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New CTS recall

8K views 43 replies 25 participants last post by  cvettr/cts-v 
#1 ·
heard about this on the local news tonight. I assume this affects Vs as well as the stockers...

GM Recalls Over 100,000 Vehicles
By Jim Sharifi

Posted: Dec 23, 2010 11:42 a.m.

GM’s recent crossover recall may have just been the beginning; the automaker announced today that it will recall Cadillac CTS models made between 2005 and 2007. “General Motors is recalling about 109,000 Cadillac CTS models from the 2005-2007 model years because of a kink, bend or fold in the front passenger presence system mat that can lead to the passenger air bag failing to deploy,” the company announced in a press release.

The automaker says that Cadillac CTS owners can expect letters regarding the recall to be in the mail in February of 2011. “GM's recall was prompted after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the issue in September,” says the Detroit News. “GM said it will begin the recall when it has replacement parts.”

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/101223-GM-Recalls-Over-100-000-Vehicles/
 
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#2 ·
Yep, I spotted this too. --> LINK

General Motors is recalling 95,927 Cadillac CTS sedans from the 2005 to 2007 model year over faulty passenger sensing systems in the front passenger seat.

According to NHTSA, repeated flexing of this sensor mat can cause it to kink, bend or fold, which can sever the connections of the mat's sensors to safety devices within the car. Most specifically, a damaged sensor may not be able to detect the presence of a front seat passenger and could disable the air bag, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

GM has not yet notified NHTSA of when the recall is expected to ramp up, but owners may contact the automaker with any questions prior to receiving the official notice. Dealerships will replace the passenger sensing system free of charge. For the full details, follow the jump to read NHTSA's statement.
 
#6 ·
I've got the "Service Air Bag" warning a few times, mostly on long trips. I've had it fixed once (they said it was something to do with the passenger seat, I don't remember exactly what) and it recently started again. Sounds like this recall will take care of that.
 
#11 ·
Because we dont have an airbag sensor in the seat.
 
#14 ·
Don't know about getting shafted on the brake line issue.but I do feel like "getting shafted" is coming around...
I got the svc airbag flash too as an occassional flash. Now its on all the time..i checked on recalls.gov and it is an official recall as of dec.2010 .also checked with a lawyer who referred me to the site and GM has to fix by law. Problem is: they only mention cts and not cts-v. Could this be the hiccup that will cause v owners to get shafted?!
I called the dealer about the recall, and of course they said there's no such recall, but they are aware that its a real common problem (eye roll). So they told me it's going to cost $100 to diagnose. If the seat sensor is the problem: $375 for the seat cushion and about $475 labor. WTF?!!!!!
Id hate to spend the $$ for a defective mfg part, afterall this is not due to wear and tear.
Has anyone used the recall card to get this fixed yet?
 
#15 ·
Many dealerships are worthless but since GM has not officially announced to owners a repair schedule for the recall (#100355) I'm sure the dealers are instructed to "know nothing." On the .gov recall sites, owners are to call Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. Typically, the official announcement will given when the parts become available for the massive fix.
 
#16 ·
fwiw, my Air Bag sensor message came on when my buddy moved around in the front pass seat when we were coming back from V-Day at Summit Point this year. dealer found the passenger presence system module fault code B0092 and replace it/cushion under CPO warranty. so, the issue is in the CTS-Vs, imo.

I assume this doesn't fix under the recall, though, since it's still the same as factory. what exactly is the "fix"?
 
#17 ·
what exactly is the "fix"?
My guess is that GM is still figuring that out - which is why they haven't formally announced the recall to owners or started fixing cars yet.
 
#19 ·
I don't think anyone's vin will be included yet.although the recall is "official" GM hasn't made the announcement yet or notified owners. Probably not until they figure out how to do a mass fix.
I've called the dealer too and of course, my vin didn't come up either. So I'm SOL for now accprding to the dealer, until GM starts notifying...... How disappointing.i hope this doesn't go on for too long and that some of us get shafted....or recall the recalll.lol
 
#20 ·
From a liability perspective, GM is in a very precarious position. There is a known (and admitted) safety-related defect in these cars, yet GM hasn't taken the next step and started fixing it. That situation is nearly indefensible if anyone gets hurt as a result of this defect while GM figures out what it's doing.
 
#26 ·
this is standard procedure - there's no liability here. the liability only comes up if the manufacturer is aware of a defect and does NOT announce a recall. That's how the NHTSA works.

Many many many recalls are announced before a fix is available. The unintended acceleration recalls from Toyota are an excellent example.
 
#21 ·
Anything new on this? I have a CEL for the passenger airbag. I called Cadillac and the rep there could not locate the recall.
When dropping my car off for service this morning (fluids flush/bleed) I asked. The guy looked ut the recall # and then said, "there are too many #s, GM recalls are only 5 digits". Well, ok, then how about the NHTSA campaign ID #? He tried looking that up and nothing.

