2002 Cadillac Sts

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Dec 14, 2016104,000 milesTX

104,000 MILES - TOTAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHEN DRIVING ON STREET AT 35 MPH. MANAGED TO PULL OVER THEN GOT CAR TO GOODYEAR. BRAKE FLUID DRAINED OUT COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF BRAKE LINE TAPPING AGAINST TRANSMISSION CASING OVER TIME. CASING WAS DENTED IN SEVERAL PLACES. WAS 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM GETTING ON FREEWAY AT 70 MPH. COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. SEE THIS SAME DESIGN FLAW OF THE LINE PLACEMENT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS. GOD IS GOOD AND WAS WATCHING OVER ME FOR SURE. *TR

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Sep 17, 2014100,000 milesMN

WHILE DRIVING EVERY SHUTS DOWN HAVE TO PULL OVER TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK TO RESTART CAR. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Feb 26, 2014IN

I HAVE READ ABOUT THE GM RECALL. I HAD A 2002 CADILLAC. THE CAR DIED TWO DAYS IN A ROW WHILE I WAS DRIVING. COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWN. I CALLED GM. THEY SAID TAKE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER "REPAIRED THE IGNITION". THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD SEEN THE PROBLEM BEFORE. THEY SAID THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. MINE HAPPEN AT LOW SPEED BUT THEY SAID IT COULD HAVE HAPPEN ANYTIME. I NO LONGER HAVE THE CAR. *TR

Suspension
Filed Sep 16, 2012140,000 milesOH

CAR STARTS TO SHAKES IN FRONTEND OF CAR AT 50 TO 70 MPH. SYSTEM STABILITY NOTIFICATION COMES ON. HAVE HAD IT CHECKED AND MECHANICS CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. NEW TIRES AND CALIBRATION DOES NOT HELP. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Feb 4, 201081,000 milesAZ

I HAVE A 2002 CAD. STS WITH 81,000 MILES. ABOUT 2WEEKS AGO THE WARNING LIGHT STATING CHECK BRAKE FLUID. I CHECKED IT AND ADDED SOME. IT DID IT AGAIN A WEEK LATER BUT THE BRAKES ALMOST FAILED. I TOOK IT TO A GMC DEALER WHO TOLD ME THE BRAKE LINE BROKE BECAUSE IT WAS RUBBING ON THE TRANSMISSION. HE TOLD ME HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WHO WORKED AS SERVICE MANAGER FOR A GMC DEALER AND HE STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN. HE GAVE ME A PHONE AT GMC TO CALL. THE # 800-458-8006 THEY GAVE ME A SERVICE #. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM 866-790-5700 X21073. AFTER 2 DAYS THE MAN TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT HELP ME CAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS 8 YEARS OLD AND HAD 81,000 MILES. THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Jul 14, 200966,700 milesCA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC STS. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BRAKING PROPERLY WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC FOUND HOLES IN THE BRAKE LINE THAT WERE THREE INCHES APART, WHICH RUBBED AGAINST THE HOUSING FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT SHE MUST TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO CONFIRM THAT THE FAILURE EXISTED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER, BUT THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW IF SHE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. SHE BELIEVES THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,700.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Apr 14, 2009SC

NORTHSTAR ENGINE BLOCK IS LEAKING OIL. POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRE VIA ENGINE OIL DRIP TO EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TR

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20117000Routine
20104000Routine
200915000Routine
200850120Routine
200752200Routine
2006139460Routine
2005101340Routine
20047000Routine
20038000Routine
2002 — this page7000Routine
200112000Routine
200012110Routine
199913010Routine
19983000Routine

Compare every Sts year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.