We found the following complaints for CADILLAC CATERA (1998)
Read complaints for CADILLAC CATERA (1998)
Air bag light illuminated, dealer replaced inflator module.nlm
Vehicle is experiencing problem with air bag light sensor keeps coming on. On four occasions vehicle vehicle been in /out of dealer's shop and problem reoccurred. Can nhtsa help or provide additional information on this matter.
This is a new car.the battery has been replaced twice.the airbag module has been replaced. There have been several electical problems.i have had it in for repairs over and over.i have ask cadillac to replace this car,but they have refused. Please help me.
Air bag light illuminated, dealer replaced inflator module.nlm
Consumer states that while driving the vehicle at 45mph and with no warning both front air bags deployed. Dealer notified.
My wife was driving our 1998 cadillac catera when another car ran a stop sign forcing my wife's car into a collision t-boning the other car. The approximate speed of our car during the impact was at least thirty miles per hour. Our cadillac was written off in the accident however even though this was a hard front end collision there was no airbag deployment in our car. My wife sustained some injuries however because she was wearing her seat belt she was released from the hospital 4 days later!
Airbag failed to deploy. $7,440.00 damage my vehicle. Other vehicle (2002 pontiac grand am) was total loss.
Consumer was on an exit ramp at about 30-40 mph,when she lost control and hit the guardrail, damaging the front and side of vehicle. Upon impact,air bags did not deploy. Dealer has been contacted.
Consumer was driving on highway at approximately 42 mph on normal road condition all of a sudden had to apply emergencey brakes,butrear ended vehicle in front. Impact was done at approximately35 mph. Neither air bags of consumer's vehicle depolyed. Dealer notified.
Dt*:the contact stated before pulling out of the driveway the air bag warning light illuminated.upon inspection the dealership determined that the air bag module needed to be replaced.after the air bag module was replaced the airbag warning light no longer illuminated.updated 7/3/2006 -
The contact owns a 1998 cadillac catera. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph. The warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel.there was smoke coming from outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the engine was in satisfactory condition. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on a separate occasion for electrical diagnostic testing in which the manufacturer was responsible for the cost. The failures were related to the pcs light and other electrical components. The failure mileage was 100,000. The current mileage was 121,000. Updated 06/03/10 the consumer wanted to know the status of his complaint. Updated 06/07/10
Cadillac cater 1998 experienced multiple failure that caused engine damage.the trunk light bulbs failed.the trunk light bar failed.the key fob failed.the cd player failed.the window washer hose failed.the switch for heating and cooling system had to be replaced.the bottom gear of the crankshaft broke causing engine damage.the front and rear end had to be aligned due to the vehicle pulling to the right.the center link was also replaced.
While driving, vehicle stalls and surges, intermittently the vehicle will not start, dealer has replaced the battery, alternator and crank sensor as the problems. *yd
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
Whenever vehicle is parked overnight it would fail to restart again. Would have tow vehicle to dealer each time this happened, 8 timesso far. Mechanic would reprogram key; replaced battery/faulty fuel injectors and the temperature gauge. Gmc epurchasedthis vehicle in october, 1999 forthe full purchase price less $400.oo
This is a new car.the battery has been replaced twice.the airbag module has been replaced. There have been several electical problems.i have had it in for repairs over and over.i have ask cadillac to replace this car,but they have refused. Please help me.
Battery failed resulting in no start condition.nlm
Numerous issues with 1998 catera.had timing belt tensioner-pulleys/cam drive replaced last year(3-2002) while under warranty."service campaign" was issued by cadillac in sept 2002 for catera's to have came drive idler/tensioner pulley/water pump replaced with new version.got vehicle serviced today and was informed that car had another serious problem that needed to be corrected-out of pocket-coolant crossover leaking into oil cooler, and valve cover was leaking oil.....the car runs extremely hot, has poor performance, gets terrible gas millage, battery has low voltage when nothing is left on by mistake, replaced the battery 4 time in two years, a/c had new compressor replaced past summer 2002 still not able to cool car and while in use the car sounds like a tractor, boggs down the perfromance.had to have entire brake system replaced (cost over 800.00) at 34,000, purchased 4 sets of michellan mxv4 tires in last 2 years-inside tread seperation on front tires caused blow out twice.
Battery failed resulting in no start condition.nlm
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
This is a new car.the battery has been replaced twice.the airbag module has been replaced. There have been several electical problems.i have had it in for repairs over and over.i have ask cadillac to replace this car,but they have refused. Please help me.
The key lock cylinder will not activate steering column. Nlm
I own a 1998 catera. Whiledriving at 45 mphon a curved road the engine and power cut off . I lostpower steeringand had to struggle to stop.the car on the side of the road. It happened in a matter of seconds. I had the car towed to the caddy dealer, and they said the crack sensor went bad. I reviewed the internet and saw this was a common problem. I was not hurt, but i wasvery concerned. If my son was driving i believe we both would not be hear and no one would know why we crashed head on. This wasthe second time i had trouble with this car. The first time the car started to sputter and smoke came out from under the hood. I pulled over and had it towed. The valve cover was leaking into the spark plug hole and burning the rubber boot. It got so hot the plugmelted, causing the smoke to come out. Also, i found out it wasa common problem. This car neededsome immediate attention before someone was seriously hurt or killed. Iwa trying to get rid of the car.itdrove it to the dealer, who told me they didn't wantto help.
Car over heating, smoking, steaming.took to mechanic, was told that engine blew, later to find out oil cooler went.also just found out my transmissions needs over hauled, no warning, no leaks. Heat regulator has been replaced twice, ignition coil has been replaced, all wires have to be replaced.engine has and still does run too hot, causing continuous problems with engine parts. Etc. I purchased the car in 2001, purchased extended warranty, that has since ware out.my sun roof does not work, my keyless entry does not work, here it is 2005 and the car only has or around 65,000 miles on it, when purchased only had 23,000, i only drive the car to work and back, and too run errands.why am i having so many problems with it, i can't even get a dealer to take it as trade in.
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
Whenever vehicle is parked overnight it would fail to restart again. Would have tow vehicle to dealer each time this happened, 8 timesso far. Mechanic would reprogram key; replaced battery/faulty fuel injectors and the temperature gauge. Gmc epurchasedthis vehicle in october, 1999 forthe full purchase price less $400.oo
Key sticks in the ignition switch. Mjs
After removing key from ignition and exiting vehicle, vehicle started to roll back into a playground area.dealer confirmed that the key could be removed in any gear.consumer adds that it takes anywhere from 45" to 20" for key to cycle on the ignition.the switch was replaced 4 times under warranty, but problem still exist, also this problem did cause an accident, there were no injuries.
Key can be taken out of ignition in any gear.dealer replaced ignition switch.consumer stated that dealer confirmed that lock and unlock switch were bad, consumer sated the gear was in park and the keys were in her purse, and 5 to 10 minutes later the vehicle rolled into a small fence.
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
A number of problems was wrong with vehicle:fog lights burned out fast/ radiator lights came on/steering mechanism malfunctioned, andtires have been changed a few times.tread separated whilemaking a left turn.dealer and manufacturer were trying to remedyproblem. Consumer wanted dealer/manufacturwer to buy back vehicle.
This is a new car.the battery has been replaced twice.the airbag module has been replaced. There have been several electical problems.i have had it in for repairs over and over.i have ask cadillac to replace this car,but they have refused. Please help me.
