2002 CADILLAC SLS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHEN SLOWING AT ABOUT 20 MPH TO 3 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST DIES. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ALL ELECTRICAL IN THE VEHICLE STOPS WORKING. THE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN ONCE STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK OFTEN HAVING TO REMOVE THE KEY AND PUTTING IT BACK. AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS AND OVER 1500 MILES, WORKING WITH THE DE LA FUENTE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, HAVING A RED BUTTON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUSH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK CYLINDER PART NUMBERS 12369550 AND 25725312 AT A COST OF $615.73 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED ON ME THE FIRST TIME I KEPT TO SURFACE STREETS AND DROVE AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN DEVIATING HAD IT HAPPENED WHILE ON THE FREE WAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200.

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY *ONE* KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS *NOT* A MATTER OF THE SWITCH BEING "WEIGHED DOWN" BY AN OVERLOADED KEY CHAIN. I WILL TAKE THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC ON MONDAY AND SUGGEST THAT A NEW IGNITION SWITCH BE INSTALLED. BUT ALL THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A "HEADS UP" WARNING TO GM OWNERS WHO DRIVE NON-COMPACT GM CARS. *TR

A "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT APPEARED ON MY 2002 CADILLAC SLS (4.6L NORTHSTAR VIN-Y). WHILE PARKED STEAM/SMOKE (SMALL AMOUNT) BEGAN RISING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A SMALL PUDDLE OF COOLANT WAS FOUND BELOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DISCOVERED. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS VERY ODD. VEHICLE HAS 103K MILES. WATER PUMP GASKET WAS REPLACED AT 65K MILES, HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT & RADIATOR WERE REPLACED AT 78K MILES AND WATER PUMP CLAMP/HOSE REPLACED AT 83K MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. NO OTHER REPAIRS (TO MY KNOWLEDGE) WERE MADE TO THE ENGINE/COOLING SYSTEM. *TR

HEAD BOLTS PULLED OUT OF BLOCK ON A 2002 CADILLAC WITH A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 74,000 MILE AND WAS FIXED UNDER THE VEHICLES EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 87,000 ON IT AND THE SAME HEAD BOLT THAT WAS FIXED FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A PATCH JOB THAT GM KNEW WAS NOT PERMANENT AND THEY NOW DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SHODDY REPAIR PROCEDURE. *TR