Tl* the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. While driving various speeds, the brake line failed and the check brake indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed with brake failure. The contact discovered the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v225000 (service brakes, hydraulic), which he related to the failure. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 144,000.
2003 Cadillac CTS: brake failure
6 of the 313 complaints about the 2003 Cadillac CTS describe brake failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Brake failure by model year
What owners say
Noticed oil puddle under vehicle which lead to discovery of total brake failure. When discussed with dealer service manager stated "so what I have a denali at home with the same problem". Gm offered no relief or solution when contacted.
This morning when I backed my cts out of the parking spot to go to work I noticed the brakes were a little soft. I then parked the car and opened the hood to look at the brake fluid reservoir and noticed it wasn't completely full but there was still a sufficient level of fluid. I then looked at the ground and noticed a line of liquid that traced my movement backwards out of the parking spot and then back into the parking spot, this liquid was brake fluid. Imagine my surprise at having a second gm vehicle with a brake line failure 30 days after experiencing a brake line failure for the first time in my 40+ years of driving and owning vehicles. The first was a 2001 tahoe which I reported last month to the federal safety agency and which cost me over $1,000 to replace all of the brake lines. After work this evening I examined the cts and discovered extreme corrosion in the two brake lines running from the master cylinder to the ABS unit in the front of the engine bay. The corrosion is worst where the lines run behind the radiator and it appears both lines have failed. The lord must have been looking out after me because last night I drove 37 miles from baltimore on the interstate. Had the brakes failed then I imagine I would have been in a spectacular accident on I-95 that may have taken my life as well as others. Gm recalled the cts for brake line corrosion by the calipers where the line connects inside a rubber piece. The federal safety agency is investigating brake line corrosion on 1999 to 2003 full size gm trucks and pickups and I suggest the investigation be expanded to include all gm vehicles of this vintage as it appears gm used an inferior grade of steel in their brake lines in all of the vehicles.
The federal safety agency campaign # 10v10500 re; cadillac cts models brake line corrosion problems does not go far enough in scope, in my opinion. Our recently purchased 2003 cts had no record of compliance with this recall. In fact, both our local dealer and cadillac corporate cust service said they showed this recall did not apply to our vechicle. Being skeptical of that assertion because this vehicle had spent it's first two years in connecticut on lease, I had the brake system inspected at a local shop. They found (and I witnessed) the badly corroded brake hose fittings. As the mechanic pushed on the l.h. Rubber sleeve covering the hose to metal tube junction to see the extent of the rust, the hose separated from the tube !! This with only the pressure applied with one finger !! We were one hard braking application from a possible accident !! But there are other areas of concern, and those are the metal tubing lines in the front of the chassis that are part of the hydraulic braking ( and anti-skid) systems. Many of these lines are heavily rusted, making them as much a contributor to brake failure as the hoses.! I believe these lines should be subject to a recall or expansion of the hose recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 cadillac cts. The contact had driven 20 miles at approximately 40 MPH, when she attemped to brake and noticed that the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where she was informed that the brakes were corroded due to salty road conditions. Although she had recently had the brake pads replaced. The entire brake line was replaced at the dealership.the contact has noticed no braking failures since the repair. She called the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not included in any brake-related recalls and she was therefore denied reimbursement. The current mileage was approximately 104,000. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000
Brakes failed. Brake pedal went to the floor. There was no warning light. Vehicle is a 2004 cts.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- General motors has notified the federal safety agency of a defect in certain model year 2003-2007 cadillac cts vehicles currently registered in or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the front brake hose fitting at the caliper may corrode due to snow or water, containing road salt or other contaminants, entering and being retained in the routing sleeve. If the fitting corrodes significantly, the brake hose-tube interface may develop a leak.
- Risk
- The brake hose-tube interface may rupture suddenly without prior warning and increase vehicle stopping distance may occur increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to replace both front brake hose assemblies free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during may 2010. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V105000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Cadillac CTS brake failure
Is brake failure a common problem on the 2003 Cadillac CTS?
6 of 313 owner complaints about the 2003 Cadillac CTS (2%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 2007.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Cadillac CTS?
There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Cadillac CTS
Stalling 31Headlights 17Fire or smoke 12Loss of power 11Airbag light 10No deployment 10ABS 8Won't start 8Engine failure 7Jerking 7Check engine light 6Whining noise 6Adaptive cruise 5Oil consumption 5
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