 10 MINUTES LATER, I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, AND DROVE FOR HOME. THE FIRST LITTLE CRACK IN THE ROAD MADE THE CAR RIDE LIKE A GO CART. AFTER A FEW MORE FEET, I COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS WRONG, SO I PULLED OVER, AND GOT OUT, AND SAW THE REAR OF THE CAR SQUATTING DOWN TO WHERE THE TOP OF THE WHEEL OPENING WAS WAY PAST THE TOP THE THE REAR TIRE. I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING AND COULD HEAR THE AIR COMPRESSOR RUNNING, AND WATCHED TO SEE IF IT WAS RAISING THE REAR END TO A LEVEL POSITION, BUT AFTER 30 SECONDS, IT WASN'T RAISING. SO I GOT BACK IN AND LIMPED HOME, SCRAPING THE STREET AS I TURNED IN TO A SLIGHTLY INCLINED DRIVEWAY, AND PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I GOT OUT TO LISTEN FOR THE AIR COMPRESSOR TO KICK ON AND AFTER 2 MINUTES, IT DID NOT KICK ON, SO I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND STARTED IT UP, THEN GOT OUT WHILE IT WAS RUNNING , TO HEAR IF THE COMPRESSOR WOULD KICK ON THO RAISE THE REAR END UP TO LEVEL. IT DID NOT KICK ON, SO I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND LET IT SIT FOR AN HOUR, THEN GOT IN IT AND STARTED IT UP, AND GOT OUT TO LISTEN FOR THE AIR COMPRESSOR TO KICK ON. IT DID KICK ON AND I COULD SEE THE REAR END RAISING UP, AND IT CONTINUED TO RUN AND LIFT UNTIL IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL OPERATING LEVEL, AT WHICH TIME THE COMPRESSOR SHUT OFF. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. WHEN I CHECKED IT IN THE MORNING, IT WAS STILL IN THE NORMAL OPERATING LEVEL, AND IT HAS NOT MALFUNCTIONED IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS 200 MILES. IT HAS 70,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I TOOK IT TO THE CADILLAC DEALER AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE ANY CODES TO SHOW WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH DOWN THE ROAD, AND BOTTOMS OUT AT THAT SPEED. VERY LEAST IT NEEDS A SAFETY STOP