U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Cadillac SLS: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

10 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

87,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data updated: 2026-09-30 (September 30, 2026). 7 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 10 complaints (20.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	2	20.0%
Electrical and battery issues	2	20.0%
Engine operation	1	10.0%
Steering behavior	1	10.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Air:Antilock

Structure

Structure:Body:Door

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	2
Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)	1
Engine	1
Engine And Engine Cooling	1
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock	1
Structure	1
Structure:Body:Door	1

Electrical System: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc): 1; Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Service Brakes, Air:Antilock: 1; Structure: 1; Structure:Body:Door: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 0

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002

2003

2006

2008

2014

2002: 1; 2003: 2; 2006: 1; 2008: 3; 2014: 3

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10020334 · 2003-06-26 (June 26, 2003)

THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED AT TIMES WHEN THE DOORS WERE OPENED WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE, AND THERE WAS NO ALARM SOUND TO NOTIFY HIM. *NLM *TT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10020334 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10050224 · 2003-11-28 (November 28, 2003)

INQUIRY REGARDING ENTITLEMENT OF $1,000.00 DISCOUNT.*MR *PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10050224 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10149362 · 2006-02-03 (February 3, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT FEELS THE HYDROPLANING IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NEVER BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE DEALER. UPDATED 3/3/2006 - *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10149362 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10234219 · 2008-07-14 (July 14, 2008)

DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10234414 · 2008-07-15 (July 15, 2008)

HEAD BOLTS PULLED OUT OF BLOCK ON A 2002 CADILLAC WITH A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 74,000 MILE AND WAS FIXED UNDER THE VEHICLES EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 87,000 ON IT AND THE SAME HEAD BOLT THAT WAS FIXED FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A PATCH JOB THAT GM KNEW WAS NOT PERMANENT AND THEY NOW DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SHODDY REPAIR PROCEDURE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10234414 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10252119 · 2008-12-17 (December 17, 2008)

A "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT APPEARED ON MY 2002 CADILLAC SLS (4.6L NORTHSTAR VIN-Y). WHILE PARKED STEAM/SMOKE (SMALL AMOUNT) BEGAN RISING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A SMALL PUDDLE OF COOLANT WAS FOUND BELOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DISCOVERED. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS VERY ODD. VEHICLE HAS 103K MILES. WATER PUMP GASKET WAS REPLACED AT 65K MILES, HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT & RADIATOR WERE REPLACED AT 78K MILES AND WATER PUMP CLAMP/HOSE REPLACED AT 83K MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY THE DEALERSH…

Owner-reported narrative. 103,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10252119 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10574184 · 2014-03-22 (March 22, 2014)

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY *ONE* KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS *NOT* A MATTE…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10574184 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10575153 · 2014-03-27 (March 27, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200.

Owner-reported narrative. 58,806 miles reported. Look up ODI 10575153 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

10 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.

