2008 Cadillac DTS Lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE PROJECTING TOO MUCH HEAT AND CAUSED THE PLASTIC COVERS TO BURN AND MELT FROM THE INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RILEY CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (2033 CHRISTY DR, JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65101, (573) 298-6142) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COSMETIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

THE DASH LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENT, OR VERY DIM. THE BRIGHTNESS DOES NOT COME ON FOR MILES AT A TIME. YOU CANNOT SEE THE SPEEDOMETER TO SEE HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IN MOTION, CITY STREETS AND ON THE HIGHWAY. HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CADILLAC AND HAVE HAD IT TO THE CADILLAC DEALER. THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE HAD IT TO EARNHARDT CADILLAC SCOTTSDALE, AZ. SO FAR NO FIX. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. AFTER THE WARRANTY STOPPED I DID NOT GO BACK TO DEALER.

DASH LIGHTING IS DIMMED WHEN EVER HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. AUTOMATIC SYSTEM DOES NOT RETURN PANEL LIGHT LEVELS TO DAYLIGHT BRIGHTNESS. THIS MAKES THE DASH INVISIBLE IN BRIGHT DAYLIGHT. CONDITION EXISTS UNTIL THE SUN IS HIGH IN THE SKY. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE! OWNERS MANUAL SAYS THAT "PARADE DIMMING" CAPABILITY IN CAR ELECTRONIC IS INTENDED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZZARD. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, THEY HAVE NO CURE. I HAVE CALLED THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE NUMBER. NO ONE EVER RETURNS MY CALL. E-MAIL ARE ALSO UNANSWERED.

THERE IS A 41 INCH BRAKE LIGHT INSTALLED ON THE TRUNK LID WHICH COSTS $223.75 TO REPLACE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BIG DEAL, BUT, AS I WAS REPLACING IT, I NOTICED IT WAS NEVER PROPERLY FITTED TO THE TRUNK AT THE FACTORY, WHICH CAUSED THE ORIGINAL DAMAGE, BROKEN COMPLETELY THROUGH IN THE MIDDLE, AND SEVERAL CRACKS, NOT WORKING. TO BOLT ON A NEW ONE IMPROPERLY FITTED WILL CAUSE THE SAME DAMAGE BECAUSE THE HARD PLASTIC IS UNDER HEAVY STRESS WHEN TIGHTENED DOWN. TO PROPERLY FIX THE SITUATION WILL COST THOUSANDS, MY WIFE AND I BOTH HAVE DISABILITIES AND WE CANNOT POSSIBLY AFFORD THE FIX AS THE CAR ALREADY NEEDS OVER $3000 IN SUSPENSION PARTS AS WELL, PLUS LABOR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A TICKETABLE OFFENSE. WE EXPECT GM TO FULLY PAY FOR A PROPER FIX AS THEY HAD TO KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN UP THE ROAD. I'M SURE THEY'VE ALSO NOTICED A LARGE NUMBER OF THE LIGHTS BEING ORDERED. DOESN'T PRESIDENT OBAMA RIDE IN A STRETCHED DTS? HE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE HIS FIXED TOO. BY THE WAY, WE JUST PURCHASED A NEW MALIBU 6 DAYS AGO, WHICH IF THIS ISN'T HANDLED RAPIDLY WILL GO RIGHT BACK TO THE DEALER AND BOTH PERSONAL AND CLASS ACTION SUITS FILED. *TR

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TAILLIGHTS OF LATE MODEL CARS, SPECIFICALLY CADILLAC'S. THESE TAILLIGHTS, I SUSPECT ARE LED, ARE TOO BRIGHT, AND SEEM TO "PULSATE" IN A WAY THAT IS VERY TROUBLING FOR DRIVERS TO LOOK AT. EVEN FROM A DISTANCE THE LIGHTS HURT EYES AND CAUSE FOR A MAJOR UNSAFE DISTRACTION ON THE ROADS. PLEASE EXAMINE THIS ISSUE, AND REGULATE THE BRIGHTNESS ON TAILLIGHTS, OR ELIMINATE THE LED TYPE, IF, INFACT THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE. THANKS. MIKE *TR

EMAIL FORWARDED ABOUT CONCERNS ON GM CADILLACS, THE TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT TURN OFF UNLESS THE VEHICLE MAKES A 90 DEGREE TURN, WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. *KB