Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Cadillac Catera submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED ON MY 1997 CADILLAC CATERA IN KINGSPORT, TN DURING A SNOWSTORM. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND UN-DRIVABILITY OF THE CAR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. DEALER ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT WITH REPLACEMENT OF COMPUTER MODULE AND VALVE/PUMP HAVE NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
AT 85,263 MILES THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR. DEALERSHIP ANALYSIS WAS "TRANSMISSION COMING APART INTERNALLY". NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. REQUIRED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $2997.86. THERE IS NO WAY A TRANSMISSION SHOULD COME APART WITH ONLY 85,000 MILES ON IT. 2ND MAJOR EVENT FOR THIS CAR.
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM STOP, THE VEHICLE SEEMED LOCKED INTO HIGH GEAR. IT ACCELERATED SLOWLY AND WITH OUT WARNING. *JG TS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE QUIT RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND LATER INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. *SLC *NM
ABS SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS FAIL NUMEROUS TIMES. ALWAYS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT ANY SPEED ON ANY SURFACE. FAILURE ALSO OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE IS NOT MOVING (WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE TO SHIFT FROM PARK). THE DEALER HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY, SIMPLY FIXING IT FOR A FEW WEEKS AT A TIME. THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL ALWAYS FAIL AT PRECISELY THE SAME TIME. *AK
CAR WAS MAKING A GRINDING SOUND UNDER HOOD. WAS TOLD TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS ALMOST BROKEN. DLR REPLACED TENSIONER, TIMING CHAIN, AND IDLER PULLEY. CAR HAS HAD 6 ALIGNMENTS SINCE 10/13/00. CAR STILL PULLS TO LEFT AND WEARS OUT TIRES PREMATURELY. CAR HAS 47,000 MILES ON ITAND HAS 3RD SET OF TIRES ON IT. CAR HAD A OIL LEAK ON VALVE COVER GASKETS. DLR REPAIRED AND REPLACED. CAR HESITATES AND SURGES FORWARD. DLR HAS NOT FOUND PROBLEM. CAR HAS ABNORMAL SHIFT PATTERNS. SOMETIMES SHIFT DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR CAUSING CAR TO LOSE POWER AND SPEED, THEN SHIFTS BACK TO OVERDRIVE WITHOUT DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR. DLR HAS NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THERE IS A SOUND FROM REAR OF CAR. SOUNDS LIKE BAD SHOCKS. DLR REPLACED FRAME SUPPORT BUSHINGS AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS. NOISE STILL THERE. THERE ARE TOO MANY PROBLEMS TO REPORT HERE. CAR HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR EXTENSIVE WARRANTY WORK 9 TIMES WITHIN OUR 7 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THE LAST VISIT, THE SEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR 15 DAYS TRYING TO REPAIR THE CAR, AND NOW, MOST OF THE SAME THINGS THAT WERE SUPPOSE TO BE REPAIRED ARE STILL FAULTY. TODAY, THE HEATING SYSTEM WENT OUT. THERE IS NO HEAT IN THE CAR NOW. WE WILL BE RETURNING BACK TO DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING. WE HAVE WRITTEN THE MANUFACTURER AND WILL BE SENDING THAT LETTER OFF TODAY ALSO.*AK
THIS CAR HAS HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH VARIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE DEALER IS OFTEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHILE IN THE REPAIR SHOP. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS NATURE 19 TIMES, AND IN THE REPAIR SHOP 44 DAYS. IT HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SHOP 2 DAYS AND AGAIN THE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LET US IN THE VEHICLE. THIS STARTED WITH THE REAR DOOR LOCK NOT LETTING US OUT OF OR INTO THE CAR. THE PROBLEM NOW AFFECTS ALL FOUR DOORS. THEY CANNOT BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED USING THE REMOTE, THE KEY, OR MANUALLY. WE THEREFORE MUST EXIT AND ENTER USING THE WINDOWS. THE WINDOWS (ALL4) HAVE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. THE DASH LIGHTS ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, REPLACE WIPER FLUID, ILLUMINATE WHEN THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM. THE O2 SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE ALIGNMENT ON THE WHEELS HAS ALSO CAUSED REPEATED PROBLEMS AND I HAVE REPLACE 4 TIRES. THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY DIES WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SAYS CADILLACS JUST DO THAT SOMETIMES! MY DAUGHTER ENDED UP IN THE MEDIAN OF 71 HWY AFTER THE CAR DIED AT 70 MILES PER HR. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY, THE STARTER, MANY VARIOUS DOORLOCK PARTS AND HARNESS WIRING, ABS WIRING, TRACTION CONTROL WIRING, AND WORKED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE PROBLEMS STILL OCCUR. WE NOW CARRY A HAMMER WITH US TO BREAK OUT OF THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY SHOULD THE DOORLOCKS NOT WORK. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: FITS CATER )
TRACTION CONTROL AND ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES HOWEVER SHUT OFF WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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