NHTSA Complaint #10161462 — 2000 CADILLAC CATERA

CONSTANT PROBLEM SINCE THE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. SUCH AS STEERING PROBLEMS, QUIVERING ON THE ROAD, BURNING SMELL, ETC. AS OF FEB. 2006, CAR ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING 3 TIMES. AT THE TIME THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL AND THE ENGINE/COOLANT LIGHT HAD COME ON. VEHICLE CONSTANT IN SHOP FOR REPAIR, APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES A MONTH; CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR ME. ENGINE SENSOR WAS CHANGED IN FEB. 2006; HOWEVER, BURNING SMELL CONTINUED, LEAKS BEGAN TO OCCUR,WATER PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT, AND THE COOLANT LIGHT CONTINUED TO BE ACTIVATED. A NUMBER OF LEAKS WERE DISCOVERED, AND THEY WERE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, PROBLEMS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. LIGHT WERE COMING ON AND OFF, "ONSTAR" LIGHT REMAINED ON, AND CD PLAYER/STEREO WOULD STAY ON WITH ENGINE OFF AND NO KEY IN IGNITION WITH DOORS OPEN, AND THE SUNROOF WOULD OPEN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BUTTON. WHEN TAKEN TO SHOP, RESULT WAS THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. AFTER THIS EVENT OCCURRED, CAR CREATED UNUSUAL NOISE WHEN STARTED AND AS ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. NOW CAR WILL NOT START ON ITS OWN, IT NEEDED A BOOST THREE TIMES WITHIN ONE DAY. WHEN TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP, MARVIN STARR, REPORTED TO ME TAT CORROSION IS OCCURRING WITH WIRES THAT LEADS TO THE BATTERY. PLASTIC COVERING OF WIRE IS MELTING AND WORN AWAY LEAVING THE BARE WIRE EXPOSED. OVERHEATING IS OCCURRING BUT THE SOURCE IS UNKNOWN. BATTERY, WHICH WAS REPLACED IN 2005, HAS NOW STARTED WEARING AWAY. COMPANY WANTS APPROXIMATELY $1000 IN ORDER FOR WIRES TO BE FIXED; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THEY REPAIR IT THE MELTING OF THE WIRES WOULD STILL CONTINUE DUE TO THE OVER HEATING. DANGEROUS DRIVING VEHICLE AT MOMENT; HOWEVER, I NEED TO GET AROUND AND DRIVING IS A MAIN PART OF MY EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES. *NM