Cadillac Catera Top Ten (or so) Most Cited Problems (An Unscientific Survey) Observations from talking

to dealers, owners, and surveying the various forums from around the Web... Updated 12/25/04
Note: Owners considering purchasing used Cateras should ask for the vehicles service history (by VIN) at a Cadillac dealer, to look for the items mentioned here. If the engine recall was not done, be aware this is a very large job and it is very likely an impending failure. Same thing for the oil cooler. Timing Belt Tensioner/Water Pump - This is the big one, as tensioners seize/fail, often just out of standard warranty, causing major engine damage or engine replacement. Water pump leakage can also be an issue, and ion some cases the bearings fail in the idler pulleys causing them to fall into the engine. Cadillac specifies replacement of the tensioner at 100,000 miles under most cases in the Service Manual, but dealers frequently recommend replacement at 50,000 miles. Cadillac has an "extreme use" change interval of 60,000 miles for very cold climates, which may also now be reflected on the MyGMLink.com owner site as "normal". Dealers can warranty engines (and other items) up to 6 years/74,000 miles, but depends on circumstances and your relationship with the dealer. Cadillac issued a Special Policy 02018 which warranted all timing belt, tensioner, pulley and water pump failures and any related engine damage past, present and future through June 30, 2004 on 97 and 98 Cateras for 7 years or 100,000 miles. Local dealers in my area report doing up to six engines a month, a huge number for such a large repair. This problem is often reported as happening at speed, and causes a complete loss of all power/power steering/power brakes. Cadillac covered the repair/failure costs in most cases, but owners should consider doing the belt/tensioner/water pump replacement anyway before 60,000 miles for safety reasons (see below for new recall information). I have seen/heard reports of cars with fewer than 30,000 miles with this problem. The Bulletin on this is listed in the Files section. GM has issued a recall (Bulletin #02041) to replace/inspect the timing belt tensioner/idler pulleys/water pump/timing belt. GM is attempting to notify all present owners and has developed an inspection procedure to determine possible fault(s). Coverage was again through 7 years/100,000 miles or June 30, 2004. Replacement pulleys and water pumps with new designs/parts hope to cure these problems. Alignment - A real mess, to put it mildly. Most recent research now indicates there are problems with bushings in the Front Lower Control Arms that lead to alignment issues and tire feathering or cupping wear. There is now extensive discussion in the Messages, Files and Photos sections on this issue, but replacing the Front Lower Control Arms or bushings has a good chance of providing a solution, along with possibly increasing tire pressure to the high-speed setting of 37psi. A draft Bulletin has been prepared and is available in the TSB/Service folder in the Files section on how to inspect the arms for signs of damage to the bushings. The bushings have now been redesigned by GM. I now believe that if you have a car with feathering/cupping tire wear/alignment issues, no amount of tire replacing and/or aligning will resolve the issue without replacing the bushings in the Front Lower Control Arms. Period.

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The original 1997 Catera featured an "autobahn-friendly" alignment spec from the German Opel Omega that wore inside tire edges like mad in the U.S. GM revised the spec mid-1998 model year and issued a TSB. Further confusion has been added by a "third spec" released as the "final" for the 1998 model year and thereafter. GM's Technical Assistance Center (TAC) says that the TSB spec (number two) is actually the correct one per my inquiry on a mid-year 98 Catera, although it's not radically different than the third one (minor toe changes and reduced tolerances in the third set). If true, nearly every alignment machine in the country appears to have the wrong settings, especially for the 1997 model year, for which most machines still have the original spec. This alignment problem also causes a left pull in some cars, especially the 1997 and early 98 models with the original specs. Steering wheel centering is also very touchy - I had about one alignment in five get it right - however, after replacing the Front Lower Control Arms that issue is less of a problem. The car should be aligned with a full tank of fuel, but no additional weight/passengers are recommended. The best suggestion is to use the revised spec from the TSB or the third/last spec, and have the car done on a machine with new equipment and rack that has been recently calibrated. An example would be a Hunter 611 with 400 series heads and a new rack - you can contact Hunter (www.hunter.com) to locate local equipment that is up to date if needed. It's also prudent to have suspension components checked carefully for wear, as I have seen several reports of broken or cracked tie rods along with the front lower control arm bushing issues. If you have a 1997 or early 1998 vehicle, definitely get the alignment reset to the later spec. TSB's and the correct alignment settings are in the Files section. Many owners in this group have reported success using the procedure of replacing the control arm or the bushings. No other consistent fix is known. Tire Wear - Tied in large part to the alignment issue (see above), Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires have been warranted by Cadillac or Goodyear in many cases. The original tires were replaced by a reversed tread pattern design that portended to wear better. These tires only have a 260 Treadwear rating on a fairly heavy car, so extended wear shouldn't be expected from the RS-A's. Other tire choices (225-55-16, minimum H Rating) are available that should wear somewhat longer. Proper inflation (32 psi) and regular rotations (no more than 5000 miles) are very important on this car to help minimize premature wear. Also ask for a radial force variation balance and get four tires that pass. GM has a TSB on Radial Force Variation balancing, and some stores, especially Discount Tire Company, can perform this balance as well using a Hunter GSP 9700 balance machine. Tire replacement at 25-30,000 miles is very common, even on wellmaintained cars. Tire wear will often be severely increased on cars with the alignment/Control Arm issues discussed prior.

