1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE Vehicle Speed Control Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED UNTIL HEAVY PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER YET THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,201.

Mileage: 90,201

VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY ROADS WHERE POSTED SPEEDS ARE 35-45 MPH. THE CAR JUST STARTED TO SPEED UP ON ITS OWN AND I COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO SLOW DOWN. THE ONLY WAY I COULD AVOID A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WAS TO RIDE THE BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING AND EXTREMELY OVERHEATED. I ALMOST COULD NOT STOP WITH THE ENGINE RACING AND THE BRAKES WORN OUT. I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN WHILE STILL IN DRIVE, ALMOST RUNNING INTO THE WALL OF MY HOUSE. I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND WAS VERY SCARED. ON EDMUNDS .COM THERE ARE THREE OTHER REPORTED INSTANCES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. MY CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE AND I WILL HAVE TO GET IT TOWED FROM MY HOUSE TO THE DEALER FOR IT TO BE CHECKED OUT, PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON THIS AS IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT. *JB

Mileage: 100,165

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON APRIL 1ST, 2006 AFTER STOPPING FOR GASOLINE, THE ODOMETER WAS RESET FOR TRIP MILEAGE. AFTERWARDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE CAUSING THE RPM TO INCREASE EVEN WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT CONTINUED TO BE IN THE HIGH ACCELERATION MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IS AWAITING INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERABLE ON THE VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. *NM

DRIVING OUR CAR, '96 CADILLAC DEVILLE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 38,000 MI, TRAVELING NORTH ON THE 15 FWY., APPROACHING VICTORVILLE, CA, OUR SPEED WENT OUT OF CONTROL REPEATEDLY HITTING 90+ MPH. THIS HAPPENED, EVEN THOUGH I SHIFTED THE GEARS DOWN 3,2, THEN 1, AND FLOORED THE BRAKE, THEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ON CUTTING FRONT OF ANOTHER, EXITING THE FREEWAY, UPHILL, COMING TO THE SIGNAL, ON BEAR VALLEY ROAD, WAS ABLE TO TURN LEFT ON A GREEN, THEN THE NEXT SIGNAL GREEN, BUT THEN A RED LIGHT, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. SUDDENLY A GREEN ARROW LET US TURN RIGHT, AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TRUCK. CONTINUING NORTH ON A FRONTAGE ROAD, SEEING A PRACTICALLY EMPTY PARKING LOT, ENTERED IT AND THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, FINALLY COMING TO A STOP. CALLING AAA, WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO CADILLAC AGENCIES NEAR & WOULD HAVE TO TOW ALL THE WAY TO KENNEDY CADILLAC I N SAN BERNARDINO. HOWEVER, WALKED ACROSS THE PARKING LOT, INTO PENNY'S HAIR SALON, GRACIOUSLY, THE LET US LOOK IN THEIR YELLOW PAGES TO FIND RANCHO MOTOR COMPANY, CHEVROLET, CADILLAC & PONTIAC DEALERSHIP, JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED, AND WE RODE ALONG. WE WARNED EDUARDO, OUR TOWING DRIVER, ABOUT THE RISK IN STARTING THE CAR? AGAIN, ON ARRIVAL AT RANCHO AGENCY, WE WARNED OUR REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE DEMERS OF THE RISK! THE CAUSE OF THE MOTOR RACING OR "HIGH IDLE" WAS A LOOSE CABLE CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STAY OPEN RACING THE ENGINE TO UNCONTROLLABLE SPEEDS. IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY BEING A VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVER, WE AND OTHERS AROUND US ON THE 15 FWY. AND/OR BEAR VALLEY RD. WOULD HAVE BEEN GONNERS! HOW CAN IT BE THAT A CABLE CAN SIMPLY COME LOOSE AND CAUSE OUR CAR TO GO FORWARD AT RAMPANT SPEED? HOW IS THAT SUCH A CABLE IS NOT WELDED SECURELY SO THERE IS NO RISK? OUR CAR WAS SERVICED AT JESSOP CADILLAC, IN CATHEDRAL CITY, CA ON JULY 19, 2005 AND AUGUST 9TH HAD A BATTERY REPLACEMENT, AGAIN AT JESSOP? *JB

Mileage: 38,826

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE. HE STATES THAT ON MAY 23,2005 WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT THE CAR ACCELERATED WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS GOING ABOUT 45 MPH. UPON APPROACHING A RED LIGHT HE HAD THE VEHICLE DOWN TO ABOUT 10 MPH TO MAKE THE VEHICLE STOP BECAUSE HE WAS MOVING TOWARD ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND INTO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHEN TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. *AK

Mileage: 50,000

EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP POSITION WHILE MAKING TURNING, ETC. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMERTHAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE, UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHEN CONSUMER LETS OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE KEEPS GOING , WILL LUNGE FORWARD. VEHICLE WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE WAS OFF FOR TWO OR THREE MINUTES CONSUMER HAD TO TAP IT GAS PEDAL WITH FOOT TO GET VEHICLE TO MOVE. *AK

WHILE GOING OVER SMALL PUDDLES OF WATER STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK, NOT ALLOWING THE DRIVER TO TURN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, SUDDENLY VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 70MPH. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK

THROTTLE STICKS WHILE DRIVING ON OCCASION. *MJS

AFTER APPROX. 1/2 HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING THE ENGINE WOULD IDLE AT 2200 RPM WHEN I CAME TO A STOP. THE NORMAL IDLE SPEED IS 700 RPM. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS WHEN APPLIED AND SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. OWNER HAS TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL TO STOP THE PEDAL FROM STICKING. DEALER CANT FIND PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WITH OCCUPANT OUT OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE ROLLED BACK A FOOT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND OR INJURIES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH THROTTLE LINKAGE STICKING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO UNKNOWN BUILDUP WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE A NORMAL MAINTENANCE CHARGE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS IS NOT NORMAL, AND IS SEEKING NHTSA FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING THE ENGINE STARTED TO IDLE WITHOUT INDICATIONS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE FAILED CAUSING STICKING.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LURGE FORWARD. *AK

THROTTLE ASSEMBLY FAILURE.

EVAPORATOR SOLENOID FAILED.

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.