2004 Cadillac CTS Brakes Problems

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND HE HAD TO PUMP THEM TO BE ABLE TO STOP. UPON REASEARCHING THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER CAME UP. HIS BRAKE LIGHT CAME AND AND UPON INSPECTING THE BRAKE LINES AND CHECKING THE FLUID IT WAS LOW AND THE LINES APPEAR TO BE CORRODED. CADILLAC STATED THERE IS NOT ACTIVE RECALL.

MY BRAKING POWER ASSIST FAILS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM MAKING A HARD TURN (AS WHEN PARKING), EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT , BUT RECOVERS WHEN I STRAIGHTEN OUT MY STEERING WHEEL. THIS BEGAN AFTER I REPLACED MY FRONT WHEEL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS AT AROUND120,000 MILES. MY POWER ASSIST UNIT FAILED COMPLETELY AROUND 138.000 MILES, SO I HAD IT AND MY MASTER BRAKE UNIT REPLACED. I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME BRAKING PROBLEM AS BEFORE.

WHEN TURNING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED THE BREAKING SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILS. THIS NEARLY CAUSED MY ENTIRE FAMILY TO END UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. THANKFULLY WE WERE TRAVELING SLOW AND THE EMERGENCY BREAK WORKED. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT HOME AND CHECKED FLUID AS WAS WELL. READING THROUGH ONLINE COMPLAINTS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE EXACT SAME THING. I AM TRULY WORRIED THIS COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED. AT THE TIME THE BREAKS FAILED THEY STUTTERED A BIT AND THE BREAK LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON AS WELL AS A TONE OR ALERT IN THE CAR. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. THIS JUST STARTED HAPPENING SUDDENLY OUT OF THE BLUE. MY DAUGHTER HAD TOLD ME HER BREAKS DID SOMETHING STRANGE WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ONE MORNING. THEN THE NEXT DAY SHE SAID IT DID IT AGAIN GOING FORWARD SHE ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. I HAD HER TAKE ME FOR A DRIVE SO I COULD SEE FOR MYSELF AND I WAS TERRIFIED WHEN IT HAPPENED.

WHEN AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN PARKING AND TURNING HERE KIND OF GRINDING AND CAR NOT WANTING TO STOP, GENERALLY WHEN PULLING INTO OR OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, OR COMING TO ANY SLOW STOP. ALWAYS AT A LOW SPEED. SPOKE WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGERS WHO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH IT IS DOCUMENTED CLOSE TO 100 TIMES ON THIS AND OTHER WEB SITES: TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0F480A/29 PLEASE CHECK THESE POSTS SINCE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WHICH (AS STATED IN ONE OF THE POSTS) VERY WELL COULD BE A FAILURE IN THE DESIGN OR WORKMANSHIP IN SOME OF THE WIRING HARNESSES CONNECTING THE EBCM TO THE SPEED SENSORS THAT CAUSES THE BRAKES TO FAIL. WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT(ALMOST STOPPED) THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND, A VIBRATING BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO STOP. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT IS ONLY HAPPENING ON RIGHT TURNS AND VERY SLOW SPEEDS.

PULLING OUT FROM MY DRIVEWAY IN SLOW SPEED ABOUT 3 MPH ON REVERSE TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT MY RADIO SHOW MESSAGE "SERVICE BRAKE ASSISTANCE". SAME TIME I LOST THE BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHT COME ON ON THE DASHBOARD. LUCKY THIS WAS LOW SPEED SO CAR STOPS ON MY NEIGHBOR TRASH CAN. I DON'T WANT TO THINK WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE OTHER CAR WILL DRIVE BY OR SOMEONE WILL WALK BY. I AM SCARE TO DRIVE NOW.

I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE OTHER RECALLS HANDLED AND WAS INFORMED MY BRAKE HOSE FITTINGS WERE RUSTED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE I FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V225000 / GM RECALL 15149. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE DETAILED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THE RECALL IS NOT APPLICABLE TO ME. MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE DATE RANGE FROM THE RECALL, BUT IS NOT IN ONE OF THE LISTED STATES. IT SEEMS CLEAR TO ME THAT I AM SUFFERING THIS ISSUE DUE TO THE SAME DEFECT, AND I SUSPECT MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED FOR THIS ISSUE DUE TO THE RECENTLY ISSUED RECALL, HOWEVER I AM NOT BEING COVERED BECAUSE I LIVE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND NOT ~10 MILES AWAY IN MARYLAND OR DC. THE WEATHER IN MY LOCATION IS MORE OR LESS IDENTICAL TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (IN FACT, THE SUBURBS OFTEN GET MORE SNOW), AND I DRIVE MY VEHICLE YEAR ROUND (INCLUDING TRIPS IN MD/DC/WV) ENCOUNTERING ROAD SALT WHEN APPLIED, WHICH IS THE STATED REASON FOR THE CORROSION. I AM UNAWARE OF THE VEHICLE'S HISTORY BUT FOR ALL I KNOW IF COULD HAVE SPENT MOST OF THE 7 YEARS PRIOR TO MY OWNERSHIP IN ONE OF THE LISTED STATES FROM THE RECALL. I FEEL THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL VEHICLES IN AREAS WHICH EXPERIENCE SNOW THAT SHOW THE LISTED ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V225000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