The leveling light blinked on & off continuously. Yh
The leveling light blinked on & off continuously. Yh
The tensioner pulley & timing belt was a know defect for vehicle and was recalled but i was never notified,at the time of failure i lost all power & control of the vehicle on an decline in a high traffic location in a server rain storm. Vehicle is now doa and gm refuses to remedytues evening 6/23 the check engine light goes on, in 30-45 seconds the car stopped running, earlier in the day i heard a knock and thought i ran over something as all gauges indicated everything was running normal.had aaa tow it to my home and next day (wed.) to the caddy dealer. They charge me $109 to assess the problem, then tell me the timing belt broke! it will cost another $600 labor for 5 hours of inspection to check the problem and depending what they find $$$$$$ to fix, daaaaa! i call the service manager he tells me he'll check it out and call me back. Ok so now he calls me and tell me the rep miss-quoted what they were going to do. Now it's the tension pulley that failed casing the timing belt to snap, to replace the whole set is $699 + labor and suggested i invest another $150 to change the coolant pump as it's showing signs of leakage at the same time so it doesn't run me additional costs later as it's in the same part of the engine as the pulley and belt. Grand total of $1207 + tax. "but" depending on what happens after they replace the tensioner pulley & timing belt there might be additional cost if the car still will not start. Ok so i tell him to go ahead. I decided to goggle the problem to see what it is i am paying for, hellllllo! what do i find but a major recall back in 9/2002 on the tensioner pulley failure causing the timing belt to snap!!!!!!!!! & the replacement of the coolant pump. I was never notified or advised of this recall.they never told me anything every time i brought the car in for service. I only have only 20,654 miles on the car, as it's my 2nd vehicle and use it locally for shopping.normal replacement for the timing belt & tensioner pulley is 70k mi.
Numerous issues with 1998 catera.had timing belt tensioner-pulleys/cam drive replaced last year(3-2002) while under warranty."service campaign" was issued by cadillac in sept 2002 for catera's to have came drive idler/tensioner pulley/water pump replaced with new version.got vehicle serviced today and was informed that car had another serious problem that needed to be corrected-out of pocket-coolant crossover leaking into oil cooler, and valve cover was leaking oil.....the car runs extremely hot, has poor performance, gets terrible gas millage, battery has low voltage when nothing is left on by mistake, replaced the battery 4 time in two years, a/c had new compressor replaced past summer 2002 still not able to cool car and while in use the car sounds like a tractor, boggs down the perfromance.had to have entire brake system replaced (cost over 800.00) at 34,000, purchased 4 sets of michellan mxv4 tires in last 2 years-inside tread seperation on front tires caused blow out twice.
Water valve failed resulting in coolant leak, the dealer replaced valve and refilled system, oil cooler line leaking, dealer resealed housing and replaced coolant bridge oil level sensor shorted .nlm
Temperature guage failed.yh
On july 24, 2004 while driving between 65-70 mph in the left lane on i-81,i could feel that the power steering was gone in the vehicle,there was no indication in the idiot lights or the gauges that the vehicle was in distress. As i got to the right the battery light came on, then the radiator light came on, i immediately stopped the vehicle. The repair shop had the car for 2 days and finished the repair of the water pump. When i started the car the idiot light came on again i got out of the car and noticed that there was white smoke emanating from the exhaust tail pipe. The car was towed to cadillac for repair the next day. They toldthe head gaskets were gone and it would be $ 1800.00 for the left one and $1900.00 for the right one in addition to the gasket and the labor for the repair. I found out from the dealer that this vehicle was recalled for the water pump nd 2 other pulleys. The record showed that the recall work was performed by kristal cadillac the dealer i purchased the vehicle from. They never informed me that the vehicle was recalled for any reason when they sold me the vehicle. My total out of pocket expense for repair $2314.38. I got my vehicle back on august 6, 2004. The car now broke down completely and had to be towed into kristal cadillac. The dealer has had the car for 2 weeks and have still not looked at it furthermore they are claiming that it is now an ignition problem and not an engine/water pump problem. I believe that they are trying to distance themselves from any liability in this issue with this false diagnostic of the vehicle. This problem is definitely related to the recall and should be paid for by gm totally.
Whenever vehicle is parked overnight it would fail to restart again. Would have tow vehicle to dealer each time this happened, 8 timesso far. Mechanic would reprogram key; replaced battery/faulty fuel injectors and the temperature gauge. Gmc epurchasedthis vehicle in october, 1999 forthe full purchase price less $400.oo
Faulty head gasket faulty warning lights.
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
A/c compressor leaking and a/c compressor not cycling and leaking from the chase valve system. Compressor had to be replaced. Updated 01/11/08.*ljthe heater coolant valve had to be replaced. The front brake pads and sensor were replaced and the rotors had to be resurfaced. Updated.
Car over heating, smoking, steaming.took to mechanic, was told that engine blew, later to find out oil cooler went.also just found out my transmissions needs over hauled, no warning, no leaks. Heat regulator has been replaced twice, ignition coil has been replaced, all wires have to be replaced.engine has and still does run too hot, causing continuous problems with engine parts. Etc. I purchased the car in 2001, purchased extended warranty, that has since ware out.my sun roof does not work, my keyless entry does not work, here it is 2005 and the car only has or around 65,000 miles on it, when purchased only had 23,000, i only drive the car to work and back, and too run errands.why am i having so many problems with it, i can't even get a dealer to take it as trade in.
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
Water valve failed resulting in coolant leak, the dealer replaced valve and refilled system, oil cooler line leaking, dealer resealed housing and replaced coolant bridge oil level sensor shorted .nlm
Engine have a problem with oil pressure that stay below minimum at idle when engine is at operating temp.front control arm bushing fail with less then 90000 miles.auto transmission fail with less then 90000 miles. Have engagement problems and shifting problem.
Car ran hot. Towed back to dealer.dealer stated cadillac had a recall on thewater pump.cadillac replaced the water pump.dealer paid for belt, etc. Amounting to about $190.less than a month following the water pump failure, the coolant began leaking.cadillac dealer charged $950 to replaceheater value and a few hoses.1 week later, car leaked again. Returned to cadillac dealer. Dealer kept car for two days, re-seated a water hose.1 week later, car began skipping.now cadillac dealer wants to remove hoses, etc. To get to elec spark plug. No estimate of cost yet. I believeall of this is related to the faulty water pump which i understand cadillachad on recall but i do not find the recall on your site.
I would like to place a complaint on record about the poor quality of the cadillac catera. These vehicles should have all been bought back by gm to protect the american public from their poor quality. I have a 1998 cadillac catera ,well cared for. Over the past year though the car has begun to leak oil heavily,to the point of actually being an enviromental hazard. The other day i took it to a local cadillac dealer only to be told the car has leaking valve cover gaskets,cam cover gaskets and an oil cooling line. They say $1200 will seal up most of the leaks. The car only has an original 65,000 miles on it. Upon hearing this i did an internet search on cateras and the horror stories are endless. It seems they all including mine have broken headlight aligners. This is apparently caused by heat and cheap manufacturing. This off course makes the headlights impossible to align and aim.it also seems that all cateras wear out tires in a very rapid time frame due to poor front end design. My 1998 has all these problems plus all four radio speakers have blown although they were never played loudly. The headlight lenses have heavily yellowed over thus reducing greatly the headlight power. I would strongly suggest you review accidents involving cateras as they could easily relate to the all to common headlight adjustment problem on these cars not to mention the oil blow by from the engine onto the front brake rotors. Please help get these cars off the road.
Engine cooling fluid leaked onto the engine and caused the vehicle to stall, and will not restart.had to be towedto the dealership.
Water keeps leaking from the engine.i have had the heater control valve replaced 3 weeks ago and now the water pump is leaking coolant.
