Problems with 2006 Cadillac DTS EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact was driving 25 mph when the driver side headlight malfunctioned intermittently. the contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive at night. the contact was unclear as to what was causing the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the failure mileage was 85,000.

2006 cadillac dts left headlights flicker on and off, turn on manually to get them back on. sometimes both of them. it's very dangerous because it happens without warning. dealer says they cannot duplicate. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed that both the driver and passenger side headlights were flickering abnormally and suddenly stopped functioning. the contact stated that the failure occurred when driving at any speed, intermittently. the vehicle was taken to two different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

[xxx] from memphistn. 2006 cadillac dts left headlights flicker on and off, turn on manually to get them back on. cigarette lighters seem to work when they want to. my car pulls to the left for no apparent reason, had the front end checked,nothing was found wrong with my front end , headlights were checked for loose connection,nothing found wrong but they continue to flicker when i drive at night, until i keep turning the light switch on and off. i had the cigarette lighters fixed twice, only to have the front lighter on the console to quit working for no apparent reason. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the headlights would sporadically go out. the contact stated that in order for the lights to work, the headlight had to be switch on & off continuously. the dealer was made aware of the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,000.

The right headlight started going on and off for no reason. it might go off while driving or sitting still. it might come back on in a few minutes or stay off for a full evening. sometimes turning lights from automatic to manual will make it work, but not always. it has been doing this since july 2010, or for about 33,000 miles. it is dangerous when driving, plus i have been pulled over by police and so far i have been able to convince them the light had just gone out that evening. now i have to limit my night driving near home, as i do not want the same officer to stop me. i have read many forums plus your site, and i see many, many people with the same problem. i have called the cadillac consumer complaint department and they just say they have never heard of such a problem. i told them to check the internet. today, i called the dealer that i bought it from, out of state, 15 months ago. i explained it and he said he has been selling them for 20 years and has never heard of such a problem. i told him to check the internet. i also asked him to try and get me a number for the cadillac area rep, so i can talk to him. please help before i get a ticket or worse yet hit while turning left at night. thank you *tr

Headlamp intermittently flickers and then eventually goes out and stays out. headlamp comes back on if switch is manually turned off or if vehicle is shut off and restarted. dealer did not do anything to correct problem because lights were working when vehicle was brought into shop. i asked that lamp be replaced, but dealer refused and stated there were no complaints or service bulletins about this issue. there are tons of complaints on the internet about 2006 dts hid lights or ballast failing. the vehicle has a short warranty time left so i feel that at lest the bulb should be replaced as it is the most likely cause. the service department did not document the problem or state what was done. i have called back and ask that they send me documentation and state what was done to fix my issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the left headlight on the vehicle was not working. the dealer informed the contact that the replacement for the headlight would cost approximately $700.00. the front passenger side headlight was previously replaced at his insurance companies expense. cadillac was not notified. the headlight will be replaced at the owners expense. the failure mileage and current mileages were 50,000. the vin was unknown.

Headlight failure began at approximately 90,000 miles. initially, it started with the interior instrument panel light growing dim and then bright at any given time. then, headlights started doing the same thing. soon thereafter, the right headlight started going out on a regular basis. it would initially flicker, then go totally out. after a few months, the left headlight started doing it. recently, about 18 months after the first incident, they both go out at the same time! during an 80 mile trip i make on a regular basis, at least twice a week, my headlights will go out between 8 and 20 times! i can get them back on by jiggling the on/off light switch. but, one or both will turn back off within a matter of a few minutes. i try to drive during daylight hours as much as possible, but this trip is usually just before dawn or after dusk. i have called the dealer where i purchased the car, and have been told they've not heard of this problem. i don't believe that... all they have to do is talk to other cadillac owners, as i have; or look on the internet. this has to be a widespread problem! in checking with another dealer, they told me it was a ballast problem, and would be between $1400 and $1800 to repair. this is a $7000 car. for cadillac to expect me to pay 20% plus of the car's value to have headlights that work, is way out of line. i purchased this car new at a cost of $44,000. i expect to have headlights that work!! this is a safety issue and cadillac should be responsible for providing a fix! *tr *js

Headlights flickers and then turns off. random left and right side, took car to dealer while still under warranty 4 times, they said they couldn't find anything wrong ... bs 😡 !! i first noticed the problem at 28,000 mi & still the same at 50,000 mi ... waiting for a recall ?? come gm this car was not cheap !!!

