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Every 01 Deville has these problems...ADD TO THE LIST...

4K views 30 replies 17 participants last post by  Finkle1359 
#1 ·
Transmission, Excessive Oil Usage, Heated Seats, Window Regulators, Dash Pad, ...

My point is, how can Cadillac, the Flagship of the GM line build these cars with obvious inferior products and do nothing about it? A 50K car with all these little problems. Is it engineering, suppliers? I guess I just don't get it!
I'd like to see what common problems others have on their 01 Caddy Deville. I have a DTS with 107,000 miles.
Are the new ones any better?
 
#2 ·
The transmissions on the '00+ DeVilles are a lot more reliable than they were on the late 80's/early 90's cars. The excessive oil usage can be fixed by doing WOT runs in 2nd gear on a regular basis. Every manufacturer under designs a few components now and then, its just that there is a lot more to go wrong on a Cadillac.
 
#6 ·
First of all I have an 01 DTS, I had a specifically rare problem with my trans that GM offered to pay for.

My Oil consumption is well within spec

I don't have a dash pad problem.

All my seats work fine

I've never had a window regulator problem.

And I don't think the consumers in this country know what they want. The problem is, as Americans, we've become spoiled and have been provided to many choices over the years so we no longer have any idea what we want. We expect everything to be perfect all the time and we'll find anything and everything to complain about.

If anyone in this country had a clue we wouldn't be operating under the current administration.

Any car with 100,000 + miles is going to have some issues. If you don't like Cadillacs don't drive them
 
#8 ·
Well darn the heated seat on my 10 year old Cadillac is kaput on the passenger side and my dash was slightly warped from the sun hitting it after so many years. The seats make a few weird noises and there are a few creaky pieces throughout my cabin.

It's a late model luxury sedan. It's going to develop certain issues after that amount of time. Nothing stays perfect forever, and Cadillac's tend to be on the expensive side when it comes to repairs.
 
#9 ·
That was my first thought too, this car is 10 model years old and it has 100,000 miles on it?
You might check Kelley Blue Book, I doubt it is a $50,000 car now.
I also doubt it had those problems new.
When does the responsibility fall on the purchaser of the car? 200,000 miles? 300,000 miles?
Twenty years ago you'd be shocked to hear that someone had 100,000 miles on their car. (most odometers didn't even go that high!)

Go grab a 10 year old BMW or Mercedes, go over them with a fine toothed come and then come back and see how badly you complain.

Cars break, plain and simple, doesn't matter what brand they are.
Be glad you have common problems, that way lots of people know about them and they are usually easy to fix, it is the unique problem that can drive you crazy.

Sorry, don't mean to be rude, just stating the obvious here. No offense intended.
Consider it "perspective".
 
#11 ·
just thought I'd add my own list here. 01 DTS with every single option 'cept the NightVision (wasn't available up here in Canada when I bought). So far, in the 9 year's I've owned same, I've replaced 3 outta 4 window regulators; two left front wheel bearings; actuator door in the dash 'fixed' twice too. And, that's it so far. Oh, regular stuff like brakes, oil changes, moonroof adjustment once too, etc etc..but that's it so far for repairs....

not too bad, I think...and yes, I LOVE that car....is still for me the best Caddy ever made and I think I'm gonna drive it till I can get classic licence plates for her...after 25 years up here that's what the province will give you!

:)

Jim
 
#12 ·
I think the window regulator problem is specific to a certain run of cars for whatever reason. It seems like if you have the problem, it never goes away. If you don't have the problem it never happens.

It's very odd that some people complain of this all the time, replace them over and over again and neither of my cars are plagued with any of the above mentioned problems.
 
#15 ·
Love both my Cadi's. I've replaced all but 1 window regulator('03 Deville), which was a nuisance but not a huge problem. As for the other problems mentioned I haven't experienced them. My chrome rims(also '03) were corroded but that's not specific to Cadillac, I had the same problem with my Buick's. I simply tossed the old rims for a set of '07 DTS rims they've been fine. It's a 7 year old car things are going to go, mechanically my '03 is mint.
 
