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AB....that Cadillac app allows you to set up service appts on line with your dealer. It shows where your car is parked. It also links to your Remote Link account.
The Remote Link communicates with the car and has info available on your iPhone that includes your MPG (current tank and lifetime), status of your remaining oil life, amount of gas left in your tank, mileage range. It also can remotely start your car, send navigation addresses to CUE (like from your address book), in addition to contacting roadside assistance. Pretty slick apps.
No, that is a different app. I have that one you are talking about on my iPhone. The one I am referring to is CUE-specific and is intended to be educational only.
All this talk about your new CTS and ab's ATS has me thinking about an ATS coupe ..
Drove past my dealer today and they have a new 2015 coupe on their display podium out front. What a nice-looking car! This one is black over black with polished 18" wheels.
With the bomb crater roads up here, I doubt a 30 series tire would last a week in the winter. I want all the sidewall I can get!
I agree, Stick. If I lived in an area where there were potholes and/or poorly maintained roads, I would never get these tires and rims. But down here in Florida, our roads are in excellent condition. They are beautifully maintained. I-95 is the worst of the roads we have down here and it isn't all that bad - but definitely in need of resurfacing.
But because we do not have extremes in weather or temperatures (85-95 summer and 60-80 winter), the roads do not expand and contract as much as they do in the northeast or midwest.
The tires and wheels they are putting on the car are the same size and width as the tires I now have on the CLS 550. They said they will call me as soon as the wheels arrive so I can see them up close. They are supposedly a light gray tint which matches the color of the car.
After the short-lived discussion on pinstripes, here at the Pin triper Anonymous group meeting I have to admit that I have pinstripes on my Buick and I put pinstripes on my Black Malibu after we got it. I compared the cars on the lots where some dealers had a few of their cars pinstriped, with various colors and various locations for the stripes. I decided I liked the accent value.
I had roll of the silvery tan from my Buick, and in a momemt of weakness I applied the pinstriping to the body of the Malibu. I even did both sides. I have not pinstriped anything since that day of weakness. One day at at time.
With the bomb crater roads up here, I doubt a 30 series tire would last a week in the winter. I want all the sidewall I can get!
I agree, Stick. If I lived in an area where there were potholes and/or poorly maintained roads, I would never get these tires and rims. But down here in Florida, our roads are in excellent condition. They are beautifully maintained. I-95 is the worst of the roads we have down here and it isn't all that bad - but definitely in need of resurfacing.
But because we do not have extremes in weather or temperatures (85-95 summer and 60-80 winter), the roads do not expand and contract as much as they do in the northeast or midwest.
The tires and wheels they are putting on the car are the same size and width as the tires I now have on the CLS 550. They said they will call me as soon as the wheels arrive so I can see them up close. They are supposedly a light gray tint which matches the color of the car.
It's been a long time since I was anywhere that pot holes weren't rampant. We have fairly moderate weather here, much like in Florida, but the traffic breaks down the roads eventually, and the government (city, county, state, national) is not spending money on infrastructure, roads or otherwise.
One of my co-workers bought a used Escalade with 24 inch wheels and rubber band tires. When he went to make his 3rd claim for $1,900 (wheel and tire), his insurance agent cautioned him that if he went through with the claim he was very likely to be canceled by the company.
With the bomb crater roads up here, I doubt a 30 series tire would last a week in the winter. I want all the sidewall I can get!
I agree, Stick. If I lived in an area where there were potholes and/or poorly maintained roads, I would never get these tires and rims. But down here in Florida, our roads are in excellent condition. They are beautifully maintained. I-95 is the worst of the roads we have down here and it isn't all that bad - but definitely in need of resurfacing.
But because we do not have extremes in weather or temperatures (85-95 summer and 60-80 winter), the roads do not expand and contract as much as they do in the northeast or midwest.
The tires and wheels they are putting on the car are the same size and width as the tires I now have on the CLS 550. They said they will call me as soon as the wheels arrive so I can see them up close. They are supposedly a light gray tint which matches the color of the car.
It's been a long time since I was anywhere that pot holes weren't rampant. We have fairly moderate weather here, much like in Florida, but the traffic breaks down the roads eventually, and the government (city, county, state, national) is not spending money on infrastructure, roads or otherwise.
One of my co-workers bought a used Escalade with 24 inch wheels and rubber band tires. When he went to make his 3rd claim for $1,900 (wheel and tire), his insurance agent cautioned him that if he went through with the claim he was very likely to be canceled by the company.
I'm just sayin' ...
There is something to say for taking out a road hazard policy on these wheels and tires. They MSRP together for $4000. The dealer told me if Mercedes did not come through for me and pay for the tires and wheels, they would sell them to me for dead cost, which is about $2000. I will have to determine if they are worth the money when I see them.
