We found the following complaints for CADILLAC CATERA (1997)
Read complaints for CADILLAC CATERA (1997)
While startingpassenger's air bag deployed. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic refused to inspect the vehicle.
During vehicle collision no deployment of air bag resulting in injury when consumer's chest struck steering wheel. Mjs
No deployment of air bag during collision.
Sudden acceleration resulting in a vehicle collision, also no deployment of air bag.
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
While driving at 30 mph on wet pavement, applied the brakesand vehicle slid and lost control,hittinga tree. Upon impact, driver's side/passenger's side air bags didn't deploy.
Consumer's vehicle was rear endedand collided into another vehicle. Upon impact air bags did not deploy. Vehicle was totaled. Please provide further information.
While driving at 30 mph consumer ran intodriver's side door of another vehicle,driver's side andpassenger's side air bags didn't deploy.vehicle was totaled.
Air bag light stays on, stating air bag system not working.
Consumer states air bag warning light illuminated.vehicle checked by dealer who determined that the sensor module failed.. Consumer has since traded the vehicle. *dt
While driving at 30 mph consumer ran intodriver's side door of another vehicle,driver's side andpassenger's side air bags didn't deploy.vehicle was totaled.
Dt: contactcomplained aboutelectrical problems. When the hazard lights were on, all the gauges started jumping around, when the headlight switch waspushed forward the headlights stayed on for about an hour or longer.also, when the key was out of the ignition.after the vehicle was restarted and the control is pulled back the headlights functioned normally, the air condition controls did not work, and the o2 sensor did not respond. The spark plugs and wires havd been replaced.
The vehicle experienced a slow start when being started in the morning.the dealer replaced the alternator and battery but the problem still exists.the battery failed four times in three days.nlmthe vehicle stalled (in which the vehicle roared for a while), and may have derived from the engine camshaft drive timing belt, idler, tensioner pulleys, and the water pump.scc
Vehicle has had excessive failure of the electrical system continually, radio, sunroof, headlight system, dashboard lights, heating and air conditioning would experience problems.*mjs
Electrical system malfunctioned.
Vehicle failed to start even with ample cranking power. Towed to cadillac dealership. Problem diagnosed as onboard computer containing emissions control unit. I was advised by my extended svc warranty company that because ecu was involved, repair should be covered under mandatory 8/80 federal emissions warranty required of manufacturers by the fed. Clean air act. (veh. Is six years old and has 61,000 miles).gm takes the position that repair is not covered under the fed emissions warranty but willnot provide me a written explanation. I've had the car repaired at my own expense and would like recompense either underthe fed emissions warranty program or thru my extended warranty company.
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
The consumer saw the crack separateas the window began to buldge, the buldging window was under sterr which was a defect of the car. *cj*nlm the vehicle pulls to the right and experiences tire wear, possible suspension or tire related (no tire make/model information given.*nlm battery leaking.*nlm
Car would not start. Had to jump start. Dealer replaced alternator and battery. Battery was previously replaced 06/03/99.oil light above oil pressire gauge came on while driving, and oil pressure gauge moved up and down erratically. Dealer found no problem.battery cover and was burnt/was brittle and had a white ashey look to it. Engine produces a lot of heat. Dealer replaced cover and tray.temperature gauge reads higher than normal. Dealership recalibrated ipc for temp gauge. Temp gauge still reads the same as before.ticking sounds from left and right sides of dash when heat is on. Dealer replaced fan motor twice. Ticking sounds still there and now there is no heat.disc brake pad indicator lamp did not illuminate when pads needed replacing. Had to have front brake job and replace sensors for indicator lamp. Dealership said sensors got damaged when pads were worn down past the sensors.
This is a seriously unsafe vehicle . No safety defect (s)mentioned in summary.
Battery replacement 2 months after purchase; tensioner pulley disintegrated; fog lights have been replaced twice
Car would not start. Had to jump start. Dealer replaced alternator and battery. Battery was previously replaced 06/03/99.oil light above oil pressire gauge came on while driving, and oil pressure gauge moved up and down erratically. Dealer found no problem.battery cover and was burnt/was brittle and had a white ashey look to it. Engine produces a lot of heat. Dealer replaced cover and tray.temperature gauge reads higher than normal. Dealership recalibrated ipc for temp gauge. Temp gauge still reads the same as before.ticking sounds from left and right sides of dash when heat is on. Dealer replaced fan motor twice. Ticking sounds still there and now there is no heat.disc brake pad indicator lamp did not illuminate when pads needed replacing. Had to have front brake job and replace sensors for indicator lamp. Dealership said sensors got damaged when pads were worn down past the sensors.
Incidentdate of problemdate of returninvoice #roadside case#problem.no safety defect listed in summary.
Dt: contactcomplained aboutelectrical problems. When the hazard lights were on, all the gauges started jumping around, when the headlight switch waspushed forward the headlights stayed on for about an hour or longer.also, when the key was out of the ignition.after the vehicle was restarted and the control is pulled back the headlights functioned normally, the air condition controls did not work, and the o2 sensor did not respond. The spark plugs and wires havd been replaced.
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
Consumerpurchasedvehicle on 3/9/03 ,and in april started to experience problems. Vehicle begun to smoke, she took it to the dealer, where she purchased it, and they could not tell her what was wrong.they sent the vehicle to a cadillac dealership.currently, vehicle has been cutting off while being driven, vehicle lost power and almost got into an accident because it cut off, andcould not get out of oncoming traffic.
Vehicle stalls at any speed and at any time.dealer cannot findcause.
For the last four days the ignition has been completely locked.the key cannot turn.the consumer made an appointment with the dealer.
Consumer was having problems with theignition switch. Dealer has replacedit twice, andproblem still recurring.
Dt: contactcomplained aboutelectrical problems. When the hazard lights were on, all the gauges started jumping around, when the headlight switch waspushed forward the headlights stayed on for about an hour or longer.also, when the key was out of the ignition.after the vehicle was restarted and the control is pulled back the headlights functioned normally, the air condition controls did not work, and the o2 sensor did not respond. The spark plugs and wires havd been replaced.
Steering problem not corrected as of 5/19/2000. Servicing dealer has acknowledged popping noise in steering but to date (05/19/2000) has not corrected the problem. Servicing dealer has recommendedwaiting until the problem worsens with steering. All other items have been corrected by servicing dealership.
Fuse from the fan circuit had blown, causing coolant gauge to read high.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
The consumer is experiencing the following:the engine is overheating/there's a loud tapping sound, the brakes are grinding on the right side, the power locks at times won't unlock/must play with the floor shifter, and the clock was repaired.the dealer suggested that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, in reference to the engine.scc
This is a seriously unsafe vehicle . No safety defect (s)mentioned in summary.
Instrument panel displaying faulty reading.vehicle towed to dealer for inspection. Feel free to provide any further information on this matter.
Electrical smoldering fire within the dash harness p/n90493373 of my 1997 cadillac catera vin #[xxx].no actual flames were seen before the 80 amp main fuse opened.i did see the actual harness at the cadillac dealership and most if not all the wires in the harness had their shielding melted clean away about 1/2".the exposed wires shorted together to cause the fuse to open.i was told the authorized dealership was the only people able to determine if this was a manufacturing failure but that they were not able to actually able to make the determination.they pointed out, its possible that anyone could have done something to contribute to this issue.they would not say if there was any evidence of tampering though, even when asked to look for it. Cadillac factory service rep [xxx] opened file #[xxx] on 8-14-03 and offered to look into any possible assistance, but said there would be little to none.when i asked if i should report this to nhtsa they then threatened to withdraw the file and any possible assistance.by talking to the manager [xxx], the file i was told would remain open but not available to anyone.the consumer wanted to know the status of the complaint submitted. *phinformation redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Coolant had to be added every couple of weeks and then the water pump failed, consumer states that the engine self destructed due to the tension bearings going on the timing belt, both bearings were gone with the failed pulley shearing off the retaining bolt.
