What 103 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac XTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC XTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE PACKAGE WOULD NOT OPERATE IN THE RAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 10535286

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT ACTIVATE. SHE WEIGHS 115 LBS, IS 5'1". SHE SITS ON 3 INCH MEMORY FOAM CUSHION FOR BACK FOR EIGHT YEARS, NO STRUCTURE, ONLY FOAM. IN EIGHT YEARS SHE HAS USED CUSHION, WE HAVE OWNED 5 CARS AND HAVE RENTED OVER 40 CARS AND SHE HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG ACTIVATION. CADILLAC SAYS THE SYSTEM IS OK. I ASKED TO TRY ON ANOTHER XTS AND IT STILL DID NOT ACTIVATE. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME CUSHIONS MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, BUT THIS THIN CUSHION DOES NOT. I SHOULD SAY IT WORKS IN CORVETTES AND WORKED IN THE LOANER 2013 CTS CADILLAC. THE SEAT IN THE XTS IS A NEW DESIGN AND I BELIEVE IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE SEAT IS NOT FLAT AND REQUIRES A MUCH HEAVIER PERSON TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. I BELIEVE THIS IS UNSAFE. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT MANY OLDER PEOPLE, SUCH AS WOULD PURCHASE A CADILLAC, DO USE CUSHIONS AND WILL EITHER NOT BE AWARE OF OR WILL IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK. I RETURNED MY CADILLAC (AND LOST $14,000) AS I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY WIFE OR THE CAR. I PURCHASED A LEXUS LS460 AND THE AIRBAG WORKED PERFECTLY WITH HER CUSHION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10497591

THE NEW CADILLAC TOUCH-SCREEN INTERFACE IS A HORRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. WHY DOES NO ONE AT CADILLAC REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT ERGONOMICS ARE FOR SAFETY, AND HOW ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE CAR MUST BE OPERABLE BY FEEL, ALLOWING THE DRIVER TO KEEP HIS EYES ON THE ROAD? TOUCH-SCREEN OFFERS NO TACTILE FEEDBACK. IT DEMANDS THAT THE DRIVER TAKE HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS ABOUT HOW BAD TEXTING-WHILE-DRIVING IS ARE NOW COMMON. AND NOW A CAR COMPANY, CADILLAC, NO LESS, COMES OUT WITH AN INTERFACE THAT REQUIRES THE CAR BE OPERATED BY "TEXTING". TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE! HOW MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED HERE, INCLUDING THE FOLKS WHO DESIGNED AND EXECUTED THE ADVERTISING, WERE "ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL"? AND THIS FROM A "LEADING" CAR COMPANY!?!?! IT IS TIME TO RECALL ALL CARS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A TOUCH-SCREEN INTERFACE AND REPLACE THOSE INTERFACES WITH A PROPERLY DESIGNED TACTILE INTERFACE. I AM DEFINITELY AGAINST THE LITIGIOUSNESS OF OUR SOCIETY, BUT THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE CRASHES BECAUSE THEY ARE FOOLISHLY INTERACTING WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS TOUCH-SCREEN INTERFACE, I HOPE SOME LAWYER SUES CADILLAC (AND INDIVIDUALLY EVERY PERSON AT CADILLAC WORKING ON OR RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ATROCITY OF AN INTERFACE) OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. ALSO, ANYONE WHO BUYS ONE OF THESE CARS SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THEY CAUSE FOR CHOOSING TO BUY AND OPERATE A "TEXTING" INTERFACE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10466540