andres...I consider the power steering failures and stalling safety issues. Funny thing....on one of the service receipts it said (paraphrasing)..."customer states that power steering goes out. No code thrown. Power steering works as designed". When I quizzed the service manager if the power steering going out qualifies as "works as designed". He told me if there is no code once they plug it into their computer, that there is no fix available.
Even more interesting, two weeks before the above incident, the dealer DID acknowledge there was a power steering failure and replaced the power steering gears and pump. That did not fix the problem. It continues to fail. As far as they were concerned, that's all they had to do and everything was back to normal because they "didn't have a code".
Personally, I think there's some sort of fuel cut off going on that's causing the stalling. I also think the power steering and stalling are related and buried somewhere in one of the car's many computers. What the hell do I know, though. They are the "experts" and know my Cadillac better than anyone....at least that's what it says on the receipt.
Just wating for their response on the lawyer's letter and BBB file.
GG, at least there is truth in advertising:
At Cadillac, we dare greatly. Because we believe that only those who dare, drive the world forward.
They dare you to take them to court if they can't fix your car.
One thing about the Cadillac bashing. GG has been treated unfairly - there is no way he should be ignored if his brand new car doesn't work properly, and they have left him hanging.
I am not so sure though any other company would react differently. Mike was ignored by Mercedes, I was ignored by Audi, and we have all heard of these cases. In fact, that is why there are Lemon Laws. I guess the problem is "What is the use in having a warranty when the warranty does absolutely nothing". Since almost all the companies do this it doesn't make it right, but judges and arbitrators should really throw the book at the car manufacturers. Occassionally they do...I saw one judge that awarded 3X the cost of the car to one person, because he said no consumer should have to put up with this............hopefully, there will be more of those.
*Also, let's remember all the cover-ups, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, GM, etc It just ain't right!
Yeah, I think the main reason is cost of the item in question. I found manufacturers or retailers going above and beyond in majority of cheaper items, such as electronics, appliances, etc. I'm sure some may tell me bad stories about those, too, but my personal experience was any time I bought something new and it didn't work as designed, or I had some other problem with it after store return period expired, I'd get a new item sent to me with a box and mail sticker for the faulty item. My last customer service experience was a malfunctioning cleaning unit for my new Norelco electric shaver. After 10-15 minutes with a pleasant representative, following his protocol of questions, he made a clean cut decision to send me a new one. But that's a $50 item, not $40K+, so I guess it's easier to bear the cost, especially if it's rare.
I think the exception may be PCs, where the standard of care went considerably down over the years, but so did the prices. Now you have to pay multi hundred dollar extra warranty to be served properly, otherwise all you get is a long phone call with a foreign-based representative and address in Texas to send your faulty computer at your own expense (it happened to me and at the end they stiffed my on the new disk, the replacement was slightly lower grade than original - but at least it worked).
I think the biggest challenge for Cadillac is its own mindset. They claim they changed, yet they seem to stay the same, at least in this particular case. It's easy to declare changes at the top, but it all boils down to the same people executing policies, just as they did 10 or 20 years ago. And many are the same. Those are dealer owners, managers, sales people, or mechanics. Today's managers are exactly people who "grew up" during possibly worst times at GM, so how can we expect them to turn the ship around?
While it's easy to point out to shortcomings of other manufacturers (said Audi or even Mercedes), the issue is in frequency of those behaviors and perhaps aspirations. If Audi or Mercedes have too many of those stories floating around, they'll be knocked out of their current positions. Cadillac on the other hand has an unfortunate history of being this way much more consistently for much longer time to much more people. In fact, they deem to have "trained" their customers not to expect "the world" (even if the sticker price suggests they should), as you could read here from couple of their supporters saying that it GG was unreasonable in his expectations. I guess those _blank_ imports made people expect so much, poor GM can't catch a break from this demanding bunch.
@graphicguy - I've been following your Cadillac saga closely. Let me add to what everybody else has said. It really stinks what you are going through, especially since you were so smitten with how well the car drove up to this point. I'm just glad you (or your wife) HAVEN'T gotten hurt. Things will work out for you in the end. You just need to be patient and the process will work itself out. I predict a buyback plus legal fees and full rental reimbursement. It won't happen soon, but it will happen. You are fortunate that you do have the financial means to rent a car (even though a loaner should be provided to you from either the dealer or Cadillac Corporate). Look on the bright side, we are seriously down on CCBA punches this year
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Yeah, I think the main reason is cost of the item in question. I found manufacturers or retailers going above and beyond in majority of cheaper items, such as electronics, appliances, etc.
If Audi or Mercedes have too many of those stories floating around, they'll be knocked out of their current positions. Cadillac on the other hand has an unfortunate history of being this way much more consistently for much longer time to much more people. In fact, they deem to have "trained" their customers not to expect "the world" (even if the sticker price suggests they should), as you could read here from couple of their supporters saying that it GG was unreasonable in his expectations. I guess those _blank_ imports made people expect so much, poor GM can't catch a break from this demanding bunch.
I was impressed when our Carbine Dioxide detector broke down after 6 months. Customer service guy said send it to us in an envelope and we will send you a new one......no receipt, no questions asked. I have heard of Apple giving out a new replacement if the item wasn't fixable in a reasonable amount of time.
Now when I see most car commercials I just think, Blah blah blah over top of the announcers voice....the words are completely meaningless.
The ad company has no idea how good the cars really are.......the ad company produces an ad with key phrases, all new, we are out to change things around, etc., and the car company chooses the ad which will get them more business. There is no connection between the truth and the reality. The only reality is "Buyer Beware".
Thanks everyone for the encouragement. The sad part of all this is, whether it's my Cadillac scenario, or Mike's Mercedes, or Driver's Audi, the one common theme, look how much more it cost the manufacturers (and dealers) to deny and ignore what customers are telling them. My situation has to be costing Cadillac more by stalling me, minimizing the car's issues, etc.