Purchased 1998 cadillac catera 2/06/04. 64,546 miles.water pump failed as we arrived home with vehicle.selling dealer sent vehicle to his local cadillac dealer, capital cadillac for repairs.water pump was on recall.when water pump failed it damaged the main belt and caused it to comeoff disabeling power steering and other equipment powered by belt. Enginebriefly overheated while stopping.cadillac dealer replaced water pump on campaign 02041 and secondary air injection hose - campaign01037.the failure does not mention 02018.car has leaked coolant every since the dealer returned the car to us. The water pump damaged the engine. We want cadillac to repair or replace it. Cadillac cs will not communicate in writing, stating they only discuss orally.cadillac has refused to assist or give out any information related to similiarproblems.
No summary listed for abov evehicle.
Water valve failed resulting in coolant leak, the dealer replaced valve and refilled system, oil cooler line leaking, dealer resealed housing and replaced coolant bridge oil level sensor shorted .nlm
I have talked with a person a cole valley and he said that my car and other like mine had the same thing go wrong with it in one case some one had to buy a new engine for a 1997 and a 1998 don't know how people he'stalking about but my guess its up there .(tiresize: 23540zr18)( dot number:tire size: 23540zr18 )
Water valve failed resulting in coolant leak, the dealer replaced valve and refilled system, oil cooler line leaking, dealer resealed housing and replaced coolant bridge oil level sensor shorted .nlm
The water pump gave out.
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
A number of problems was wrong with vehicle:fog lights burned out fast/ radiator lights came on/steering mechanism malfunctioned, andtires have been changed a few times.tread separated whilemaking a left turn.dealer and manufacturer were trying to remedyproblem. Consumer wanted dealer/manufacturwer to buy back vehicle.
While driving engine locked up. Dealer diagnosed,to fixed it will cost over $10,000 sincemanufacturer doesn't produce any more this engine.
While driving at 65 mph, the tachometer dropped to zero, the check light came on and the vehicle stalled. The consumer was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road, the vehicle was towed toa dealership. The dealership indicated that the timing belt had broke anddestroyed the engine. The owners manual indicated that this part shouldn't been replaced until 60,000 miles and replacement is only required if the vehicle has more than one or more extreme cold start. Which hadn't occurred on this vehicle.*sc
Cadillac cater 1998 experienced multiple failure that caused engine damage.the trunk light bulbs failed.the trunk light bar failed.the key fob failed.the cd player failed.the window washer hose failed.the switch for heating and cooling system had to be replaced.the bottom gear of the crankshaft broke causing engine damage.the front and rear end had to be aligned due to the vehicle pulling to the right.the center link was also replaced.
The cruise control failed and the vehicles engine trembled because water had gotten into one of the cylinders. Ph*nlm
The vehicle stalls and is hard to start back up.vehicle has been todealer ten times, but thecause of the problem cannot be determined.
Timing belt tensioner failed at 51,000 miles (warranty ends at 50,000 miles) causing major damage to the valves and gears.requires new valves, tensioner, head gasket, belt, etc.service department told me that this is a problem specific to the catera.he said that tensioner system is unique to catera.this problem appears to be associated with a faulty system.other cadillac models do not have the same timing belt system. Quoted repair cost is $4,800.this is not just a timing belt problem, which is a normal wear and tear problem.most car owners expect to repair timing belts some time during their ownership, if they keep the vehicles long enough.however, we are talking about a $40,000 vehicle.consumers should not expect such a costly problem to occur on this car for a very long time, if ever.hopefully, once repaired, this will not occur again.most consumers can not afford an unexpected $4,800 repair bill once, let alone every few thousand miles.it just seems like the tensioner must be faulty or have a faulty design.the edmunds website shows many customers who have had this problem.gm knows about this costly problem.why haven't they made some provision for fixing the problem?
Head gasket leaking.
While driving about 25 mphserpentine belt fell off, causing power steering to malfunction. This happened without any indication. The problem was reported to the dealership.crankshaft/pulley was replaced under warranty.
While driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and lost power.consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed to dealership but the problem was not resolved.the consumer stateda recall was performed on the vehicle regarding the timing, but the recall repair failed.
The motor in the car started cutting out and slowing down when i would try to accelerate. There was never a knocking sound. There was no engine light and the car was overheating. From reading about this car online it sounds like a timing issue. I took it to a mechanic and was told he did not want to work on the car because of the complexity of the job. From what im told this has happened to alot of these cars and no recall has been issued!!why not!
Coolant leaking cause engine head needs replacing. *nlm
1998 cad. Catera - no incident started the problems - a mechanic knew it had a bad head gasket before opening the hood or being told why i was there because he said 9 out of 10 cateras have this problem. Consumer reports lists this year and model as a must to avoid car. At 60k miles had a bad head gasket, oil had gone through the system, car overheats, the hoses had to be replaced, it has to be flushed regularly, now at 80k miles, the power steering fluid is leaking, the coolant is leaking, the bearings and brakes are failing, the oil cannot be changed because the pan will break because the cap is welded on because of the heat in the engine.why wasn't there a recall. This is too young a car to be failing like this. I would like compensation!
Dt*:the contact stated while driving 50 mph on the highway, the engine stalled and there was a loss of all vehicle power without warning.the contact managed to pull the vehicle over without incident.the engine would not restart.the vehicle was towed to a dealer who determined the timing belt separated into and damaged the engine.due to the belt separation, the engine needed to be replaced.the manufacturer was alerted.
While driving and without warningengine cut off. Mechanic stated that timing belt broke, causingengine to malfunction.
While driving at 65mph and with no warningvehicle shuts off. Consumer is unable to getvehicle started back up. Dealer notified, the dealer found that the timing belt broke, the manufacturer had a program to repair 1998 catera's but since the consumers vehicle had a salvaged title the dealership was released from any responsiblity to repair the vehicle at no cost. *nlm
While driving vehicle died due to a faulty timing belt. Dealer has vehicle currently.
Timing belt tensioner pulley bearing is prematurely failing and causing major damage in the engine valve train.if the car is out of warranty,this defect results in the customer having to pay a repair bill of several thousand dollars.if the defect is found soon enough it still costs the cusomer over five hundred dollars.when i boughtthe cadillac the timing belt was suppose to last at least 100,000 miles and now i hear they are recommending the replacement of the assembly (p/n9120501) within 60k.the only problem with is some cars have the problem before 60k. The warranty on the replacement parts is 12 months/12k.there are also no procedures to assist the customer in reducing the costs of the necessary repairs.the edmunds website list many customers all over the country who have experienced this problem.gmshould be required to have a recall to fix this problem and they should be required to reimburse all customers who have experienced this problem.as far as i know allyears of this model can experience this problem.also the current replacement parts are prone to fail at the same rate as the original parts since the design hasn't been improved.
I had a problem with coolant leaking into oil possibly due to a bad oil cooler in the engine.the problem was fixed at a local mechanic shop.after a while, sometime in march of 2003 the problem reappeared and coolant is leaking into oil again.it also seemed that somebody replaced the oil cooler even before i bought the car.i had to pay a fortune to repair it the first time and now it's in the shop again and i will see what will happen this time.i am totally disappointed with cadillac, i will never buy another cadillac or possibly even gm after all the problems i had with this car. This was my first disappointment with american name car.
The consumer was informed the engine needed to be replaced.
Vehicle has stalled 3 times; first time at 40 mph vehicle sputtered/ stalled second time while driving 60 mph, and then started again while driving 50 mphwithout prior warning. Took vehicle to dealer twice, told consumer he could not findcause,unable to remedy problem.
Car stalled and never discovered problem.yh
The leveling light and engine light illuminate intermittently. Nlm
Consumer received letter from manufacturer warning him that camshaft/timing belt idler ,and pulley could fail, resulting in engine failure.
The vehicle would not start after being parked for a week. Yh
O-ring leaking.
Engine failed.