Lost all coolant, radiator light on, funny burning smell, car towed. Heater valve replaced, dex cool anti-freeze replaced.cooling fan on car is now coming on while driving, air conditioning not working, funny motor noise, car has to go back to shop for diagnostic test. Cadillac 800# claims there is no recall on this. Some gauges not working properly.car purchased -23,503 miles- now have 40,120 miles.have had tires replaced twice.
The consumer is experiencing the following:the engine is overheating/there's a loud tapping sound, the brakes are grinding on the right side, the power locks at times won't unlock/must play with the floor shifter, and the clock was repaired.the dealer suggested that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, in reference to the engine.scc
Tensioner pulley locked up. The tensioner stopped turning. As a result of this, the drive belt shredded like spaghetti and then melted. I avoided an accident by applying brakes and then having the car towed. Total repair cost: $729.
Timing belt, pulley and water pump replacement cost over $3700 to fix.back in nov. 2001, now their is coolant leaking from the head gasket 6/04. Cadillac has been made aware of this situation and insists this had nothing to do with the engine previous overhaul.
The back of the main engine block is leaking oil. * et
The vehicle experienced a slow start when being started in the morning.the dealer replaced the alternator and battery but the problem still exists.the battery failed four times in three days.nlmthe vehicle stalled (in which the vehicle roared for a while), and may have derived from the engine camshaft drive timing belt, idler, tensioner pulleys, and the water pump.scc
While driving, the water pump experienced an internal failure, causing damage to the valves.
Engine coolant leak.
Timing belt failed due to faulty water pump, and resulted in extensive valve train damage. The consumer stated that the problem occurs frequently.
Timing belt failed due to faulty water pump, and resulted in extensive valve train damage. The consumer stated that the problem occurs frequently.
Without any indication vehicle stalled. Consumer managed to pull vehicle over and noticed water leaking from water pump. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.
The contact owns a 1997 cadillac catera.while driving at any speed the vehicleoverheated.the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood and antifreeze leaking from the vehicle.on may 2, 2007 the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that there was a hole in the antifreeze line, but the vehicle was not repaired.the current mileage is 80,100, and failure mileage was 58,600.
Purshased car with 69961 miles for $9935. Second day of purshase in shop for overheating. 32 days after purshase in shop for waterpump at a cost of $420. 3 month after purshase in shop for $1400 for front control arms and rear wheel bearings to get line up. After driving 14300 miles timing belt tensioner broke, an estimate of $8000 for repair. Now a lawn ornament. Can not afford to repair. The dealer (ferris auto center), cadillac, and gm which is in conjunction with the better business burear don't care!
Repeated engine coolant leaks
Coolant fan. Sensor in coolant tank too sensitive?
While driving, the vehicle over heated, the dealer replaced the heater valve, however the problem recurred.the dealer then stated the radiator needed to be replaced.
First of all the caterais a bad car and is unsafe . We have put this car in the shop over 7 times. We have reason to belive that the odometer have been rolled back. On june 9 01 the car had 56615 on a order repair but when i brought the car on july 3 01 the odometer had 56512 how is possible.since then the miles have been impossible .it shows that on one order repair that i drove this car 56512 - 58101july 3 - july 11 01.thats 1589 miles in10 days in which i took no major trips. My wife drove back in fouth to work.on the 12 of july we had the timing belt changed which broke about 2 weeks later on 8/11/01.keep in mind we just got the car out of the shop on 7/18/01 odometer read 61095 which means we drove the car2994 miles in about 23 days.the car have been in and out of the shop. Something strange is going on i have good reasons to belive that this odometer have been tamperd with .it shows that i have went 36532 in about 9 months no way.
At highway speedvehicle accelerated.consumer pressed the brake pedal to the floor, but therewasno reaction.then,consumer down shifted to stop the vehicle. Consumer had vehicle towed,anddealer determined thatengine and accelerator control switch needed to be replaced.
Vehicle stalled at 35-40 mph and was towed to dealer. Dealer statedtiming belt had broken, causing damage toengine. Engine had to be replaced. Vehicle is still at dealership, cadillac has no engine for this vehicle.engine for this vehicle was discontinued, and the new ones will not fit vehicle.
Faulty timing belt caused massive engine damage resulting in loss of power on the road.*jg
-my97 cadilac catera stalled 7/3/04 .-7/6/04 called trenor motor company (springfield, oh). Service manager refused to look at car.-7/7/04 it appeared as though a recall on the tensioner pulley had not been done. Pulled record on car and found that the recall involving the tensioner pulleywork was in fact issued (and paid for) by general motors to trenor.-7/17/04 district service manager approved tear down time at jeff wyler, springfield, oh, to see for certain whether the recall had even been done with the stipulation that if the recall had been done (implying that the new recall pulley had been put on but went bad) general motors would "stand behind" product, paying total repair costs. If pulley had not been replaced, "stop" and send back to the dealer that was paid to perform recall-- number 02041a (which would be trenor). -7/20/04 technician and service manager at jeff wyler, came to me and confirmed that the pulley had not been replaced. I went to trenor to see mr. Ed tehan, who admitted that if the part wasn't bad, the part would not have been replaced by the technician in a recall! he also refused to show a parts stamp on original repair order. Recall directions from dealerworld.com (gm's website for recalls and vehicle history) state "if tensioner pulley has black bearing seal, then replace with a pulley having brown seals [given in pulley kit for recall, new part kit number 55352000, and additional pulley new number 90573616]". Part number on pulley found in my car has part number 337092ca (the seal is also not brown, as the new one should be, it is black) and according to national traffic safety adm. And general motors, should be replaced. Trenor motors failed to actually perform recall they were paid to do.-i have the actual (original) pulley, pictures, numerous documents, ten technicians to corroborate on these issues.
Battery replacement 2 months after purchase; tensioner pulley disintegrated; fog lights have been replaced twice
While traveling heard noise coming fromengine. Soon after ,engine stalled.vehicle was towed. Technicianstated that timing chain needed to be replaced. Please provide further information.
Tensioner pulley failed @ 65mph on expressway. When tensioner pulley let go proceeded to bend valves; damage and break pistons causing one piston to become imbedded in the engine head. Engine is a loss. New engine cost 9500. We began to coast in highway traffic in the speed lane possibly causing an accident. Fornately there was none. Contacted dealer. No response no return phone calls. Contacted cadillac cust serv. They said could not assist me that we should have had the timing serviced @ 60k miles per manual. We never recieved a manual with car.one was requested from cadillac cust serv within 30 days of purchasing the vehicle. It was never recieved. No notice for service was sent.
Timing belt tensioner broke, causing vehicle to break down.dealer repaired, and car broke down again.consumer informed that dealer will not give her copy of service invoice.very dangerous for consumer to travel with repeated breakdowns.consumer received a campaign letter on 06/2002 with regard to problem.coolant leaks, the coolant light is on and the engine is sluggish after tensioner was replaced.
I took my car in for the 75,000 mile check up and advised dealership i was hearing a noise.they advised car was fine.i paid $200 for the work.the next week the car was making the same noise, i took it back to the same dealership and this time they said it was the belt tensioner.i paid $280 to have that fixed.the very next week, while driving on the hov lane to take my baby to daycare, the car stopped accelerating and went dead while i was going 65mph.the car was inoperable and towed to the dealership.they then advised that the timing chain had broke ruining the entire engine at the cost of $8000.i then began doing research and found 6 other complaints similar to mine on msn carpoint and about 3 on the nhtsa site.i believe gm was aware of the problems this car has and should have recalled it and made the necessary repairs.i feel very fortunate because my child and i could have been seriously injured because of this defect. Gm needs to take responsibility for the inadequacies of their vehicles.does someone have to die before action is taken?
