DjESIGNS | More Catera Drama

4.9.03

More Catera Drama

Well, once again I find myself at the dealer for further car repairs. While it wasn't unexpected, I was at least hoping to get a few more months between repairs. It turns out that the previous $1500 repair of the coolant system "somehow" seemed to cause the sensor in the overflow tank, which detects low coolant levels, to need replacing. Now, of course this is never a simple fix. I was told that the whole tank will need to be replaced. Sixty bucks right there! Also, since the coolant isn't the only thing that seems to keep the engine cool, 3 fan relays will also need to be replaced also. See, when the car's air was turned on the temp would increase to the red. "They" said that it was because the fans were not turning on, causing the car to begin to over heat. Three relays = $75! Cha Ching!!!

The good news out of all of this, amazing how any could be found, is that I won't be paying the labor charge for the repairs. Actually, that really is good news because if I was, I the repair cost would literally be doubled. Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick!

Please people, don't ever get a 97-99 Cadillac Catera!

Related Catera posts (here)

1:32 pm in rants | 2 people viewing

24 ramblings so far

1. Does GM make Cateras or is Cadillac a division of GM?

on 4.9.03@1:02 pm by Karen

2. Cadillac is a division of GM. The Catera is sold in the US under Cadillac. In India, the Catera is sold under the name Opel as a strictly GM product. It's a piece of crap the world over though.

on 4.9.03@2:44 pm by Danne

3. Ohwhy Ohwhy!!! didn't I read this before I brought a Catera..I've been paying through the nose every since
truthfully I got about twenty thousand labor problem free miles before it start happening
Cam Sensor, 02 Senors,water pump, idle arm, heater coil, rearlight switch, Now after $1800 dollars of repair cost the air conditioner compressor/condenser which ever it is won't turn off....so I'm getting a whopping 6 miles to a gallon plus another trip back to a Cadillac dealership for GOD know how much this time...I mean I only had the car out the shop for 4 days, and if you mention over the phone to the service department of the dealership that you have a Catera, you get this long pregnant pause before they respond

on 10.24.04@1:42 pm by e Bone

4. You know, it's because of people like you I keep posting stuff about my Catera. I know exactly what you are talking about with the "pause." I don't know anyone at Cadillac who is willing to work on these cars. Sorry to hear about your misfortune with them!

BTW, mine is parked in the back of my house, nearly a year, because I can't afford to get it fixed anymore. So sad.

on 10.25.04@9:49 am by Danne

5. I just bought a Catera and now I'm getting worried form reading these posts! But I do have to wonder...why would anyone in thier right mind have thier car fixed by a dealership (unless it's covered for free under warranty)...you'd have to be an idiot to do so, they overchage like crazy! BTW....Cadillac can't fix these cars any better than anyone else becuase they are NOT real caddys, they are Opel Omegas with the Cadillac logo glued onto them.

on 12.28.04@7:37 pm by Patrick

6. One thing I highly suggest you do is take your car to the dealer and see if any outstanding service bulletins are open for you. Here is an idea of what you can look for on your vehicle:

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/08/000816GZ.html

on 12.29.04@11:46 am by Danne

7. got dam it, I too just found out that I have a oil cooler leak and its like 800 bucks to get fixed, on a 97 cadillac catera. But, the good thing is when I told the service advisor that I couldn't afford that, I guess he talked to the mechanic that was going to work on my car and told him i couldn't afford it. So i went to pick up my car and the serivce advisor said,"I'm going to help you out," and gave me the # to the mechanic and he told me to give him a call. so the cadillac mechanic is going to fix my car at his house and is only going to charge me 150 bucks, and he's even going to buy the parts I need with his discount at cadillac. I will end up saving about 400 bucks!!!!!!!!!!! all I have to say is, go to a cadillac mechanic shop and yell out, who ever wants to make some extra cash, call me so you could work on my cadillac (and write your # on a bunch cards and throw them in the shop ) I almost positive someone will call you.

on 2.23.05@7:33 pm by fucion

8. you guys are full of it i have a 99 cadillac catera and I, happy with it that is until some female driver hit it dead on and total it , it has been sitting im my garage for four months an when summer hits I going to fix it this car is one of the best cars i've owned so quit dissing it.

on 5.3.05@8:47 pm by paul ruilova

9. Heh, glad your car is/was working out for you. But when problems start creeping up, don't say you weren't given fair warning.

on 5.3.05@11:41 pm by Danne

10. I have a 00 Catera, bought it used from an auction...had it almost a year and now I'm starting to run into problems. Out of nowhere it's starts idling wrong and shaking when in park or when at a complete stop. Disconnected the battery to reset the computer and it seemed to stop the shaking but the misfiring still continued. Thought maybe I had a case of bad gas in the tank. Let that go empty and refilled it, reset the battery and now the car stauls, shakes and continues to misfire. Anyone have this problem???

on 6.15.05@8:17 am by Jennifer

11. i have a 98 cartera and i just had to fix the right tie rod end hope nothing starts going wrong on it but other than that i happen to love my car its VERY SMOOTH RIDE I GET 20 MLES TO THE GALLON i think your car would last longer if people didn't rag on their cars

on 7.2.05@3:06 am by monica

12. What a crappy car. Had to fight GM in court when my car blew up, they didn't want to honour the extended warranty they offered. Anyway I won but the Caterra has been sitting waiting till I find a new engine.