They want $800+ a year for road hazard insurance for tires and wheels. That's something else I will have to consider.
probably a waste, but I ended up getting the protection package on the lease. Covers wheels and tires, glass, and wear and tear at lease turn in. If I get dings, I just need to bring it to the dealer and they will take care of it. For the $12 or so a month I bit.
The other day I had a little rant about Lincoln's conquest incentive. I took a look again, and if nothing changed, the incentive is an 'or' to the other incentives.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Mike, just a quick comment about the wheels. The optional wheels are a little nicer, but not that different. My standard wheels have gray colored rims and that does look smart. I think this is your optional wheel;
I think the centres are a little nicer, more 3D effect. I think you would have to see them in person and compare.....I don't see much difference. Then you are going to have to get insurance etc. To me, it's just a complication I don't need....I think the E400 was designed to ride on the standard wheels and tires.
They wanted me to buy insurance for the RFTs and wheel rims on the 535. I think it was $1500, and each tire and wheel could cost $800 to replace. I said no, even though they told me all kinds of horror stories about how costly the tires and wheels were to replace......and I didn't have an incident in 48k miles. Maybe that's the $1500 I had to spend on the Audi!
The wheels and tires they ordered for my new E400 have not yet arrived at the dealership. They ordered two front 245/35R19XL's and two rear 275/30R19XL's for the new 19" rims in Continental Conti's ultra high performance tires. As for the wheels, I sure would like to hear your opinions about them.
If you go to MBUSA.com, click on "build", and select the E Class Sedan and then the E400, on the first page of the build, it's the first optional wheel they show (the only 19" wheel there) under the exterior colors. Let me know what you think of the design. Your feedback would be much appreciated.
The 19" twin 5-spokes are very nice. The 18's that come with the car are nice too. I could live with them.
Thanks, venture. Like I said, the all-seasons that come on the 18" AMG wheels do not provide sufficient handling and stability for the car. All the E350's I owned came with summer performance tires staggered front and back sizes. Those cars handled great. But Mercedes has gone to standard all seasons which do not work as well.
That's the only reason I am going with these. The standard wheels are great, but are not designed to take a performance tire - otherwise I would just change tires.
Mike, just a quick comment about the wheels. The optional wheels are a little nicer, but not that different. My standard wheels have gray colored rims and that does look smart. I think this is your optional wheel;
I think the centres are a little nicer, more 3D effect. I think you would have to see them in person and compare.....I don't see much difference. Then you are going to have to get insurance etc. To me, it's just a complication I don't need....I think the E400 was designed to ride on the standard wheels and tires.
They wanted me to buy insurance for the RFTs and wheel rims on the 535. I think it was $1500, and each tire and wheel could cost $800 to replace. I said no, even though they told me all kinds of horror stories about how costly the tires and wheels were to replace......and I didn't have an incident in 48k miles. Maybe that's the $1500 I had to spend on the Audi!
Standard wheels:
The wheels are very different, driver. I prefer the AMG wheels, which are standard. But the don't take performance tires.
It would seem the best way would be to test two cars so equiped...but, that would be hard to arrange. I don't know any different and since I may end up driving in snow at some point in my life I would always choose all-seasons. But, driving conditions are a lot different in Florida, and the roads are getting so crowded so soon you won't be able to go very fast any ways.
You mentioned that the E400 was designed to run on all-season tires. That is not true - I could have ordered summer performance tires from the factory at no charge - but I did not because I thought as you did. After driving the E400 for two days, it became apparent to me that performance tires are necessary.
Mike, if the 400 comes with performance summer tires standard, why not just switch out to those? That should firm up the handling quite a bit. Is just going to the 19s that much of a change with comparable tires?
Mike, if the 400 comes with performance summer tires standard, why not just switch out to those? That should firm up the handling quite a bit. Is just going to the 19s that much of a change with comparable tires?
No, Stick. It comes standard with all-season tires. But it can be ordered with staggered size summer performance 18" tires from the factory. But the AMG rims that come with the car will not fit summer performance tires because the rims are not wide enough. So I am forced to change the rims anyway, so I opted for 19" wheels instead of 18". If I had ordered the car with those same rims (19") Mercedes would have included the tires.
So if I want performance tires, which the car really needs, I have to change tires and rims. I would imagine there will be some sort of credit for the standard AMG wheels and the Continental all-seasons. Probably no more than $1000-$1200. I will find out tomorrow or Thursday when the wheels and tires come in. The car is due at the dealership in the next 1-3 days, but no later than Friday.
poked around on the MB site. I'm guessing it must have the 245/40-18 wheels on it? With the 8.5" wide wheels? Should be able to put some serious tires on that wide a wheel. Not much higher profile than the 19s,. Surprised that it comes with 40s standard, but I guess this is considered a performance model now.
46 degrees here this morning - brrrrr! Luckily, no windchill. I guess I have to take my jeans and sweaters/sweatshirts out of mothballs. It won't get out of the low 60's today. Tonight, temps are supposed to dip into the high 30's for a few hours. Now that's downright cold for us down here.