Consumer stated while driving on the highway at 50 mph, the engine light came on and started smoking really bad. Consumer pulled onto the shoulder where the engine died.vehicle was taken to mechanic who in turn informed the consumer that the engine sensor was not functional and caused the head gasket to become damaged.*ph
Problems getting 1997 cadillac catera engine repaired.*mr on 08/01/03, vehicle stopped on new jersey turnpike. Vehicle had to be towed. Mechanic attempted to repair the engine, but needed a part from an authorized dealer. On 08/04/03, customer was informed the part was recalled. Vehicle was towed to another dealer. This dealer informed the consumer the parts were missing/damaged and would cost the consumer $100. Dollars to repair before recall could be addressed. On 08/06/03, consumer visited dealership and seen parts in the trunk ofthe vehicle. Consume agreed all the parts were there and he was responsible for damaged parts. August 14,2003, consumer was informed vehicle could be repaired but he would be responsible for the damaged parts (vacuum storage tank and wire harness cover). August 18,2003 consumer received information that one of the parts were ordered and called weekly for progress. He was then informed that cadillac didn't have anything to do with independent mechanics and repairs. Consumer requested documentation of what he was told, but was denied. Sept. 16,2003, consumer learned vehicle was ready and he would be responsible for $753.46 dollars because cadillac wouldn't cover some of the engine repairs.*ph
Timing chain broke while driving 35 mph and caused vehicle to slow down to a stop in traffic. Vehicle was towed todealer,and informed that the condition blew the engine. Feel free to provide any further information.
Engine failed going abouy 70 miles an hour timing belt broke, causing complete engine failure, dealer stated that this is a common problem car repaired but still has problems, dealer caused additonal problems when making repair broke bolt in engine cost to repair 800 dealer refuse to repair oil leak on valve cover gasket again dealer refuses to repair all though covered under warrenty. Cadillac refuses to acknowledge problems given the run around on customer service line car was out for 5 weeks at dealer, car has severe vibrations when idled due to repair new dealer unable to determine problem or make repair, headlamps also failed at about 50,000 miles replacement cost $1,000 to many problems to list
Engine stalled at 5 mph. Vehicle was towed to dealership. Dealer determinedtiming belt pulley had seized.
Timing belt bolts have worn out prematurely.a new tensioner was insalled, however the results are still the same.
Their are to many problems and trips to the dealership to list!!! i experienced four recalls at once on july 25th, 2002. The technicians are obviously incompentent or have no clue how to fix this vehicle correctly in the first place. I called the gm customer service number given run around. I suffered a catrostrofic engine failure as a result of low coolant in my engine when failures occurred. Letters from gm state vehicles can suffer engine damaged or engine failure and that they will cover the losses and at no cost to me.i have to pay for the cost, total $1,700.71for the engine cooler to be replaced!! gm refuses to cover the engine cooler damage!!car still is not running right and engine sounds horrible. The service manager gets on the phone and starts yelling at me because i have a filed a local lawsuit against the dealership and gm. He told me he refuses to honor my warrantys both from the recall work performed and the repairs i had to pay for 12 month/12,000 miles warranty. I have no cooperation from the dealership or gm and i'm stuck with a lemon no one wants because the value is so low compared to what i paid for the car and the known problems (lemon) for this make and model.the bbb refuses to help. This agency is everyone's last hope that owns a catera because gm treats us like dirt and refuses to cover the engine damagesand related damages that occur when these failures that they acknowledge finally. Please help us as consumers and inforce a mandatory recall on this entire vehicle. We are all paying for cars that have little to no value with loans that we are unable to get out of because the trade in value is so poor. It's not right and is absoloutely un american!!!!! i wish some attorneys would file a class action lawsuit against gm to make them do just that or help us get out of these lemons.please help us.
Currently cadillac has no published information regarding the replacement of the timing belt for this vehicle.it is my understanding that in speaking with various dealer across texas, that the catera has been experiencing failure to the tensioner.when the tensioner breaks, the timing belt then either breaks as well or falls off, causing the engine to suffer sever damage.i am currently taking up the issue with cadillac because the price quoted to me by the dealer far exceeds the value of the vehicle.if you have any questions regarding this issue or can lend any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Aftertiming belt went badvehicle would stall outwithout any prior warning.consumer has contacteddealer.
While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle's timing belt tensioner assembly exploded. This caused the engine to stop in the fast lane of a fivelane interstate. The vehicle was towed to a cadillac dealership. The service personnel are aware that this event has happened to numerous catera models! cadillac customer service refuses to assist customer in making expensive repairs. This should be considered a safety hazard to all catera owners! please help cadillac do the right thing before someone gets hurt or killed!
Engine damage was due to a bad timing belt tensioner that caused timing belt to come off causing the car to suddenly stop in the left lane on i-75 going going 75 mph.the results of this was bent intake valves, therefore making the heads not replaceable.i had to replace the engine.i've also have found out that cadillac is well aware of this problem becasue thay now have a kit to take care of this problem.what i don't understand is that if theyknew thay had a problem whay didn't they issue a recall.going 75 miles per hour and suddenly losing all power on a very busy interstate could be very dangerous.my father and i were very fortunate not to have had a serious wreck in the left lane.i have filed a complaint against cadillac on this issue.the cost of this faulty part of gm/\cadillac has cost me $5826. Plus a week without a vehicle.c00.
Was driving in the left lane climbinga mountain on interstate 24 about 60 mph when i noticed the car felt funny.proceeded to get back into right lane just as i lost all power.was able to get on the shoulder safely.had to have my car towed 45 miles away to a cadillac dealership only to be given an estimate of $12,000.they told me the timing chain had broke and caused the entire engine to blow.the service advisor also told me there had been numerous reports to cadillac for the same problem on the catera.cadillac customer service has refused to make the necessary repairs even though the owner's manual says the timing belt shouldn't have to be changed for 100,000 miles or 96 mos whichever comes first.this is definitely a safety hazard!if i had been going down this mountain instead of up there is no doubt in my mind i would have been in a serious accident.please help! cadillac needs to do something before someone is seriously injured or killed.
While parking the pulley on the crankshaft broke, causing loss of vehicle control.cause unknown.
Driving on highway about 60mph when funny ticking noise occurred and engine stopped and did not respond. Brought it to dealer to find out that the timing belt broke / pulley failed, causing engine to be totalled.
While drivingengine crankshaft/pulley came off, causing the vehicle to lose all power.ause unknown. Please give any further details.
Defective pulleys caused the timing belt to come off its track. Bent valves do not allow proper compression to give the vehicle power so it will not start or run. Visual signs of wear on the pulleys show apparently bad craftmanship.
Car was making a grinding sound under hood. Was told timing chain tensioner was almost broken. Dlr replaced tensioner, timing chain, and idler pulley.car has had 6 alignments since 10/13/00. Car still pulls to left and wears out tires prematurely. Car has 47,000 miles on itand has 3rd set of tires on it.car had a oil leak on valve cover gaskets. Dlr repaired and replaced.car hesitates and surges forward. Dlr has not found problem.car has abnormal shift patterns. Sometimes shift down to a lower gear causing car to lose power and speed, then shifts back to overdrive without depressing accelerator. Dlr has not found a problem.there is a sound from rear of car. Sounds like bad shocks. Dlr replaced frame support bushings and lower control arms. Noise still there. There are too many problems to report here. Car has serious problems and has been to dealership for extensive warranty work 9 times within our 7 months of ownership.the last visit, the sealership had the car for 15 days trying to repair the car, and now, most of the same things that were suppose to be repaired are still faulty. Today, the heating system went out. There is no heat in the car now. We will be returning back to dealership this morning.we have written the manufacturer and will be sending that letter off today also.
