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GM to Customer Complaint of CUE Part I & II: Major Update

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#1 ·
GM to Customer Complaint of CUE: "There is Nothing We Can Do For You"

I have always wanted to own a Cadillac. I look at the Cadillac brand as the absolute pinnacle of what the General Motors company is able to manufacture. This is my third vehicle I have leased in the last 5 years, and I have continued to stay with the brand because I find their vehicles to provide that signature "ride" and luxury that one would expect.

In November of last year, as my 2010 SRX lease was about to expire, I already had my mind set on leasing a 2013 vehicle. I had done my research, and the thing I was more excited about than anything else was this new, revolutionary tech product called CUE. Being a huge gadget freak who needs to be the first to own everything new in tech, I wanted the new SRX solely for that CUE technology. In fact, when I went to the dealership and said I was interested in the 2013 SRX, the dealer talked endlessly about how fantastic the CUE system was. No doubt, dealers had been properly trained to make CUE the main focal point when trying to sell these vehicles.

I couldn't believe how fast my level of excitement sank as I plugged in my iPod and found that every time I selected a favorite song, it played another. The way CUE handled playlists was atrocious.

Then, I was amazed to discover that upon trying to make a phone call, shortly after entering the vehicle, that I kept getting "the device is still attempting to initialize" response from the CUE system.

Of course, now all of us know that the biggest problems the CUE system faces are all caused by some engineer's bright idea that none of the information from your phone or iPod should be permanently stored in its database. Every time you enter and leave the vehicle, the CUE system has to reindex itself and re-upload the same information over and over again. This is why you can't make a phone call in the first 5-10 minutes of your drive. This is why if you have an iPod with thousands upon thousands of songs, it can never upload it all fast enough for you to be able to play the song you want.

Who looked at this kind of functionality and thought it was workable? Even worse, how the hell did Cadillac green light these systems to be installed in their vehicles?


Before I get to the meat of this story, I have to give credit to the CUE team. Not only have reps participated on this forum, but I have their direct phone number and have been invited to call them anytime that I have concerns.

The problem is, as much assurance as we have received that they are looking to fix these issues, I don't think there has been a clear roadmap of what is going to be fixed in the update due this March (which was originally supposed to be due in January). If you look at the latest press release that GM has issued, you may think that a major fix is on the way -- and you would be right. But exactly what is being fixed? I see nothing about iPod incompatibility nor the fact that you can't make a phone call as soon as you get into the vehicle. I talk to a CUE rep on the phone and I am told that perhaps these problems can't be fixed without the addition of a hard drive, and another CUE rep talks about flash storage capability. In other words, the stories change pending on who you approach at CUE.

Still, I give the CUE team a huge amount of kudos. At least they are trying. I can't seem to say the same for GM Executives....


I decided to write a letter -- an actual typewritten letter that you put a stamp on -- to Daniel Akerson (Chief Executive Officer) and Robert Ferguson (GM VP of Cadillac). I questioned how the CUE system, with all its bugs, was ever approved for placement in their company's flagship line of vehicles. Not an unfair question to ask, given the fact that people who buy a Cadillac expect the very best from the brand. You just don't throw in some cool-looking dashboard entertainment system without making certain that people who pay good money for a product have to spend their initial months of ownership coming to a forum like this and complaining about how it doesn't work.

And you know what? I wasn't expecting that my letter would actually be read by Mr. Akerson or Mr. Ferguson. But I did expect that I would get some sort of professional, concerned response from the team that stands behind the Cadillac brand.

Well, the response did come in the form of a phone call. I hate to sit here and insult the people that are hired to deal with consumer complaints at Cadillac, but I felt as if I was dealing with someone who had no right to be in that position. The individual that called me seemed to be the kind of person I would talk to if I were calling the complaint line at my local Target store. I am certain the woman I spoke with was nice, but it was very apparent to me that she was uninformed, and was simply someone who was working in a call center so far beneath the Executive level.

After pouring out my heart in a letter about being unhappy with the CUE system and that Cadillac should be ashamed for putting it in their flagship brand, the response I got was, "There is nothing we can do for you." When I asked if my complaint had even reached the Executive level, the response was something like, "Well, your letter did reach the Executive offices." Really? And they had someone like you contact me to say "There is nothing we can do for you?"

