NHTSA Complaint #10068390 — 1998 CADILLAC CATERA

LIKE ALL CADILLAC CATERA OWNERS WE KNOW, WE HAVE HAD AND ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE ENDLESS MAJOR REPAIR BILLS ON THE CATERA (98 MODEL). THE WATER PUMP HAS FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RUN HOT. THE WATER PUMP WAS ON RECALL. CADILLAC REPLACED THE PUMP BUT CHARGED FOR BELTS AND OTHER PARTS DAMAGED BY THE FAILURE. WE HAVE SPEND OVER $1,900 TRYING TO SOLVE A MORNING COLD START SKIPPING PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM COMES AND GOES. CADILLAC DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER CONTROL VALVE AND CHARGED $953. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THEN A REPAIR SHOP CHARGED OVER $600 TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THEN THEY TOLD US IT HAD TO BE THE COIL PACK. WE SPENT OVER $300 ON THAT. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE CAR IN BACK AT THE CADILLAC DEALER'S SHOP YESTERDAY AND TODAY. SO FAR THEY CANNOT LOCATE PROBLEM. A CO-WORKER OF MY WIFE'S AT THE GEORGIA MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY DEPARTMENT OWNES A CATERA. SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAVE SPENT OVER $9,000 ON THEIR CATERA IN THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR REPAIRS. THEY CANNOT KEEP TIRES ON THE CAR. THE CO-WORKER SAID THEY HAD THE SAME COLD START PROBLEM WITH THEIR CATERA. IT COST OVER $500 FOR A STARTER SWITCH PART. IT APPEARS CADILLAC THREW THE CAR TOGETHER FROM AN ENGINE FROM ENGLAND, A TRANSMISSION FROM FRANCE AND ASSEMBLED THE CAR IN GERMANY. I DON'T THINK IT IS FAIR FOR CONSUMMERS TO HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR CADILLAC'S NEGLEGENCY IN NOT PROPERLY TESTING THE CAR PRIOR TO MARKETING. THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF CONSUMMER FRAUD. WE HAVE OWNED TWO CADILLAC SEVILLES, A DEVILLE, AND A SMALL CADILLAC BACK IN THE 80'S. WE PRESENTLY DRIVE A SEVILLE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH CADILLAC PRODUCTS UNTIL THIS CATERA. IT IS NOT CADILLAC QUALITY AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MARKETED WITHOUT PROPER TRAINING OF MECHANICS IN THE FIELD IN SPITE OF GM'S CONSTANT ADVERTISEMENTS ABOUT THE EXCELLENCE OF "MR. GOOD WRENCH." CADILLAC SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THEIR PROBLEMS WITH THE CATERA DESIGN.