While driving at highway speeds enginecheck light illuminated. Driver lost power of engine, making it hard to brakes and steervehicle.driver had vehicle towed to dealer, and dealer stated timing belt tensioner had failed. Please provide any further information.
While driving 65 mph, engine stalled.dealer determined that timing belt had broken and damaged engine. Engine needed to be replaced.when the timing belt broke, there was no indication that engine had stop running eexcept that the vehicle slowed down.applying brakes became very hard to accomplish.consumer was able to get vehicle to the side of the highway and restart.the check engine light illuminated.*jg
While driving at 60 mph consumer noticed car felt funny. As consumer attempted to change lanes all power was gone, consumer was able to get vehicle on the shoulder safely and had vehicle towed.dealer found timing chain had broke causing the entire engine to blow.manufacturer refused to make necessary repairs even though the owners manual says the timing belt should not have to be change for 100,000 miles or 96 months.
Consumer stated that the engine was replaced due to both tension bearings and timing belt failure, consumer has since sold the vehicle.
When vehicle is driven at low rpms the engine drags and makes a strange noise. Dealer says it's normal.
1997 cadillac catera problems, vehicle was in the shop for repairs 4 times in the 6 weeks of ownership, right side front door would not open, left side front door would not open, tail light assembly out, engine caught on fire while driving on beltway (insurance estimate a total loss)
Engine failed going abouy 70 miles an hour timing belt broke, causing complete engine failure, dealer stated that this is a common problem car repaired but still has problems, dealer caused additonal problems when making repair broke bolt in engine cost to repair 800 dealer refuse to repair oil leak on valve cover gasket again dealer refuses to repair all though covered under warrenty. Cadillac refuses to acknowledge problems given the run around on customer service line car was out for 5 weeks at dealer, car has severe vibrations when idled due to repair new dealer unable to determine problem or make repair, headlamps also failed at about 50,000 miles replacement cost $1,000 to many problems to list
Steering problem not corrected as of 5/19/2000. Servicing dealer has acknowledged popping noise in steering but to date (05/19/2000) has not corrected the problem. Servicing dealer has recommendedwaiting until the problem worsens with steering. All other items have been corrected by servicing dealership.
While driving 60-65 mph engine check light light illuminated.then, vehicle completely shutdown, cause unknown.please give any further details.
Vehicle stalls while driving 55 mph.dealer / manufacturer were not notified. Feel free to provide any further information.
Consumer states that the vehicle quit running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and later informed that the engine had blown.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
This seems to be becoming a common problem that cadillac will not address. I have counted at least 15 failures reported to the nhtsa.
When consumer gets inside of vehicle and tries to start it, it won't start. So consumer tried to jump start it,but it did not work.
The vehicle stalled while driving.nlm
This is a seriously unsafe vehicle . No safety defect (s)mentioned in summary.
Car was in to dealer on 5/25/1999 (mileage 7876) when i complained of engine squeal, nothing done
Vehicle stalled at 60-65 mph. Towed to dealer. Dealer, who determined that engine needed to be replaced. Vehicle had been at dealership for 4 months.new engine ordered for vehicle will not fit.
Vehichle quit running, when brake applied while cruise control was on, at 68mph in heavy traffic . Coasted over to median. My husband was driving and pulled over to the left, had he gone to the right we would have been hit by the south bound traffic. When the engine failed. The car would not restart, making grinding noise when attempting to restart engine. Called aaa for tow.(flat bed) left sitting in median in heavy traffic. Local police stopped and osp also. In speaking with cadillac customer service we were told that there was a recall #00042 on this vehichle, of which we were never notified. I was told thatbond and rubber hub pulley may fail.04/25/2001. Informed by cadilac dealer engine needs to be replaced.($9,500) this car can stop without prior warning when the engine fails.this could be a potential hazard when traveling at high speeds, possibly causing a serious accident. We were very fortunate! customer service at cadillac is not returning our calls or acknowleding the recall. How many people are having this problem with this car? depending on when this happens , such a failure could be a potential hazard.we have had the engine replaced through a private individual and it is available for inspection. The problem wasthat the bearings came out of the pulley that holds the timing belt.the belt was not broken....we need to know if our new engine, which also is from a '97 catera will have the same problem at 60,000miles...thank you for checking into this. Fjf
Vehicle will not start on a regular basis, was towed to dealer, who started vehicle, but could not find cause.next day vehicle would not start again.
I would like to know why every cadillac dealer in the country knows this is a problem, but gm will not offer a recall on the belt/tensioner. This can literally cause upwards of $5000 damage to the engine. Please advise.
The timing belt broke while consumer was waiting at a stop light causing extensive damage t0 the engine.nlm
While driving about 65 mph on the highway and without warningthe vehicle shut downdue to a belt which held the pulley into the engine, melting. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road.the vehicle was towed to the dealer for analysis.the mechanic discovered what the problem was and informed the consumer the part was on recall.
On january 30, 2001 napoli motors had to replaced left & right outer tie rod ends, inner tie rod end,center link and both outer stabilzer end, on august 20, 2001 as i was driving on interstate i95 south the steering wheel locked on me while on the middle lane almost hit several vehicles been that i could not turned either way, vehicle had to be towed in by roger's in milford technicians there at napoli motors could not figure what was wrong with vehicle when i called the technicians told me that the timing chain caused the engine to blow.on september 10, 2001 vehicle was taken back for same problems, they had replaced the engine but the vehicle kept running ruff.on october 31, 2001 vehicle was back at napoli, november 15, 2001,on february 19, 2002 i was rear ended by another vehicle while at a red light where the other person damage the whole rear of vehicle neither air bag driver or passenger came out all lights in vehicle were on and key will not come out of the ignition, on march 22, 2002 vehicle was taken back to napoli for the key problem and remotes.on may 6, 2002 vehicle was towed to napoli when the technician diagnose what vehicle had this time was the serpentine belt that broke and caused the steering wheel to lock on me again.to be honest i won't even go far with the vehicle because of safety issues.thank you in advance and hope to hear from this department soon.
The 1997 cadillac catera has a manufacturer's defect but general motos refuses to assist me with getting out of this unsafe car. The tensioner on my car broke may 8, 2002. I thank god that i was not killed. My car stalled right on the highway. I had it towed to the dealership and was told that i had a $6900 engine problem. I was shocked. I learned that general motors has known for almost 5 years about the tensioner defect but di dnot do a recall. When i called, i was giventhe runaround. I told the mechanic to stop until i could get assistance. He said he put on a new tensioner, timingbelt. And water pump. It didn't hold. I've had to take th car back over 4 times. The last time on july 1, 2002,the coolant systemhad a leak. General motors just laughed at me and said the car is driveable. It is unsafe and i will not spendmy time in a garage. The campaign that they supposedly issued is nothing but a hoax to keep from getting folks out of these lemons. They would not be ignoring these defectif it were the escalade or the deville buyers. I am scared to drive the vehicle and have it at a dealership. I've tried to trade it but due to the bad mechanical record, no one will buy them. Even the marketplace/auction syas they're only worth $600 when they should have a $13000 value since it was a $36,000 value car in 97. General motors won't call me back. I am asking for a comparable vehicle to drive at the same payment with the same equipment immeidately. General motors is the third largest corporation in the world but is treating some of its customers like dirt. They are trying to ignore the catera owners. My vehicle was an $800 repair. Most persons kept trying to drive their car and ended up with a $8000 engine problem and gernal motors paid for that. I've asked for assistance to get into another car - much less than what the engine cost wouldhavebeenif i had kept driving the car. General motors has nothelped me at all. I am tired of the runaround. Cater owners are at risk.