Contacted dealer immediately upon receipt of recall notice for engiine problem-was not advised of any imminent danger-lost power steering-car overheated & engine failure, brakes continue to squeal intermittently, steering pulls to side.
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
The leveling light and engine light illuminate intermittently. Nlm
The leveling light and engine light illuminate intermittently. Nlm
While driving, vehicle stalls and surges, intermittently the vehicle will not start, dealer has replaced the battery, alternator and crank sensor as the problems. *yd
I'm repairing theblown head gasket on the same engine for the third time in less than 50000 miles, 100000 total miles. These cars were lemons! cadillac knows it, but does not feel the need to respond to the thousands of catera owners who have suffered the expense of repeated repairs, totaling $10,000 with transmission replacement, major engine repair, timing belts, cooling systems, water pumps,and oh yeah...electrical system failure!!! give me a break! and any advice besides the obvious.
Dt*:the contact stated while driving 50 mph on the highway, the engine stalled and there was a loss of all vehicle power without warning.the contact managed to pull the vehicle over without incident.the engine would not restart.the vehicle was towed to a dealer who determined the timing belt separated into and damaged the engine.due to the belt separation, the engine needed to be replaced.the manufacturer was alerted.
Engine belt failed, caused major engine damage.yh
While driving about 25 mphserpentine belt fell off, causing power steering to malfunction. This happened without any indication. The problem was reported to the dealership.crankshaft/pulley was replaced under warranty.
The contact owns a 1998 cadillac catera.while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle shut off.the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the tension timing belt pulley failed.the entire system needed to be replaced at the estimated cost of $1,200.after the dealer replaced the parts, they found that the component was not the cause of the failure.the dealer will re-examine the vehicle in a three part order at the estimated cost of $6,000.a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the vin was included in the recall, but the recall was for specific manufacturing plants; therefore, they would not assist.the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown.the current and failure mileages were 20,000. Updated 08/04/09.*ljthe windshield wiper did not clean the window, the vehicle had 4 batteries, the oxygen sensor was replaced
The drive belt shredded causing the timing belt to jam resulting in damage the valve head.yh
While i wasmaking a wide turn, the timing belt of my 1998 caterabrokeanddamaged the engine head of my car. The pulley was bent in the process. This is a manufacturer's defect associated with the catera. Now the manufacturer has refused to fix my car. Itwill cost $5000.00.
Bought this 98 catera new.to be safe from blowouts tires need to be replaced about every 20,000 miles; basically, inside shoulder wear. Gm maintains this is normal and will not take any responsibility.now at 67,000 miles timing belt tensioner pulley failed resulting in several thousand dollars of engine damage !very disappointed in this gm product and notethe lauded 'cadillac service'' is clearly false advertising.in good faith we are unable to sell this car.is this government site of any real use ?clearly the tire wear safety problem and expensive idler/tensioner fan belt/timing belt problems deserve some consumer protection!*la
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
The contact owns a 1998 cadillac catera.while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle shut off.the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the tension timing belt pulley failed.the entire system needed to be replaced at the estimated cost of $1,200.after the dealer replaced the parts, they found that the component was not the cause of the failure.the dealer will re-examine the vehicle in a three part order at the estimated cost of $6,000.a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the vin was included in the recall, but the recall was for specific manufacturing plants; therefore, they would not assist.the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown.the current and failure mileages were 20,000. Updated 08/04/09.*ljthe windshield wiper did not clean the window, the vehicle had 4 batteries, the oxygen sensor was replaced
Exhaust manifold failed.
A/c compressor leaking and a/c compressor not cycling and leaking from the chase valve system. Compressor had to be replaced. Updated 01/11/08.*ljthe heater coolant valve had to be replaced. The front brake pads and sensor were replaced and the rotors had to be resurfaced. Updated.
Anteanna and cable failed.nlm
Anteanna and cable failed.nlm
Cadillac catera 1998, driver seat became extremely hot that consumer back was burned. The consumer first had a problem with the seat not heating was back in december of 2000 which was repaired. On previous occasion the consumer had work done. The molding around the windshield was loose, the consumer reported a wobble in the tire, one month later the consumer had a flat tire, he was then told the tires needed to replaced, there was static from the radio, the front pads were replaced and the brake sensor was replaced twice.
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Ongoing/ intermittent problem with headlights intermittently going out while in operation, causing poor visibility at night and couldcause a vehicle collision. Vehicle been in dealer shop on several occasions, andproblemstill occurring.
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
The headlights have no high beams.nlm
The headlights have no high beams.nlm
While driving and using turn signals ,the signals will not stop blinking unless vehiclemakes a 90 degree turn. The consumer feels this is unsafe to not only for him, but to everyone on the streets. Dealer was contacted, and stated that therewas no way to adjust the sound level in the vehicle.
Fuel filter replaced, fuel sender seal was leaking, fuel tank leaking causing the check engine light to illuminate.nlm.nlm
The tensioner pulley & timing belt was a know defect for vehicle and was recalled but i was never notified,at the time of failure i lost all power & control of the vehicle on an decline in a high traffic location in a server rain storm. Vehicle is now doa and gm refuses to remedytues evening 6/23 the check engine light goes on, in 30-45 seconds the car stopped running, earlier in the day i heard a knock and thought i ran over something as all gauges indicated everything was running normal.had aaa tow it to my home and next day (wed.) to the caddy dealer. They charge me $109 to assess the problem, then tell me the timing belt broke! it will cost another $600 labor for 5 hours of inspection to check the problem and depending what they find $$$$$$ to fix, daaaaa! i call the service manager he tells me he'll check it out and call me back. Ok so now he calls me and tell me the rep miss-quoted what they were going to do. Now it's the tension pulley that failed casing the timing belt to snap, to replace the whole set is $699 + labor and suggested i invest another $150 to change the coolant pump as it's showing signs of leakage at the same time so it doesn't run me additional costs later as it's in the same part of the engine as the pulley and belt. Grand total of $1207 + tax. "but" depending on what happens after they replace the tensioner pulley & timing belt there might be additional cost if the car still will not start. Ok so i tell him to go ahead. I decided to goggle the problem to see what it is i am paying for, hellllllo! what do i find but a major recall back in 9/2002 on the tensioner pulley failure causing the timing belt to snap!!!!!!!!! & the replacement of the coolant pump. I was never notified or advised of this recall.they never told me anything every time i brought the car in for service. I only have only 20,654 miles on the car, as it's my 2nd vehicle and use it locally for shopping.normal replacement for the timing belt & tensioner pulley is 70k mi.
Fuel filter replaced, fuel sender seal was leaking, fuel tank leaking causing the check engine light to illuminate.nlm.nlm
Fuel line behind passenger front tire was damaged by an object in the road that the driver ran over.the fuel line is not protected in anyway onthe inside of the tire well.this incident lead to a major gas leak and the engine shutting down on a busy highway.this could have been a very serious situation.
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
I'm repairing theblown head gasket on the same engine for the third time in less than 50000 miles, 100000 total miles. These cars were lemons! cadillac knows it, but does not feel the need to respond to the thousands of catera owners who have suffered the expense of repeated repairs, totaling $10,000 with transmission replacement, major engine repair, timing belts, cooling systems, water pumps,and oh yeah...electrical system failure!!! give me a break! and any advice besides the obvious.
Defective fuel pump caused vehicle to become disabled.*nlm
Whenever vehicle is parked overnight it would fail to restart again. Would have tow vehicle to dealer each time this happened, 8 timesso far. Mechanic would reprogram key; replaced battery/faulty fuel injectors and the temperature gauge. Gmc epurchasedthis vehicle in october, 1999 forthe full purchase price less $400.oo
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
The back door locks do not work. Yh
The rear door locks do not work intermittently.nlm
The rear door locks do not work intermittently.nlm
Door lock failed.yh
The rear door locks do not work intermittently.nlm
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
Engine have a problem with oil pressure that stay below minimum at idle when engine is at operating temp.front control arm bushing fail with less then 90000 miles.auto transmission fail with less then 90000 miles. Have engagement problems and shifting problem.
Vehicle will not stay in alignment. Dealer claims they are going by gmc specs. But alignment is off, causinginner edge of tires to wear down to steel.there was intermittent problem of shifting out of park.the vehicle had been in and out of shop more than ten times for warranty repair.al four tires had be to teplaced due to factory related alignment problem.
Car over heating, smoking, steaming.took to mechanic, was told that engine blew, later to find out oil cooler went.also just found out my transmissions needs over hauled, no warning, no leaks. Heat regulator has been replaced twice, ignition coil has been replaced, all wires have to be replaced.engine has and still does run too hot, causing continuous problems with engine parts. Etc. I purchased the car in 2001, purchased extended warranty, that has since ware out.my sun roof does not work, my keyless entry does not work, here it is 2005 and the car only has or around 65,000 miles on it, when purchased only had 23,000, i only drive the car to work and back, and too run errands.why am i having so many problems with it, i can't even get a dealer to take it as trade in.
Transmission failed.yh
I'm repairing theblown head gasket on the same engine for the third time in less than 50000 miles, 100000 total miles. These cars were lemons! cadillac knows it, but does not feel the need to respond to the thousands of catera owners who have suffered the expense of repeated repairs, totaling $10,000 with transmission replacement, major engine repair, timing belts, cooling systems, water pumps,and oh yeah...electrical system failure!!! give me a break! and any advice besides the obvious.
1998 cad. Catera - no incident started the problems - a mechanic knew it had a bad head gasket before opening the hood or being told why i was there because he said 9 out of 10 cateras have this problem. Consumer reports lists this year and model as a must to avoid car. At 60k miles had a bad head gasket, oil had gone through the system, car overheats, the hoses had to be replaced, it has to be flushed regularly, now at 80k miles, the power steering fluid is leaking, the coolant is leaking, the bearings and brakes are failing, the oil cannot be changed because the pan will break because the cap is welded on because of the heat in the engine.why wasn't there a recall. This is too young a car to be failing like this. I would like compensation!
My recent problem is i can't take the car out of park.i try for more than 30 time and yes, i have my foot on the brake.this car has been in the shop more than 35+ time since 1999 and its nothing but problems.
Both of the front seat belts do not work due to a sound that happens to the seat belts. The noise sounds like the seat belt exploded. Once this happens, the seat belt tightens around the front seat passenger. This happens without the driver applying the brakes or any sudden impact. The seat belts tighten around the front passengers, causing the passengers to be unsafe.if this happens now, what will happen if there was an impact and the seat belt would tighten what would around the passenger.
Driver side power seat motor failed.yh
Seat heater switch inoperable.yh
Cadillac catera 1998, driver seat became extremely hot that consumer back was burned. The consumer first had a problem with the seat not heating was back in december of 2000 which was repaired. On previous occasion the consumer had work done. The molding around the windshield was loose, the consumer reported a wobble in the tire, one month later the consumer had a flat tire, he was then told the tires needed to replaced, there was static from the radio, the front pads were replaced and the brake sensor was replaced twice.
The heating element in the front passenger seat failed, which caused the leather to melt.
No description given.
Two tireslost pressure in last two months.goodyear, rsa tires,mts p225/55r16 94h.first tire was 2 months ago,front drivers side.second tire was a week ago,rear driver's side.heated seat is inoperable, dealer replaced heating element.
Passenger side seat caught on fire without warning. The dealer stated seat heater malfunctioned.
Numerous issues with 1998 catera.had timing belt tensioner-pulleys/cam drive replaced last year(3-2002) while under warranty."service campaign" was issued by cadillac in sept 2002 for catera's to have came drive idler/tensioner pulley/water pump replaced with new version.got vehicle serviced today and was informed that car had another serious problem that needed to be corrected-out of pocket-coolant crossover leaking into oil cooler, and valve cover was leaking oil.....the car runs extremely hot, has poor performance, gets terrible gas millage, battery has low voltage when nothing is left on by mistake, replaced the battery 4 time in two years, a/c had new compressor replaced past summer 2002 still not able to cool car and while in use the car sounds like a tractor, boggs down the perfromance.had to have entire brake system replaced (cost over 800.00) at 34,000, purchased 4 sets of michellan mxv4 tires in last 2 years-inside tread seperation on front tires caused blow out twice.
Faulty braking.
1998 cad. Catera - no incident started the problems - a mechanic knew it had a bad head gasket before opening the hood or being told why i was there because he said 9 out of 10 cateras have this problem. Consumer reports lists this year and model as a must to avoid car. At 60k miles had a bad head gasket, oil had gone through the system, car overheats, the hoses had to be replaced, it has to be flushed regularly, now at 80k miles, the power steering fluid is leaking, the coolant is leaking, the bearings and brakes are failing, the oil cannot be changed because the pan will break because the cap is welded on because of the heat in the engine.why wasn't there a recall. This is too young a car to be failing like this. I would like compensation!
Cadillac catera 1998, driver seat became extremely hot that consumer back was burned. The consumer first had a problem with the seat not heating was back in december of 2000 which was repaired. On previous occasion the consumer had work done. The molding around the windshield was loose, the consumer reported a wobble in the tire, one month later the consumer had a flat tire, he was then told the tires needed to replaced, there was static from the radio, the front pads were replaced and the brake sensor was replaced twice.
Windshield wipers. Squeaky brakes.
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
A/c compressor leaking and a/c compressor not cycling and leaking from the chase valve system. Compressor had to be replaced. Updated 01/11/08.*ljthe heater coolant valve had to be replaced. The front brake pads and sensor were replaced and the rotors had to be resurfaced. Updated.
Contacted dealer immediately upon receipt of recall notice for engiine problem-was not advised of any imminent danger-lost power steering-car overheated & engine failure, brakes continue to squeal intermittently, steering pulls to side.
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
Intermittent brake failure. Complete form.
Mid-june abs tc warning lights appear in 1998 cadillac catera.ebtcm diagnosed as failed.dealer ordered new ebtcm, not available. Cadillac customer service confirms "national backorder" not a single one of these parts in gm warehouse systems, dealer system, etc.took car to chevy (gm) dealer (7/9/05) to diagnose.confirm failure of ebtcm; part not available.called cadillac customer service, e-mailed multiple times.response remains constant...national back order, no knowledge when part will be available.we must drive car with no abs, tc, or speedometer (which doesn't work when abs tc are nonfunctional) and stiff power steering which is also a result of no abs tc.neither cadillac nor gm can specify when such part will be available, nor have they proposed a loaner car to drive until part arrives.we are driving a car that, in my opinion, is unsafe should we find ourselves in a situation that requires the abs or traction control.the speedometer is non-functional and steering becomes stiff due to the failure of this module.gm needs to remedy this situation.how can they sell cars that they cannot provide parts for.safety seems to be my problem, not theirs as it is "my" ebtcm that has failed now that it is out of warranty.
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
The brake maintainence warning is defective and insufficent. According the owner's manual when the warning light appears the consumer will need to have brakes serviced soon. The warning light does not appear when the brake pads need changing, which is a warning. The brakes do not have a sensor which causes the brakes to squeal when pads need replacing. Therefore, not giving the consumer the opportunity to make minor repairs before serious damage and injury occur. However, the brake maintainence light does appear when your pads have completely worn out, you now have damage to your rotors, and damage to your cylinders now turning an $200-$300 repair to a $1000 repair. This is unfair and deceitful to the consumer. Discussed issue with gm customer assistant supervisor who basically told me ole' well, too bad-so sad.
