27th Nov 2006, 14:40
Hmmm, where to begin, well for starters (no pun intended), buying a caddy at an auction is a crap shoot. Reason is that these cars sell great on the lots, those at auction almost always have issues and the older the model the more issues it is likely to have. Somebody is trying to rip you off with the starter, $145.00 tops. Relatively easy to replace. If you buy a new one, no kinks, used one, almost always something to be fixed.
29th Oct 2008, 01:46
Nearly everyone on here downing these cars and other makes and models seems to have purchased their 5-10 yr old cars fairly cheap and with 90,000 miles plus.
I think these cars get a bad rap because everyone expects since it's a Cadillac it should be perfect forever. You never know what your car has had to endure with the previous owner as far as abuse or how the car was really maintained.
And as for the starter, that is way too much to pay. Many shops try to give the Northstar motor a bad rap because they don't have the knowledge of what it's all about and over complicate it, and I feel try to get over on you since you are driving a Cadillac.
Also you should remember there is more to a Cadillac to go wrong, so you should expect some problems; it's not a Civic which is a motor in a box with seats; there is not much to go wrong.
I have seen Lexus or Mercedes pour oil like the Valdez, and have many simple but costly problems too. The GM dealerships are the true problems that have given these cars their bad name with their old school arrogance they display.
1st Apr 2006, 08:53
Who want to buy a luxury car and have to work out the kinks just to get it to run well? I was highly disappointed when I bought my 1997 Seville SLS last year. It ran well for the first 1000 miles or so. After that, it was a visit to the mechanic about once a month. Yes, a local neighborhood mechanic will charge you way less than 1,500 for a starter. But remember, not everyone can work on a Northstar. I still love Cadillacs, but I highly doubt if I will ever own one again.