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Oil Cooler - The Oil Cooler has now been completely redesigned, which is good. The bad news is that the failure rate for the original oil coolers is extremely high, and can occur in vehicles with less than 10,000 miles. Slow coolant leaks can be usually traced to a leaking oil cooler - look for milky oil or oil in the coolant overflow bottle. Do NOT wait to deal with this issue, because if the oil cooler lets go at the wrong time, you can face major overheating, a cracked radiator, and even a destroyed engine. These failures are so common and the redesign of the part so complete that it should qualify as a recall item. The TSB on repairing the original Oil Cooler seal is inadequate to address the full scope of the issue. The original oil coolers will almost all fail, I believe, its simply a matter of time. This is the third BIG item for Cateras. Engine Cooling - Bad temperature sensors can report false high temperature readings. If the sensor is replaced and the temp gauge still reads high, the cluster programming may need to be updated via the dealers TIS system. Battery - A lot of owners complain about short battery life, and there was a California lawsuit over batteries. I'd imagine the Twilight function helps drain batteries, and the Bose stereo may create extra load as well. The battery is a Group 48/91, 700 Cold Cranking Amps, which is a fairly large battery. I have not seen a battery with a higher CCA rating available aftermarket, at least not yet. If your automatic windows stop functioning properly, it may indicate the battery is going bad, the windows must be reprogrammed after replacing the battery - the procedure is in the Owners Manual. Some owners are isolating the nearby heater hose from the battery to minimize heat on the battery. Transmissions - Nowhere near as frequent as the engine problems, but still very expensive to fix. Cadillac recommends changing the fluid every 50,000 miles under "extreme conditions", I'd say all cars could benefit. Use Dexron III or Synthetic ATF only. I did a transmission "flush" (with Dexron III), which removes all the old fluid, rather than a regular change, which only gets a third or so. In these transmissions it should be well worth it. Some dealers advocate the use of "conditioners" in the process as well. A flush takes up to 18 quarts depending on the machine used, so be prepared to buy a lot of synthetic fluid should you go that route. I'd also be very leery of letting an outside shop try and repair this transmission unless they offer a bulletproof guarantee. Cadillac has been known to help pay for transmission failures occurring shortly after normal warranty expiration. The 4L30E transmission in the Catera was actually most frequently used in BMWs sold in the U.S. beginning in 1992, so it might be helpful to find a shop thats familiar with them from BMWs.

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Cold Shudder - Cateras sometimes have a vibration problem, especially in cold weather, for the first mile or two that is driveline related. This differs from the transmission's normal "cold shift pattern" which extends engine revs for the first mile (see TSB). Changing the rear differential fluid (2 quarts) to a 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Oil seems to moderate, but not eliminate the problem. Although I've seen this issue discussed repeatedly, I've yet to see anyone offer a solution from GM. Its also possible an axle additive may help this issue, but that has yet to be demonstrated. Valve Cover Gasket Leaks - I have now seen enough reports of these to make the list. Look for oil at the bottom of the engine while the car is on a lift and trace it back up. If you smell burnt oil, its possible the oil is dripping onto the exhaust and burning there as a result of a leak. Also pull the plugs to look for oil contamination. Leaks in this area appear to be quite common. Steering Column Squeak - There's a TSB on this one, seems to be especially prevalent in colder climates, and can occur even on new cars. GM will lubricate the column. Door Hinge Noise - Another TSB item. If you hear a cracking noise from the door hinge area, have this serviced under the TSB. Brakes - A scattering of issues here, including ABS electronics issues, brake lockups and premature wear/rotor warpage. The reports I've gotten on some aftermarket brake rotors, especially Bendix, are not overly positive. A variety of TSB's on brakes exist, but none generally specify any specific part replacements, rather rotor servicing procedures, etc. Kevlar and/or ceramic pads can reduce brake dust dramatically. Seat Cover Seam Warpage - Some cars have warped and/or distorted seams, especially on the outside edge of the driver's seat. This appears to be caused by a combination of heat warpage on the vinyl lower section of the seat combined with weight of the driver which distorts the outside rolled seam. Fuel Tank Leaks - Problems have been reported due to inlet hose and sensor seal issues, resulting in fuel pouring from the top of the tank. If this happens more than once, have the vehicle inspected immediately. Seat Heaters - Not that common an option, but I've seen a number of failure reports mentioned around the Web. In fact, it seems most of the cars with seat heaters have them burn up once, requiring replacement. Worst case scenarios have reported fires. Cupholders - The fragile design on the 97-99 cars means this one breaks often. There is an updated cupholder from the original 97 model which is somewhat better.

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Air Bags - There have been a number of reports of Air Bags NOT deploying in crashes. Moonroof - I've seen a lot of repairs mentioned to this one as well. The moonroof must also often be reprogrammed after a battery failure/replacement. The procedure for doing so is in the owners manual. Radio - Poor AM reception, have the dealer install the modified antenna and amplifier under the TSB on this issue. I had this done and it did help. Ignition Lock Cylinder - Another TSB item. If your key is difficult to remove, have this one repaired. Take the TSB with you from the Files section, Ive seen several reports of dealers not being aware of this Bulletin. Sudden Acceleration - There have been several reports of Audi 5000-like "sudden acceleration" syndrome. Sudden Stalling - I've now seen a number of reports saying the vehicle can stall suddenly at highway speeds, usually related to ECU issues. Needless to say...this one's a concern.