The brakes vibrate due to faulty front and rear rotors, on another occasion the brake light illuminated, it was determined that the front pads, rotors and sensors needed to be replaced.nlm
The brakes vibrate due to faulty front and rear rotors, on another occasion the brake light illuminated, it was determined that the front pads, rotors and sensors needed to be replaced.nlm
The brake maintainence warning is defective and insufficent. According the owner's manual when the warning light appears the consumer will need to have brakes serviced soon. The warning light does not appear when the brake pads need changing, which is a warning. The brakes do not have a sensor which causes the brakes to squeal when pads need replacing. Therefore, not giving the consumer the opportunity to make minor repairs before serious damage and injury occur. However, the brake maintainence light does appear when your pads have completely worn out, you now have damage to your rotors, and damage to your cylinders now turning an $200-$300 repair to a $1000 repair. This is unfair and deceitful to the consumer. Discussed issue with gm customer assistant supervisor who basically told me ole' well, too bad-so sad.
The brakes vibrate due to faulty front and rear rotors, on another occasion the brake light illuminated, it was determined that the front pads, rotors and sensors needed to be replaced.nlm
The brakes vibrate due to faulty front and rear rotors, on another occasion the brake light illuminated, it was determined that the front pads, rotors and sensors needed to be replaced.nlm
The brake maintainence warning is defective and insufficent. According the owner's manual when the warning light appears the consumer will need to have brakes serviced soon. The warning light does not appear when the brake pads need changing, which is a warning. The brakes do not have a sensor which causes the brakes to squeal when pads need replacing. Therefore, not giving the consumer the opportunity to make minor repairs before serious damage and injury occur. However, the brake maintainence light does appear when your pads have completely worn out, you now have damage to your rotors, and damage to your cylinders now turning an $200-$300 repair to a $1000 repair. This is unfair and deceitful to the consumer. Discussed issue with gm customer assistant supervisor who basically told me ole' well, too bad-so sad.
Rotors have been turned and resurfacedto frequently.
Error in diagnosis provided to nhtsa.request to purge information submitted on initial contact.*ml
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
While slowing down from 65 to 5 mph, the vehicle lost all steering power causing loss of control. Consumer managed to pull of the road. Vehicle was towed to dealer & they informed consumer that the harmonic balancer broke, which causedthe steering belt to fall off. Currently, vehicle is at dealership being repaired.
A number of problems was wrong with vehicle:fog lights burned out fast/ radiator lights came on/steering mechanism malfunctioned, andtires have been changed a few times.tread separated whilemaking a left turn.dealer and manufacturer were trying to remedyproblem. Consumer wanted dealer/manufacturwer to buy back vehicle.
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
Power steering failed.
Power steering failed.yh
Without warning, the steering linkage on driver side snapped while operating vehicle at a slow speed. I need to know if the same type of failure has occurred on other cadillac catera's or other models built since 1997.
Without warning, the steering linkage on driver side snapped while operating vehicle at a slow speed. I need to know if the same type of failure has occurred on other cadillac catera's or other models built since 1997.
Traveling approximately 45mph when front end & steering wheel started vibrating. Took to dealer & was informed by mechanic that snow was lodged in wheel well & other parts of vehicle. This caused vehicle to be unbalanced and is a very common problem.
Cadillac catera 1998, driver seat became extremely hot that consumer back was burned. The consumer first had a problem with the seat not heating was back in december of 2000 which was repaired. On previous occasion the consumer had work done. The molding around the windshield was loose, the consumer reported a wobble in the tire, one month later the consumer had a flat tire, he was then told the tires needed to replaced, there was static from the radio, the front pads were replaced and the brake sensor was replaced twice.
Rear passanger door failed.
Door bushing and pin worn.nlm
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Door lock not activating with keyless remote.nlm
Electronic door locks failed.yh
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
Warped tires from aligment caused vehicle to vibrate. Vehicle didn't have a real aligmnent, dealership was aware of problem.consumer states that all tires need replaced every 18000 miles, consumer uses goodyear eagle rsa, p225/55r16, dot number e130294097 tires.
Tires are wearing out on rear more than others. Also, front tires are wearing out. Consumer adds that dealer installed 4 new tires, however the tireswore out in 10,000 miles. Dealer is not willing to do anything more regarding this manufacturer defect with vehicle, possible suspension problem.
Engine have a problem with oil pressure that stay below minimum at idle when engine is at operating temp.front control arm bushing fail with less then 90000 miles.auto transmission fail with less then 90000 miles. Have engagement problems and shifting problem.
Cadillac cater 1998 experienced multiple failure that caused engine damage.the trunk light bulbs failed.the trunk light bar failed.the key fob failed.the cd player failed.the window washer hose failed.the switch for heating and cooling system had to be replaced.the bottom gear of the crankshaft broke causing engine damage.the front and rear end had to be aligned due to the vehicle pulling to the right.the center link was also replaced.
Tires experiencing wear due to front end being out of alignment.nlm
Vehicle will pull toleft or toright while driving or applying brakes. Consumer must hold wheel in order to maintain control. Dealer claims it is normal characteristic.
Tires experiencing wear due to front end being out of alignment.nlm
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Vehicle will not stay in alignment. Dealer claims they are going by gmc specs. But alignment is off, causinginner edge of tires to wear down to steel.there was intermittent problem of shifting out of park.the vehicle had been in and out of shop more than ten times for warranty repair.al four tires had be to teplaced due to factory related alignment problem.
Tires experiencing wear due to front end being out of alignment.nlm
Tire failure addmitttedly due to front end alignment problems.service bulletin did not correct the problem as tires were unusable at 30,000 dealer adjusted alignment as per sb.the replaced tires were in identical condition at 60,000.good year would not help because the belts had worn thru inside of tires due to alignment problems(identical problem)...( dot number: )
Excessive wear on interior sidewall of tires; i suspect the problem is with the rear suspension which has too much camber in the design for american tires.the previous technical notice send out was for the front suspension and was probably the wrong diagnosis.
Car over heating, smoking, steaming.took to mechanic, was told that engine blew, later to find out oil cooler went.also just found out my transmissions needs over hauled, no warning, no leaks. Heat regulator has been replaced twice, ignition coil has been replaced, all wires have to be replaced.engine has and still does run too hot, causing continuous problems with engine parts. Etc. I purchased the car in 2001, purchased extended warranty, that has since ware out.my sun roof does not work, my keyless entry does not work, here it is 2005 and the car only has or around 65,000 miles on it, when purchased only had 23,000, i only drive the car to work and back, and too run errands.why am i having so many problems with it, i can't even get a dealer to take it as trade in.
Suspension will not stay in alignment.have replaced all four tires at 13,000 miles with realignment and currently is in the shop to replace all tires and have aligned again.there has to be something wrong with the specs or the vehicle. Numerous other complaints on this vehicle for same problem. (tiresize: p225/55r16)
A service bulletin was received in february of 1999 that ront end alignment was causing tire wear.auto should be taken to dealer for service.if tires are worn due to alignment, replace tires.my tires were worn and replaced at 17800 miles.the replacement tires now need replacing after 18000 additional miles.alignment is out frequently, front tires are wearing, car is rear wheel drive.i believe a front end problem exist creating the tire wear.
Consumer notice unusual wear to front tires vehicle was service by dealer technician notice independent front needed to be replace. Please provide further information. Ts
Tires are wearing out at inside, it's not noticeable onouter tire.consumer has had 10 tires put on vehicle, and they all wore out oninside right tosteel belts.tires are goodyear eagle rsa, size p225/55r16, consumer states that goodyear or cadillac has a solution, possibly a suspension problem.
Front end misalignment caused premature tire wear. Yh
Front end misalignment caused premature tire wear. Yh
Both front tires are worn excessively on the insides due to improper allignment.purchased vehicle used on 1-28-02, and have complained about the front end pulling to the left.have had a new tie rod put on, but this did not help.new tires were on vehicle when purchased.drivers side tire is worse, with steel cord coming thru, passenger side tire is worn bad.after looking into this, it seems that the control arm and/or control arm bushings are at fault and that general motors and the cadillac division are aware of this problem.at this time i have an appointment with gm dealer to have new tires installed and have a 4 wheel allignment done.tires have approximately 25000 miles on them, rear tires seem fine for this mileage.this vehicle has 68000 miles on it, i am currently looking into finding past owners for more information on this problem.*la
The rear wheels will not line up on the vehicle causing the rear tires to wear out. *cjconsumer has taken vehicle to dealer on three occasions, however no remedy has been made.
Electronic load levelars failed.yh
Tires prematurely wear out on inside edge of the rear tires. This cannot be noticed due to the location. Cadillac says there is no fix for this condition . This is a saftey issue that must be addressed. (tiresize: 225/55/r16)
Cadillac catera 1998, driver seat became extremely hot that consumer back was burned. The consumer first had a problem with the seat not heating was back in december of 2000 which was repaired. On previous occasion the consumer had work done. The molding around the windshield was loose, the consumer reported a wobble in the tire, one month later the consumer had a flat tire, he was then told the tires needed to replaced, there was static from the radio, the front pads were replaced and the brake sensor was replaced twice.
Tires were checked during 3000 mile oil change and tire wear was reported as normal.900 miles later we experienced a shimming when driving at around 70 miles an hour.stopped to have tires checked at goodyear dealer and the tires were worn down to wearbars approximately 4 inch strip on each of the front tires.goodyear dealer stated and cadillac confirmed that cadillac catera is noted for alignmnent problems causing unusual tire wear. This is a safety issue when in less than 900 miles a tire can wear to a seriously dangerous level.research via various web sites indicates many catera owners experiencing serious problems with dangerous tire wear and wheel alignments. (tiresize: p225/55r16)( dot number:tire size: p225/55r16 )
Due to a manufacturer's defect theall four tires became bald, and causedvehicle to slide. This could have resulted a crash.manufacturer admitted it was a manufacturer's defect, but was not willing to repair vehicle.please provide further information.
Tires worn out on inside. Not readily visible. Safety issue. Gm will not repair. Car misaligned from factory. Technical bulletin issued.
The cadillac catersa has a design flaw that causes the tires to wear rapidly.the first time there was a problem i noticed a vibration in the car and took the car in to have the tires balanced and rotated.i was told the tires were worn out and there was no need to rotate or balance.the car had approximately 17,000 miles on it and you could see the chords on the inside of tire.frank kent replaced the tires and i was told it must have been a bad set of tires because everything else was within specs.in july of this year, my wife took the car in to get the tires rotated and balanced before going on a trip to oklahoma.again, we were told two of the tires were worn out and there was no need to have the tires rotated and balanced.the car had approximately 28,000 miles on it.this time frank kent tells me the catera is within prescribed specs but, it has been discovered the specs, specified for the rear toe in, causes the car to wear out tires in under 20,000 miles even if rotated every 6,000 miles.frank kent replaced two of the four tires and advised me cadillac will not replace any more tires after 30,000 miles, andwe should have the tires rotated every 6,000 miles. Their manual says 10,000 miles.this vehicle has a design flaw.the window sticker lulls customers into believing the tires on the vehicle are warranted for 50,000 miles and then they wear out and become dangerous in 20,000 miles or less.worn out tires caused by the design of the vehicle could cause blow outs and death.i would think cadillac would want to fix the problem now rather than later but, they have refused.if there is one accident because of this design flaw that is one too many!we bought the car and paid for it in good faith.we need your help in this unfair problem.
All four tires wore within 1/64" of wearbar at 20000 miles. Goodyear made adjustment on replacement tires. However during replacement it was noted two front tires had a 1' wornband around inside edges to the extent that fabric ( internal support) was exposed.either one or both tires were about ready to fail( dot number: tire size: p225/55r16 )
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
In january 1999 i received a service bulletin # 81-31-02 from cadillac motor vehicle division informing me that the catera had a tendency to "...drift or lead to the right while driving and/or the front tires appear to be wearing more on the inner shoulder." i took the vehicle in the repair per their request but the tires continued to wear on the inner edge to the point of steel tread showing through but sterling & cadillac motor vehicle division now say there's "nothing we can do about it".in the meantime i need 4 new tires. I believe there is a defect in the nonmenclature of this vehicle causing premature breakdown of the tires. (tiresize: 225/55-16)( dot number: tire size: 225/55-16 )
Bought this 98 catera new.to be safe from blowouts tires need to be replaced about every 20,000 miles; basically, inside shoulder wear. Gm maintains this is normal and will not take any responsibility.now at 67,000 miles timing belt tensioner pulley failed resulting in several thousand dollars of engine damage !very disappointed in this gm product and notethe lauded 'cadillac service'' is clearly false advertising.in good faith we are unable to sell this car.is this government site of any real use ?clearly the tire wear safety problem and expensive idler/tensioner fan belt/timing belt problems deserve some consumer protection!*la
I justbought theseventh new tiresince i bought the catera.i was told the alignment was set wrong at the factory.cadiallacreplaced three tires.they just keep wearing out.i've had three blowouts.just lucky i didn't have an accident.i am selling the vehicle.( dot number: tire size: p225/55r16 )
I justbought theseventh new tiresince i bought the catera.i was told the alignment was set wrong at the factory.cadiallacreplaced three tires.they just keep wearing out.i've had three blowouts.just lucky i didn't have an accident.i am selling the vehicle.( dot number: tire size: p225/55r16 )
Tires are wearing out at inside, it's not noticeable onouter tire.consumer has had 10 tires put on vehicle, and they all wore out oninside right tosteel belts.tires are goodyear eagle rsa, size p225/55r16, consumer states that goodyear or cadillac has a solution, possibly a suspension problem.
The tires have cupped on several occasions causing noise and causing the vehicle to pull to the left while driving, two tires were replaced on 25-aug-1999 at 19020 miles, all four were replaced on 11-jul-2000 (goodyear tires).nlm
Fuel line behind passenger front tire was damaged by an object in the road that the driver ran over.the fuel line is not protected in anyway onthe inside of the tire well.this incident lead to a major gas leak and the engine shutting down on a busy highway.this could have been a very serious situation.
The tires have cupped on several occasions causing noise and causing the vehicle to pull to the left while driving, two tires were replaced on 25-aug-1999 at 19020 miles, all four were replaced on 11-jul-2000 (goodyear tires).nlm
Two tireslost pressure in last two months.goodyear, rsa tires,mts p225/55r16 94h.first tire was 2 months ago,front drivers side.second tire was a week ago,rear driver's side.heated seat is inoperable, dealer replaced heating element.
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
A number of problems was wrong with vehicle:fog lights burned out fast/ radiator lights came on/steering mechanism malfunctioned, andtires have been changed a few times.tread separated whilemaking a left turn.dealer and manufacturer were trying to remedyproblem. Consumer wanted dealer/manufacturwer to buy back vehicle.
