Cadillac Catera Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 463 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Cadillac Catera (1997–2001) that have at least 5 complaints. 1997 has the most, with 163. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (187 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Catera model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 30 | 60,000 | 0 | 239 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 67 | 63,392 | 0 | 209 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 80 | 64,000 | 0 | 26 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 123 | 60,765 | 0 | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 163 | 64,414 | 0 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling187 36%
- Electrical system80 15%
- Tires54 10%
- Suspension52 10.0%
- Brakes49 9.4%
- Steering38 7.3%
- Air bags33 6.3%
- Transmission and drivetrain28 5.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2000: “I got in my car, 2000 Cadillac Catera which was stationary in a parking lot and closed the driver door at the same time reaching back to get seat belt and bang an exploding sound. The driver side seat air back exploded, in a parking spot. Causing, lesions, and contusions, on the left arm, and a sprain wrist. Also, scrape and bruising of side, rib area. Also, my boyfriend was in the passenger's seat and he suffered an asthma attack from the dust.”
NHTSA complaint #10874812, filed 2016-06, 53,000 miles1999: “The running lights would not turn off. I was in harms way in the rain and had to take the care 70 more miles, while I could get out of the buffalo area to a safe location for the night. The lights never went off till the battery was exhausted. When recharged the headlights remained on again, unable to be turned off. When I managed to exchange a relay, the next problem occurred, the parking lights would not turn off. …”
NHTSA complaint #10457147, filed 2012-05, 98,000 miles1998: “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!”
NHTSA complaint #10234570, filed 2008-07, 136,000 milesOther Cadillac models
3,265 complaintsCadillac Deville
2,708 complaintsCadillac CTS
2,219 complaintsCadillac Escalade
1,723 complaintsCadillac Seville
793 complaintsCadillac Escalade ESV
529 complaintsCadillac DTS
527 complaintsCadillac STS
423 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology