Cadillac Recalls 53,000 CTS Sedans for Heated-Seat Fire Risk
Cadillac is recalling 53,586 of its 2014–2016 CTS sedans to address a problem with potentially damaged seat heaters, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall states that it is possible, in cold outdoor temperatures, for the heated seats to turn on automatically when the car's remote-start function is engaged. If the heaters are damaged and turn on with no one in the car, the seat can overheat and cause a fire.
Excessive heating can occur if the flexible heating mats in the front seats have been worn down over time. General Motors will be notifying owners of the recall, but no notification schedule has been published, and parts for the repair have not been made available yet. Dealers will need to recalibrate the body-control module, which disables the heated seats from turning on when the remote start is used. The recall will come at no cost to owners.
The first fire was reported in April 2018, with the damage to the car being described as "severe." GM and NHTSA found the occurrence of a similar fire to be "extremely rare," with 1 percent of cars estimated to be affected.
No mention is made of which specific CTS models are affected by the recall, only that model years 2014, 2015, and 2016 could be at risk. At that time, the CTS could be purchased with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6, a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6, or, in the high-performance CTS-V, a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The current CTS is in its third generation and was introduced in early 2013 as a 2014 model.
Owners can contact NHTSA's Safety Hotline at 888–327–4236 or visit the Cadillac Recall Center's website and enter their car's VIN to get full information on the recall.
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