Timing belt tensioner broke 800 miles from home while doing 75 mph on the interstate in missouri.with traffic, there could easily been an accident.seems to be a common and dangerous problem. Nlm
Rear brake lights not working.$145 to repair this important safety item that should not fail.secondary air injection valve and lr oxygen sensor bad causing "check engine" light to come on.$345 to repair this item that should not fail.have gone through two sets of tires on this vehicle as a result of abnormal wear to the inside of tires.dt
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
My vehicle is a 97 cadillac catera and has had the starter replaced and still will not start.two car lots have had the vehicleat the cadillac dealership now and they are giving me the run around they saythat its the mass airflow sensor but still have not replaced it yet i'm wondering why cadillac has not notified people of this problem when i'm being told that it is a common problem with cateras of them not starting.
Catalytic converter replaced.yh
Vehicle shuts down and pulls to the right. Vehicle has beenserviced numerous times, andperformance is still unsatisfactory. Currently, vehicle is in therepair shop since smoke is coming from the engine and the rear tail pipe.
This is a seriously unsafe vehicle . No safety defect (s)mentioned in summary.
Air conditioner failed on several occasions. Mjs
Climate control system and the radio are located on the same circuity, which is malfunctioning, causing the vehicle to overheat. *cj
When using cruise control and applying brakes, cruise control makes a loud clunking noise.also,radio and poor reception problems, as well as front suspension causing the car to wobble and vibrate at certain speeds.
Consumer stated the am radio was inoperable.
The consumer stated the headlight assembly deteriorated, which caused a misalignment of the headlights.dealer had been contacted. Cadillac refused to pay for the cost of each headlight replacement. The consumer felt this should be a recall. *ph
Consumer can hear grinding and loud noises in the brakes, brake pads and rotors have been replaced twice.consumer states he has never experienced any noise or grinding in the brakes until the vehicle was serviced for replacement of brakes and rotors.since replacement of the brakes and rotors, consumer is still experiencing loud noises and grinding in the brake system. Consumer states the car was being serviced for a light bulb replacement.*yd
Brake lights burned out. *cj
Rear brake lights not working.$145 to repair this important safety item that should not fail.secondary air injection valve and lr oxygen sensor bad causing "check engine" light to come on.$345 to repair this item that should not fail.have gone through two sets of tires on this vehicle as a result of abnormal wear to the inside of tires.dt
Misaligned headlamps and foglamps.
Battery replacement 2 months after purchase; tensioner pulley disintegrated; fog lights have been replaced twice
Dt: contactcomplained aboutelectrical problems. When the hazard lights were on, all the gauges started jumping around, when the headlight switch waspushed forward the headlights stayed on for about an hour or longer.also, when the key was out of the ignition.after the vehicle was restarted and the control is pulled back the headlights functioned normally, the air condition controls did not work, and the o2 sensor did not respond. The spark plugs and wires havd been replaced.
Misaligned headlamps and foglamps.
The aiming mechanism on both headlights on my 1997 cadillac catera failed and left me with the headlights aimed at the ground and unable to re-aim the headlights.this is extremely common on these headlights, and there is no fix from gm except to buy entire replacement headlight assemblies at $500 each.the replacement units are made entirely differently (and do not fail) so it obvious gm knows the original design was defective.
When driving at night with headlights on, headlight lens provided poor visibility due to turning yellow.headlight lens cover is made of plastic.problem is getting worse. Has contacted dealer who is unable to exchange lens cover from plastic to glass.*jg
Engine failed going abouy 70 miles an hour timing belt broke, causing complete engine failure, dealer stated that this is a common problem car repaired but still has problems, dealer caused additonal problems when making repair broke bolt in engine cost to repair 800 dealer refuse to repair oil leak on valve cover gasket again dealer refuses to repair all though covered under warrenty. Cadillac refuses to acknowledge problems given the run around on customer service line car was out for 5 weeks at dealer, car has severe vibrations when idled due to repair new dealer unable to determine problem or make repair, headlamps also failed at about 50,000 miles replacement cost $1,000 to many problems to list
Headlights take longer then necessary to come on, delaying the consumer for departure, dealer unable to resolve.*mjs
Head light aimers broke, can not adjust head lamps. Plastic parts broke inside head lampcapsule.
The 97-99 cadillac catera in my opionion has a bad headlight design. My 6 year old car has broken headlight adjustors.this makes it basically impossible to aim (adjust) the headlights.replacment headlights are available from the parts department, but the cost about $340 per headlight.this is an excessive cost to consumer to repair.my understanding is this is a very common failure on this car.headlight assemblies should last the lifetime of the vehicle, not just several years.i consider it a saftey hazard that the headlamps cannot be adjusted.
Dt: contactcomplained aboutelectrical problems. When the hazard lights were on, all the gauges started jumping around, when the headlight switch waspushed forward the headlights stayed on for about an hour or longer.also, when the key was out of the ignition.after the vehicle was restarted and the control is pulled back the headlights functioned normally, the air condition controls did not work, and the o2 sensor did not respond. The spark plugs and wires havd been replaced.
Steering problem not corrected as of 5/19/2000. Servicing dealer has acknowledged popping noise in steering but to date (05/19/2000) has not corrected the problem. Servicing dealer has recommendedwaiting until the problem worsens with steering. All other items have been corrected by servicing dealership.
1997 cadillac catera problems, vehicle was in the shop for repairs 4 times in the 6 weeks of ownership, right side front door would not open, left side front door would not open, tail light assembly out, engine caught on fire while driving on beltway (insurance estimate a total loss)
Gas tank and fuel pump failed. Mjs
Engine fuel pump.
Whenvehicle is filled with fuelfumes come into the passenger compartment. Dealer has attempted to repairvehicle.
Gas tank and fuel pump failed. Mjs
The dashboard and lower console lights are experiencing problems (intermittently activated), the lower console lights will become dim and takes ten minutes to become normal, dealership is not able to correct.*mjs
1997 cadillac catera problems, vehicle was in the shop for repairs 4 times in the 6 weeks of ownership, right side front door would not open, left side front door would not open, tail light assembly out, engine caught on fire while driving on beltway (insurance estimate a total loss)
1997-1999 cadillac catera door latch failures. Per the yahoo group web site i belong to, catera owners, this vehicle suffers chronic door latch failures, trapping occupants inside or not latching. This can be an extremely dangerous situation. My own vehicle has suffered this defect.the latches have plastic that breaks and jams the mechanism. Or simply fail to latch or unlatch. I have had both situations. The doors will not open or will not close (latch).i feel this defect has by pure luck not caused (any known) fatalities, but, only a matter of time and warrants a look.
First of all the caterais a bad car and is unsafe . We have put this car in the shop over 7 times. We have reason to belive that the odometer have been rolled back. On june 9 01 the car had 56615 on a order repair but when i brought the car on july 3 01 the odometer had 56512 how is possible.since then the miles have been impossible .it shows that on one order repair that i drove this car 56512 - 58101july 3 - july 11 01.thats 1589 miles in10 days in which i took no major trips. My wife drove back in fouth to work.on the 12 of july we had the timing belt changed which broke about 2 weeks later on 8/11/01.keep in mind we just got the car out of the shop on 7/18/01 odometer read 61095 which means we drove the car2994 miles in about 23 days.the car have been in and out of the shop. Something strange is going on i have good reasons to belive that this odometer have been tamperd with .it shows that i have went 36532 in about 9 months no way.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
At 85,263 miles the car would not shift out of 1st gear.dealership analysis was "transmission coming apart internally".no parts available for repair.required a new transmission at a cost of $2997.86.there is no way a transmission should come apart with only 85,000 miles on it.2nd major event for this car.