Actually, after repeatedly voicing my disgust for the response, I was given some sort of compensation on service. It was a nice gesture that I would not have gotten without the objections I raised, but I am afraid the entire experience has left me somewhat "cold."


Listen, there may be some of you who think I am making too much of this in light of the fact that the CUE team is trying.

My continued frustration is that the answers to exactly what has been fixed and what has not, is still not clear. Now three months into the ownership of my SRX, I still can't make a phone call and I don't even use my iPod, because I can't.

Listen.....perhaps some of you can relate to what I am about to say....

One of the places I find the most solitude is in my Cadillac. As I drive to and from work, I immensely enjoy the ride beneath me. It is my time to relax, enjoy the drive, make a phone call or two, and enjoy the large collection of music I own on the vehicle's sound system. The most pleasurable part of my day is often the time I spend in my SRX.

But you know what? I can't listen to the music I want because the CUE system can't properly play music from iPods with large libraries. I can't make a business call without having to wait 5-10 minutes for the vehicle to initialize. This is not the kind of problems that customers who pay a premium for a vehicle like this should have to deal with. Furthermore, I would hope for more direct answers from the CUE team as to whether these problems will definitely be fixed. Lastly, the one thing you don't want to hear when you bring the complaint all the way to the top of the GM Executive chain is, "There is nothing we can do for you."
 
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#33 ·
My recommendation is to bring the car to the dealer and see if the CUE system was properly updated. My wife had weird problems with her CUE system after the update in March and when we brought it back a few months later they found that the updated had errors in it. They corrected the errors and the Cue system works more reliably now. I don't know of anyone having problems with the system not indexing. On our cars the system indexes every time you start the car. Have you tried a different USB stick? I have used a 32 gig USB stick and a 32 gig SD card and have never had problems with the car not indexing.
 
#34 ·
Also, how what format is the USB stick in? it's native format doesn't work in CUE. See the CUE manual on that. But assuming that it does index from time to time, formatting wouldn't be the problem. Notwithstanding, a re-format and re-copying of your music may help as would insuring you also have valid versions of playlists, etc. I had a lot of problems with that (indexing never seem to finish assuming it had indeed started) at the outset and with Jeff's help managed to fix it. There are a lot of posts from both of us you can search.
 
#35 ·
Come on guys, let's get real! Caddy is dragging ass on fixing all these real and well documented problems with CUE. It is very nice that Caddy has people listening to us point out areas within CUE that need fixing. But to continually refer us to the dedicated CUE help line is rather lame at this point. How many similar complaints without resolution (e.g., CUE's many, many inappropriate voice responses, for one major problem among many) do they need to get the message that something can't be fixed by simply talking about it? What I can't understand is as CUE is software driven, how come the Caddy IT techs can't make timely and appropriate changes to the software? What are they waiting for?
 
#36 ·
This is what I suspect....

The CUE units cannot be updated over the air.

One needs to bring their vehicle to their dealer for a process that can take up to 2 hours.

It's expensive for Cadillac and time consuming for the customer.

I suspect that the updates will eventually be done, but will be held off until the most amount of updating can be done all at once.

In the meantime, I share your frustration flycaster. We, as Cadillac owners who expect the very best out of our vehicles, continue to be stuck with buggy units.
 
#38 ·
you guys do remember that there already has been one major CUE update, right?

there will be more to come

I'm sure that Cadillac wants to do them (and is doing them) as frequently as possible
there's a lot of testing that needs to be done to make sure that they don't end up with updates that cause more problems than they solve
 