06 cadillac dts has had serious electrical/computer system failures since new. vehicle will suddenly lose all electronics, instruments, lights but engine will still run. after dealer attempted repair, problems continue. headlights flicker and sometimes go out. gps goes to night screen during the day. auto headlight dimmer fails. power points, instruments, seats periodically fail. one day seat cooler will work, others it won't. windshield wipers automatic function, "rainsense" starts normally but then stops in heavy rain requiring manual operation. all items reported to dealer multiple times with the same result "unable to duplicate customer's problem." provided cell phone video of system failures but dealer still says they cannot duplicate. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) my 2006 cadillac dts [xxx] has an intermittent hid headlight problem that occurs in colder temperatures. the lamps will flicker and one or the other will go out. the only way to get the headlight to come on again is to turn off the headlights and turn them on again. the vehicle has been in to the local cadillac dealer, and is in there now, but they don't seem to be able to fix the problem. also, the right taillight/brakelight/turnsignal will occasionally go out completely. the side-marker led lights still illuminate, but the rest of the light assembly goes dark and the turn signal in the back doesn't work. this also happens in cold weather. the dealer hasn't been able to fix this problem either. similar problems are being documented in the cadillac owners forum online. *tr

I purchased a used 2006 cadillac dts in october of '06. in the spring of 2009, the headlights on said vehicle began to flicker. i thought it was a bad headlamp. i took it to a mechanic and they could not duplicate the problem to determine why this was happening. i've been driving the vehicle for 8 - 9 months since this problem started and now one headlight or the other or sometimes both will go out. took it back to the mechanic and it was determined after 4 hours of testing that the ballasts in the headlight unit are both bad causing the headlights to do this. repair cost at a non-gm mechanic was $1700 - $2000. a gm certified mechanic verified the problem and repair cost will be $1403.82. this is to replace the ballasts, headlamps and the labor costs. i feel this is a ridiculous cost for repair of headlights, but have ordered parts and hopefully will have my car repaired next week. this is very unsafe, as i can be driving down the road at night and have my headlights just shut off. the only way to get the headlights back on is to turn them off and back on, but even then it only works for a short period of time before repeating the same problem. in researching this, i have seen other internet posts from cadillac owners experiencing similar issues with the headlights. i did complain to gm/cadillac and they are offering to cover 25% of the repair costs. in the interim, i have been pulled over by police for having headlights not working and i have not even been aware that they had gone out while i've been driving. *tr

While on a trip in wisconsin, i was traveling at night on a 4-lane highway with two friends in the car at a speed of 65 mph. both headlights went out with no indication of failure on the dash. thankfully, we were the only ones on the road. i slowed down and pulled to the side as best as i could see. upon stopping the car, i switched the light switch on and off several times until both headlights came on again. i pulled back on the road to proceed - again no indication on the dash that anything was wrong with the headlights. a few miles down the road, one headlight went out. i switched the headlights on-off several times and both came on again. i took the car to the dealer on 28sep2009 and they replaced both headlights under warranty. a few weeks later on 4dec2009, i returned the car to the dealer because the right headlight continued to go out with no indication on the dash. the dealer replaced the right headlamp and i had no further problems until recently. i returned the car to the dealer 8nov2013 because the left headlight would go out, come back on, go out, come back on, etc. with no warning or indication on the dash. this is a big safety issue!!!!! if you read some blogs on this problem on the internet, you will find that this is not a unique case - and there is no explanation why it occurs. if the headlights go out, you should get an indication on the dash that a lamp is bad. certainly, both lights should never go out at once while you are traveling. it is extremely expensive to replace headlamps in this car >$550 per light!!!!! more importantly, i cannot believe there is no investigation into this problem. *tr