I just might find out if my heated seats work In the car these next few days.
Mike, if the 400 comes with performance summer tires standard, why not just switch out to those? That should firm up the handling quite a bit. Is just going to the 19s that much of a change with comparable tires?
No, Stick. It comes standard with all-season tires. But it can be ordered with staggered size summer performance 18" tires from the factory. But the AMG rims that come with the car will not fit summer performance tires because the rims are not wide enough. So I am forced to change the rims anyway, so I opted for 19" wheels instead of 18". If I had ordered the car with those same rims (19") Mercedes would have included the tires.
So if I want performance tires, which the car really needs, I have to change tires and rims. I would imagine there will be some sort of credit for the standard AMG wheels and the Continental all-seasons. Probably no more than $1000-$1200. I will find out tomorrow or Thursday when the wheels and tires come in. The car is due at the dealership in the next 1-3 days, but no later than Friday.
These are the 19" Y-spoke wheels on my Fusion. I'm a little snobby about them.
Mike, if the 400 comes with performance summer tires standard, why not just switch out to those? That should firm up the handling quite a bit. Is just going to the 19s that much of a change with comparable tires?
No, Stick. It comes standard with all-season tires. But it can be ordered with staggered size summer performance 18" tires from the factory. But the AMG rims that come with the car will not fit summer performance tires because the rims are not wide enough. So I am forced to change the rims anyway, so I opted for 19" wheels instead of 18". If I had ordered the car with those same rims (19") Mercedes would have included the tires.
So if I want performance tires, which the car really needs, I have to change tires and rims. I would imagine there will be some sort of credit for the standard AMG wheels and the Continental all-seasons. Probably no more than $1000-$1200. I will find out tomorrow or Thursday when the wheels and tires come in. The car is due at the dealership in the next 1-3 days, but no later than Friday.
These are the 19" Y-spoke wheels on my Fusion. I'm a little snobby about them.
I don't think those would go well with the Mercedes E400. A bit too flashy for a "snobbish" car, don't ya think?
On pinstripes - I have them on the Mazda. It came with them. I was ready to peel them when I had the accident way back but the guy perfectly matched the stripes. I'd never put them on myself but they look OK.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
OK....stick with me here....I've got a bit of a story that I'm dumbfounded by.
Last week I noticed a slight "ratchety" feeling in my CTS' steering wheel and a slight groan coming out of the front end when turning the steering wheel all the way to the lock position.
These cars today have electronic steering, so I figured it was some sort of sensor that might be going out. Just a guess, as I don't know much about how electronic steering works.
Made an appointment for last Monday for the dealer to take a look at it.
Dropped it off Monday a.m. They gave me an Escalade as a loaner. Apparently, they use it as a demo, but were totally out of demo rides. This thing is a monster. I could spend a couple of posts just talking about it. Another time maybe.
Didn't hear anything by end of business Monday. Yesterday, Caddy service called me at the end of the day to say they found the problem, but they wanted the service manager to talk to me, but he was in a remote training meeting until Wednesday (today). Well, that's ominous.
Got a call this a.m. from both the service manager and the GM (who is the person I was dealing with at the store).
Seems as if the control arms on the front were bad. More specifically, they weren't manufactured in spec. In addition, since the control arms weren't in spec, that caused other components of the front suspension to distort. That lead to the noises and feeling through the steering wheel I experienced.
As I'm listening to this, I'm playing out in my mind how they're going to replace the entire front end, how it's going to take the rest of this week, probably part of next week to fix.
I keep listening.
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
WOW is right, usually they just want to find a way to fix-um, not replace, even if asked to
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
WOW is right, usually they just want to find a way to fix-um, not replace, even if asked to
That is unusual and a very good sign for Cadillac. The only reason I have steered clear of Caddy is that, like most Detroit iron, they haven't fared too well in reliability ratings. Maybe they are taking reliability more seriously and are looking more at the long term satisfaction of their customers.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
Are you sure that call wasn't from some guy in Nigeria! I have heard of replacement if you buy a radio that doesn't work, but, a whole car.
I am really skeptical - I don't normally believe conspiracy theories but something is very strange here. I would go for it if they are offering, but, be careful what you sign for.
I'd almost say they want the car back so you can't sue them, but, they could have just fixed it by now. And, why was your car the one to have a structural fault, and not all the others.
Maybe I am just jealous Audi doesn't replace their malfunctioning cars.
This could win the award for oddest story of the year....let us know what happens - hopefully you won't be signing a non-confidentiality agreement.
GG, your story does remind me that I got an Email that was in SPAM from some company congratulating me for buying a new MB E400. They asked me to take a survey.
Normally, I would have taken the survey but Gmail said this email came from a source that has been reported as sending spam before. I should have copied the email and put it on Edmunds.