#16 ·
Every 2001 Deville does not have all these problems...........nor does any other model line of any other car. It's all the luck of the draw and how much homework you do before buying either a new or used car. You drive a Cadillac, with even the base models loaded with bells and whistles, you better be ready to either pay or DIY maintenance or repairs.
 
#17 ·
Correct. After 5 years, expect problems. But, we are in the 21 st. century! In the previous century, I never had problems with wheels holding air in a tire, or had to replace a power window operator, ever (until the one on my 2000 Deville), and seldom found it necessary to add a Quart of oil between oil changes. I agree with the post that stated that Americans don't know what they want. However, as an American consumer for over 60 years, I've come to expect a product's maintenance and performance based on past experience. And while getting over 100,000 miles on a car was a great expectation in the previous century, I've come to expect wheels to hold air (even in snow), power window operators to last more than 5 years, and a lot of other things that I've grown to take for granted (as an American) that, somehow, aren't holding up as well as they used to.
I buy Cadillacs because I've been a GM devotee since my 1957 Chevy (my first car), and Cadillac is at the top of the GM line. I never considered buying a Jap rice burner, but with the proliferation of foreign car sales in the US, I'm learning from friends and family - owners of BMW, Lexus, Honda, and Toyota - that problems as stated above are non-existent.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Let's clarify something here. up to 1 qt of oil per 1000 miles is expected and is by design. It's not a flaw or a problem, it's to keep your 300HP luxury sedan well lubricated and to ensure engine longevity. That's part of the 'doing your homework'

Lets look at the obvious. No wheel is designed to loose air, even in the snow. There's something wrong either the bead is dirty and the person who mounted the tires didn't do their job. They may have also damaged the TPMS when changing your tires. It's common practice to replace the O rings on he sensor while the tire is off. There's no excuse for a tire or rim to loose air unless something is damaged. Take it to the place where you had the tires mounted and make them fix it.

The foreign cars you mention have their own list of problems and cost 3 times more to fix. Go over and read the BWM forums. All cars have problems and I can tell you that the quality of imports has gone down over the last ten years while US manufacturer have increased quality. This isn't the 80's anymore where Hondas are the best and run forever because they certainly don't.
 
#19 ·
I'm learning from friends and family - owners of BMW, Lexus, Honda, and Toyota - that problems as stated above are non-existent.
Wow, that is total BS.
Just because the ten (okay I am guessing, could be more or less) people you know that drive them don't have problems doesn't mean that others don't have them.
All cars break, my Boss in CA had a $285,000 Lamborghini and it broke down more than any Chevy I ever saw while I was working there, including the fabulous Geos.
They might not have the specific problems talked about here but go to any dealer listed in your post and see how many starving technicians they have.
That ain't all from doing oil changes... :lol:
 
#20 ·
And you wouldn't have a bias, Mr.Platinum Cadillac Dealer Technician?
"They might not have the specific problems talked about here...", and mentioned in numerous threads in these forums. And in fact, they have not had those problems. And of course "all cars break".
 
#21 ·
I worked for a long time in the aftermarket and I spent plenty of time working on Mercedes, Toyota, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Chryslers, Fords.... get it?

If you like your Cadillac, maintain it and keep it running, if it disgusts you so much then for the love of God please sell it and buy one of those precious imports and then come back later and tell us how much money you are saving. :lol:

Why any person in this day and age would own a car that they hate and go online and whine about it just boggles my mind.
This is an awesome forum where people can help eachother. While some use it as a sounding board to troll for arguments some find it a valuable resource.
My company spends money to help support this board and I post advice to help support its members.

I am proud to work for Lindsay Cadillac, a company that supports it's employees and stands behinds the products that it sells.
I am proud to work for a company that supports this forum where whiners can come and cry foul all day long and offer nothing to the community. From time to time I like to let people know how annoying it is, and how ignorant it is to whine about the costs of owning a car.

Please call your local BMW dealer (or any of the other names you threw around up there), ask them how many technicians they have on staff and ask them how they pay their bills since their cars have so few problems.
 
#22 ·
Actually, ewill3rd is perhaps the most objective Service Technician to post in CF. He can be relied on to "tell it like it is" and if one of us amateurs calls a wrong shot, he'll correct the mistake. His parts department bends over backwards to help members. His brand opinions are never in sight unless someone incorrectly questions his motive, and just as all of us, he is highly paid for his experience sharing in here......