#39 ·
I agree with you about the updates causing more problems than they solve. I get those all the time from Microsoft that my computer does not like and I have to uninstall the update. One of the great things about software driven system is the flexibility it has over the old black box systems. What puzzles me is the basic architecture of the CUE system and its ability to make any meaningful changes. I did not notice any big improvements in the one and only update so far and it appears that a lot of us had problems due to the update. The service rep was telling me that Cadillac is going to force the CUE system on all of its cars in a year or so and no longer offer any options for the older technology as it does on the ATS and the CTS models. He said that GM was trying to reach the younger crowd but appeared to be abandoning it base older buyers. The service vehicle that took me to the mall while my car was being serviced was an '05 Escalade with a combo infotainment system in it. On the left side of the screen was about ten small real buttons vertically plus a volume and tuning knobs and on the screen were several icons for different functions. To me that is the best of both worlds and I cannot understand why they abandoned it. Virtual buttons as we all know from smart phones are great when space is at a premium but in our cars that is not an issue. How many times have you reached for the temp arrow or an input on the screen but it didn't take? Then you had to take your eyes off the road again and retouch it or even worse mistakenly hit another input because of the built in parallax of the system. Some things just are more efficient as hardware and other things can get away with being virtual. If safety is a big concern then I think hard buttons are probably the way to go. Think about the temperature control up and down arrows. How long do you have to tap it or hold it to get the temp you want? A simple rotating knob with the numbers on it is set and forget and a one time input. Or even a thumb wheel that has numbers along side it. I know, I know, I bought it and I should shut up about it but I figure that GM might like to hear ideas from us about our experiences as owners.
 
#40 ·
I am a 3 day owner and am frustrated with the CUE but...I had a passat and it's nav/touch system rns510 was a major dog - slow to repsond, voice commands failed or never worked - they finally released an update for it and it took 2 hours at the dealer to update - and their fix for the voice command?? they just removed it.
 
#43 ·
Well, prior to this new SRX I've owned 4 DeVilles. This SRX is the first car I've had with a nav system and bluetooth. Everything was working fine with CUE, but I had an old simple cell phone. It did have bluetooth, and it linked properly. Today I decided to upgrade to a Smart phone, not the newest model, but a Samsung Galaxy Appeal Android. It links, but I'm having the same problem as others have reported, it hangs with "Device is Initializing" and no contact list shows either via voice or on the CUE screen. Frustrating. My SRX had been built earlier in 2013, and the dealer had it in stock since May. I haven't checked to see what software version of CUE it is running. Does anyone know what is the latest version of CUE that should be running in a 2013 SRX so I can check it before I take it into the dealership to see if it needs an update?
 
#44 · (Edited)
Chuck,

You have a long, awful road ahead of you.

Have an Android phone? You are going to have problems that can't be fixed.

Take it from me, I have been fighting this issue for over a year now. I can't wait to get rid of this lease. I'll never go back to Cadillac because of CUE.

As long as that system continues to dump and reload contact lists every time someone exits and enters the vehicle, these problems will continue.

I am on my second Android phone in a year (just got the Galaxy Note 3) and the same bluetooth problems you are having still persist.
 
#47 ·
It would be nice if Cadillac would let people know that there are Android issues with CUE, I could've avoided an Android in the first place. Just a simple notation on the OnStar website or if the car salesman would mention it. It wouldn't even have to be anti-Android, just say that CUE works best with a WIN 8 based Smart Phone. Now I'm out $175 for a phone that doesn't work well with the system, unless they can fix it at the dealership.
 
#48 ·
It would be nice if Cadillac would let people know that there are Android issues with CUE, I could've avoided an Android in the first place.
The problem is, Cadillac shouldn't be limiting our choice of phones. I prefer an Android phone over iPhone or Windows. Why should your or my choice of phone be dependent on how badly CUE is designed?

GM should be fixing the problem so that their system is compatible with all phones.

I believe the single element that is causing all these problems is the fact that CUE does not store information in their system like every other manufacturer's vehicle does.

You exit the car, all your contacts and music are dumped from CUE. It then has to re-sync that information every time you re-enter the vehicle.

The result is delays in accessing the information you need.

The CUE team has been aware of this problem for a year now. They refuse to bend on their philosophy that this is a good way to handle phone/ipod to car communication.

I applaud GM for addressing my concerns, but the fact is, they didn't fix the problem.
 
#64 ·
The problem is, Cadillac shouldn't be limiting our choice of phones. I prefer an Android phone over iPhone or Windows. Why should your or my choice of phone be dependent on how badly CUE is designed?

GM should be fixing the problem so that their system is compatible with all phones.
Why do you think CUE is the problem? I'm not saying it isn't but based on everything I'm reading here, it sounds more likely to be a phone problem. In other words, you might want to complain to your phone company about limiting your choice of cars.

Cadillac is aware of the problem with Android phones. Mine was a prime example for them.