You can press a button to not take the survey, or take the survey. I quickly deleted it, but it was a clever way to get into your computer or get some information from me.
So, my question is, are you sure you were talking to a person from the dealership? It sounds too good to be true. Maybe GM does want to catch faulty parts before another incident happens......but, that is wierd!
That is unusual and a very good sign for Cadillac. The only reason I have steered clear of Caddy is that, like most Detroit iron, they haven't fared too well in reliability ratings. Maybe they are taking reliability more seriously and are looking more at the long term satisfaction of their customers.
This reminds me when I was shopping cars in 03. Honda had some creaking in their Accords. A few people said Honda had exchanged them out of their car to get the car back to inspect it. This was back when Hondaphiles wouldn't ever admit there were problems in Hondas. I don't recall what the story was on the welding that Honda had problems with. Was glad I bought a Buick.
Really interesting, GG. Is your car a 2014 Performance Edition, or is it a Luxury Edition? The latter are a lot more readily found. Looking forward to how this plays out.
Just returned from the dealership. Everything is being done there. Regional Rep just so happened to be there yesterday and today. So, that kind of explains at least part of this.
The Regional Rep WAS NOT the same rep my Mother and I dealt with years ago. The current Regional Rep has been with Cadillac for 17 years. He started in another Region (South). I didn't ask the area he covered then, or now. He ended up here because the Rep I had dealt with 9 years ago had been let go when GM restructured in '08-'09.
Anyway, the service guy at the dealership said he could reproduce my rachety steering and groaning suspension. But, couldn't figure out the cause. Finally, the Service Manager said to disassemble the front suspension to investigate further. They noticed the bolts were very difficult to get apart, especially for a new car.
They ordered new control arms but they wouldn't fit. They compared the old control arms to the replacements, and it was clear that the old ones weren't even close to spec.
That caused all sorts of stress and strain on everything else (thus the ratcheting and groaning). They were going to send the parts to the Caddy engineering team. And, the dealer Principal was going to ask Cadillac to reimburse him to swap out the car. I guess it made it easier having the Regional Rep there.
According to them, it was a no brainer to do the swap.
What they don't know is if it was an assembly issue, a parts issue, or a transport issue (which would have been quite a transport ride to bend a control arm). But, they want to find out.
Regional Rep said they don't test every part, but test enough of them to statistically and virtually eliminate any sort of error like this.
In short, they want to get to the definitive cause of the issue.
All-in-all, they are very forthcoming and very willing to make me happy.
I asked the Service Manager why I didn't feel it during the test drive. He said it probably handled fine for a little bit, but when the parts started to get "non-synching", the geometry got so far off and the parts were so strained that the noises started. He said the tires would have shown erratic wear pretty quickly (already had in just under 2K miles), and the noises would have become louder, the steering would have not tracked, and on and on and on.
They put me in a CTS Performance equipped the same as the other one, 16 miles on the clock. Big difference in the steering and suspension.
It's black over tan....sharp. They would have to swap for another one to get a different color as they don't carry many Performance models. Dealer said to drive it until the weekend and then decide.
It's black over tan....sharp. They would have to swap for another one to get a different color as they don't carry many Performance models. Dealer said to drive it until the weekend and then decide.
Can't ask for better than that.
I still think there's something going on. They probably want the car back because you could have sued for millions$$$$s!
Our 55 inch Florida TV is acting up. The screen goes bright blue for about 10 minutes, and you can't hear or see anything. Then it comes on for about 20 minutes. If I record something, the whole program is recorded, but the tv fades out for 10 minutes, I have to go back to where it went out.
I called the cable company and they will send the guy out in the morning. The TV is just over one year old and it has a 2 year warranty, so I called Costco condierage service just in case they heard of it. They said it is a cable issue. They did take down all the information so if the cable guy blames them we can call and we have a file started.
2 things. Has anyone had a similar experience or does it sound like a cable or tv issue?
2) Costco conseriage service sounds amazing.....just have to keep records of everything in an easy to find place so you can give them model numbers etc. These days the really good businesses can survive and thrive....if they have great service.
@driver100, what you need is an alternate source to test your TV. Such as a Roku or blu-ray player or even an over-the-air antenna. Do you have a recent model notebook computer? It very will might have an HDMI output.
Anyway, the service guy at the dealership said he could reproduce my rachety steering and groaning suspension. But, couldn't figure out the cause. Finally, the Service Manager said to disassemble the front suspension to investigate further. They noticed the bolts were very difficult to get apart, especially for a new car.
They ordered new control arms but they wouldn't fit. They compared the old control arms to the replacements, and it was clear that the old ones weren't even close to spec.
That caused all sorts of stress and strain on everything else (thus the ratcheting and groaning). They were going to send the parts to the Caddy engineering team. And, the dealer Principal was going to ask Cadillac to reimburse him to swap out the car. I guess it made it easier having the Regional Rep there.
