Well, this is my first post to this site, just joined today and want to thank all the previous posters for their comments on the Northstar Head gasket issue. I own four Cadillacs at present, all bought new from the same dealer and impeccably dealer maintained. The 99 Deville Concours and the 2000 Seville STS are driven by two of my kids. The 04 Escalade is mine and the 2011 SRX is my wife's. We love all these cars, and by and large they have been good runners, but as I said well maintained too. The head gasket issue just popped up on the 00 STS and I have spent a lot of time in the last few days investigating these issues. As a 40 year tradesman I am bitterly disappointed that the issue seems to be fine thread, combined with carbon steel fasteners in an aluminum block with a corrosive coolant thrown in for good measure. Woulda coulda shoulda seems to apply. Stainless steel fasteners in the aluminum block would have been a no brainer, and the amount of thread engagement on a fine thread vs coarse thread fastener are clearly documented so why is this an issue. I fear, that it might just come down to value engineering during design phase, as everyone who has ever bought fasteners knows, stainless costs a lot more than carbon. While digging around I found Jake up in Canada and talked to man himself today and was quite impressed by what I heard. I love the stud concept for repair over anything else I have seen and was thrilled to learn that their Ontario operation is just 90 minutes outside Toronto where I have many friends. So, all things
Considered, I think I'm gonna trailer my 2000 STS up to Jake, after the first of the year, and then spend a few days with friends in Toronto while he works his magic. My cadillac dealer here in Chicago for whom I have the utmost respect quoted $5,500.00 for the job. The Blue Book trade value for the car is $5,500.00! I would love to hear from anyone who has had their Northstar repaired by Jake, but for now my mind is made up. I am not pressed to either start the repair, or get it back, as I have a spare vehicle. So again thanks for listening. As to the class action lawsuit issue, there may be grounds there, but it hard to argue that at nearly 100K miles that Cadillac owns the problem. Try to get this in front of jury where the poor sad Cadillac owner has to explain how he has been wronged by "Big Bidness" to a jury made up of people who have probably never owned a Cadillac. I'm gonna count my blessings, and lick my wounds, and go see some friends in Toronto as soon as the weather permits.