When someone here hears something on this I'd like to know so that I can get this taken care of. Wife does not want to ride in the car without the airbag. I told her she could just drive, and she said no since my life would be in danger. Can't win. Damn Ralph Nader. Might not have airbags without him. :) (Just kidding, I know they save lives all the time, more than the injuries they cause)

It appears that the campaign is cross branded, so I'm guessing that the Vs will be covered. They have to be the same sensor.

-PJ
 
#22 ·
Quick follow up. I took a guess that NHTSA added an extra zero to their 1/7/11 press release for the recall by mistake, so the recall is 10355. If you google this, you can find the actual letter from GM to all Cadillac dealers giving a heads up for the recall. This letter is archived on a DOT site. This letter identifies the recall by the correct 10355 number and describes that owners will come in with the passenger airbag sign lit on the mirror and the indicator on the dash.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Recalls/2010/V/RCMN-10V644-6733.pdf

This letter says that the media may be reporting the recall. Interesting internal document. What it tells us is that ALL dealers have been notified, but whether they told their employees is another matter.

Calling Cadillac customer service does nothing but have them check if there is an active recall on your car. After spending over an hour total time on 2 calls with the same rep, she finally confirmed that she has no ability to look up a recall by number and say whether effected owners have been notified. This was disappointing since it did not help me determine if my car would be included or not.

A call to NHTSA confirmed that there is no standard for reimbursing owners who repaired something that was later included in a recall. He suggested that there are varying percentages of reimbursement and that it was manufacturer dependent. His advice was: 1) no one use passenger seat until fixed and 2) wait several weeks to see if the campaign includes my car. He told me the campaign was not initiated by GM yet, as in the NHTSA Jan 7 publication. He indicated typically they need to have dealers geared up to perform the recall with parts and instructions first, but was surprised nothing happened yet since it has been out for a while.

Finally, having the correct recall number, the local caddy dealer was able to tell me that the recall was not active in their system, meaning that owners had not been notified. He gave the same advice as the NHTSA representative, above, as far as what I should do.

Hope this helps people understand where the situation is currently at. I know the title of this thread doesn't say airbag, but it comes up in most searches.

-PJ
 
#23 ·
PJ - great update. That is extremely useful information and I very much appreciate your legwork as well as you taking the time to update us here.

+1!! Nice work. Now we'll see if GM gets its act together.

Guy
 
#25 ·
No new information, but I did find this post on the Canadian transportation site:
http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search/recalldetail.aspx?lang=eng&rn=2010458

and in it it gives build dates that are effected. Mine was June 2004 so it looks like I should be in!
I think the effected # in the link is the imports to Canada only, so pay no attention to the low number given.

If someone gets a notice on this topic, let us know so we can start calling!

Thanks,

PJ
 
#28 ·
Update for today:
Received my letter for RECALL 10355. My car is included in the recall.
Dealer will replace PSS (Passenger Sensing System) mat. It is likely the dealer may need it for more than the 45 minute service time.

It does say for those who have had it corrected, that you may be eligible for reimbursement.

It says it is for "Certain" model year 2005 vehicles.

Repairs start on or after April 14, 2011.

Whew, I'm glad I am getting this taken care of. My wife wouldn't ride in the front seat until I got this taken care of.....
....maybe I should wait a while longer to get this fixed. :)

Be on the lookout for your letters!

-PJ
 
#29 ·
Great update!! Thanks!!
 
#30 ·
Yea, I just got the letter as well. Guess GM is finally waking up and getting something done right for a change.

Now if I could only find a Cadillac dealer in the Chicagoland area that won't hoon, scratch, dent, attempt to rip me off, or get confused as to why there is a Corvette motor in the car we'd be all good.
 
#31 ·
Did you say it was only for 2005 models? hmmm
 
#34 ·
No, my letter stated "for certain 2005 models" in its text. I'm pretty sure there were other model years. The press release and the NHTSA postings have better descriptions of effected vehicles, around 100000. Also, there is a GM to dealer letter that can be found on the DOT.gov site when doing a search for 10355 recall in google. I took this letter to my local dealer a few weeks ago and the service guy hadn't been aware of the recall. He said if it isn't in the system, they don't know about it. He said he was already getting calls on a 6000 vehicle recall for the new CTSs. When I said this was around 100000 effected vehicles, he was shocked. Communication isn't the best. Still don't know why the DOT can post an internal GM memo, but it isn't my fault, I just did a search. ;)

Good luck, keep an eye out for your letters. Oh, there is a reimbursement form included on the back of one of the pages.

-PJ
 
#35 ·
I received my letter today, but it is just a "heads up" that I'll be getting a subsequent letter when they're ready to do my repair "as parts become available." It appears that GM is staggering the actual repair by model year, so as not to be overwhelmed. (At least that's my assumption.)
 
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