According to them, it was a no brainer to do the swap.
What they don't know is if it was an assembly issue, a parts issue, or a transport issue (which would have been quite a transport ride to bend a control arm). But, they want to find out.
That seems very strange. If the arms wouldn't fit, how did the factory manage to get the originals installed? I would also think that there would be a bunch of other cars with arms from that same batch of out-of-spec parts. I believe those arms are forged items, so that means the forging tools would need to be way off. That doesn't make sense to me. Did the factory "make them fit" somehow? Weird.
Black over tan sounds nice. I did like how your platinum interior looked in the pics though.
Maybe you can say you don't like it and they'll put you into a 2015!
It's black over tan....sharp. They would have to swap for another one to get a different color as they don't carry many Performance models. Dealer said to drive it until the weekend and then decide.
Can't ask for better than that.
I tried to find a picture of the one you have on loan on their site. Couldn't find a performance model CTS. They must have taken it off the inventory temporarily.
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
WOW is right, usually they just want to find a way to fix-um, not replace, even if asked to
That is unusual and a very good sign for Cadillac. The only reason I have steered clear of Caddy is that, like most Detroit iron, they haven't fared too well in reliability ratings. Maybe they are taking reliability more seriously and are looking more at the long term satisfaction of their customers.
Maybe they're trying to avoid another embarrassing recall. A driver not as astute as GG might have just driven the car until the front end fell apart and the car crashed. Don't discount lawsuit avoidance.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That is unusual and a very good sign for Cadillac. The only reason I have steered clear of Caddy is that, like most Detroit iron, they haven't fared too well in reliability ratings. Maybe they are taking reliability more seriously and are looking more at the long term satisfaction of their customers.
This reminds me when I was shopping cars in 03. Honda had some creaking in their Accords. A few people said Honda had exchanged them out of their car to get the car back to inspect it. This was back when Hondaphiles wouldn't ever admit there were problems in Hondas. I don't recall what the story was on the welding that Honda had problems with. Was glad I bought a Buick.
I had a creaking sound in my old Chrysler that my mechanic identified as the steering column rubbing on the floor mat. I didn't believe it until he showed me the hole rubbed in the edge of the mat. Move it back to the proper position and problem solved.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That's insane. At least they are doing the right thing & being proactive about it. I have a question that is more CCBA related. If you get a new CTS (& when mike gets his E400), does that count as a separate punch?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
@driver100, what you need is an alternate source to test your TV. Such as a Roku or blu-ray player or even an over-the-air antenna. Do you have a recent model notebook computer? It very will might have an HDMI output.
Thanks for trying Henryn. I am not that technologically capable as to try that. I did try two things, but I am not sure if I found out much.
1. I tried hooking up the TV directly to the cable......no DVR. Couldn't get a signal. Since it is a new TV - 1 year old, I think I would have to set it up over again, Cable to TV instead of Cable to DVR to TV. I don't want to mess around with those settings. 2. The other tvs in the house are hooked up to the cable directly, and they work fine.
It seems it is either the cable box or the TV. When the TV goes blue I can't change channels...even on the cable box, it freezes up, but, it seems it can record ok. That makes me think it has to do with the cable box. Guy is coming tomorrow at noon so unless there is an easy solution I'll have to just wait.
Could one if you Florida guys adopt me? I have to get away from this snow and sleet we've had for the last two days. Not to mention that all my family's cars are acting up. My Lincoln has come down with a haunted air ride system that drops the front end at random moments. It spread to son #1's Buick which started blowing the horn in the middle of the night. Then son #2's caddie decided to bust a power window in the down position as it snowed heavily. Oh yeah, the mechanic said my van is so rusted out it's not worth fixing any more.
Since I won't subject the Eclipse to death by salt that's locked in the garage leaving my wife's PT as the only serviceable car. Fine by me since she's afraid to drive in snow.
If you would adopt me I could leave all this behind.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
WOW is right, usually they just want to find a way to fix-um, not replace, even if asked to
That is unusual and a very good sign for Cadillac. The only reason I have steered clear of Caddy is that, like most Detroit iron, they haven't fared too well in reliability ratings. Maybe they are taking reliability more seriously and are looking more at the long term satisfaction of their customers.
Maybe they're trying to avoid another embarrassing recall. A driver not as astute as GG might have just driven the car until the front end fell apart and the car crashed. Don't discount lawsuit avoidance.
They stopped selling Corvettes until they get 2 issues resolved, drivers airbag and a brake cable. There's been some recalls on 2014 CTS models, but I can't find one for steering or front end.
Anyway, the service guy at the dealership said he could reproduce my rachety steering and groaning suspension. But, couldn't figure out the cause. Finally, the Service Manager said to disassemble the front suspension to investigate further. They noticed the bolts were very difficult to get apart, especially for a new car.