70.0%Usable mileage7 / 10 records

90.0%Valid incident date9 / 10 records

100.0%Valid filing date10 / 10 records

90.0%Ordered incident and filing dates9 / 10 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1999	2000	2002	2004
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	240.0% ODI 10166478 · 80,000 mi WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR IT HAD A CRACKED HEAD AND MANY OTHER MINOR PROBLEMS. I REPEATEDLY BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I AM STILL EXPERIENCING A "CHECK GAS CAP" WARNING AND I HEAR A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR RIGHT SIDE EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES. ALSO I HEAR A RATTLING NOISE EVERYTIME I HIT ANY SIZE OF BUMP. *JB Look up ODI 10166478 at NHTSA ↗	218.2% ODI 10173708 ENGINE SEALS LEAKED EVERYWHERE, DEALER HAD TO REBUILD ENGINE 1 YR AGO, NOW ENGINE BLOCK WAS REPORTEDLY "WEEPING" SO THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ONLY 60000 MILES, CADILLAC DID COVER MOST OF THE COSTS. *JB Look up ODI 10173708 at NHTSA ↗	220.0% ODI 10234219 · 87,000 mi DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System	240.0% ODI 10442304 IT WAS DETERMINED BY MY LOCAL CADILLAC SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS FAULTY, DRAWING EXCESSIVE CURRENT WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF. I MENTIONED THE RECALL ON THIS MODEL AND THEY SAID IT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED SO IT IS NOT COVERED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. *TR Look up ODI 10442304 at NHTSA ↗	19.1% ODI 10217045 · 100,000 mi NO EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS PROBLEM. MASSIVE SUDDEN ELECTRONIC FAILURES OF ACCESSORIES SYSTEMS. PARKING BRAKE RELEASE, LOSS OF POWER TO SEATS, CAB LIGHTS OUT, FRONT AC PASSENGER SIDE BLOWS HOT ONLY, NO POWER TO DOOR LOCKS, NO RESPONSE TO KEYLESS ENTRY, VALET SWITCH STOPPED WORKING, REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER STOPPED WORKING, REAR AC BLOWER STOPPED WORKING AND ELECTRONIC TRUNK AND FUEL RELEASE MECHANISMS NO LONGER WORK. CONSEQUENCES ARE POSSIBILITY OF CAR ELECTRONIC SYSTEM BREAKING DOWN IN TRAFFIC. ALL FUSES, RELAYS AND CIRCUIT … Look up ODI 10217045 at NHTSA ↗	220.0% ODI 10575153 · 58,806 mi TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200. Look up ODI 10575153 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)	120.0% ODI 10166478 · 80,000 mi WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR IT HAD A CRACKED HEAD AND MANY OTHER MINOR PROBLEMS. I REPEATEDLY BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I AM STILL EXPERIENCING A "CHECK GAS CAP" WARNING AND I HEAR A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR RIGHT SIDE EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES. ALSO I HEAR A RATTLING NOISE EVERYTIME I HIT ANY SIZE OF BUMP. *JB Look up ODI 10166478 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10149362 · 41,000 mi DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT FEELS THE HYDROPLANING IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NEVER BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE DEALER. UPDATED 3/3/2006 - NM Look up ODI 10149362 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	19.1% ODI 10222260 · 70,700 mi TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CADILLAC SEVILLE SLS. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED THEN SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,700. Look up ODI 10222260 at NHTSA ↗	110.0% ODI 10234414 · 87,000 mi HEAD BOLTS PULLED OUT OF BLOCK ON A 2002 CADILLAC WITH A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 74,000 MILE AND WAS FIXED UNDER THE VEHICLES EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 87,000 ON IT AND THE SAME HEAD BOLT THAT WAS FIXED FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A PATCH JOB THAT GM KNEW WAS NOT PERMANENT AND THEY NOW DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SHODDY REPAIR PROCEDURE. *TR Look up ODI 10234414 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:Wiring	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	19.1% ODI 10100513 · 36,600 mi SINCE I PURCHASED THE CADILLAC 2000 SEVILLE IN MAR. 2002, I HAVE HAD MANY INCIDENCES IN WHICH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, AND THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AT KENT RYLEE IN ROGERS, AR, ON 1-29-04, AND TO SUPERIOR CADILLAC IN FAYETTEVILLE, AR ON 11-3-04 WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS EACH TIME. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, AS THEY SAID BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETECT THE PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENT FAILURES OF LIGHTS. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD… Look up ODI 10100513 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10574184 · 7,800 mi ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY ONE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS NOT A MATTE… Look up ODI 10574184 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	19.1% ODI 10276942 · 160,000 mi GOOD MORNING;I HAD PURCHASED A 2000 CADILLAC SEVILLE(SLS)USED AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AS I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL (DIGITAL)STARTED FLASHING ENGINE IS HOT,VEHICLE ENGINE MUST BE SHUT DOWN. THE CAR STARTED LOOSING POWER AND I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. I'M NOT SURE IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE OR NOT? I RETURNED THIS VEHICLE TO USED CAR DEALER FOR REFUND. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A GARAGE AND I DISCOVERED THE RADIATOR CAP WAS LEAKING. IT WAS REPLACED. TO ME IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS WA… Look up ODI 10276942 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	19.1% ODI 760210 AFTER MY 35,000 MILE SERVICE THE ENGINE BEGAN USING OIL. I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AT THE LOCAL DEALER. THIS LAST TIME I USED 4 QUATS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THE DEALER TELLS ME THIS IN NORMAL FOR THE NORTHSTAR ENGINE. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE. PLEASE ADVISE.*AK Look up ODI 760210 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Electrical System	Too few reports for a range	99,600 mi	2 (sparse)	ODI 10575153 · 58,806 mi TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200. Look up ODI 10575153 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10641036 · 140,393 mi WHEN SLOWING AT ABOUT 20 MPH TO 3 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST DIES. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ALL ELECTRICAL IN THE VEHICLE STOPS WORKING. THE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN ONCE STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK OFTEN HAVING TO REMOVE THE KEY AND PUTTING IT BACK. AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS AND OVER 1500 MILES, WORKING WITH THE DE LA FUENTE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, HAVING A RED BUTTON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUSH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK CYLINDER PART NUMBERS 12369550 AND 25725312 AT A COST OF $615.73… Look up ODI 10641036 at NHTSA ↗
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Too few reports for a range	95,000 mi	2 (sparse)	ODI 10234219 · 87,000 mi DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10252119 · 103,000 mi A "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT APPEARED ON MY 2002 CADILLAC SLS (4.6L NORTHSTAR VIN-Y). WHILE PARKED STEAM/SMOKE (SMALL AMOUNT) BEGAN RISING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A SMALL PUDDLE OF COOLANT WAS FOUND BELOW VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DISCOVERED. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS VERY ODD. VEHICLE HAS 103K MILES. WATER PUMP GASKET WAS REPLACED AT 65K MILES, HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT & RADIATOR WERE REPLACED AT 78K MILES AND WATER PUMP CLAMP/HOSE REPLACED AT 83K MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY THE DEALERSH… Look up ODI 10252119 at NHTSA ↗
Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)	Too few reports for a range	41,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10149362 · 41,000 mi DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT FEELS THE HYDROPLANING IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NEVER BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE DEALER. UPDATED 3/3/2006 - NM Look up ODI 10149362 at NHTSA ↗
Engine	Too few reports for a range	7,800 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10574184 · 7,800 mi ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY ONE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS NOT A MATTE… Look up ODI 10574184 at NHTSA ↗
Engine And Engine Cooling	Too few reports for a range	87,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10234414 · 87,000 mi HEAD BOLTS PULLED OUT OF BLOCK ON A 2002 CADILLAC WITH A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 74,000 MILE AND WAS FIXED UNDER THE VEHICLES EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR HAD 87,000 ON IT AND THE SAME HEAD BOLT THAT WAS FIXED FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A PATCH JOB THAT GM KNEW WAS NOT PERMANENT AND THEY NOW DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SHODDY REPAIR PROCEDURE. *TR Look up ODI 10234414 at NHTSA ↗
Structure	Too few reports for a range	87,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10234219 · 87,000 mi DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09 (partial)	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2002: 3 complaints · 2004: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2002	1	3	3
2004	0	0	0