This all could have been avoided if the A) dealer would have admitted that their "fix" (new power steering pump and steering gear) didn't fix anything., and Cadillac corporate would have authorized the dealer to spend time addressing the issues rather than offer them a flat "no code-no problem" routine. Now, they're going to buy a car back. In addition, they blew an opportunity to win me back after my experience with them many years ago when I did battle with them on my Mother's Caddy.
As mentioned, sounds like all of their current posturing is little more than lip service given to "business as usual". Think I'll set foot in a Cadillac dealership again? Not happening.
School is out for the wife, so I took the Altima back to Enterprise. It was a good rental. Worked perfectly. We're sharing her Accord. Feels good to be back in a car that is trouble free.
After I get the Caddy situation resolved, I'll dig into whatever I'll pull into the GG garage next.
It's not their job to know. They are ultimately the voice of the manufacturer. They authorize and stand by (or more often actually don't) those over the top claims.
. My situation has to be costing Cadillac more by stalling me, minimizing the car's issues, etc.
This all could have been avoided if the A) dealer would have admitted that their "fix" (new power steering pump and steering gear) didn't fix anything., and Cadillac corporate would have authorized the dealer to spend time addressing the issues rather than offer them a flat "no code-no problem" routine.
As mentioned, sounds like all of their current posturing is little more than lip service given to "business as usual". Think I'll set foot in a Cadillac dealership again? Not happening.
This is the new rule for corporations, and I have seen it happen a lot lately. All the execs are hoping to keep their jobs for at least one more quarter. All money coming in is counted as profit....the new execs can't have any out flow - or the stock holders will get rid of them. GGs problem and others are put off for as long as possible.......they'll all get canned one day anyway, may as well put it off as long as possible.
If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter, and execs may lose their jobs sooner. Same with the ignition problem, keep it quiet and maybe it will go away, or if we do get caught it is better for the president to make a few $million first.
If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter, and execs may lose their jobs sooner. Same with the ignition problem, keep it quiet and maybe it will go away, or if we do get caught it is better for the president to make a few $million first.
It's obviously not about one car, but the mindset of lower cost today even if it means increasing it tomorrow. In that regard corporate executives are no different than elected politicians, perhaps even worse. Politicians have at least guarantee of staying until next election, the execs can be ousted at any time, even if with golden parachutes. Stock market is a wonderful instrument of capital and wealth acquisition, but it has its dark side. The worst one is severe inhibition for long-term thinking. It's all about this and next quarter, six months is already "long term plan". Then you have vampires like Icahn, who take this to absolute extreme, focusing only on immediate payout from capital allocation moves that can cripple the company long term, but provide a stock price boost and a cash payout today. Their so-called plans usually are focusing on driving up some metric in hope of duping rest of the investors into thinking that the "unlocked" value came basically free. While it's true that sometimes companies and their managements get tunnel vision and are unwilling to change it to make it better and more efficient, more often than not, those plans bring long term devastation into those places, but by then there is nobody left.
I've seen this mindset in my previous workplace (the company was publicly traded), where snapshot view of a spreadsheet was driving majority of the decisions. Improper cost cutting (like not honoring stated commitments) often leads to lost sales, lower quality, which leads to productivity and morale drop. However, in "static" snapshot view it looks like if one just could reduce position "A", then profit will increase immediately, because the assumption is all other positions stay the same. We know it's now true, because hidden functions between the cells, the proverbial unknown unknowns. I always say there is nothing wrong about taking care of the bottom line. This is what companies are supposed to do and they should do it. It's about how you derive that bottom line figure, where things differ.
"If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter..."
Driver, you must be kidding! . GM's/Cadillac's bottom line wouldn't be affected 1/10,000th of a percent if they took the time to diagnose, repair or replace GG's car. We're talking "peanuts" here!
"If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter..."
Driver, you must be kidding! . GM's/Cadillac's bottom line wouldn't be affected 1/10,000th of a percent if they took the time to diagnose, repair or replace GG's car. We're talking "peanuts" here!
In aggregate, if they do it enough times, they save milions for this quarter. A disgruntled customer is a problem for the next CEO and the sales department, not service. "Everybody" wins.
"If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter..."
Driver, you must be kidding! . GM's/Cadillac's bottom line wouldn't be affected 1/10,000th of a percent if they took the time to diagnose, repair or replace GG's car. We're talking "peanuts" here!
Yes, but how many other GG's are out there? I'm willing to bet there's a bunch. Like my recent insurance company spat, it seems these giant corporations take a gamble that most people will just tire, give up, and go away. The few that persevere doesn't reduce in a significant amount the profit they make from "sticking it to" the vast majority of their customers. Also, you can run into a bad "corporate sympathizer judge" and it might not end up costing them all that much. The judge might make a mistake in their favor as well.
Mercury was able to earn interest on $10K for almost 15 months and only ended up paying $1,500 more to me than they otherwise would have about 6-8 months ago. The funny thing is they are paying the full $10,000 no matter what my judgment in small claims amounted to; only they seemed to prefer giving it all to Geico instead of me.
Also, by arguing with me in bad faith they could have an excuse for delaying Geico's share of the payment.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
andres...I consider the power steering failures and stalling safety issues. Funny thing....on one of the service receipts it said (paraphrasing)..."customer states that power steering goes out. No code thrown. Power steering works as designed". When I quizzed the service manager if the power steering going out qualifies as "works as designed". He told me if there is no code once they plug it into their computer, that there is no fix available.
Even more interesting, two weeks before the above incident, the dealer DID acknowledge there was a power steering failure and replaced the power steering gears and pump. That did not fix the problem. It continues to fail. As far as they were concerned, that's all they had to do and everything was back to normal because they "didn't have a code".
Personally, I think there's some sort of fuel cut off going on that's causing the stalling. I also think the power steering and stalling are related and buried somewhere in one of the car's many computers. What the hell do I know, though. They are the "experts" and know my Cadillac better than anyone....at least that's what it says on the receipt.
Just wating for their response on the lawyer's letter and BBB file.