They ordered new control arms but they wouldn't fit. They compared the old control arms to the replacements, and it was clear that the old ones weren't even close to spec.
That caused all sorts of stress and strain on everything else (thus the ratcheting and groaning). They were going to send the parts to the Caddy engineering team. And, the dealer Principal was going to ask Cadillac to reimburse him to swap out the car. I guess it made it easier having the Regional Rep there.
According to them, it was a no brainer to do the swap.
What they don't know is if it was an assembly issue, a parts issue, or a transport issue (which would have been quite a transport ride to bend a control arm). But, they want to find out.
That seems very strange. If the arms wouldn't fit, how did the factory manage to get the originals installed? I would also think that there would be a bunch of other cars with arms from that same batch of out-of-spec parts. I believe those arms are forged items, so that means the forging tools would need to be way off. That doesn't make sense to me. Did the factory "make them fit" somehow? Weird.
Black over tan sounds nice. I did like how your platinum interior looked in the pics though.
Maybe you can say you don't like it and they'll put you into a 2015!
AB....I don't think it's a manufacturing problem at all. I think it was a transport issue. I think someone either took it off the carrier and hit the ground too hard, or they ran over something sizeable.
If as the service guy says, they couldn't fit the new contol arm on, then more than the control arm was bent. This is all my opinion.
End of the day, it was bad enough that Cadillac took it back with no pushback whatsoever.
Keith...they had 3 black Luxury CTS' that I saw. One with black interior, one with titanium and one with tan. The only performance model they had was black over tan. They had one like my old one...grey metallic over titanium, but it was a Luxury model, too. Maybe some on a different lot? They're in a pretty hemmed in area where their showroom is.
They had a VSport that was mighty tempting. It was another several $1,000 bills, though.
Driver, easiest way to prove it, assuming you have the cable box running to the TV using an HDMI cable, is to unplug that from the cable box, and plug it into a Blue Ray player or computer, and play something that way. The only change is the source so that takes the TV out of the mix.
GG, I agree that it sounds like something must have happened after the car was assembled. Hard to think of how they could have put it together in the first place if the arms were too short!
also sounds like they are going out of their way to make it sound like they are doing you a favor, but if the car is at the point where it can't be safely fixed, what choice do they have? Save time, instead of waiting to get sued!
Oh, no one appointed me commissioner, but I say that a like replacement for a defective unit counts as 1 punch. Kind of like when I got a 2nd RDX 3 weeks after the first one, when they gave me the wrong one!
That's insane. At least they are doing the right thing & being proactive about it. I have a question that is more CCBA related. If you get a new CTS (& when mike gets his E400), does that count as a separate punch?
Bradd...good question. Had the original CTS for a month. Does that count as a punch?
Comments
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Still enjoying the heck out of my ATS.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
But because we do not have extremes in weather or temperatures (85-95 summer and 60-80 winter), the roads do not expand and contract as much as they do in the northeast or midwest.
The tires and wheels they are putting on the car are the same size and width as the tires I now have on the CLS 550. They said they will call me as soon as the wheels arrive so I can see them up close. They are supposedly a light gray tint which matches the color of the car.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I had roll of the silvery tan from my Buick, and in a momemt of weakness I applied the pinstriping to the body of the Malibu. I even did both sides. I have not pinstriped anything since that day of weakness. One day at at time.
Keith.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
One of my co-workers bought a used Escalade with 24 inch wheels and rubber band tires. When he went to make his 3rd claim for $1,900 (wheel and tire), his insurance agent cautioned him that if he went through with the claim he was very likely to be canceled by the company.
I'm just sayin' ...
They want $800+ a year for road hazard insurance for tires and wheels. That's something else I will have to consider.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think the centres are a little nicer, more 3D effect. I think you would have to see them in person and compare.....I don't see much difference. Then you are going to have to get insurance etc. To me, it's just a complication I don't need....I think the E400 was designed to ride on the standard wheels and tires.
They wanted me to buy insurance for the RFTs and wheel rims on the 535. I think it was $1500, and each tire and wheel could cost $800 to replace. I said no, even though they told me all kinds of horror stories about how costly the tires and wheels were to replace......and I didn't have an incident in 48k miles. Maybe that's the $1500 I had to spend on the Audi!
Standard wheels:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Thanks, venture. Like I said, the all-seasons that come on the 18" AMG wheels do not provide sufficient handling and stability for the car. All the E350's I owned came with summer performance tires staggered front and back sizes. Those cars handled great. But Mercedes has gone to standard all seasons which do not work as well.