Nobody's kidding anybody, bill57: Cars break and wear out. Every model within every car line has its quirks, and unfortunately some of those models wind up with a something-less-than-serendipitous assembly of parts which seem to have an early mortality. If all were perfect, this site would not function except to act as a mouthpiece for those who like to spout about how wonderful their Flapfish SRTCS-3X is.

Fix it, don't bitch about it.
 
#23 ·
Thanks sub, I am not trying to be right.
I think it is fair for all of us to offer our opinions. Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I think less of them, it just means I disagree.
My opinions are based on over 17 years of experience as a professional doing this job every single day and a lot of training.
I am not above being wrong, I often make mistakes, but I stand behind my work and will correct myself without hesitation if I present the wrong information.

I leave other professions to other professionals, I don't go to accounting forums and argue with accountants that they don't know what they are doing and I find it quite distasteful that other people with little or no experience in the automotive industry start running their mouths about things they know only the vaguest details about. I am not saying that makes anyone good or bad, right or wrong, or more or less than anyone else, I am just saying it is goofy.

I don't have a problem agreeing to disagree, however I have a problem with people presenting "opinion" as "fact" because they are two very different things.

Sorry if I came off a bit harsh there Bill, I just wanted to make sure you understand my point.
I believe I understand yours, but based on my knowledge and experience of working on cars every single day for almost 2 decades I'd have to respectfully disagree with your perceptions. :)
(and a few other people around here too... :lol:)

PS: Sub, thanks for the kind words.
 
#24 ·
Just to clarify, I wasn't the OP who was bitching and dissatisfied. I re-read my post several times and cannot find anything I said which would promote a defensive reaction, unless a comment is purposefully taken out of its context. I rarely post because I use this forum as a resource for information, and as such, do a lot of reading and searching. Every sentence in my post is a statement of fact (especially the one about "my" expectations based on "my" past experience as a consumer for more than 60 years). It is also a fact that those owners of cars that I mentioned have not experienced the specific problems that were mentioned in this thread. I stand by my comments, including the one about being a GM devotee since 1957. I shall not make another post unless it is to ask a question about maintenance.
 
#25 ·
FWIW, the 1st gen Lexus LS400 had the very same issues with their chrome wheels.

Almost all auto manufacturers that have decided to go with the cheaper to manufacture and easier to fit "cable-designed" regulators have a high failure rate. Our previous DD, a Lincoln Town car, had the same issues. But removing that door panel was twice as difficult.
I do have 2 vehicles that have never had a window regulator fail. Why? Because they use the old heavier scissor-style regulators.

The dash pad on our 65k miled 2000 Deville has just now started to peel back in the corners.
IMO, that shouldn't be happening but I'm not going to get rid of the car because of it.

Let's not forget, the dealerships make their real money from service departments.

I do wish that Cadillac supplied a sturdier tire jack, when using it for the first time it began to flex and eventually collapsed. Upon closer inspection it is poorly designed/weak at the hinges compared to other jacks.
Then when i went to use my floor jack, I had no idea that the lift points behind the tires were so small. So what happened was the lip of the jack's disc/mount caught the body's sheet metal.:banghead: which created a new project for that day!
Live and learn.
 
#26 ·
Bill, I would completely agree with you and would apologize if you thought I was directing all my statements towards you.
I wasn't.

The only "fact" I have a problem with is this statement you made.
I'm learning from friends and family - owners of BMW, Lexus, Honda, and Toyota - that problems as stated above are non-existent.
Based on the minor cross section of the world population that you are exposed to it may seem like fact and for that small group it may be a fact. The fact is that there are more people in the world with more cars than you can ever hope to see and some of them have those problems. It is a fact based on your perception with a small sampling.
From your point of view it might seem like fact but in real world terms it is your opinion because it has no real basis.

Apart from that I would apologize for making you feel like I directed all my comments in your direction. Most of it was intended for the OP.
Yes I know it wasn't you, as did a few others I am sure.
Please feel free to post whenever you like, I enjoy a healthy exchange of ideas, sometimes I even learn something.
 
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