I'm curious:
1) Do you have a record of the exact first code that they claim to have fixed by replacing power steering components? It would be nice to know which code was originally tripped. 2) Did the tech actually drive and experience the problem or solely go by the code early on the first time around?
I think the fact they replaced components so early in the car's life goes a long way to establishing your lemon law claim; regardless of whatever else they claim. Has your lawyer advised you to obtain an expert opinion on the car's current condition from an independent mechanic (to at least verify the car isn't right).
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
When I read those GG's troubles all I can think of is movie "Dave", where Kevin Cline's character, the impostor president finds out that the Commerce Department founded commercials for people feeling better about their domestic automotive purchase. Perhaps GM should do that - advertise to make GG and like feel better. Perhaps they can even get the current administration to fund that - they already did most of their "turnaround", why not this?
I again spoke with my source at the local Cadillac dealership. After he investigated the problems GG is having with his car with his service director, he informed me once again there are no service bulletins, recalls or even incidents from their customers that resemble GG's issues.
They are a stand-alone Cadillac dealership and one of the biggest down here. If there was an issue with steering or stalling, they would know it. But remember they sell 99% of their cars with RWD (ATS/CTS), not AWD. So there may be an issue with AWD vehicles that they would not be aware of.
YES...the first power steering failure "threw a code". It's on my receipt, but I don't have it in front of me. That did not fix the issue as the steering problems persist. Subsequent visits I was told they couldn't fix it because no code was "thrown".
Don't know if the tech drove my car. If (s)he did, the problem was ignored.
Somewhere in the accounting bowels of GM and Cadillac, there's a person being celebrated because they found a way to minimize the costs associted with diagnosing problems by putting "codes" into the computer that covers evertyihng that could go wrong. Problem there is...what if the code is wrong? Or, what if one of the parameters for the "code to be thrown" didn't occur, causeing no code? Clearly, that's where I'm at.
How many people just go along with GM and keep hauling their cars back into the service guys, only to hear "no code...operates as designed"? How much money has GM saved by stalling, minimizing or ignoring customer issues? I bet it's bunch. I wonder how many people complained about the ignition switches and having GM ignore their compalaints, until the inevitable happened.
I know one time, they wouldn't even check my car into their system because I was told the previous time there wasn't any codes. So, I guess I don't show up in their system. Heck, at that rate, they don't even have to count my complaint as a real complaint.
Would it take a wreck to get attention? How about an injury? A death?
I've given ample opportunity for them to fix it. They either won't, or they can't, as two dealers have told me.
What if I took it back and they said they fixed it again? Would you trust them? I don't!
Here's the Story GM should use: There was a misunderstanding and miscommunication. We were working on a redesign of the problematic parts in the vehicle, and we now have new and improved parts for GG's car, so now we can actually fix it once and for all.
Of course, this requires them to spend more time on the car and actually have parts to replace.
What irks me the most about GG's situation is the lack of providing a loaner vehicle. It took Audi nearly 2 weeks to replace the AC system at 53K miles in my A3 (which I pushed them into doing fully 100% free of charge). I didn't mind the delay because they put me in an A4. If they had said "the parts will take too long to get from Germany, and the repairs take too long as well, so no loaner for you!" I'd of been livid.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
I think lack of loaner is extension of "there is nothing wrong with the car" story. In their minds, GG is imagining things and they're doing him a favor for providing a fenced parking spot for a few nights.
@GG , help me understand something. When did the relationship with the dealer go from outstanding, bend-over-backwards helpful, to totally sour? That seems to have happened terribly fast and I don't understand why.
Having already replaced one car without you even asking for it, I am struggling with why they no longer seem to want to even try to fix this one. The fact that they did that on their own 6 weeks after your original delivery tends to belie the whole "GM/Cadillac is evil" stuff posted above. But I am curious as to what might have occurred after that.
This could be a mess for them if they kept telling you it is fine, and it died on the highway leading to a fatal wreck. That lawsuit would dwarf a buy back.
This seems like a perfect time for them to just swap cars, and have a service manager drive GGs for a few days, while he drives their demo. Won't cost the dealer or GM a dime, and should finally answer the question about being a problem or not.
Befuddles me why they did not push to do this much earlier.
We don't know what the Cadillac dealer thinks about this. The great relationship GG had with that dealership ended with a "bang" - why? What is the dealership's take on this series of problems GG's car is experiencing? Something happened that we are just not privy to For one reason or another.
When I had my issues with Mercedes (and still do), my dealership was right there to make me happy - they pulled out all stops and that great relationship with the dealer remains to this day. But GG's dealership seems to have absolved itself from all interactions. No code - no problem!
If if my dealership had done that to me, I'd be driving anything but a Mercedes today!
YES...the first power steering failure "threw a code". It's on my receipt, but I don't have it in front of me. That did not fix the issue as the steering problems persist. Subsequent visits I was told they couldn't fix it because no code was "thrown".
Don't know if the tech drove my car. If (s)he did, the problem was ignored.
Somewhere in the accounting bowels of GM and Cadillac, there's a person being celebrated because they found a way to minimize the costs associted with diagnosing problems by putting "codes" into the computer that covers evertyihng that could go wrong. Problem there is...what if the code is wrong? Or, what if one of the parameters for the "code to be thrown" didn't occur, causeing no code? Clearly, that's where I'm at.
How many people just go along with GM and keep hauling their cars back into the service guys, only to hear "no code...operates as designed"? How much money has GM saved by stalling, minimizing or ignoring customer issues? I bet it's bunch. I wonder how many people complained about the ignition switches and having GM ignore their compalaints, until the inevitable happened.
I know one time, they wouldn't even check my car into their system because I was told the previous time there wasn't any codes. So, I guess I don't show up in their system. Heck, at that rate, they don't even have to count my complaint as a real complaint.
Would it take a wreck to get attention? How about an injury? A death?
I've given ample opportunity for them to fix it. They either won't, or they can't, as two dealers have told me.