They eventually told me that Samsung was aware of the problem and offering a fix. I trusted that was the truth I was being told.

Since then, Samsung has issued a new phone over the past few months, the Galaxy Note 3. Same problems exist.
Sounds like it is more of a phone issue.
 
#49 ·
there are only about 20,000 android model phones out there right now so it's not really feasible for Cadillac to make sure that their system works with every single model of phone

so there's the possibility that there's some sort of bug that is only affecting certain phones ... if you contact the CUE infotainment team (855-4CUE-NOW) to let them know then they will at least be alerted that there's a problem with that phone model and can work to fix it ... if you don't call and let them know they might never know that a problem exists

also there's the possibility that there is a problem with one or more of the tags for your music or some sort of data corruption that a personal computer can handle easily that CUE struggles to index causing the longer than normal indexing times (i would think that this is the more likely scenario)
 
#50 ·
There are only about 20,000 android model phones out there right now so it's not really feasible for Cadillac to make sure that their system works with every single model of phone
Cadillac is aware of the problem with Android phones. Mine was a prime example for them.

They eventually told me that Samsung was aware of the problem and offering a fix. I trusted that was the truth I was being told.

Since then, Samsung has issued a new phone over the past few months, the Galaxy Note 3. Same problems exist.

...but again I make the point...

It's not necessarily a phone bug. If CUE was not dumping and reloading data all the time there probably would be no issues with some phones not being able to reload/communicate that data. So, again, I sort of put this problem back into CUE's camp. Why are they trying to break new ground by making CUE work in an unpredictable manner that no other car manufacturer (as far as I am aware) does?
 
#52 ·
The issues are, it takes a considerable amount of time until you can make a phone call once you enter the vehicle.

For me, it's about 5 minutes until pressing the call button doesn't give me a "system is still initializing" response.

Also, contacts are not always immediately available from the touch or Drivers Information screen. On the Touch Screen, there are multiple entries for the same contact. Don't know why that is happening.

Also have not figured out how to play music off the device, either. It's not as simplistic as using the iPhone/iPod.
 
#54 ·
You are the guy I need to speak with.

What software do you transfer music from your PC/MAC to your phone?

Do you store it on your external card? I attempted to do that, but had problems with CUE recognizing it.

You could be a big help to me in trying to figure out what format I need to transfer the music into and if it can be played off the external card.

And getting back to phone calls...

Quite often, as soon as I get into the vehicle, I am racing to make a phone call. I always have to wait...and wait....and wait....
 
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#60 ·
Would it be possible for GM to wire the CUE update section as a hot all of the time, say for a week or a settable period so that it would not go through a restart every time the car is started? It would seem that this would stop the re-indexing that goes on every startup. If a person did want to have their info re-indexed then they could do a manual restart of the CUE system.
 
#61 ·
All,

This afternoon we received an inside tip that you all may find helpful!

"It appears that Chuck_S is having a tough time getting his contacts transferred over from his new Android phone to CUE. Android phones have a feature where you have to check a box and give permission to the phone to download contacts to the vehicle."

The suggestion is to delete the phone, re-pair it, and while doing so make sure to watch to watch for the notification on the phone when it asks for permission to transfer the contacts, and to check the box to always allow it.

Best regards,
Sarah (Assisting Laura and Greg)
Cadillac Customer Care
 
#62 ·
Yes, that was getting us for awhile. Now my wife is more used to it. To save battery, she usually doesn't leave her phone Bluetooth on, but turns it on when she wants it in the car, and now knows to wait for the message about permission to transfer contacts. I tried to get her to check the box to always allow, but she's too paranoid. . . afraid some other device (NSA? Heckifino) will bogart her mother's phone number or something.
 
#65 ·
I am repeating myself....

Any system that has to reindex itself time after time is asking for compatibility problems with phones that may not be able to transmit that information fast enough.

Other systems keep all the contacts (and other information) as internal storage so you don't have that transfer problem.
 
#66 ·
how do you know what the other systems do?

i thought other systems just accessed your phone as they needed to and didn't transfer anything at all

how do you know for sure that the issue isn't something weird on your phone that is different than others who have the same phone (like r34220)??

you do have hundreds of contacts right?
maybe one of your contacts uses some weird special character in the name (like a percent sign or something)
 
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