Total Complaints
6 filings
CADILLAC CADILLAC · model year
2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002CADILLACCADILLAC carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 CADILLAC is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by visibility:glass, side/rear (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2002 CADILLAC, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070507SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID
I OWN A 2002 CADILLAC STS AND JUST HAD THE BRAKES FAIL , BUT FORTUNATELY NOT IN A WAY THAT THERE WAS A CRASH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE WRITER AT SAINT CLARE CADILLAC IN SANTA CLARA, CA THAT THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CLIP. HE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FOURTH CAR THIS MONTH THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC CLIP COMES LOOSE AND THE BRAKE LINE RUBS AGAINST THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING AND EVENTUALLY FAILS. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AS I LIVE IN A MOUNTAIN AREA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA. THE BRAKE FAILED BY PUMPING FLUID OUT OF THE HOLE EVERY TIME THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED UNTIL THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT FLUID TO KEEP THE PEDAL FROM GOING TO THE FLOOR. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. SHOULD NOT THIS BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL ITEM BY GENERAL MOTORS
Mileage: 90,080
20041217SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
2002 CADILLAC DEVILLE, CLICKING IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING. DEALING CHECKED BEARING, FOUND IT TO BE BAD, AND NOTED THAT LEFT FRONT WAS ALSO GOING BAD. REAR BEARING REPLACED, FRONT BEARING TIGHTED, DEALER SUGGESTED PERIODIC CHECKS, MAY NEED REPLACEMENT IN FUTURE. THIS CALL IS LESS THAT 3 YEARS OLD, 60K MILES, BEARING SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD. THIS CAR WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, NOR CURBS STRUCK, NOT WAS IT SETTING UN-USED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. THESE ARE SCENARIOS THE DEALER TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WHEEL BEARING WENT BAD WITH 60K MILES. I EXPLAINED THAT NEITHER OF THOSE SCENARIOS WERE EXPERIENCED BY ME/THIS CAR.L *JB
Mileage: 60,000
20031030EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM ON THE CADILLAC CTS 2000 HAS A BLACK BAR THAT REDUCES VISION TO ABOUT 75 FT AND ON DARK COUNTRY ROADS, THIS SHORTENED VISION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE HEADLIGHT SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THIS CONDITION. WHAT WAS CADILLAC THINKING? CADILLAC DOESN'T SEEM TO THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T EVER DRIVE THEIR PRODUCT ON DARK ROADS AT NIGHT. THIS HEADLIGHT PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED!! IT IS AWFUL! *AK
Mileage: 1
20030401ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE EXITING A RAMP. *AK *JB
Mileage: 48,000
20030317VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
FRONT GLASS BLOW OUT AT 75MPH. *AK
20020521POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION BURNED UP, AND WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR, IT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION. *AK CADILLAC DTS 2002 *YH
Compare 2002CADILLACCADILLAC to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-View Camera Failure
PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
EQ11001EQClosed
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC have?▼
The 2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 2002 CADILLAC CADILLAC safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.