While attempting to accelerate from stop, the vehicle seemed locked into high gear.it accelerated slowly and with out warning.*jgts
Car was making a grinding sound under hood. Was told timing chain tensioner was almost broken. Dlr replaced tensioner, timing chain, and idler pulley.car has had 6 alignments since 10/13/00. Car still pulls to left and wears out tires prematurely. Car has 47,000 miles on itand has 3rd set of tires on it.car had a oil leak on valve cover gaskets. Dlr repaired and replaced.car hesitates and surges forward. Dlr has not found problem.car has abnormal shift patterns. Sometimes shift down to a lower gear causing car to lose power and speed, then shifts back to overdrive without depressing accelerator. Dlr has not found a problem.there is a sound from rear of car. Sounds like bad shocks. Dlr replaced frame support bushings and lower control arms. Noise still there. There are too many problems to report here. Car has serious problems and has been to dealership for extensive warranty work 9 times within our 7 months of ownership.the last visit, the sealership had the car for 15 days trying to repair the car, and now, most of the same things that were suppose to be repaired are still faulty. Today, the heating system went out. There is no heat in the car now. We will be returning back to dealership this morning.we have written the manufacturer and will be sending that letter off today also.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
Abs system and traction control systems fail numerous times. Always when applying the brakes at any speed on any surface. Failure also occurs when vehicle is not moving (when depressing the brake to shift from park). The dealer has not solved the problem permanently, simply fixing it for a few weeks at a time. The abs and traction control always fail at precisely the same time.
The abs and traction control system failed on my 1997 cadillac catera in kingsport, tn during a snowstorm.this resulted in a loss of control of the vehicle and un-drivability of the car during inclement weather.dealer attempts to correct with replacement of computer module and valve/pump have not solved the problem.
Traction control and anti lock brake lights illuminate when applying brakes however shut off when ignition is turned off, unable to determine cause.
Consumer states transmission failed.
Passenger turned on seat heater, and after about 10 minutes, consumer smelled something burning. Seat heating element had burned right through seat, 3/4 inch diameter.
Seat warmer gets so hot that consumer has to place a towel in seat to continue driving. Consumer has traveled up to 80 miles to another delaer to get it fixed,andthey didn't order correct parts.dealer has no response toproblem.
The consumer is experiencing the following:the engine is overheating/there's a loud tapping sound, the brakes are grinding on the right side, the power locks at times won't unlock/must play with the floor shifter, and the clock was repaired.the dealer suggested that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, in reference to the engine.scc
Abs system locked up causing vehicle to loose control.
This is a seriously unsafe vehicle . No safety defect (s)mentioned in summary.
Consumer has been experiencing continuous problem with brake failure. While driving and when applying brake pedal, the vehicle would not stop properly, it appears to be skipping before it stops.vehicle been in/out of shop on several occasions and condition cannot be resolved.also, at this time the dealer informed consumer that the vehicle is in need of a complete brake overhaul, andthe cost would go to the consumer. Dealer notified.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
Abs system and traction control systems fail numerous times. Always when applying the brakes at any speed on any surface. Failure also occurs when vehicle is not moving (when depressing the brake to shift from park). The dealer has not solved the problem permanently, simply fixing it for a few weeks at a time. The abs and traction control always fail at precisely the same time.
Attachment to vehicle owner's questionnaire (voq) - vin #[xxx]. No summary listed for above vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Vehicle's brakes are squealing and if braking hardvehicle vill pull to the right. Brakes were made in germany.
Antilock brake system light failed.
Traction control and anti lock brake lights illuminate when applying brakes however shut off when ignition is turned off, unable to determine cause.
The abs and traction control system failed on my 1997 cadillac catera in kingsport, tn during a snowstorm.this resulted in a loss of control of the vehicle and un-drivability of the car during inclement weather.dealer attempts to correct with replacement of computer module and valve/pump have not solved the problem.
Consumer can hear grinding and loud noises in the brakes, brake pads and rotors have been replaced twice.consumer states he has never experienced any noise or grinding in the brakes until the vehicle was serviced for replacement of brakes and rotors.since replacement of the brakes and rotors, consumer is still experiencing loud noises and grinding in the brake system. Consumer states the car was being serviced for a light bulb replacement.*yd
The brakes were replaced but the replacement brakes make noise.nlm
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
While driving at 30 mph on wet pavement, applied the brakesand vehicle slid and lost control,hittinga tree. Upon impact, driver's side/passenger's side air bags didn't deploy.
Car would not start. Had to jump start. Dealer replaced alternator and battery. Battery was previously replaced 06/03/99.oil light above oil pressire gauge came on while driving, and oil pressure gauge moved up and down erratically. Dealer found no problem.battery cover and was burnt/was brittle and had a white ashey look to it. Engine produces a lot of heat. Dealer replaced cover and tray.temperature gauge reads higher than normal. Dealership recalibrated ipc for temp gauge. Temp gauge still reads the same as before.ticking sounds from left and right sides of dash when heat is on. Dealer replaced fan motor twice. Ticking sounds still there and now there is no heat.disc brake pad indicator lamp did not illuminate when pads needed replacing. Had to have front brake job and replace sensors for indicator lamp. Dealership said sensors got damaged when pads were worn down past the sensors.
Brakes were squeaking& the brakes would give.dealer had checked vehicle couple of times & never mentionedanything aboutrotors being replaced.dealer was blaming it on wear & tear.rotors & pads were replaced in january at 13,000 miles. Later, they needed to bereplaced again.
Whenvehicle hits a potholeit will jump intonext lane. Dealer has been notified.
Alarming loss of steering control, when riding through puddles of water at highwayspeed about 60 mph.
Alarming loss of steering control, when going through puddles of water at highway speed at 60mph.
I was leaving my house and driving out of my complex when the steering wheel locked up on me. I have been unable to turn it for two days.
On january 30, 2001 napoli motors had to replaced left & right outer tie rod ends, inner tie rod end,center link and both outer stabilzer end, on august 20, 2001 as i was driving on interstate i95 south the steering wheel locked on me while on the middle lane almost hit several vehicles been that i could not turned either way, vehicle had to be towed in by roger's in milford technicians there at napoli motors could not figure what was wrong with vehicle when i called the technicians told me that the timing chain caused the engine to blow.on september 10, 2001 vehicle was taken back for same problems, they had replaced the engine but the vehicle kept running ruff.on october 31, 2001 vehicle was back at napoli, november 15, 2001,on february 19, 2002 i was rear ended by another vehicle while at a red light where the other person damage the whole rear of vehicle neither air bag driver or passenger came out all lights in vehicle were on and key will not come out of the ignition, on march 22, 2002 vehicle was taken back to napoli for the key problem and remotes.on may 6, 2002 vehicle was towed to napoli when the technician diagnose what vehicle had this time was the serpentine belt that broke and caused the steering wheel to lock on me again.to be honest i won't even go far with the vehicle because of safety issues.thank you in advance and hope to hear from this department soon.
Steering wheel locked up causing accident.yh
Replaced lower steering shaft causing noise.
The steering wheel rubs when making a hard turn.*mjs
While driving 65 mphidler pulley tensioner broke, causingloss of control.dealer contacted.
Consumer states that the tie rods were replaced.
Front driver's side tie rod broke while vehicle was traveling at 35 to 40 mph.
