Following numerous reports of brake failure, General Motors (GM) has issued a recall order for 4,907 Cadillac CTS-V mid-size luxury cars. GM has attributed the issues to corrosion of the brake hose caused by road salt used to melt snow and ice in cold weather states. Therefore, the order is limited to 21 states in the Midwest and Northeast, plus the District of Columbia. Affected vehicles are first-generation CTS-V, manufactured between September 6, 2003, and June 11, 2007.
Salt and other chemicals used during the winter can corrode hose fittings, causing brake fluid to leak out and reducing the brakes' effectiveness, so that it can take longer to come to a full stop. In extreme cases, the brakes could fail altogether. In 2010, GM recalled over 139,000 Cadillac CTS cars, of which the CTS-V is the high-performance version, for the same reason. In this case, no accidents have been reported as a result of the hose rust, although there have been instances of brakes not performing correctly.
GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have announced that owners of the affected vehicles in the relevant states will be notified and both front brake hose assemblies replaced free of charge, but no date has been set for the beginning of the recall yet.
Greening Testing Laboratories are employed by many of the world's leading automakers to gauge the performance of their vehicle brakes, components and materials. GM has recognized our facilities as suitable for the most demanding and accurate tests, following the guidelines of all major standards organizations.