RoadVitals

2003 Cadillac Catera

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Feb 26, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Cadillac Catera, most frequently naming the airbags, driver assistance and electrical categories. 79 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags133.3%
  • Driver assistance133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Feb 26, 2016
1 injury reported

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE (BACKED IN). I ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND THEN PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND STARTED IT. MY LEFT HAND WAS ON THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL, MY RIGHT ON THE GEAR SELECTOR, AND MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE. AS I PULLED THE GEAR SELECTOR FROM 'PARK', THE STEERING WHEEL AND DRIVERS SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED (VERY LOUD EXPLOSION!). THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND DID NOT MOVE - I RETURNED THE GEAR SELECTOR TO PARK, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND EXITED IT THROUGH THE DRIVERS DOOR. I WAS NOT INJURED, EXCEPT FOR THE RINGING IN MY EARS THAT DISSIPATED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

NHTSA ID
10838587
Incident
Feb 17, 2016
Mileage
109,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 10, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10099771
Incident
Nov 5, 2004
Electrical
Filed Aug 12, 2002

BATTERY WAS REPLACED SIX TIMES BY THE DEALER, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8015992
Incident
Dec 15, 2001

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIP5601C

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

PIT3271P

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.

General Communication

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.

24-NA-141

POWER TRAIN

GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.

16-NA-383

ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.

18-NA-099

This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Cadillac Catera by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003Viewing300—
2002200—
2001300038.3
2000670038.8
1999800039.0
19981230034.7
19971630036.9

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.