I am thinking of buying a 03 Cadillac STS. Any alarms I should be looking for??????
4 Answers
north star engine? every single northstar has the same problem around 50-60,000 miles the head bolts come loose causing head gasket leaks, (due to aluminum heads/aluminum block, and not deep enough threads)because GM wanted to use the Indy car engine as a sales pitch, not realizing after each race the engine is scrapped and replaced....., only guarantee...I had the DHS for a while, liked it., if you find a mechanic that knows the issue they know someone that will tap it out enough, (usually a $1200. fix), but lasts, unlike swapping engines....also the sunroof drains become clogged at times, causing water to back up in the car, (could total it out by insurance purposes), check behind the glove box..not in it, behind, for water damage/residue/marks....carfax carfax carfax, and spend the extra $125. for a second dealer to give a once over for damage/approval of safety and reliability...
shilow, I don't personally know about them but what I do know is John does know what he is talking about--listen to him, for your benefit
Hello everyone: Thanks for the answers, this really helps me. I now have to really get the car checked out before I think of buying it. The car has 70,000 kilometers only but I will make sure a mechanic looks at it before I commit to purchasing!
2CATS2CARS answered 12 years ago
Hi: I have a1999 Seville SLS. beautiful car but .................................... i've litterally had to rebuild it to the une of about 8 grand. Sure you want to do this? Too late and well after the fact I found out that the slob that owned the car didn't know a thing about Cadilacs and the Northstar engine in particular or what they cost to keep up. I spent a lot of money on the Traction Control. I ended up haveing the on-off switch disconnected. I've done valves, head gsdkets radiator, power steering and a bunch of other stuff. a lot of people buy these cars and can't afford them so guys like you and i come along and end up spending a lot of money. If you can get any information on the previous owner do so. Good luck. David