The tie rod failed, it appeared to have been a stress fracture (attorney for client).nlm
When braking, consumer states' theres a lot of vibration in vehicles and steering wheel and in the body of vehicle. Took to dealer, dealer states' control arm bushings were bad and needed replacing.please provide any further information. Ts
Outer tie rods failed, causing the vehicle to shimmy and pull to the left and right. This also caused premature wear of the tires.dealer repaired problem. *ml
On january 30, 2001 napoli motors had to replaced left & right outer tie rod ends, inner tie rod end,center link and both outer stabilzer end, on august 20, 2001 as i was driving on interstate i95 south the steering wheel locked on me while on the middle lane almost hit several vehicles been that i could not turned either way, vehicle had to be towed in by roger's in milford technicians there at napoli motors could not figure what was wrong with vehicle when i called the technicians told me that the timing chain caused the engine to blow.on september 10, 2001 vehicle was taken back for same problems, they had replaced the engine but the vehicle kept running ruff.on october 31, 2001 vehicle was back at napoli, november 15, 2001,on february 19, 2002 i was rear ended by another vehicle while at a red light where the other person damage the whole rear of vehicle neither air bag driver or passenger came out all lights in vehicle were on and key will not come out of the ignition, on march 22, 2002 vehicle was taken back to napoli for the key problem and remotes.on may 6, 2002 vehicle was towed to napoli when the technician diagnose what vehicle had this time was the serpentine belt that broke and caused the steering wheel to lock on me again.to be honest i won't even go far with the vehicle because of safety issues.thank you in advance and hope to hear from this department soon.
The tie rod failed causing complete loss of control of the steering (attorney for client).nlm
Vehicle started making a loud noise from underneath the hood.dealership is aware ofproblem.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
Door would intermittenley fail to unlock/open after turning off ignition switch. Sometimes consumer would have to wait 40-45 minute before vehicle releases the door lock.consumer would have to climb out the window. Dealer notified.
Power door locks stick, doors finally stuck, replaced power unit.*mjs
Power door locks failed.
Driver's door would not close on cold weather. Vehicle had to get warm before door would close. Dealer notified.
The consumer is experiencing the following:the engine is overheating/there's a loud tapping sound, the brakes are grinding on the right side, the power locks at times won't unlock/must play with the floor shifter, and the clock was repaired.the dealer suggested that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, in reference to the engine.scc
Dt:the contact stated after opening the trunk of the vehicle the trunk fell on him.the supports that were suppose to keep the trunk in the open position failed.the contact sustained minor injuries.the dealership said the failure was with the lift supports. There were no previous problems with the trunk or signs of rust.the vehicle will be taken to a body shop for repairs.updated 01/11/06.
Car was making a grinding sound under hood. Was told timing chain tensioner was almost broken. Dlr replaced tensioner, timing chain, and idler pulley.car has had 6 alignments since 10/13/00. Car still pulls to left and wears out tires prematurely. Car has 47,000 miles on itand has 3rd set of tires on it.car had a oil leak on valve cover gaskets. Dlr repaired and replaced.car hesitates and surges forward. Dlr has not found problem.car has abnormal shift patterns. Sometimes shift down to a lower gear causing car to lose power and speed, then shifts back to overdrive without depressing accelerator. Dlr has not found a problem.there is a sound from rear of car. Sounds like bad shocks. Dlr replaced frame support bushings and lower control arms. Noise still there. There are too many problems to report here. Car has serious problems and has been to dealership for extensive warranty work 9 times within our 7 months of ownership.the last visit, the sealership had the car for 15 days trying to repair the car, and now, most of the same things that were suppose to be repaired are still faulty. Today, the heating system went out. There is no heat in the car now. We will be returning back to dealership this morning.we have written the manufacturer and will be sending that letter off today also.
Front end alignment and suspension problem caused extremely premature wear of the tires (flat spots and cupping) and vibrations which at times are violent.nlm
Loss of steering control/hydroplaning on wet roads, consumer believes this problem has caused excessive wear to tires.
Constantly out of alignment. Steering pulls left, now notified on 1/1o/200 that "tires are bad" due to car being out of alignment ! dealer managercontacted. States he has no power to replace tires or to guarantee i will not be charged excessive wear at lease termination in 4 monthsmgacted and.
Would be driving and tires wouldfeelunevenly.all tires were wearing out excessively. Was having trouble withalignment. Had takenvehicle to dealership,and twice to an independent mechanic.also,had other problems with vehicle.
When coming to a stop andturning the wheel,the vehicle pulls to the right. The dealer has been notified.
Front end alignment and suspension problem caused extremely premature wear of the tires (flat spots and cupping) and vibrations which at times are violent.nlm
Improper front end alignment setting on vehicle caused tires to wear on the inner shoulder.
When using cruise control and applying brakes, cruise control makes a loud clunking noise.also,radio and poor reception problems, as well as front suspension causing the car to wobble and vibrate at certain speeds.
Excessive wear of tires due to poor alignment from manufacturer.manufacturer is aware of problem ,nothing is being done to correct it. Steel belts were showing through, and could cause greater damage. The manufacturer's service representative acknowledges that the vehicle had engineering design flaw.
Front end alignment problems causing excessive wear of the tire edges.
Goodyear tires were replaced many times due to the premature wear caused by the alignment which also caused vibration,vehicle was sold to the customer with tires that had no tread.
Outer tie rods failed, causing the vehicle to shimmy and pull to the left and right. This also caused premature wear of the tires.dealer repaired problem. *ml
Consumer states that the ball joint along with other front suspension components failed and were replaced.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
Vehicle out of alignment causing tires to wear permaturely.
While drivingsteering wheel had to be steered to the left to avoid vehicle from going automatically to the right. Took vehicle to the dealer, anddealer determined that something in the front end was bent.
Purshased car with 69961 miles for $9935. Second day of purshase in shop for overheating. 32 days after purshase in shop for waterpump at a cost of $420. 3 month after purshase in shop for $1400 for front control arms and rear wheel bearings to get line up. After driving 14300 miles timing belt tensioner broke, an estimate of $8000 for repair. Now a lawn ornament. Can not afford to repair. The dealer (ferris auto center), cadillac, and gm which is in conjunction with the better business burear don't care!
Consumer states that the ball joint along with other front suspension components failed and were replaced.
On january 30, 2001 napoli motors had to replaced left & right outer tie rod ends, inner tie rod end,center link and both outer stabilzer end, on august 20, 2001 as i was driving on interstate i95 south the steering wheel locked on me while on the middle lane almost hit several vehicles been that i could not turned either way, vehicle had to be towed in by roger's in milford technicians there at napoli motors could not figure what was wrong with vehicle when i called the technicians told me that the timing chain caused the engine to blow.on september 10, 2001 vehicle was taken back for same problems, they had replaced the engine but the vehicle kept running ruff.on october 31, 2001 vehicle was back at napoli, november 15, 2001,on february 19, 2002 i was rear ended by another vehicle while at a red light where the other person damage the whole rear of vehicle neither air bag driver or passenger came out all lights in vehicle were on and key will not come out of the ignition, on march 22, 2002 vehicle was taken back to napoli for the key problem and remotes.on may 6, 2002 vehicle was towed to napoli when the technician diagnose what vehicle had this time was the serpentine belt that broke and caused the steering wheel to lock on me again.to be honest i won't even go far with the vehicle because of safety issues.thank you in advance and hope to hear from this department soon.
Purshased car with 69961 miles for $9935. Second day of purshase in shop for overheating. 32 days after purshase in shop for waterpump at a cost of $420. 3 month after purshase in shop for $1400 for front control arms and rear wheel bearings to get line up. After driving 14300 miles timing belt tensioner broke, an estimate of $8000 for repair. Now a lawn ornament. Can not afford to repair. The dealer (ferris auto center), cadillac, and gm which is in conjunction with the better business burear don't care!
Tires are wearing prematuraly. Consumer feels cause is rear misalignment. Vehicle has been to dealer numerous times for alignment, and problem keeps occurring.please provide any further information.