What if I took it back and they said they fixed it again? Would you trust them? I don't!
And now a word from an average GM customer.
GG, I have had the opposite experience with GM. With my last three vehicles--2008 Malibu, 2011 LaCrosse CXS, and a 2014 Encore I have nothing but good things to say about GM. A few days after buying the Malibu the AC system failed. Since this was a new model they did not have the requisite parts in stock so they had to source it from a regional distribution center. We were going on a long distance trip so they said they would put a rush on it and they did. Great Chevy dealer experience.
For my LaCrosse, I had two minor issues. The first, a ticking noise that sounded like a time bomb. I took the car to the dealer but they could not duplicate the noise, nor were there any "codes." The service manager and I took turns driving the car but it was mute. No annoying sound. The next morning the noise resumed and I drove the car straight back to the dealer. They hooked the car up remotely with a GM Detroit tech who still could not find anything wrong. Nonetheless, they kept the vehicle overnight and after flashing and reprogramming the computer, the problem was fixed. Problem solved.
The second problem with the LaCrosse involved the articulating HID headlamps. The service manager took me to the service bay and explained to me that a code does not necessarily pinpoint the problem. Rather than waste endless hours trying to find the problem, they simply replaced the headlight assembly. Problem solved.
The Encore's DIC showed a problem with the AWD system. I called OnStar who diagnosed the problem remotely and sent the report to the dealer. The dealer made the necessary fix. Again, problem solved.
In the above situations I was courteous with the technicians and service manager and they treated me with utmost respect. They bent over backwards to delight and make me feel that I am a valued customer. Don't know what happened between you and your Cadillac dealer but there does not appear to be a meeting of the minds nor of mutual trust.
I've probably mentioned this before, but given the recent issues with GM, it bears repeating.
When my daughter graduated HS, we bought an '06 Saturn ION for her to use getting back and forth to college (~100 miles one way). For almost 3 years, the car performed flawlessly. Had all the creature comforts she wanted (AUX jack for her iPod, sunroof, power windows, etc.), and the safety features we wanted (ABS). Regular maintenance and, I think, one small warranty issue.
Then, the car up and died on her one day. This happened on a 4 lane road and she was lucky enough to pull off to the side and restart it.
When she got home, I immediately scheduled an appointment at the dealer. You can guess how it went - "sorry, can't replicate, don't know what's wrong, no code". I get the car back and it runs fine.
Several months later, the same thing happens again - except this time it was on I-25 in downtown Denver while going 55 MPH. Again, daughter got the car started and made it home.
Wife decided, then and there, that she wasn't driving the car back to school at the end of the weekend (my wife is like that - one, maybe two, strikes and you're out). So, we bought a MINI (I know - frying pan, meet fire, etc.) and I started to drive the ION for my around town pizza delivery duties.
Not once did I have the problem with the car stalling, though I did manage to get the key stuck in the ignition, requiring that the entire ignition module be replaced ($200, IIRC).
Well, you all know what happened in the last year - the ION is on the list of cars that were recalled due to the ignition problem. I can consider myself lucky that nobody I know was injured because of it. By this time, I'd gifted the car to my step son and daughter in law and they had been driving it without incident for 6 months or so. They took it in to the dealer to have the recall part replaced - when I switched the ignition, it was still the bad part, apparently.
I was able to get the cost of the ignition replacement refunded to me, given that I had the documentation about the repair.
No more GM cars for me, either - despite the fact that I have over $1000 of GM credit card points I could use.
@GG , help me understand something. When did the relationship with the dealer go from outstanding, bend-over-backwards helpful, to totally sour? That seems to have happened terribly fast and I don't understand why.
Having already replaced one car without you even asking for it, I am struggling with why they no longer seem to want to even try to fix this one. The fact that they did that on their own 6 weeks after your original delivery tends to belie the whole "GM/Cadillac is evil" stuff posted above. But I am curious as to what might have occurred after that.
Don't know. Couldn't tell you. Seemed to start when I brought it in for the power steering, stalling issues, and they told me they couldn't fix it because it didn't give a code.
The owner's son did pull up the notes from the fiasco I dealt with on my late Mother's fiasco years ago. Maybe they decided that once they sold another car (the first CTS deal still seems a little flaky to me), they were finished. No money in it for them? They don't employ truly qualified mechanics who can diagnose problems without plugging them into a computer? Again, can't answer your question.
I know all the goodwill surveys and phone calls stopped once they quit getting feel good, 5 star reviews from me.
So, based on that, I suppose the only way to get through to them is to lie and blow sunshine up their posteriors and tell them how wonderful they are.
Craig...thanks for interceding, but I'm past the point of caring about what Cadillac says or does at this point. Maybe that's the whole idea. Wait until I wear myself out and hope that I float off into the distance. I was just telling the wife last night, I should have kept my TL. Not one sniff of trouble with it.
bwia....GM sells enough cars that losing me as a customer isn't going to matter. I never hope anyone has anything but great experiences with whatever brand of cars they buy.
"So, based on that, I suppose the only way to get through to them is to lie and blow sunshine up their posteriors and tell them how wonderful they are."
Goes into this whole survey thing being essentially a marketing scam enforced by punishment, when "100% satisfaction" is not provided, not a real tool of improvement.
I assume this recall has been done on GG's car? Symptoms sound familiar:
Recall ID # 107936 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Recall Date: OCT 01, 2014 Model Affected: 2014 Cadillac CTS Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short. Consequences: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM¿s number for this recall is 14515. Potential Units Affected: 106307
I assume this recall has been done on GG's car? Symptoms sound familiar:
Recall ID # 107936 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Recall Date: OCT 01, 2014 Model Affected: 2014 Cadillac CTS Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short. Consequences: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM¿s number for this recall is 14515. Potential Units Affected: 106307
Who knows if it was performed or not. I brought this up to the servicing dealer the last time I had the car in there. He said it was only for ATSs. OK....if you say so. Not what the PR says, but they're supposed to be the experts.