That's the only reason I am going with these. The standard wheels are great, but are not designed to take a performance tire - otherwise I would just change tires.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
It would seem the best way would be to test two cars so equiped...but, that would be hard to arrange. I don't know any different and since I may end up driving in snow at some point in my life I would always choose all-seasons. But, driving conditions are a lot different in Florida, and the roads are getting so crowded so soon you won't be able to go very fast any ways.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You mentioned that the E400 was designed to run on all-season tires. That is not true - I could have ordered summer performance tires from the factory at no charge - but I did not because I thought as you did. After driving the E400 for two days, it became apparent to me that performance tires are necessary.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Yes they are calling it a coupe even with 4 doors and a hatch.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So if I want performance tires, which the car really needs, I have to change tires and rims. I would imagine there will be some sort of credit for the standard AMG wheels and the Continental all-seasons. Probably no more than $1000-$1200. I will find out tomorrow or Thursday when the wheels and tires come in. The car is due at the dealership in the next 1-3 days, but no later than Friday.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I just might find out if my heated seats work In the car these next few days.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
So if I want performance tires, which the car really needs, I have to change tires and rims. I would imagine there will be some sort of credit for the standard AMG wheels and the Continental all-seasons. Probably no more than $1000-$1200. I will find out tomorrow or Thursday when the wheels and tires come in. The car is due at the dealership in the next 1-3 days, but no later than Friday.
These are the 19" Y-spoke wheels on my Fusion. I'm a little snobby about them.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
I don't think those would go well with the Mercedes E400. A bit too flashy for a "snobbish" car, don't ya think?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Last week I noticed a slight "ratchety" feeling in my CTS' steering wheel and a slight groan coming out of the front end when turning the steering wheel all the way to the lock position.
These cars today have electronic steering, so I figured it was some sort of sensor that might be going out. Just a guess, as I don't know much about how electronic steering works.
Made an appointment for last Monday for the dealer to take a look at it.
Dropped it off Monday a.m. They gave me an Escalade as a loaner. Apparently, they use it as a demo, but were totally out of demo rides. This thing is a monster. I could spend a couple of posts just talking about it. Another time maybe.
Didn't hear anything by end of business Monday. Yesterday, Caddy service called me at the end of the day to say they found the problem, but they wanted the service manager to talk to me, but he was in a remote training meeting until Wednesday (today). Well, that's ominous.
Got a call this a.m. from both the service manager and the GM (who is the person I was dealing with at the store).
Seems as if the control arms on the front were bad. More specifically, they weren't manufactured in spec. In addition, since the control arms weren't in spec, that caused other components of the front suspension to distort. That lead to the noises and feeling through the steering wheel I experienced.
As I'm listening to this, I'm playing out in my mind how they're going to replace the entire front end, how it's going to take the rest of this week, probably part of next week to fix.
I keep listening.
They both apologize, again and again. And, they explain that the reason they're telling me all of this is that Cadillac wants to look at the car. Now, I'm thinking this is going to take forever. I prepped myself for the seemingly inevitable "we want to make sure we fix your car right". Which, for a new car, especially with a brand that I've not had good experiences with, isn't very reassuring, and unacceptable.
The GM states that Cadillac wants to just replace the car.
HUH? When did they get so customer friendly.
"OK....when?"
"GG...as soon as you can make it. You tell us what works for your schedule".
Ummmm......WOW. I wasn't ready for any of that.
So, the GM asks what colors I might like. He has some pics of the CTSs he has in stock, and emailed them to me. He asked that I look at them and respond with the 2 I might want to see so he can get them cleaned up for me to look at.
I'm a little shocked, a little surprised, dumbfounded, probably some other things I can't quite put my finger on. Headed over to the dealership tonight to take a look.
How very weird. I bet they found something structurally wrong.
We'll need pictures of the new one. What if you want a color, exterior or interior, that's at another dealer?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I am really skeptical - I don't normally believe conspiracy theories but something is very strange here. I would go for it if they are offering, but, be careful what you sign for.
I'd almost say they want the car back so you can't sue them, but, they could have just fixed it by now. And, why was your car the one to have a structural fault, and not all the others.
Maybe I am just jealous Audi doesn't replace their malfunctioning cars.
This could win the award for oddest story of the year....let us know what happens - hopefully you won't be signing a non-confidentiality agreement.
What colors are you leaning toward?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Normally, I would have taken the survey but Gmail said this email came from a source that has been reported as sending spam before. I should have copied the email and put it on Edmunds.
You can press a button to not take the survey, or take the survey. I quickly deleted it, but it was a clever way to get into your computer or get some information from me.
So, my question is, are you sure you were talking to a person from the dealership? It sounds too good to be true. Maybe GM does want to catch faulty parts before another incident happens......but, that is wierd!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Just returned from the dealership. Everything is being done there. Regional Rep just so happened to be there yesterday and today. So, that kind of explains at least part of this.
The Regional Rep WAS NOT the same rep my Mother and I dealt with years ago. The current Regional Rep has been with Cadillac for 17 years. He started in another Region (South). I didn't ask the area he covered then, or now. He ended up here because the Rep I had dealt with 9 years ago had been let go when GM restructured in '08-'09.
