While driving about 65 MPH on the highway and without warning the vehicle shut down due to a belt which held the pulley into the engine, melting. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for analysis.*ak the mechanic discovered what the problem was and informed the consumer the part was on recall. *jb
1997 Cadillac Catera engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 75, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Consumer stated while driving on the highway at 50 MPH, the engine light came on and started smoking really bad. Consumer pulled onto the shoulder where the engine died. Vehicle was taken to mechanic who in turn informed the consumer that the engine sensor was not functional and caused the head gasket to become damaged.
While driving, the vehicle over heated, the dealer replaced the heater valve, however the problem recurred. The dealer then stated the radiator needed to be replaced.
I purchased a 1997 cadillac catera on jan 31, 2001 from united automax in memphis, tn. From the date of purchase I have had extensive problems with this car. Beginning with electrical problems with the lights. Since then I have had problems with tires wearing out prematurely, heater core replaced, rotors replaced and wearing out again within a year's time. Fuses have blown, radiator fan along with other problems. Numerous recalls and etc. On april 14, 2003 I took my car to bud davis cadillac in memphis and reported that I could smell oil burning. They stated that I needed valve covers resealed and to replace rear main seal. (the work was done thru my extended warranty company). I returned to the dealer and told them about noise coming from the right front end. They in return replaced right and left lower control arm. When I went to pick up the car from dealer I noticed that the noise still existed and informed service agent before I left the dealer's lot. They informed me that it was a bad strut link to which my extended warranty did not cover. After discussing the matter with another machanic (not dealer), he stated that the name of the part was a stabilizer not strut. And not only did the noise exist in the front end, but there was a hissing sound coming from under the hood and that the oil light began to come on and stay on. The mechanic suggested that the hissing noise came from a part that was probably damaged by bud davis cadillac when repairing valves and seals. I then returned to the dealer. I informed the dealer that my warranty company did cover the stabilizer linkage and they stated that the service agent used the wrong terminology. They agreed to fix it and did, but refused to check the source of the hissing sound without me paying for it. It seems that each week or month there are extensive repairs needed.
The consumer is experiencing the following: the engine is overheating/there's a loud tapping sound, the brakes are grinding on the right side, the power locks at times won't unlock/must play with the floor shifter, and the clock was repaired. The dealer suggested that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, in reference to the engine. Scc
Their are to many problems and trips to the dealership to list!!! I experienced four recalls at once on july 25th, 2002. The technicians are obviously incompentent or have no clue how to fix this vehicle correctly in the first place. I called the gm customer service number given run around. I suffered a catrostrofic engine failure as a result of low coolant in my engine when failures occurred. Letters from gm state vehicles can suffer engine damaged or engine failure and that they will cover the losses and at no cost to me. I have to pay for the cost, total $1,700.71 for the engine cooler to be replaced!! Gm refuses to cover the engine cooler damage!! Car still is not running right and engine sounds horrible. The service manager gets on the phone and starts yelling at me because I have a filed a local lawsuit against the dealership and gm. He told me he refuses to honor my warrantys both from the recall work performed and the repairs I had to pay for 12 month/12,000 miles warranty. I have no cooperation from the dealership or gm and I'm stuck with a lemon no one wants because the value is so low compared to what I paid for the car and the known problems (lemon) for this make and model. The bbb refuses to help. This agency is everyone's last hope that owns a catera because gm treats us like dirt and refuses to cover the engine damages and related damages that occur when these failures that they acknowledge finally. Please help us as consumers and inforce a mandatory recall on this entire vehicle. We are all paying for cars that have little to no value with loans that we are unable to get out of because the trade in value is so poor. It's not right and is absoloutely un american!!!!! I wish some attorneys would file a class action lawsuit against gm to make them do just that or help us get out of these lemons. Please help us.
Rear brake lights not working. $145 to repair this important safety item that should not fail. Secondary air injection valve and lr oxygen sensor bad causing "check engine" light to come on. $345 to repair this item that should not fail. Have gone through two sets of tires on this vehicle as a result of abnormal wear to the inside of tires. Dt
Consumer stated that the engine was replaced due to both tension bearings and timing belt failure, consumer has since sold the vehicle.
