Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

missouri2 · October 2003

i have the sport package and have not had that problem but this is what happened to me. i was getting a vibration in the steering wheel. had tire's balanced and rotated. no help. went to the dealer and they found a bad tire. when they did their checking i found out they scratched all four chrome wheels. they went to replace the wheels and tire and they found out that the other three tires were bad also. the cts has only 11,500 miles on it. next week the tires well be in and every thing will be replaced at no charge. this has been the only problem i have had with this car.

wwhite2 · October 2003

How did they scratch all 4 wheels ? unbelievable ,then again I can believe it .

32caddy · October 2003

I have the 03 sport with manual gear box. Had the right rear bottom out over medium bumps. They found leaking shock and changed it. No problems since.

b4z · October 2003

Dealer service and care of a customer's car
have steadily gone down hill.
It is amazing some of the damage they can do to your car.
It is also amazing how fast they drive your car in the lot.
I once saw a mechanic drive a still in plastic '96 Impala SS over a speed bump at 30 mph!

Got my Impala back after a week in the shop.
They kindly gave me a courtesy wash.
Looks like someone rubbed 100 grit sandpaper all over the car.
I am livid.

missouri2 · October 2003

they used the old time balance machine. instead of the the insert balance, they used cover the center.

b4z · October 2003

Only 718 CTSs produced this weeek.
660 SRX's, which confirms my earlier thoughts that SRX production is hurting the CTS.

wwhite2 · October 2003

never request.....you must deny them doing a courtesy wash .the clowns doing it dont have clue.

golfnut5 · October 2003

Has anyone mentioned the leather seat butt stretch problem to their dealer. If so, what was their response? I wonder if there is a problem with the padding or if the stretch is normal. I saw a two year old Acura TL today with similar leather seats as my CTS. The TL's seat was perforated like my CTS, but no butt stretch marks. I was envious. Does everybody out there have this leather seat stretch problem? Any comments?

automole · October 2003

...to the best of my knowledge we ALL have the stretch marks. I looked at a new $80K XLR in the dealer showroom (5 miles on the odometer?) and it had the stretch marks too. The thing that really burns me up is the crease line across my passenger seat from where I left a CD case overnight. Overall the CTS has been a great car but this is one of my MAJOR gripes. -and YES I also think there's a problem with the padding...I weigh 160 and often feel like I'm being 'eaten' by the seat due its lack of support. To answer your question the stretch marks seem to be 'normal' for the CTS although they are abnormal for any other car I've ever owned or driven that has had leather interior.

golfnut5 · October 2003

I purchased my CTS in May of this year and have approx. 12,000 miles on it. I have never owned a car that was as fun to drive as my CTS. My major gripe is also the stretch marks in the butt portion of the leather seats. The stretch marks are the first thing I see when I open my door, bummer.

haggis3401 · October 2003

Hi -

I've searched - but can't find an exact answer, hoping someone can help.

- Does anyone know (or have a guess) what the scheduled interior changes for MY 2005 are going to be? Do you think they would be worth waiting for?

- I've read that there were $3000 rebates on MY 2003s, and/or $1500 non-GM trade incentives. Do you think these will be offered again, and if so, when?

thanks

batmanscts · October 2003

With all the discussion that we'll likely have about the Leather Seat Butt Stretch Marks, we may as well develop an acronym for brevity: LSBSM.
I think I noticed the inner seat ??leather?? (or whatever the perforated material really is) starting to stretch before I had 100 miles on my CTS. It appears to me that the material stretches when someone is in the seats for awhile and then contracts when no one is in them for a day or two.
I only have about 4,000 miles on mine. I leave it in garage for days at a time so maybe it has more opportunity to contract (or shrink) back to normal size than if I drove it every day.
I agree with others that the CTS is a wonderful car, but it is very annoying to have problems with leather seats that undoubtedly added lots of cost to the car.
The leather seats on my 99 Olds Bravada are far superior in original quality and after 75,000 miles show less shape distortion than my CTS seats at 4,000 miles. Actually the seats on the Bravada have not stretched at all. That's one of the few good things I can say about the Bravada from a quality perspective.
I don't have any complaints about the comfort of the CTS seats.

raybear · October 2003

Who knows? There's a $1500 conquest offer now for non-GM owners.

