Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Cadillac Catera problems

Owners filed 123 complaints about the 1998 Cadillac Catera with NHTSA between Aug 1998 and Jan 2012. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (53).

Complaints
123
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling53
  2. Suspension20
  3. Tires20
  4. Electrical system16
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic12
  6. Power train9
  7. Air bags9
  8. Fuel system, gasoline7
  9. Visibility7
  10. Seats7
  11. Structure6
  12. Steering6
  13. Exterior lighting5
  14. Equipment4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19984
199922
200016
200118
200212
200314
200412
20057
20065
20073
20083
20092
20104
20110
20121

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

53 reports1 crash
“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. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2012Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10445554

Suspension

20 reports
“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. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2005Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10139607

Tires

20 reports1 crash
“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 ON THE 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. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 3, 2008Fuel system, gasoline, TiresODI 10229812

Electrical system

16 reports1 crash
“TL*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 *BF THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW THE STATUS OF HIS COMPLAINT. UPDATED 06/07/10*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 11, 2010Electrical systemODI 10319026

Service brakes, hydraulic

12 reports
“A/C COMPRESSOR LEAKING AND A/C COMPRESSOR NOT CYCLING AND LEAKING FROM THE CHASE VALVE SYSTEM. COMPRESSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ THE HEATER COOLANT VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND SENSOR WERE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS HAD TO BE RESURFACED. UPDATED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 5, 2007Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, EquipmentODI 10205106

Power train

9 reports
“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! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2008Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Service brakes, electricODI 10231880
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.