I would like to know why every cadillac dealer in the country knows this is a problem, but gm will not offer a recall on the belt/tensioner. This can literally cause upwards of $5000 damage to the engine. Please advise.
Timing belt tensioner broke 800 miles from home while doing 75 MPH on the interstate in missouri. With traffic, there could easily been an accident. Seems to be a common and dangerous problem. Nlm
The vehicle experienced a slow start when being started in the morning. The dealer replaced the alternator and battery but the problem still exists. The battery failed four times in three days. Nlm the vehicle stalled (in which the vehicle roared for a while), and may have derived from the engine camshaft drive timing belt, idler, tensioner pulleys, and the water pump. Scc
Timing chain broke while driving 35 MPH and caused vehicle to slow down to a stop in traffic. Vehicle was towed to dealer,and informed that the condition blew the engine. Feel free to provide any further information.
While driving, the water pump experienced an internal failure, causing damage to the valves.
Vehicle stalled at 35-40 MPH and was towed to dealer. Dealer stated timing belt had broken, causing damage to engine. Engine had to be replaced. Vehicle is still at dealership, cadillac has no engine for this vehicle. Engine for this vehicle was discontinued, and the new ones will not fit vehicle.
While driving 65 MPH, engine stalled. Dealer determined that timing belt had broken and damaged engine. Engine needed to be replaced.*ak when the timing belt broke, there was no indication that engine had stop running eexcept that the vehicle slowed down. Applying brakes became very hard to accomplish. Consumer was able to get vehicle to the side of the highway and restart. The check engine light illuminated.
The 1997 cadillac catera has a manufacturer's defect but general motos refuses to assist me with getting out of this unsafe car. The tensioner on my car broke may 8, 2002. I thank god that I was not killed. My car stalled right on the highway. I had it towed to the dealership and was told that I had a $6900 engine problem. I was shocked. I learned that general motors has known for almost 5 years about the tensioner defect but di dnot do a recall. When I called, I was giventhe runaround. I told the mechanic to stop until I could get assistance. He said he put on a new tensioner, timingbelt. And water pump. It didn't hold. I've had to take th car back over 4 times. The last time on july 1, 2002,the coolant systemhad a leak. General motors just laughed at me and said the car is driveable. It is unsafe and I will not spendmy time in a garage. The campaign that they supposedly issued is nothing but a hoax to keep from getting folks out of these lemons. They would not be ignoring these defectif it were the escalade or the deville buyers. I am scared to drive the vehicle and have it at a dealership. I've tried to trade it but due to the bad mechanical record, no one will buy them. Even the marketplace/auction syas they're only worth $600 when they should have a $13000 value since it was a $36,000 value car in 97. General motors won't call me back. I am asking for a comparable vehicle to drive at the same payment with the same equipment immeidately. General motors is the third largest corporation in the world but is treating some of its customers like dirt. They are trying to ignore the catera owners. My vehicle was an $800 repair. Most persons kept trying to drive their car and ended up with a $8000 engine problem and gernal motors paid for that. I've asked for assistance to get into another car - much less than what the engine cost wouldhavebeenif I had kept driving the car. General motors has nothelped me at all. I am tired of the runaround. Cater owners are at risk.
First of all the catera is a bad car and is unsafe . We have put this car in the shop over 7 times. We have reason to belive that the odometer have been rolled back. On june 9 01 the car had 56615 on a order repair but when I brought the car on july 3 01 the odometer had 56512 how is possible.since then the miles have been impossible .it shows that on one order repair that I drove this car 56512 - 58101 july 3 - july 11 01.thats 1589 miles in10 days in which I took no major trips. My wife drove back in fouth to work.on the 12 of july we had the timing belt changed which broke about 2 weeks later on 8/11/01.keep in mind we just got the car out of the shop on 7/18/01 odometer read 61095 which means we drove the car 2994 miles in about 23 days.the car have been in and out of the shop. Something strange is going on I have good reasons to belive that this odometer have been tamperd with .it shows that I have went 36532 in about 9 months no way.
Timing belt tensioner broke, causing vehicle to break down. Dealer repaired, and car broke down again. Consumer informed that dealer will not give her copy of service invoice. Very dangerous for consumer to travel with repeated breakdowns. Consumer received a campaign letter on 06/2002 with regard to problem. Coolant leaks, the coolant light is on and the engine is sluggish after tensioner was replaced.
Coolant had to be added every couple of weeks and then the water pump failed, consumer states that the engine self destructed due to the tension bearings going on the timing belt, both bearings were gone with the failed pulley shearing off the retaining bolt.
Vehicle will not start on a regular basis, was towed to dealer, who started vehicle, but could not find cause. Next day vehicle would not start again.
Consumer states that the vehicle quit running. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and later informed that the engine had blown. *slc
Vehicle stalled at 60-65 MPH. Towed to dealer. Dealer, who determined that engine needed to be replaced. Vehicle had been at dealership for 4 months. New engine ordered for vehicle will not fit.
Engine failed going abouy 70 miles an hour timing belt broke, causing complete engine failure, dealer stated that this is a common problem car repaired but still has problems, dealer caused additonal problems when making repair broke bolt in engine cost to repair 800 dealer refuse to repair oil leak on valve cover gasket again dealer refuses to repair all though covered under warrenty. Cadillac refuses to acknowledge problems given the run around on customer service line car was out for 5 weeks at dealer, car has severe vibrations when idled due to repair new dealer unable to determine problem or make repair, headlamps also failed at about 50,000 miles replacement cost $1,000 to many problems to list
Without any indication vehicle stalled. Consumer managed to pull vehicle over and noticed water leaking from water pump. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.
Engine stalled at 5 MPH. Vehicle was towed to dealership. Dealer determined timing belt pulley had seized.
On january 30, 2001 napoli motors had to replaced left & right outer tie rod ends, inner tie rod end,center link and both outer stabilzer end, on august 20, 2001 as I was driving on interstate i95 south the steering wheel locked on me while on the middle lane almost hit several vehicles been that I could not turned either way, vehicle had to be towed in by roger's in milford technicians there at napoli motors could not figure what was wrong with vehicle when I called the technicians told me that the timing chain caused the engine to blow. On september 10, 2001 vehicle was taken back for same problems, they had replaced the engine but the vehicle kept running ruff. On october 31, 2001 vehicle was back at napoli, november 15, 2001,on february 19, 2002 I was rear ended by another vehicle while at a red light where the other person damage the whole rear of vehicle neither air bag driver or passenger came out all lights in vehicle were on and key will not come out of the ignition, on march 22, 2002 vehicle was taken back to napoli for the key problem and remotes. On may 6, 2002 vehicle was towed to napoli when the technician diagnose what vehicle had this time was the serpentine belt that broke and caused the steering wheel to lock on me again. To be honest I won't even go far with the vehicle because of safety issues. Thank you in advance and hope to hear from this department soon.
Engine damage was due to a bad timing belt tensioner that caused timing belt to come off causing the car to suddenly stop in the left lane on I-75 going going 75 MPH. The results of this was bent intake valves, therefore making the heads not replaceable. I had to replace the engine. I've also have found out that cadillac is well aware of this problem becasue thay now have a kit to take care of this problem. What I don't understand is that if they knew thay had a problem whay didn't they issue a recall. Going 75 miles per hour and suddenly losing all power on a very busy interstate could be very dangerous. My father and I were very fortunate not to have had a serious wreck in the left lane. I have filed a complaint against cadillac on this issue. The cost of this faulty part of gm/\cadillac has cost me $5826. Plus a week without a vehicle.c00.
Purshased car with 69961 miles for $9935. Second day of purshase in shop for overheating. 32 days after purshase in shop for waterpump at a cost of $420. 3 month after purshase in shop for $1400 for front control arms and rear wheel bearings to get line up. After driving 14300 miles timing belt tensioner broke, an estimate of $8000 for repair. Now a lawn ornament. Can not afford to repair. The dealer (ferris auto center), cadillac, and gm which is in conjunction with the better business burear don't care!
This seems to be becoming a common problem that cadillac will not address. I have counted at least 15 failures reported to the federal safety agency.
While driving at 60 MPH consumer noticed car felt funny. As consumer attempted to change lanes all power was gone, consumer was able to get vehicle on the shoulder safely and had vehicle towed. Dealer found timing chain had broke causing the entire engine to blow. Manufacturer refused to make necessary repairs even though the owners manual says the timing belt should not have to be change for 100,000 miles or 96 months.
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