I'll clarify: if the recall does apply to his VIN and was not performed then the dealer's incompetence is self-evident..
If GG's car's VIN is included in the recall, isn't he supposed to receive a recall notice from Cadillac Division informing him of the recall, the possible consequences of the defect, and what will be done to correct the problem? Further, the letter would inform him that he should make an appointment with his dealer to have the car repaired.
That was how I was informed about my recall in March. It was my responsibility to make the appointment. I would naturally assume that when GG's car was in for the steering component replacements that when the service dept. entered the car's VIN into the computer, any outstanding recalls would be auto-flagged.
Fortunately I wasn't going to buy a GM car anytime that I could imagine but it certainly sucks that GG is going through all this.
Two of my brothers actually have GM vehicles and I guess they got lucky - a previous generation Equinox and a Volt. The Volt with some more room in it could have tempted but no thanks.
I get an email today offering me a test drive in a Tesla. Since there was no space to put "no way in hell could I afford one but sure" I just said sure. We'll see where this goes...
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
You cannot generalize (pardon the pun) GGs experience with all of GM. He either has an unbelievably bad/incompetent dealer, or there is something else going on.
After reading all these posts since GG first announced the problems he was having with his Cadillac CTS, I have come to the conclusion that it is primarily the dealer's service department that is responsible for making the customer happy - not the manufacturer.
If the service department is unwilling or unable to adequately fix, repair, adjust, replace components of a vehicle in order to satisfy the customer, the problem or issue is escalated to the General Manager of the dealership. Then, if not resolved, the dealer Principal (owner) becomes involved. From there, it goes to ZONE, then REGION, and then to CORPORATE.
There is no reason, in my opinion, that these issues need to or should be escalated above the dealership level if the dealership is doing what they should be doing:
Provide loaners to customers
Order parts that need replacement
Ensure qualified/trained mechanics are diagnosing problems and repairing vehicles go normal operation
Act as as a liaison between the customer and the manufacturer, as needed.
In GG's case, I firmly believe it is the dealership that is not looking out for their customer. If a car is undiagnosable for a problem, it is the responsibility of the service manager to bring in the Zone service reps to assist in diagnosing the problem. GG's dealership failed on this process. GG should never have had to escalate this by himself - the dealer's service department should have done it without GG having to even be involved with Consumer Affairs. Because of their failure(s), this issue(s) has gone unresolved and caused GG untold stress, anger, frustration, etc.
"General Motors is using tiny recalls to head off vehicle defects before they turn into the kinds of protracted safety campaigns that have battered the industry’s reputation and taken their toll on profits.
"The US manufacturer, still reeling from a massive recall last year over ignition switches, has been scouring social media and blogs to spot potential problems with its cars, helping it catch problems when they affect fewer than 10 drivers.
"GM has more than 1,000 people assigned to scrutinise that information alongside field data from dealerships and filings to the US regulator, the National Highway Transport Safety Administration.
"“We had a major number of recalls last year,” Dan Ammann, president of GM, told the Financial Times. “But as we’re back to more of a steady state, what we see is a higher number of recalls, but each recall is a much smaller number of vehicles. And the reason for that is we’re finding issues much, much earlier.”
"“We’ve had recalls recently of, like, nine cars,” he added. “We find it really early — so it’s not, ‘Gee, we’ve sold 7m of these things and we need to bring it back’. It’s really early.”"
I got a recall today for the '09 Grand Caravan (had an earlier one for the ignition that I've ignored). This one is also ignition related and I guess I'll do it - they are going to give me new fobs, so they should come with fresh batteries. Maybe I'll save the old batteries when I take it in .
So, my wife was looking through her GLK manual and she spotted this warning: If you don't drive your car for 4 weeks (6 weeks is danger level) you should put a trickle charger on the battery as there could be serious damage done.
I asked someone fairly knowledgeable and he said, todays cars have so much electronics, that if the battery isn't charged, all the electronics could go off and everything would have to be reset....very costly.
MB will sell a trickle charger to us regular $150, but, for us $125.
I think the one we leave on the Passat was about $30.
Did anyone know about this? Do you think it is just cars with all the options or all of todays cars? I bet it would cost a lot to reset everything.
I can see wanting to keep everything functioning, and quite likely the electrics do have more standing draw than in the old days. Never really heard that having the battery die would be that big of a deal though. Are they implying you have to take it to the dealer? Or just deal with the hassle of having to reset your radio and personalization settings?
I would always recommend using one though if the car was going to sit for an extended time.
That the dealership(s) aren't taking care of my car is one thing. When two dealerships don't, that means there's something within Cadillac's policies that keeps them from putting forth the effort to find and then fix the issues. Could they do a better job? Absolutely. But, they won't be fairly compensated by Cadillac for their efforts.
On top of that, I don't think their mechanics are anywhere near trained well enough to do much more than to plug the car into a computer and see what it says needs to be done.
Probably very efficient and without a doubt much less costly than putzing around for hours diagnosing a car's problems. Not very effective, though.
I'm hoping to hear something either from my lawyer or from BBB in the next few days. One thing's for certain, Cadillac certainly knows how to drag their feet. Upset customer? No problem....let'em wait.
"If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter..."
Driver, you must be kidding! . GM's/Cadillac's bottom line wouldn't be affected 1/10,000th of a percent if they took the time to diagnose, repair or replace GG's car. We're talking "peanuts" here!
Mike, They don't see GGs problem as a one issue problem. It is a blanket policy covering 100000s customers....mainly if we give in to one, we will have to give in to all.
It is similar to the Pinto gas tank. A $1 part on one car isn't a big deal, the savings by not installing that part add up to more than the lawsuits. Someone calculates that.
Rational people would say it is only one car, so if we fix it we'll be out $1000. The dealer has already lost money on the deal, GM corporate won't pay the dealer to fix the car since it doesn't register as a code problem...GM isn't just going to take the car back...or even admit they don't know what they are doing.