Anyway, the service guy at the dealership said he could reproduce my rachety steering and groaning suspension. But, couldn't figure out the cause. Finally, the Service Manager said to disassemble the front suspension to investigate further. They noticed the bolts were very difficult to get apart, especially for a new car.
They ordered new control arms but they wouldn't fit. They compared the old control arms to the replacements, and it was clear that the old ones weren't even close to spec.
That caused all sorts of stress and strain on everything else (thus the ratcheting and groaning). They were going to send the parts to the Caddy engineering team. And, the dealer Principal was going to ask Cadillac to reimburse him to swap out the car. I guess it made it easier having the Regional Rep there.
According to them, it was a no brainer to do the swap.
What they don't know is if it was an assembly issue, a parts issue, or a transport issue (which would have been quite a transport ride to bend a control arm). But, they want to find out.
Regional Rep said they don't test every part, but test enough of them to statistically and virtually eliminate any sort of error like this.
In short, they want to get to the definitive cause of the issue.
All-in-all, they are very forthcoming and very willing to make me happy.
I asked the Service Manager why I didn't feel it during the test drive. He said it probably handled fine for a little bit, but when the parts started to get "non-synching", the geometry got so far off and the parts were so strained that the noises started. He said the tires would have shown erratic wear pretty quickly (already had in just under 2K miles), and the noises would have become louder, the steering would have not tracked, and on and on and on.
They put me in a CTS Performance equipped the same as the other one, 16 miles on the clock. Big difference in the steering and suspension.
It's black over tan....sharp. They would have to swap for another one to get a different color as they don't carry many Performance models. Dealer said to drive it until the weekend and then decide.
Can't ask for better than that.
Our 55 inch Florida TV is acting up. The screen goes bright blue for about 10 minutes, and you can't hear or see anything. Then it comes on for about 20 minutes. If I record something, the whole program is recorded, but the tv fades out for 10 minutes, I have to go back to where it went out.
I called the cable company and they will send the guy out in the morning. The TV is just over one year old and it has a 2 year warranty, so I called Costco condierage service just in case they heard of it. They said it is a cable issue. They did take down all the information so if the cable guy blames them we can call and we have a file started.
2 things. Has anyone had a similar experience or does it sound like a cable or tv issue?
2) Costco conseriage service sounds amazing.....just have to keep records of everything in an easy to find place so you can give them model numbers etc. These days the really good businesses can survive and thrive....if they have great service.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Black over tan sounds nice. I did like how your platinum interior looked in the pics though.
Maybe you can say you don't like it and they'll put you into a 2015!
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Keith
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That's insane. At least they are doing the right thing & being proactive about it. I have a question that is more CCBA related. If you get a new CTS (& when mike gets his E400), does that count as a separate punch?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
1. I tried hooking up the TV directly to the cable......no DVR. Couldn't get a signal. Since it is a new TV - 1 year old, I think I would have to set it up over again, Cable to TV instead of Cable to DVR to TV. I don't want to mess around with those settings.
2. The other tvs in the house are hooked up to the cable directly, and they work fine.
It seems it is either the cable box or the TV. When the TV goes blue I can't change channels...even on the cable box, it freezes up, but, it seems it can record ok. That makes me think it has to do with the cable box. Guy is coming tomorrow at noon so unless there is an easy solution I'll have to just wait.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Could one if you Florida guys adopt me? I have to get away from this snow and sleet we've had for the last two days. Not to mention that all my family's cars are acting up. My Lincoln has come down with a haunted air ride system that drops the front end at random moments. It spread to son #1's Buick which started blowing the horn in the middle of the night. Then son #2's caddie decided to bust a power window in the down position as it snowed heavily. Oh yeah, the mechanic said my van is so rusted out it's not worth fixing any more.
Since I won't subject the Eclipse to death by salt that's locked in the garage leaving my wife's PT as the only serviceable car. Fine by me since she's afraid to drive in snow.
If you would adopt me I could leave all this behind.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
There's been some recalls on 2014 CTS models, but I can't find one for steering or front end.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If as the service guy says, they couldn't fit the new contol arm on, then more than the control arm was bent. This is all my opinion.
End of the day, it was bad enough that Cadillac took it back with no pushback whatsoever.
Keith...they had 3 black Luxury CTS' that I saw. One with black interior, one with titanium and one with tan. The only performance model they had was black over tan. They had one like my old one...grey metallic over titanium, but it was a Luxury model, too. Maybe some on a different lot? They're in a pretty hemmed in area where their showroom is.
They had a VSport that was mighty tempting. It was another several $1,000 bills, though.
GG, I agree that it sounds like something must have happened after the car was assembled. Hard to think of how they could have put it together in the first place if the arms were too short!
also sounds like they are going out of their way to make it sound like they are doing you a favor, but if the car is at the point where it can't be safely fixed, what choice do they have? Save time, instead of waiting to get sued!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.