on 7.7.05@6:57 pm by non disclosure agreement

13. Hey I am so sick over this 99 catera I have.Geeze i wish i would have looked into this better. And yea the reason to take to cad is NO ONE ELSE EVEN KNOWS HOW TO WORK ON THIS CAR! I had a water problem, and yes brought it to cad. Two hose's replaced (which it did not need) and a heater valve switch and 600.00 bucks later! But the bigger of the problem here is Now i have a blown head gasket 800 miles later and a radiator gone. I am looking for some hard concreat information here for this car. What would happen if you ran this car with the PRESSURE VALVE MISSING on the cap and put it on very tight so nothing leaks from the cap? This is how this car was returned to me from cad! Never new it until it got hot outside, ran my air condition and my radiator light came on. Could not get the cap off and when i did found a over sized gasget jammed in it and no pressure valve. Got new cap but to late. No mechanic wants to state that the pressure valve missing would have any thing to do with this! Ha SMALL TOWN. But they had a lot to say about the pressure valve missing over the phone, until i told them cad was involved. Can anyone help?

on 7.19.05@1:34 pm by Max

14. Hey I am so sick over this 99 catera I have.Geeze i wish i would have looked into this better. And yea the reason to take to cad is NO ONE ELSE EVEN KNOWS HOW TO WORK ON THIS CAR! I had a water problem, and yes brought it to cad. Two hose's replaced (which it did not need) and a heater valve switch and 600.00 bucks later! But the bigger of the problem here is Now i have a blown head gasket 800 miles later and a radiator gone. I am looking for some hard concreat information here for this car. What would happen if you ran this car with the PRESSURE VALVE MISSING on the cap and put it on very tight so nothing leaks from the cap? This is how this car was returned to me from cad! Never new it until it got hot outside, ran my air condition and my radiator light came on. Could not get the cap off and when i did found a over sized gasget jammed in it and no pressure valve. Got new cap but to late. No mechanic wants to state that the pressure valve missing would have any thing to do with this! Ha SMALL TOWN. But they had a lot to say about the pressure valve missing over the phone, until i told them cad was involved. Can anyone help?

on 7.19.05@1:37 pm by Max

15. This is the worst car I have ever had in my life. It is still sitting in my garage and I can't get it to start after I paid for it and got it home.

on 7.24.05@6:30 pm by nelson

16. i bought a 98 catera with 65,000 miles on it got it home had to replace theromstat then all of a sudden i have a bad misfire shaking real bad and my tempture gage still goes to almost hot dont no if thats normal or what.

on 7.30.05@6:21 am by corey

17. yep, i still own this piece of crap and recently have the newest problem of intermittent starting and wont release the ignition key. the best question would be, what hasn't gone wrong with this pile of dung. have spent 1300 dollars in 100.00 deductibles for the numerous problems. not to mention the continuous strandings we have had to live through as a family. 3 heater valves 2 ac compressors and a partridge up my .... dont take one of these cars even if given to you. you cant afford the maint. and it will sit in your yard with grass grown high around it. i hate my car dealership and i hate this car. thanks for letting me vent. ray

on 8.4.05@9:11 am by RAY ANDERSON

18. I have had my catera for two years only drove it about half year. For a year and a half, its' in my garge, usually sick:) I have spent about 3500 dollars. The doctor bills are get too expensive.

on 7.1.06@8:53 am by Tony

19. i bought a 98 catera,had a chance to drive it several days, liked it , bought it.2 mos. later motor problems.cad dealer advisor says , no problem gm is covering most repairs .they know what a p. o. s. it is well gm says we do not feel responsible but we will pay 35%. i felt like they should do 100% so i kept bitchin.50 phone calls later i am so frustrated i took their offer.they came back with "we never made you an offer, no help with the repairs". guess what gm? arrogant employees,crappy products. =10.6 billion dollar loss.

on 7.3.06@4:53 pm by al garza

20. 97 CATERA...HATE IT!!! Bought it for my 16 yr old daughter with 83,000 miles 5 months ago, it now has 83,500 miles (400 of those from traveling to the mechanic!) so far the oil mechanisms were messed up ($500), the 1,3,5 sparks were not firing ($200),the brake lights relay switch went ($100), the alternator went bad ($300) which in turn burned out some darn thing in the transmission ($1000) which in turn burned out the alternator ($300), the electrical harness went bad ($?), no headlights working ($100), and now much to our surprise...the radiator has sprung a leak...($600). The BEST $5500 CAR EVER. mY POOR DAUGHTER NOW HAS NO FAITH IN CAR DEALERS NOR MECHANICS!!!

on 7.19.06@9:00 am by hope

21. If your radiator went out, you might want to watch that your head gasket isn't bad. My gasket leak lead to a radiator blow out.

on 7.19.06@4:12 pm by Danne

22. I'm thinking about buying a 97 catera with 185,000 miles on it for cheap.. what do you guys think?

on 7.28.06@3:23 am by moses

23. Moses, if you know how to work on them yourself, and if you can find an engine for it, I'd say go for it.

There's several forums out there dedicated to working on those cars. I have to admit, there is an appeal to them.

on 7.28.06@6:55 am by Danne

24. damn, well mine is leaking from the engine oil cooler thing, bad thing is, it was exactly 12 months that i spent 1600.oo to get it fixed. now, she's sitting in my garage till i can come up with the cheese to fix cuz i aint getting ride of it.. what spend another 8-10k for another car, i'd rather spent the 600 to get it fixed...

on 7.9.08@11:19 am by mOEmUrDA

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