And I don't understand why everyone thinks it is just the dealer that's to blame. They are probably being stonewalled by GM Head Office. If it was the dealer GG can go to another dealer, he has tried one, he can go to many more. I doubt if GM technicians are trained to find a real problem....and if they admit that there will be a huge can of worms opened up. What if GGs car is just the tip of the iceberg?
I know GG has a lawsuit in play, but, it might be worthwhile also notifying the safety people in the government, car companies don't always admit they should do a recall....especially for a safety issue.
driver.....Everything in your vehicle resets after 6 weeks? What exactly does that mean? D you have to reset the clock and radio stations as a result? Or, does the car go completely immobile (and why)? They sit on the lot or in shipping containers sometimes for months. Does that mean all those vehicles are on trickle chargers?
Will Mercedes give you a charge/jump if their battery goes dead?
Or, is it a way for them to sell you something you may not really need? What's the difference between the Mercedes trickle charger and the $30 one you can buy from Sears?
I can see wanting to keep everything functioning, and quite likely the electrics do have more standing draw than in the old days. Never really heard that having the battery die would be that big of a deal though. Are they implying you have to take it to the dealer? Or just deal with the hassle of having to reset your radio and personalization settings?
I would always recommend using one though if the car was going to sit for an extended time.
They don't really imply cost or mention the problem would be resetting the electronics.
They say if you don't use a trickle charger then you could have a very big problem. I am just guessing about electronics.
Comments
At Cadillac, we dare greatly. Because we believe that only those who dare, drive the world forward.
They dare you to take them to court if they can't fix your car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am not so sure though any other company would react differently. Mike was ignored by Mercedes, I was ignored by Audi, and we have all heard of these cases. In fact, that is why there are Lemon Laws. I guess the problem is "What is the use in having a warranty when the warranty does absolutely nothing". Since almost all the companies do this it doesn't make it right, but judges and arbitrators should really throw the book at the car manufacturers. Occassionally they do...I saw one judge that awarded 3X the cost of the car to one person, because he said no consumer should have to put up with this............hopefully, there will be more of those.
*Also, let's remember all the cover-ups, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, GM, etc It just ain't right!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I think the exception may be PCs, where the standard of care went considerably down over the years, but so did the prices. Now you have to pay multi hundred dollar extra warranty to be served properly, otherwise all you get is a long phone call with a foreign-based representative and address in Texas to send your faulty computer at your own expense (it happened to me and at the end they stiffed my on the new disk, the replacement was slightly lower grade than original - but at least it worked).
I think the biggest challenge for Cadillac is its own mindset. They claim they changed, yet they seem to stay the same, at least in this particular case. It's easy to declare changes at the top, but it all boils down to the same people executing policies, just as they did 10 or 20 years ago. And many are the same. Those are dealer owners, managers, sales people, or mechanics. Today's managers are exactly people who "grew up" during possibly worst times at GM, so how can we expect them to turn the ship around?
While it's easy to point out to shortcomings of other manufacturers (said Audi or even Mercedes), the issue is in frequency of those behaviors and perhaps aspirations. If Audi or Mercedes have too many of those stories floating around, they'll be knocked out of their current positions. Cadillac on the other hand has an unfortunate history of being this way much more consistently for much longer time to much more people. In fact, they deem to have "trained" their customers not to expect "the world" (even if the sticker price suggests they should), as you could read here from couple of their supporters saying that it GG was unreasonable in his expectations. I guess those _blank_ imports made people expect so much, poor GM can't catch a break from this demanding bunch.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Now when I see most car commercials I just think, Blah blah blah over top of the announcers voice....the words are completely meaningless.
The ad company has no idea how good the cars really are.......the ad company produces an ad with key phrases, all new, we are out to change things around, etc., and the car company chooses the ad which will get them more business. There is no connection between the truth and the reality. The only reality is "Buyer Beware".
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
This all could have been avoided if the A) dealer would have admitted that their "fix" (new power steering pump and steering gear) didn't fix anything., and
As mentioned, sounds like all of their current posturing is little more than lip service given to "business as usual". Think I'll set foot in a Cadillac dealership again? Not happening.
School is out for the wife, so I took the Altima back to Enterprise. It was a good rental. Worked perfectly. We're sharing her Accord. Feels good to be back in a car that is trouble free.
After I get the Caddy situation resolved, I'll dig into whatever I'll pull into the GG garage next.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter, and execs may lose their jobs sooner. Same with the ignition problem, keep it quiet and maybe it will go away, or if we do get caught it is better for the president to make a few $million first.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I've seen this mindset in my previous workplace (the company was publicly traded), where snapshot view of a spreadsheet was driving majority of the decisions. Improper cost cutting (like not honoring stated commitments) often leads to lost sales, lower quality, which leads to productivity and morale drop. However, in "static" snapshot view it looks like if one just could reduce position "A", then profit will increase immediately, because the assumption is all other positions stay the same. We know it's now true, because hidden functions between the cells, the proverbial unknown unknowns. I always say there is nothing wrong about taking care of the bottom line. This is what companies are supposed to do and they should do it. It's about how you derive that bottom line figure, where things differ.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
"If they solve GGs problem now, the bottom line won't look so good for this quarter..."
Driver, you must be kidding!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Mercury was able to earn interest on $10K for almost 15 months and only ended up paying $1,500 more to me than they otherwise would have about 6-8 months ago. The funny thing is they are paying the full $10,000 no matter what my judgment in small claims amounted to; only they seemed to prefer giving it all to Geico instead of me.
Also, by arguing with me in bad faith they could have an excuse for delaying Geico's share of the payment.
1) Do you have a record of the exact first code that they claim to have fixed by replacing power steering components? It would be nice to know which code was originally tripped.
2) Did the tech actually drive and experience the problem or solely go by the code early on the first time around?
I think the fact they replaced components so early in the car's life goes a long way to establishing your lemon law claim; regardless of whatever else they claim. Has your lawyer advised you to obtain an expert opinion on the car's current condition from an independent mechanic (to at least verify the car isn't right).