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2002	9	1	0
2004	1	0	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Electrical System	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)	Engine	Engine And Engine Cooling	Service Brakes, Air:Antilock	Structure	Structure:Body:Door
Electrical System	—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	0	—	0	0	0	0	1 ODI 10234219 · 87,000 mi DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗	0
Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	0
Engine	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Service Brakes, Air:Antilock	0	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Structure	0	1 ODI 10234219 · 87,000 mi DEFECTIVE NORTHSTAR ENGINES, HEAD BOLTS PULLING OUT OF BLOCK. *TR Look up ODI 10234219 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	—	0
Structure:Body:Door	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

4 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 770379

REPAIRING DEALER DEVOE CADILLAC OF NAPLES FL, REPLACED RETAINING CLIP AND FOAM SPACER, BUT NOT THE INTERFACING COMPONENT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH CONTAINS THE GROOVE INTO WHICH THE RETAINER CLIP FASTENS. REPAIR BECOMES QUESTIONABLE BECAUSE OF LIMITED PARTS REPLACEMENT. DT

Look up ODI 770379 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

Stalling or loss of power

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: 58,806 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10575153 · 58,806 mi

Look up ODI 10575153 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Steering assistance concerns

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: 140,393 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10641036 · 140,393 mi

WHEN SLOWING AT ABOUT 20 MPH TO 3 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST DIES. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ALL ELECTRICAL IN THE VEHICLE STOPS WORKING. THE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN ONCE STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK OFTEN HAVING TO REMOVE THE KEY AND PUTTING IT BACK. AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS AND OVER 1500 MILES, WORKING WITH THE DE LA FUENTE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, HAVING A RED BUTTON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUSH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK CYLINDER PART NUMBERS 12369550 AND 25725312 AT A COST OF $615.73…

Look up ODI 10641036 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b

Warning lights and dashboard alerts

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: 58,806 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10575153 · 58,806 mi

Look up ODI 10575153 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b