SHORTLY AFTER A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN SUBURBAN MINNEAPOLIS. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE, THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE IN SPEED AND THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER DISPLAYED BRAKING AND STABILITY SYSTEM ERRORS. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BRAKE HOSE HAD CORRODED AND RUPTURED, RESULTING IN THE BRAKING FAILURE. I NOTICED THE TRIM LEVEL OF MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A 2010 RECALL, HOWEVER THE SAME CONDITION SEEMS TO EXIST IN THE V-SERIES CTS. ONLY ONE BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED, LEADING ME TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I OBSERVED A LARGE PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID AROUND THE FRONT LEFT TIRE. UPON REMOVAL OF THE WHEEL, I DISCOVERED A LARGE BRAKE FLUID LEAK AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE HARD BRAKE LINE GOING TO CALIPER AND THE FLEXIBLE LINE THAT GOES TO THE BODY OF THE CAR. DURING REMOVAL, THE INTERFACE COMPLETELY FAILED. THIS IS EXACTLY THE FAILURE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN RECALL: REPORT RECEIPT DATE: MAR 17, 2010 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V105000 COMPONENT(S): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC YET FOR SOME REASON, THIS RECALL WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES SOLD AND REGISTERED IN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF STATES. THIS BRAKE LINE OBVIOUSLY IS FAILING ON VEHICLES REGISTERED IN OTHER STATES. THE PART ON MY CAR WAS WITHIN SEVERAL CYCLES OF COMPLETE FAILURE, WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT LOSS OF BRAKING AND A CRASH. I HAVE RETAINED THE FAILED PART AND CAN PROVIDE PHOTOS OR MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. *TR

NOTICED PUDDLE ON GARAGE FLOOR SO MOVED CAR OUT ON DRIVEWAY AND FOUND THAT IT WAS OIL ON FLOOR. WENT BACK TO CAR AND THERE WAS A WET SPOT BEHIND WHEEL ON DRIVERS SIDE. MOVED CAR BACK AND IT WAS OIL. MADE DECISION TO GO TO CLOSEST PLACE TO HAVE PROBLEM CHECKED THAT I TRUSTED AND WENT TO BIG O TIRE. BY THE TIME I GOT THERE BRAKE WAS GOING ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR TO STOP CAR. THE CHECKED AND SAID THE RUBBER BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THEY REPLACED THEM. LOOKED UP WHAT HAPPENED ON INTERNET AND SAW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM BUT, ONLY FOR STATES WITH HEAVE WINTERS. I LIVE IN KENTUCKY AND THERE WAS NOT RECALL FOR MY AREA. I LISTED SPEED ABOVE AT 10 THIS IS WHAT SPEED I DROVE AFTER FINDING PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO DRIVEWAY BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED THE SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST INDICATOR CAME ON THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP RIGHT THEN. *JS

AS I MAKE SHARP TURNS WHILE ON MY BRAKES, MY CAR MAKES A NOISE NEAR THE TIRE AREA AND DOES NOT STOP AND THEN ABS INDICATOR AND THE TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHTS COME ON. IT USUALLY OCCURS WHEN I AM TRYING TO TURN INTO SPACES GOING 1-2 MPH. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE CAR IS TO GET OFF OF THE BRAKES AND THEN PRESS THEM AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES OR TO HIT AN OBJECT. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA AND THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE CAR TO SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT SPECIALIZE IN BRAKES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE BRAKES THEMSELVES ARE FINE. SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS STARTED, I HAVE HIT A TRASH CAN AND SEVERAL CURBS. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED, BUT NO MECHANIC, INCLUDING CADILLAC GM MECHANICS SEEM TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE NOT HIT ANY PERSON OR ANY PERSON'S PROPERTY DUE TO THIS FAULTY BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT OTHER CADILLAC OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, BUT CANNOT FIND A FIX. *TR

WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT(ALMOST STOPPED) THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND, A VIBRATING BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO STOP. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT IS ONLY HAPPENING ON RIGHT TURNS AND VERY SLOW SPEEDS. THERE ARE SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ON LINE ABOUT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM AND CADILLAC DEALERS BEING UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO DIAGNOSE THE TRUE PROBLEM. HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0F480A/50. I AM GOING TO LOOK INTO THE WIRE HARNESS ISSUE DISCUSSED ONLINE MYSELF. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT LIKE WHEN PARKING IN A DRIVEWAY OR A PARKING SPOT, THE BRAKE PEDAL LOOSES PRESSURE AND STARTING KIND OF SHAKING LIKE WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGES AND THE CAR CAN'T BE STOPPED UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND APPLIED VERY HARD AGAIN SO I CAN STOP THE CAR, IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, I HAVE ASKED SEVERAL GM DEALERS AND NOBODY IS SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, THEY ARE ALL GUESSING AND CAN'T GUARANTEE TO REFUND A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM, SOME HAVE SAID IT IS MAYBE THE ABS MODULE, THE MASTER CYLINDER, A KINKED HOSE, ETC. I WENT TO SEVERAL FORUMS ON LINE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAINING WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND NOBODY HAS HAD ANY ACCEPTABLE ANSWER FROM GM OR ANY DEALER, THEY ALL STATED THAT THE WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THAT THEY COULD NOT REFUND THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE I FEEL I AM PLAYING A RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH MY VEHICLE, I DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY CAN BE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED, I DON'T WANT TO SELL THIS VEHICLE EITHER WITHOUT TELLING THE NEW OWNER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND GET HIM INTO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, SO I AM WRITING TO YOU TO PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH SOME ADVISE TO ADDRESS THIS EXTREMELY SERIOUS PROBLEM. I DON'T DRIVE THIS VEHICLE VERY OFTEN SINCE THE BRAKE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES AND I DON'T WANT TO GAMBLE WITH MY LIFE OR ANYBODY'S. THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE ENTERING A PARKING PLACE, MY BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE ABS SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED AND ALSO THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING ILLUMINATED, AS I STRUCK A RESTRAINING POST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF A PERSON HAD BEEN INFRONT OF THE VEHICLE. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS I HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE SERVICE AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL WORN EQUIPMENT. NOW I AM CONCERNED FOR ANYONE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE OR ANYONE WALKING IN FRONT OF THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO MY LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE THE BRAKES RECHECKED. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. MY PLAN WAS TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE GM DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, YET, I FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND GM REFUSED TO HELP OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY, OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, SPENT LOTS OF MONEY AND TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE LEFT THE CUSTOMERS VERY DISSATISFIED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT AN AIR SOUND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN STOPPING TIME AND DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,976.

IF YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT AT A SLOW SPEED TO STOP OR PARK THE BRAKES GIVES OUT. THE WIPERS START AND STOP AT TIMES IN THE OFF POSITION. *TR

I OWN A 2004 CADILLAC CTS WITH NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS EXCEPT FOR RESPONDING TO SEVERAL RECALLS. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, I WAS MOVING FORWARD INTO A PARKING SPACE AT ABOUT 3 MILES/HOUR. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SUDDENLY THE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND I BARELY STOPPED INCHES FROM THE CAR IN FRONT. I WAS NOT STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT NORMAL BUT TWO LOUD BURSTS OF AIR, 2-3 SECONDS EACH, OCCURRED. THE CADILLAC DEALER FINDS NOTHING IN COMPUTER CHECKS, ROAD TESTS, AND VISUAL INSPECTIONS AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE EDMUNDS.COM TOWNHALL WEB SITE CONTAINS SEVERAL REPORTS OF EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CADILLAC CTS. *TR

CAR WOULD NOT STOP AT LOW RATES OF SPEED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. HAVE HAD TO THROW IT INTO "PARK" GEAR TO MAKE IT STOP. HAVE CHANGED BRAKE SENSORS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS, EBSCM SYSTEM, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. "SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST" LIGHT CAME ON AFTER MULTIPLE EPISODES OCCURRED. HAVE HAD IT INTO CADILLAC DEALERSHIP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND CONTINUE WITH SAME PROBLEM. AWARE THIS HAS OCCURRED ON MANY CARS OF SAME MAKE/MODEL AND YEAR VIA INTERNET SEARCH.