2018 430i Gran Coupe
They are a stand-alone Cadillac dealership and one of the biggest down here. If there was an issue with steering or stalling, they would know it. But remember they sell 99% of their cars with RWD (ATS/CTS), not AWD. So there may be an issue with AWD vehicles that they would not be aware of.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Don't know if the tech drove my car. If (s)he did, the problem was ignored.
Somewhere in the accounting bowels of GM and Cadillac, there's a person being celebrated because they found a way to minimize the costs associted with diagnosing problems by putting "codes" into the computer that covers evertyihng that could go wrong. Problem there is...what if the code is wrong? Or, what if one of the parameters for the "code to be thrown" didn't occur, causeing no code? Clearly, that's where I'm at.
How many people just go along with GM and keep hauling their cars back into the service guys, only to hear "no code...operates as designed"? How much money has GM saved by stalling, minimizing or ignoring customer issues? I bet it's bunch. I wonder how many people complained about the ignition switches and having GM ignore their compalaints, until the inevitable happened.
I know one time, they wouldn't even check my car into their system because I was told the previous time there wasn't any codes. So, I guess I don't show up in their system. Heck, at that rate, they don't even have to count my complaint as a real complaint.
Would it take a wreck to get attention? How about an injury? A death?
I've given ample opportunity for them to fix it. They either won't, or they can't, as two dealers have told me.
What if I took it back and they said they fixed it again? Would you trust them? I don't!
Sure steers me away from GM.
A lot of people read these forums and I'm guessing some readers will shy away.
Of course, this requires them to spend more time on the car and actually have parts to replace.
What irks me the most about GG's situation is the lack of providing a loaner vehicle. It took Audi nearly 2 weeks to replace the AC system at 53K miles in my A3 (which I pushed them into doing fully 100% free of charge). I didn't mind the delay because they put me in an A4. If they had said "the parts will take too long to get from Germany, and the repairs take too long as well, so no loaner for you!" I'd of been livid.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Having already replaced one car without you even asking for it, I am struggling with why they no longer seem to want to even try to fix this one. The fact that they did that on their own 6 weeks after your original delivery tends to belie the whole "GM/Cadillac is evil" stuff posted above. But I am curious as to what might have occurred after that.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Befuddles me why they did not push to do this much earlier.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
When I had my issues with Mercedes (and still do), my dealership was right there to make me happy - they pulled out all stops and that great relationship with the dealer remains to this day. But GG's dealership seems to have absolved itself from all interactions. No code - no problem!
If if my dealership had done that to me, I'd be driving anything but a Mercedes today!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
GG, I have had the opposite experience with GM. With my last three vehicles--2008 Malibu, 2011 LaCrosse CXS, and a 2014 Encore I have nothing but good things to say about GM. A few days after buying the Malibu the AC system failed. Since this was a new model they did not have the requisite parts in stock so they had to source it from a regional distribution center. We were going on a long distance trip so they said they would put a rush on it and they did. Great Chevy dealer experience.
For my LaCrosse, I had two minor issues. The first, a ticking noise that sounded like a time bomb. I took the car to the dealer but they could not duplicate the noise, nor were there any "codes." The service manager and I took turns driving the car but it was mute. No annoying sound. The next morning the noise resumed and I drove the car straight back to the dealer. They hooked the car up remotely with a GM Detroit tech who still could not find anything wrong. Nonetheless, they kept the vehicle overnight and after flashing and reprogramming the computer, the problem was fixed. Problem solved.
The second problem with the LaCrosse involved the articulating HID headlamps. The service manager took me to the service bay and explained to me that a code does not necessarily pinpoint the problem. Rather than waste endless hours trying to find the problem, they simply replaced the headlight assembly. Problem solved.
The Encore's DIC showed a problem with the AWD system. I called OnStar who diagnosed the problem remotely and sent the report to the dealer. The dealer made the necessary fix. Again, problem solved.
In the above situations I was courteous with the technicians and service manager and they treated me with utmost respect. They bent over backwards to delight and make me feel that I am a valued customer. Don't know what happened between you and your Cadillac dealer but there does not appear to be a meeting of the minds nor of mutual trust.
Customer's Perspective I
Customer's Perspective II
Dealer's Perspective I
Dealer's Perspective II
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
When my daughter graduated HS, we bought an '06 Saturn ION for her to use getting back and forth to college (~100 miles one way). For almost 3 years, the car performed flawlessly. Had all the creature comforts she wanted (AUX jack for her iPod, sunroof, power windows, etc.), and the safety features we wanted (ABS). Regular maintenance and, I think, one small warranty issue.
Then, the car up and died on her one day. This happened on a 4 lane road and she was lucky enough to pull off to the side and restart it.
When she got home, I immediately scheduled an appointment at the dealer. You can guess how it went - "sorry, can't replicate, don't know what's wrong, no code". I get the car back and it runs fine.
Several months later, the same thing happens again - except this time it was on I-25 in downtown Denver while going 55 MPH. Again, daughter got the car started and made it home.
Wife decided, then and there, that she wasn't driving the car back to school at the end of the weekend (my wife is like that - one, maybe two, strikes and you're out). So, we bought a MINI (I know - frying pan, meet fire, etc.) and I started to drive the ION for my around town pizza delivery duties.
Not once did I have the problem with the car stalling, though I did manage to get the key stuck in the ignition, requiring that the entire ignition module be replaced ($200, IIRC).
Well, you all know what happened in the last year - the ION is on the list of cars that were recalled due to the ignition problem. I can consider myself lucky that nobody I know was injured because of it. By this time, I'd gifted the car to my step son and daughter in law and they had been driving it without incident for 6 months or so. They took it in to the dealer to have the recall part replaced - when I switched the ignition, it was still the bad part, apparently.
I was able to get the cost of the ignition replacement refunded to me, given that I had the documentation about the repair.