haggis3401 · October 2003

Does this mean if I buy a CTS (and I currently have a non-GM car) I get $1500 back? Is this listed anywhere?

ctsgirl_2004 · October 2003

When I purchased my 2004 CTS last month, I was able to get a $1500 rebate because my husband owns a non-GM car. What the dealer did was add the $1500 to the trade-in value for the deville that I had traded in. I just provided him with the registration of the non-GM vehicle and I guess GM reimburses the dealership. Still loving my CTS. I just put on my first 1000 miles and have not noticed any LSBSM.

batmanscts · October 2003

I think the best way to be certain of incentives is to ask a couple of dealers. I got a $1,500 Conquest Rebate when I bought my CTS, but I couldn't find info about in any advertisements or on Internet sites. In fact, I didn't even know about the rebate until the day I was picking up the CTS. The salesman called and told me to be sure to bring the registration of my wife's Honda when I picked up the car. I was happy with the previous deal but was even happier when I got the additional $1,500 off what I expected the price to be.
My understanding is that individual dealers have options on whether or not to honor some rebate offers. As I remember, the rebate I received was only offered to owners of some competitor brands... I believe Honda and Accura owners were targeted with the rebate, while Chrysler product owners were not.

jmh4 · October 2003

I also received the $1500 off when I purchased my CTS last month. I had seen the incentive some place, but couldn't remember where. I just went to Cadillac.com and checked incentives and it was there good for delivery by 11/4 I believe. mentioned it when they called the car was in I hope I would have gotten it anyway.

We love the car. I agree with an earlier poster it is a fun car to drive! I haven't noticed the seat problem yet. Now I will be looking for it. Does that mean we all must go on Adkins if we own a CTS????????

redgtconv · October 2003

I also just used the Conquest Cash to get my 2004 CTS. If you go to Cadillac.com and click on special offers, it will list everything availble. But, your dealer should be checking for all available incentives for you. If he doesn't or if you can't trust him to do it, the get another dealer.

calicadi · October 2003

FYI When I was in for an oil change last week, I asked them to re-seat the C-pillar airbag covers. The trailing edge on both C-pillar covers was not flush to the rear window. I had never noticed this before because the black mask on the rear window glass made it hard to see from the outside. I noticed from the inside when I was cleaning the glass. When I got the call from the dealer that the car was ready, they mentioned rather than re-seating the covers there's a new part number and they'll just replace them under warranty.

Speaking of glass cleaning, got a great new product. It's called Starfiber cloth. My wife picked these up from some infomerrcial. They are a course microfibre cloth. You use two, one damp one dry. Just wipe the glass with the damp one and follow with the dry. They're fantastic. No more streaks and no more hassle with drippy, foul smelling solutions, although I will miss the bicep work out... NOT. Did the whole car inside and out including the moonroof, instrument panel, head lights, tail lights and driving light covers in about 20 minutes.

wwhite2 · October 2003

Yes I get it . It eventually returns to normal after a short period of time . there was no stretch in my 95 ETC .

Thanks for the heads up on the C pillar air bag cover . I will check them out.
When changing your own 03 CTS oil you need to buy a T-handle Torx set (t-45 needed) its the only way to solidly engage the oil plug for removal . THe cartridge type oil filter is a breeze to change . All cars should do it this old fashioned way .

ctsgirl_2004 · October 2003

Has anyone noticed this problem? When purchasing a clear bra for my CTS, the mechanic noticed that when you stand in front of the car and look at each side, the passenger door is not aligned evenly with the car (just slightly off about 1/8 inch). This does not seem to be a problem with the driver side door. He thinks that all 2004's probably came off the line like that. Has anyone else noticed or heard of this problem?

raybear · October 2003

The dealer will need a copy of a current registration and have you sign a form showing the $1500 to keep on file.

tetedepierre · October 2003

These messages from CherryBerry and myself inquired about which version of OnStar are shipping with CTS. To date no replies from anyone. I contacted Onstar whose help consisted of transferring me to a GM person. This very nice lady looked into it and called back to inform me that they did not know what they were shipping! Please get in touch with your dealer and see what he has coming in, she said.

Has anyone on this board received a CTS with OnStar digital ready at this point in time?