Vehicle experienced tire failure, dealership replaced all four tires (tire make/model not provided).*mjs
Incidentdate of problemdate of returninvoice #roadside case#problem.no safety defect listed in summary.
Excessive tire wear, when front tires run over a large crack or small pothole on the highway, most of the time the pavement is wet.
Original tires wore out prematurely. Yh
Rear brake lights not working.$145 to repair this important safety item that should not fail.secondary air injection valve and lr oxygen sensor bad causing "check engine" light to come on.$345 to repair this item that should not fail.have gone through two sets of tires on this vehicle as a result of abnormal wear to the inside of tires.dt
The consumer saw the crack separateas the window began to buldge, the buldging window was under sterr which was a defect of the car. *cj*nlm the vehicle pulls to the right and experiences tire wear, possible suspension or tire related (no tire make/model information given.*nlm battery leaking.*nlm
Improper front end alignment setting on vehicle caused tires to wear on the inner shoulder.
Goodyear tires were replaced many times due to the premature wear caused by the alignment which also caused vibration,vehicle was sold to the customer with tires that had no tread.
I was on highway and a large boom i pulled over and entire tire had separated from sidewall. Policeman said that could have caused me to flip over had it occured 20 feet earlier.
Consumer states that every sixteen miles had to changes tires. Dealer has been notified.please provide further information. Mr
Car would not start. Had to jump start. Dealer replaced alternator and battery. Battery was previously replaced 06/03/99.oil light above oil pressire gauge came on while driving, and oil pressure gauge moved up and down erratically. Dealer found no problem.battery cover and was burnt/was brittle and had a white ashey look to it. Engine produces a lot of heat. Dealer replaced cover and tray.temperature gauge reads higher than normal. Dealership recalibrated ipc for temp gauge. Temp gauge still reads the same as before.ticking sounds from left and right sides of dash when heat is on. Dealer replaced fan motor twice. Ticking sounds still there and now there is no heat.disc brake pad indicator lamp did not illuminate when pads needed replacing. Had to have front brake job and replace sensors for indicator lamp. Dealership said sensors got damaged when pads were worn down past the sensors.
The electronic control panel failed, dealer replaced.
Steering problem not corrected as of 5/19/2000. Servicing dealer has acknowledged popping noise in steering but to date (05/19/2000) has not corrected the problem. Servicing dealer has recommendedwaiting until the problem worsens with steering. All other items have been corrected by servicing dealership.
While driving at highway speeds enginecheck light illuminated. Driver lost power of engine, making it hard to brakes and steervehicle.driver had vehicle towed to dealer, and dealer stated timing belt tensioner had failed. Please provide any further information.
Dash lights intermittently activating, unable to determine cause.
While driving 60-65 mph engine check light light illuminated.then, vehicle completely shutdown, cause unknown.please give any further details.
When driving at highway speeds vehicle surged forward. Consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem.
When using cruise control and applying brakes, cruise control makes a loud clunking noise.also,radio and poor reception problems, as well as front suspension causing the car to wobble and vibrate at certain speeds.
While waitng at a stop sign the with foot depressed on the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated upto 15 to 20 mph, resulting in the consumer running into a wall. Consumer has contacted the dealer .
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
Cruise control was on (not engaged by driver), needed to slow down, tapped brakes, didn't disengage, turned off switch, didn't disengage, stepped on brakes 3-4 more times harder, finally disengaged.dt
Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration when pulling into a parking space causing driver to run into the back of another parked vehicle.nlm
Sudden acceleration resulting in a vehicle collision, also no deployment of air bag.
At highway speedvehicle accelerated.consumer pressed the brake pedal to the floor, but therewasno reaction.then,consumer down shifted to stop the vehicle. Consumer had vehicle towed,anddealer determined thatengine and accelerator control switch needed to be replaced.
Whilevehicle was at a complete stop and consumer shifted gears to move ahead slowly, but the vehicle acclerated and would not stop. Defect caused vehicle to run into a cement pole which resulted invehicle stopping. Consumerhit pole to avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles. Vehicle hit pole head-on, andairbags did not deploy.consumer was injured in accident, consumer states vehicle accelerated as if the cruise control was turned on, cadillac refused to accept responsibility of the air bag failing to deploy.battery has been replaced 3 times.brakes have been repaired.consumer states key would not turn the igntion on numerious occasions.
Car would not start. Had to jump start. Dealer replaced alternator and battery. Battery was previously replaced 06/03/99.oil light above oil pressire gauge came on while driving, and oil pressure gauge moved up and down erratically. Dealer found no problem.battery cover and was burnt/was brittle and had a white ashey look to it. Engine produces a lot of heat. Dealer replaced cover and tray.temperature gauge reads higher than normal. Dealership recalibrated ipc for temp gauge. Temp gauge still reads the same as before.ticking sounds from left and right sides of dash when heat is on. Dealer replaced fan motor twice. Ticking sounds still there and now there is no heat.disc brake pad indicator lamp did not illuminate when pads needed replacing. Had to have front brake job and replace sensors for indicator lamp. Dealership said sensors got damaged when pads were worn down past the sensors.
During wet conditions the defogger/defroster system will fog up the windows, abstructing theview of the driver.the dealer has been notified.
Blower fan would not turn off, dealer reaplaced the faulty blower module.
This car has had ongoing problems with various electrical components.the dealer is often unable to replicate the problem while in the repair shop.the car has been serviced for electrical malfunctions of various nature 19 times, and in the repair shop 44 days.it has been out of the shop 2 days and again the door locks will not let us in the vehicle.this started with the rear door lock not letting us out of or into the car.the problem now affects all four doors.they cannot be locked or unlocked using the remote, the key, or manually.we therefore must exit and enter using the windows.the windows (all4) have also malfunctioned.the dash lights abs, traction control, replace wiper fluid, illuminate when there is not a problem.the o2 sensor has been replaced.the alignment on the wheels has also caused repeated problems and i have replace 4 tires.the car intermittently dies while driving.the dealer is unable to replicate the problem and says cadillacs just do that sometimes!my daughter ended up in the median of 71 hwy after the car died at 70 miles per hr.the dealer has replaced the battery, the starter, many various doorlock parts and harness wiring, abs wiring, traction control wiring, and worked on the ignition switch.the problems still occur.we now carry a hammer with us to break out of the car in an emergency should the doorlocks not work. ( dot number: tire size: fits cater )
Car not cranking, mirrors are not working, seat belt buzzer will not always shut off, transmission still laboring to shaft, driver side seatbelt is not adjusting, head light are still not aimed properly on high beam, replaced stater and battery 3 time,
The consumer saw the crack separateas the window began to buldge, the buldging window was under sterr which was a defect of the car. *cj*nlm the vehicle pulls to the right and experiences tire wear, possible suspension or tire related (no tire make/model information given.*nlm battery leaking.*nlm
Last year while on a trip to north carolina the front windshield moulding blew off. I was able to pull over the the side of the road and observe the damage which was minimal.i continued on my trip, and when i returned home the outer moulding was replaced by the now out-of-business warner robins olds cadillac. Today while on my way home from macon, ga the moulding blew off again, this time flying in the open window, striking me in the face and knocking off my glasses.luckily the traffic was light and i was able to pull over the the side of the road safely. If i were going faster and if the traffic was more congested this could have been very serious. I intend on taking my car to the new cadillac dealership here in warner robins and insisting that the repair be done properly.
Windshield wipers failed.
Consumer complains that windshield wipers are inadequate in heavy rains, wiper speed is too slow.
Windshield wipers failed.nlm
Windshield wipers failed.nlm
Lug nut covers were missing on three wheels.
Read more