Numerous issues with 1998 catera.had timing belt tensioner-pulleys/cam drive replaced last year(3-2002) while under warranty."service campaign" was issued by cadillac in sept 2002 for catera's to have came drive idler/tensioner pulley/water pump replaced with new version.got vehicle serviced today and was informed that car had another serious problem that needed to be corrected-out of pocket-coolant crossover leaking into oil cooler, and valve cover was leaking oil.....the car runs extremely hot, has poor performance, gets terrible gas millage, battery has low voltage when nothing is left on by mistake, replaced the battery 4 time in two years, a/c had new compressor replaced past summer 2002 still not able to cool car and while in use the car sounds like a tractor, boggs down the perfromance.had to have entire brake system replaced (cost over 800.00) at 34,000, purchased 4 sets of michellan mxv4 tires in last 2 years-inside tread seperation on front tires caused blow out twice.
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
Engine light comes on freqently. Yh
I have had so many problems with this car and they just keep piling up.i just replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets a month ago and now my oil pressure is failing.my service writter tells me this car is notorius for problems with the engine, specifically the way it handles oil and cooling.i sent a letter to cadillac when i had probles a month ago but have heard nothing.is there anything i can do?
Consumer states that the instrument panel light will work intermittently causing a distraction to the consumer. Dealer notified. Mr
Engine light comes on frequently. Yh
While driving engine check light came on. Took vehicle to dealer ,and they replaced some parts.
Near miss of severe accidental injury/property damage.problem: safety hazard designed into cruise control switch pod. No permanent off feature. Cruise active and bypass of off switch in any mode selected by set-accel/coast-resume rocker switch.set-accel/coast-resume rocker switch detent on my catera failed (broke). Road bump or use of turn signal activates switch.during passing at 65mph+, right signal activated accel feature. Speed immediately increased to 80+mph and i narrowly averted rearending car(s) ahead.similar failures may be cause of other rearenders and/or unexplained acceleration accidents. Switch configuration is not similar to u.s. Designs, but operation learning curve is not difficult.serious hazard in design.recommend standard u.s. Switch arrangement in same ergonomic pod and recal and replacement.
Consumer was waiting for light to change, when she drove off, vehicle accelerated andrear ended another vehicle. She then tried to put vehicle in drive, but vehicle would jump back and forward at leased three times, continuing to hit the vehicle in front.
The cruise control failed and the vehicles engine trembled because water had gotten into one of the cylinders. Ph*nlm
Water keeps leaking from the engine.i have had the heater control valve replaced 3 weeks ago and now the water pump is leaking coolant.
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
The vanity mirror fell off and was replaced.nlm
Brake insp.brake replaced3/9/00;check engine light on 5/12/00-fuel injectordirty, replace sensor; left window slow in operation - 6/23/00;ingintion remote key not working- two replacement 6/23/00;car jerking in sport mode, prblems with headlights, sunroof slides back an forth without turning dial,recall on engine check pulley 7/05/000; check engine lightoncar stalls7/31/00; vibration on acceleration told nothing wrong with car but tires, replacetwo front tires, i was told to replace tire rods.i ask for a rea susp. I was told it was not necessary and that they did not have time to do it that day. Right front headlamp out 3/01/01; left head light out 4/13/01;check engine light on, sunroof opens while driving w/o turning dial,5/24/01; remote key not working replace key , check engine light on, 6/21/01; check engine light on , slow pickup, rear sus. Rough ride help-recall emission 7/26/01; check engine light on contact dealer on my way out of town told not to worry about the check engine light and to adjust the knob on the gas tank by turning it several times. 8/6/01; car will not start battery dead, sunroof not working.contact tow service they refuse to take car to dealer. Tow service boost car battery and left.sunroof refuse to operate. Check engine light on 8/13/01-car parked going on vacation;check engine light on return from vacation 8/23/01-help- doing the first year of 1999 i had problems with my breaks thoses documents were destroyed in a house fire. My house caught on fire on 11/24/99. (tiresize: 14rhs)
Car over heating, smoking, steaming.took to mechanic, was told that engine blew, later to find out oil cooler went.also just found out my transmissions needs over hauled, no warning, no leaks. Heat regulator has been replaced twice, ignition coil has been replaced, all wires have to be replaced.engine has and still does run too hot, causing continuous problems with engine parts. Etc. I purchased the car in 2001, purchased extended warranty, that has since ware out.my sun roof does not work, my keyless entry does not work, here it is 2005 and the car only has or around 65,000 miles on it, when purchased only had 23,000, i only drive the car to work and back, and too run errands.why am i having so many problems with it, i can't even get a dealer to take it as trade in.
Due to a defect in front aligment tires wore excessively.the rotors were turned and resurfaced several times. The brakes pulsate, squeak and go too low to the floor. The third set of tires that were on the vehicle were wearing out due to an alignment problem, also another tire was leaking air. The passenger rear door handle broke and the driver's rear door hinge was unstable, also the driver's door lock sticks. The wipers scrub. The steering column makes noise. The right side head light shines too high.
Windshield wipers. Squeaky brakes.
The contact owns a 1998 cadillac catera.while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle shut off.the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the tension timing belt pulley failed.the entire system needed to be replaced at the estimated cost of $1,200.after the dealer replaced the parts, they found that the component was not the cause of the failure.the dealer will re-examine the vehicle in a three part order at the estimated cost of $6,000.a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the vin was included in the recall, but the recall was for specific manufacturing plants; therefore, they would not assist.the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown.the current and failure mileages were 20,000. Updated 08/04/09.*ljthe windshield wiper did not clean the window, the vehicle had 4 batteries, the oxygen sensor was replaced
Wipers inoperative and wiper blades faulty.nlm
Wipers inoperative and wiper blades faulty.nlm
Sensors went bad.oil currently in the engine, head gaskets gone.too much play in the steering column.crank sensor and ignition coil pack repair
Tires were checked during 3000 mile oil change and tire wear was reported as normal.900 miles later we experienced a shimming when driving at around 70 miles an hour.stopped to have tires checked at goodyear dealer and the tires were worn down to wearbars approximately 4 inch strip on each of the front tires.goodyear dealer stated and cadillac confirmed that cadillac catera is noted for alignmnent problems causing unusual tire wear. This is a safety issue when in less than 900 miles a tire can wear to a seriously dangerous level.research via various web sites indicates many catera owners experiencing serious problems with dangerous tire wear and wheel alignments. (tiresize: p225/55r16)( dot number:tire size: p225/55r16 )
Like all cadillac catera owners we know, we have had and are continuing to have endless major repair bills on the catera (98 model).the water pump has failed and caused the engine to run hot.the water pump was on recall.cadillac replaced the pump but charged for belts and other parts damaged by the failure.we have spend over $1,900 trying to solve a morning cold start skipping problem.the problem comes and goes.cadillac dealer replaced the heater control valve and charged $953. Problem still occurs.then a repair shop charged over $600to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires.problem still occurs.then theytold us it had to be the coil pack. We spent over $300 on that.problem still occurs.the car in back at the cadillac dealer's shop yesterday and today. Sofar they cannot locate problem.a co-worker of my wife's at the georgia motor vehicle safety department ownesa catera.she and her husband have spent over $9,000 on their catera in thepast two years for repairs.they cannot keep tires on the car. The co-workersaid they had the same cold start problem with their catera. It cost over $500for a starter switch part.it appears cadillac threw the car together from an engine from england, a transmission from france and assembled the car in germany.i don't think it is fair for consummers to have to foot the bill for cadillac's neglegency in not properly testing the car prior to marketing.this is nothing short of consummer fraud. We have owned two cadillac sevilles, a deville, and a small cadillac back in the80's.we presently drive a seville.we have never had any major problems with cadillac products until this catera.it is not cadillac quality and appears to have been marketed without proper training of mechanics in the field in spite of gm's constant advertisements about the excellence of "mr. Good wrench."cadillacshould be required to fix their problems with the catera design.
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