Of course when I get back to the USA in November I will get in touch with my dealer but in the meantime maybe we can clarify this issue.

b4z · October 2003

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/100615/articl- e.html?tid=edmunds.h..reviews..4.*

Wonder when the first "V" cars will be rolling off the assembly line.
Should be in the next few weeks.

sevenfeet0 · October 2003

My driver's side C-pillar air bag cover came loose some months back and the dealer replaced it under warranty with a new part rather than rehanging the problem part.

cu95 · October 2003

tetedepierre,
I did the test described in the FAQ and concluded that I have "analog/digital ready". I own a '03 (January '03 build date), so I'm not sure if this info is that helpful if you're looking to buy an '04.

tetedepierre · October 2003

cu95

It sure is helpful cu. If they were putting in digital ready back in January they will certainly be installing them late this year or early next when I am buying. This means that at least we will be able to keep OnStar working after 1998 even though come cost will be involved. Thanks.

PS. your profile says you drive a Chrysler. Maybe you should update it?

bigdaddycoats · October 2003

V cars have already been produced and are sitting on the lot at the Grand River plant. These are part of the batch that will be going to the 150 or so GM execs to drive and report any problems. A friend of mine should be getting one when available.

b4z · October 2003

Great News!

b4z · October 2003

I have made several posts backing up my position that the SRX rampup has hurt the CTS.
Production this week was up a little over last week.
926 vs. 7xx last week and the weeks before.
SRX production is up also to a high of 906 this week.
Around 43,000 CTSs have been produced so there will be about 50,000 produced for 2003!
If sales continue to hold up there will be about 50K sold also.
13,000 more than last year.
And double Cadillac's prediction of 25K CTSs sold per year.

tetedepierre · October 2003

Do you think the fact that CTS is selling so well will reduce incentives this year. Hope not, as this is the year I intend to buy a CTS.

b4z · October 2003

CTS really hasn't had any rebates since it was introduced. Just 0% financing and conquest rebates.
There have been some coupons offered but that is about it.

CTS is highly profitable for Cadillac. Unlike the deville which has had rebates as high as 5K this year.

A way to look at how much revenue CTS brings to GM is to multiply volume by sales price.

If they sell 20,000 more cars then they predicted,
@$35,000 a car that is $700,000,000 in revenue!!
If they make $6,000 on each car then it is $120,000,000 pure profit.
Kind of breathtaking.

And the fact that Cadillac hasn't had to do any
costly incentives on this car makes it even more impressive.

I know we would all like incentives, but because there haven't been any it must be doing good things for resale value.

sevenfeet0 · October 2003

Of course, a brand new car and new car platform is an expensive undertaking. It's not uncommon for a car company to spend a billion dollars on a new design, so your figure of $120 million in profit may not seem like much now. But the development of the Sigma platform is being used for a number of cars at Cadillac (SRX, STS for sure) and possibly elsewhere at GM, which spreads out the costs. The high-feature V6 is being used worldwide in a variety of nameplates. And the Northstar V8 has been around for a decade and has been getting development dollars for upgrades and RWD mods, not a total redesign (much cheaper).

eaton53 · October 2003

Is $5-$6 billion for the entire Cadillac revamping, including all engines and chassis.

A reasonable investment, considering the profits these cars generate... just throwing a few guessimates on a calculator says $1.5 -$2 billion yearly for the division once all of the models are out.

jemiller · October 2003

0% financing does cost money, though far less so now with the treasury rates as low as they are. Far less, for instance, than 0% for 48 mos cost Saab in 10/1991 when we bought our 9000T.

The conquest-cash is relatively small potatoes for GM.

b4z · October 2003

That was $120,000,000 profit over the original 30,000 cars they expected to produce.
They are making at least $300,000,000 in pure profit every year the CTS is in production.
That is over and above any development costs.

golfnut5 · October 2003

Too bad most of that profit goes to legacy costs and not developing better vehicles. The high legacy costs will ensure continued loss of market share for Ford and GM.

eaton53 · October 2003

Didn't seem to stop GM from fixing Cadlllac.

tetedepierre · October 2003

What are legacy costs?

regfootball · October 2003

yeah but its a lot easier to jack up the prices on a cadillac to cover the cost (and still have cheap plastic anyways).

eaton53 · October 2003

Nobody's giving both below $60K, so which do you choose - the Audi (and most of the Germans) way or the Cadillac/Infiniti way (seen many of the same complaints about them)?

wwhite2 · October 2003

I'd rather have the mechanicals and a lesser interior . When will the" Johnny one note" stuff about GM interiors stop . Why dont we just stipulate that GM interiors are not the absolute best and move on to less obvious topics. Why state and restate the obvious here ,Saturn and probably every other GM forum???????

regfootball · October 2003

luxury cars shouldn't have any interiors issues, that's why. You should have it all on luxury cars. No excuses.