No more GM cars for me, either - despite the fact that I have over $1000 of GM credit card points I could use.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
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The owner's son did pull up the notes from the fiasco I dealt with on my late Mother's fiasco years ago. Maybe they decided that once they sold another car (the first CTS deal still seems a little flaky to me), they were finished. No money in it for them? They don't employ truly qualified mechanics who can diagnose problems without plugging them into a computer? Again, can't answer your question.
I know all the goodwill surveys and phone calls stopped once they quit getting feel good, 5 star reviews from me.
So, based on that, I suppose the only way to get through to them is to lie and blow sunshine up their posteriors and tell them how wonderful they are.
Craig...thanks for interceding, but I'm past the point of caring about what Cadillac says or does at this point. Maybe that's the whole idea. Wait until I wear myself out and hope that I float off into the distance. I was just telling the wife last night, I should have kept my TL. Not one sniff of trouble with it.
bwia....GM sells enough cars that losing me as a customer isn't going to matter. I never hope anyone has anything but great experiences with whatever brand of cars they buy.
Goes into this whole survey thing being essentially a marketing scam enforced by punishment, when "100% satisfaction" is not provided, not a real tool of improvement.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Recall ID # 107936 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recall Date:
OCT 01, 2014
Model Affected:
2014 Cadillac CTS
Summary:
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Consequences:
If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM¿s number for this recall is 14515.
Potential Units Affected:
106307
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
That was how I was informed about my recall in March. It was my responsibility to make the appointment. I would naturally assume that when GG's car was in for the steering component replacements that when the service dept. entered the car's VIN into the computer, any outstanding recalls would be auto-flagged.
Or am I mistaken?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Two of my brothers actually have GM vehicles and I guess they got lucky - a previous generation Equinox and a Volt. The Volt with some more room in it could have tempted but no thanks.
I get an email today offering me a test drive in a Tesla. Since there was no space to put "no way in hell could I afford one but sure" I just said sure. We'll see where this goes...
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
If the service department is unwilling or unable to adequately fix, repair, adjust, replace components of a vehicle in order to satisfy the customer, the problem or issue is escalated to the General Manager of the dealership. Then, if not resolved, the dealer Principal (owner) becomes involved. From there, it goes to ZONE, then REGION, and then to CORPORATE.
There is no reason, in my opinion, that these issues need to or should be escalated above the dealership level if the dealership is doing what they should be doing:
Provide loaners to customers
Order parts that need replacement
Ensure qualified/trained mechanics are diagnosing problems and repairing vehicles go normal operation
Act as as a liaison between the customer and the manufacturer, as needed.
In GG's case, I firmly believe it is the dealership that is not looking out for their customer. If a car is undiagnosable for a problem, it is the responsibility of the service manager to bring in the Zone service reps to assist in diagnosing the problem. GG's dealership failed on this process. GG should never have had to escalate this by himself - the dealer's service department should have done it without GG having to even be involved with Consumer Affairs. Because of their failure(s), this issue(s) has gone unresolved and caused GG untold stress, anger, frustration, etc.
That's my take on this situation.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
"The US manufacturer, still reeling from a massive recall last year over ignition switches, has been scouring social media and blogs to spot potential problems with its cars, helping it catch problems when they affect fewer than 10 drivers.
"GM has more than 1,000 people assigned to scrutinise that information alongside field data from dealerships and filings to the US regulator, the National Highway Transport Safety Administration.
"“We had a major number of recalls last year,” Dan Ammann, president of GM, told the Financial Times. “But as we’re back to more of a steady state, what we see is a higher number of recalls, but each recall is a much smaller number of vehicles. And the reason for that is we’re finding issues much, much earlier.”
"“We’ve had recalls recently of, like, nine cars,” he added. “We find it really early — so it’s not, ‘Gee, we’ve sold 7m of these things and we need to bring it back’. It’s really early.”"
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a65b2868-061c-11e5-b676-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3bqvjD7dk
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If you don't drive your car for 4 weeks (6 weeks is danger level) you should put a trickle charger on the battery as there could be serious damage done.
I asked someone fairly knowledgeable and he said, todays cars have so much electronics, that if the battery isn't charged, all the electronics could go off and everything would have to be reset....very costly.
MB will sell a trickle charger to us regular $150, but, for us $125.
I think the one we leave on the Passat was about $30.
Did anyone know about this? Do you think it is just cars with all the options or all of todays cars? I bet it would cost a lot to reset everything.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I would always recommend using one though if the car was going to sit for an extended time.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
On top of that, I don't think their mechanics are anywhere near trained well enough to do much more than to plug the car into a computer and see what it says needs to be done.
Probably very efficient and without a doubt much less costly than putzing around for hours diagnosing a car's problems. Not very effective, though.
I'm hoping to hear something either from my lawyer or from BBB in the next few days. One thing's for certain, Cadillac certainly knows how to drag their feet. Upset customer? No problem....let'em wait.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It is similar to the Pinto gas tank. A $1 part on one car isn't a big deal, the savings by not installing that part add up to more than the lawsuits. Someone calculates that.
Rational people would say it is only one car, so if we fix it we'll be out $1000. The dealer has already lost money on the deal, GM corporate won't pay the dealer to fix the car since it doesn't register as a code problem...GM isn't just going to take the car back...or even admit they don't know what they are doing.
And I don't understand why everyone thinks it is just the dealer that's to blame. They are probably being stonewalled by GM Head Office. If it was the dealer GG can go to another dealer, he has tried one, he can go to many more. I doubt if GM technicians are trained to find a real problem....and if they admit that there will be a huge can of worms opened up. What if GGs car is just the tip of the iceberg?
I know GG has a lawsuit in play, but, it might be worthwhile also notifying the safety people in the government, car companies don't always admit they should do a recall....especially for a safety issue.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Will Mercedes give you a charge/jump if their battery goes dead?
Or, is it a way for them to sell you something you may not really need? What's the difference between the Mercedes trickle charger and the $30 one you can buy from Sears?
They say if you don't use a trickle charger then you could have a very big problem. I am just guessing about electronics.
Maybe Mike can ask his service people?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250