1997 Cadillac Catera Visibility Problems

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. *TT

NHTSA ID

10016925

Incident

Apr 22, 2003

Mileage

65,074 mi

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. *SLC

NHTSA ID

566469

Incident

Mar 1, 1998

CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD TO JUMP START. DEALER REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. BATTERY WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED 06/03/99. OIL LIGHT ABOVE OIL PRESSIRE GAUGE CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE MOVED UP AND DOWN ERRATICALLY. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. BATTERY COVER AND WAS BURNT/WAS BRITTLE AND HAD A WHITE ASHEY LOOK TO IT. ENGINE PRODUCES A LOT OF HEAT. DEALER REPLACED COVER AND TRAY. TEMPERATURE GAUGE READS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. DEALERSHIP RECALIBRATED IPC FOR TEMP GAUGE. TEMP GAUGE STILL READS THE SAME AS BEFORE. TICKING SOUNDS FROM LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF DASH WHEN HEAT IS ON. DEALER REPLACED FAN MOTOR TWICE. TICKING SOUNDS STILL THERE AND NOW THERE IS NO HEAT. DISC BRAKE PAD INDICATOR LAMP DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN PADS NEEDED REPLACING. HAD TO HAVE FRONT BRAKE JOB AND REPLACE SENSORS FOR INDICATOR LAMP. DEALERSHIP SAID SENSORS GOT DAMAGED WHEN PADS WERE WORN DOWN PAST THE SENSORS.

NHTSA ID

743034

Incident

Feb 9, 2001

FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND SUSPENSION PROBLEM CAUSED EXTREMELY PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TIRES (FLAT SPOTS AND CUPPING) AND VIBRATIONS WHICH AT TIMES ARE VIOLENT. NLM

NHTSA ID

555993

GOODYEAR TIRES WERE REPLACED MANY TIMES DUE TO THE PREMATURE WEAR CAUSED BY THE ALIGNMENT WHICH ALSO CAUSED VIBRATION, VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO THE CUSTOMER WITH TIRES THAT HAD NO TREAD. *SLC

NHTSA ID

555745

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

9001228

CAR NOT CRANKING, MIRRORS ARE NOT WORKING, SEAT BELT BUZZER WILL NOT ALWAYS SHUT OFF, TRANSMISSION STILL LABORING TO SHAFT, DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT IS NOT ADJUSTING, HEAD LIGHT ARE STILL NOT AIMED PROPERLY ON HIGH BEAM, REPLACED STATER AND BATTERY 3 TIME,

NHTSA ID

9001229

BRAKE LIGHTS BURNED OUT. *CJ

NHTSA ID

558668

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 )

NHTSA ID

707235

LAST YEAR WHILE ON A TRIP TO NORTH CAROLINA THE FRONT WINDSHIELD MOULDING BLEW OFF. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER THE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OBSERVE THE DAMAGE WHICH WAS MINIMAL. I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP, AND WHEN I RETURNED HOME THE OUTER MOULDING WAS REPLACED BY THE NOW OUT-OF-BUSINESS WARNER ROBINS OLDS CADILLAC. TODAY WHILE ON MY WAY HOME FROM MACON, GA THE MOULDING BLEW OFF AGAIN, THIS TIME FLYING IN THE OPEN WINDOW, STRIKING ME IN THE FACE AND KNOCKING OFF MY GLASSES. LUCKILY THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER THE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. IF I WERE GOING FASTER AND IF THE TRAFFIC WAS MORE CONGESTED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. I INTEND ON TAKING MY CAR TO THE NEW CADILLAC DEALERSHIP HERE IN WARNER ROBINS AND INSISTING THAT THE REPAIR BE DONE PROPERLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

704678

Incident

Mar 20, 1999

DURING WET CONDITIONS THE DEFOGGER/DEFROSTER SYSTEM WILL FOG UP THE WINDOWS, ABSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

823351

CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE INADEQUATE IN HEAVY RAINS, WIPER SPEED IS TOO SLOW.

NHTSA ID

520025