Headlights flicker and shut off everytime head light are turned on in automatic or manual modes. headlights were replaced and problem continues. ballast is the next step but is very expensive and difficult to do. this is a manufacturing / engineering critical problem. gm should be responsible for this repair. you purchase a car and expect a critical item like your head lights to work properly everytime. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact took his vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 08v441000 (electrical system). he stated that there was a recall for the third brake light, but the parts for the repair were unavailable. the vehicle has not yet been repaired according to the recall. currently, the third brake light is fractured and the brake light does not illuminate when braking. the failure mileage was 38,917 and current mileage was 40,000. updated 3/16/09 *cn the consumer stated the problem has been corrected.updated 03/19/09.*jb

Low beam headlights flicker and/or go out while driving. *js

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that the right headlight failed intermittently; it would turn off and on. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer while under warranty and the right headlight assembly was replaced but the failure continued. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 42,000 and the current mileage was approximately 68,000.

Headlights flicker and go out. if you turn auto off and back on, the headlights come back on, but do not stay on. . right side more often then left, but both flicker and turn off. this condition was there when the car was only a year old but wasn't very bad so didn't get it fixed under warrantee. now the problem is a safety hazard, but cannot get any dealer to even look at the problem. there was a broad recall by gm covering many other models and years, but this one wasn't listed. if there is ever a loss in headlights at night resulting in an accident, gm may finally show some interest. this usually occurs when motion however not 100%. this started back in 2007 and has been intermittent since then. this has been discussed with dealers in wisconsin and florida to no satisfaction because the car is not on any recall list for this problem.

Headlights stop working on our sedan fleet. the high intensity headlights will just stop working. we have had this happen on eight of our cars so far. it is now starting to reoccur on the cars. thee is a problem with the high intensity ballast assembly. we have two additional cars that have to go back to the dealer this morning, with a car at the dealer now for the same problem. the vehicles started failing at about 25,000 miles and it is a constant occurrence. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the head lamps powered off intermittently. the problem occurred numerous times. the dealer was contacted and the technician advised that the head lamps should be replaced. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

The headlights flash-to-pass feature only functioned on 20'06 cadillac dts when the headlights were turned on. also, on all of my previous automobiles the headlights would illuminate and flash-to-pass even though the headlights were not turned on at the time. i demonstrated this to the dealer, and he tried it on a similar vehicle and it did not work either. i consider this an important safety feature and would use it frequently.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. the contact stated there is an intermintent issue with the headlight and dashboard instrument panel.they go into the nighttime mode in the daytime and it is very hard to see the dashboard when driving. the contact stated that the dashboard instrument panel goes into night mode when starting the engine as well. the contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer for diagnostic and testing twenty times, in regards to the exterior lighting and electrical system. the dealer was able to duplicate headlight failure, however no repairs had been made to the vehicle at the time of the complaint.the approximate failure mileage was 800. the approximate current mileage was 15000.

Flickering tail lights. recent models of cadillac (e.g. dts), use led tail lights. on this car, they flicker at about 50 hz. i work in the software industry and can clearly see computer monitors flickering at 60 hz or below. at night, and especially while in motion, these tail lights are extremely distracting, and occasionally nauseating. i have noticed this beginning to occur on more types of vehicles each year. i am very concerned about the effect on safety and comfort should this trend be allowed to continue. i believe the dot should mandate that led lights on all vehicles have a refresh rate of 100hz or greater in each mode (dim: tail light, bright: brake light...). there are examples of led tail lights that do not flicker, in particular, most large semi-trailers do not have this flicker effect. *nm

Cadillac vehicles with vertical strip led tail lights are highly distracting. i can see the lights "blink" as i look at them and away from them. many of the newer cadillac vehicles exhibit this same problem. this is by far the most distracting thing on the road today. i believe that i am in the minority as my wife doesn't even notice them. but i can see them from some distance and it's all without any concerted effort to look at them or stare at them. it's as if someone had a strobe light on! *jb