1996 Cadillac Deville Complaints

REFER TO OPEN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE94071. CUSTOMER OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE WITH 93,884 MILES. CAR WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN XW4 TIRES FROM MANUFACTURER IN SIZE P225/60 R16 97S WITH A THIN WHITEWALL. ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED WITH SAME MICHELIN XW4 TIRES AT AROUND 50,000 MILES IN 2002, DUE TO AGE AND WEAR. ALL THE NEW TIRES HAD DOT CODE: B93V 222X 0902, AND ARE MARKED MADE IN USA. IN 2006, WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAD A SUDDEN BLOWOUT. THIS BLOWOUT CREATED A HOLE FROM JUST PAST THE TIRE BEAD TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TREAD, MAKING A FLAP ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR PALM, STILL ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE TREAD. TIRE REPLACED WITH A MATCHING XW4 WITH DOT CODE: B33V 222X 1105, MARKED MADE IN CANADA. AT THAT TIME, THE XW4 WAS DISCONTINUED BY MICHELIN, SO HAD TO FIND IT AS NOS (NEW OLD STOCK) VIA MAIL ORDER DISTRIBUTOR. IN SEPT. 2008 AT AROUND 93,800 MILES, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE XW4 TIRE WAS NOTICED TO HAVE A SMALL BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWAL...

FRONT WHEELS PASSED THROUGH A PUDDLE AND WATER SPLASHED INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN. THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE TURN COULD NOT BE COMPLETED. THE EFFECT WAS MOMENTARY BUT SCARED ME QUITE A BIT. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON DIFFERENT RAINY DAYS WITH THE CAR. *TR

ANY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN MORE THAN 2 HOURS, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS, AND CAUSES THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, AND HE IS UNABLE TO REPAIR TO OUR SATISFACTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED MANY, MANY TIMES WITHOUT RESOLUTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RUBBER PART OF THE BRAKE LINE SPLIT INTO TWO SEPARATE PIECES WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE BRAKES COULD NOT BE USED AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND GEARS WERE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT SOMEONE WOULD LOOK INTO THE FAILURE AT SOME POINT. THE CONTACT IS A MECHANIC AND STATED THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT OCCUR ON A VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE BRACKET THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE STRUT IS BEING STRETCHED BEYOND ITS LIMIT, WHICH AFTER TIME WILL EVENTUALLY SPLIT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,210 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,449. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF THE METAL BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE RUBBER PART OF THE BRAKE LINE IS CUTTING THE RUBBER LINE RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE BRACKET . UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

UPON APPROACHING THE 1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE IT WAS NOTED THAT A FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM BEHIND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEAK WAS GASOLINE - OPENING THE HOOD FOUND NO LEAKS. CAR WAS STARTED IN ORDER TO RELOCATE IT IN THE DRIVE WAY, WITHIN A MINUTE OF STARTING THERE WAS A STRONG BLAST OF VAPORIZED GASOLINE SPRAYING ON THE DRIVEWAY. CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUTOFF. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THERE WAS A LEAK FROM THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE UNDER THE FLOOR AT A LOCATION UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE IS MOUNTED PARALLEL THE BODY AND IT IS ABOUT 9 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT DAY THAT THE CAR WAS STARTED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CADILLAC DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED BY INSTALLING A NEW FUEL HARNESS - PART NUMBER 25644121 AT A COST OF $608 TO ME. ANY DESIGN THAT USES PLASTIC (NYLON) FUEL LINES PLACED SO CLOSE TO THE HOTTEST PART OF THE CAR IS JUST PLAIN IRRESPONSIBLE ! *TR