It's not right for any maker to peddle a car with a 35k+ sticker or in the case of the CTSv a 50k sticker and still not have an interior on par with a VW golf.

vcjumper · October 2003

I guess some people would rather be in fancy Camrys (ES300's)or fancy Accords (TL) which have less investment in engineering or performance and more in interior plushiness. Or they have nothing better to do.

automole · October 2003

>luxury cars shouldn't have any interiors issues,
>that's why. You should have it all on luxury
>cars. No excuses.

With the exception of the "leather seat butt stretching" I'm not aware of any interior issues on the CTS?? Also, the definition of "luxury car" is extremely subjective. To me, a "luxury car" is any car that has above average build quality, power, style, features, and reliablillity. IMO the CTS's interior should be award winning (and IS award winning) for it's groundbreaking style and is overall a very high quality interior. I've been in cars with less plastic but with more squeaking and creaking and worse fit and finish than the CTS...these same cars wouldn't win any points for innovative style either. Also, most of today's cars have quite a bit of plastic. What determines whether plastic is cheap or high quality and in your opinion what SPECIFIC interior parts are of such inferior quality?

>It's not right for any maker to peddle a car
>with a 35k+ sticker or in the case of the CTSv a
>50k sticker and still not have an interior on
>par with a VW golf.

Agreed...and although arguable that the CTS's interior quality is a class leader (and may be below that of the direct competition) it's far above the quality of VW's interiors IMO. With the exception of the CTS's turn-signal/wiper stalks I've found it's plastic quality to be quite 'luxurious'. Lastly, I agree with wwhite2 that this subject has been beat to death...if you don't like the CTS/GM interior quality DON'T BUY ONE!

jemiller · October 2003

No, the VW Golf interior is a somewhat better-made place than the CTS's (whether one prefers the design is another story - the best I can say about the CTS interior is that it's just good enough not to be a reason not to buy the car.)

I think the point made earlier about 'legacy costs' comes back to pension and other accrued liabilities. The automakers' pension plans got taken south by the market crash and it provided another "oh, we can't be competitive because..." whine like every other whine Detroit's been using for the past forty years.

It is, to some degree, true - this country has to do something about 20%-a-year healthcare inflation before the next revolution starts - and it is, to an equal degree, crap - the same funds that tanked from mid-2000 onward had also benefited from a huge five-plus-year runup before that.

The whining was loudest last year, with the markets having bounced significantly since then there's far less cause for it, but they'll ride that train as far as it will take them.

Once again, though, 'legacy costs' or not, if GM builds products people want to buy (like the CTS) people will buy them.

calicadi · October 2003

Motorweek's weekly show (airs on PBS stations) had a review of the SRX this weekend. Very positive comments all around (including the interior!) and lots of props to the CTS for showing the way. The only qualms were about the price, but the features and performance seem to justify that in their opinion. Next week they'll do the CTS. Apparently not the CTS-V. The teaser for next week showed the louvered grill of the CTS, not the mesh of the -V. Drat.

eaton53 · October 2003

EVERY maker will have to be making excuses, because nobody is giving everything.

VW/Audi trades mechanical quality for nice interiors. BMW interiors aren't as nice as Audis or Jaguars, so what is their excuse? And for $50K, why will the CTS-V blow away all of the competition? What is the competition's problem?

You spend your money, you choose where to compromise. Nobody's perfect.

b4z · October 2003

VW's/Audi's have beautiful high quality inteiors.
If your engine goes bad they give you a rebuilt engine.
GM will give you a brand new crate motor.

b4z · October 2003

'05 CTS-V.
Article says it is the racing version. I say it is the production version, due to the steel rear quarters.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6525&sid=17- 8&n=158

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles