NHTSA Complaint #754119 — 1998 CADILLAC CATERA

TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED AT 51,000 MILES (WARRANTY ENDS AT 50,000 MILES) CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VALVES AND GEARS. REQUIRES NEW VALVES, TENSIONER, HEAD GASKET, BELT, ETC. SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM SPECIFIC TO THE CATERA. HE SAID THAT TENSIONER SYSTEM IS UNIQUE TO CATERA. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A FAULTY SYSTEM. OTHER CADILLAC MODELS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME TIMING BELT SYSTEM. QUOTED REPAIR COST IS $4,800. THIS IS NOT JUST A TIMING BELT PROBLEM, WHICH IS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR PROBLEM. MOST CAR OWNERS EXPECT TO REPAIR TIMING BELTS SOME TIME DURING THEIR OWNERSHIP, IF THEY KEEP THE VEHICLES LONG ENOUGH. HOWEVER, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A $40,000 VEHICLE. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT EXPECT SUCH A COSTLY PROBLEM TO OCCUR ON THIS CAR FOR A VERY LONG TIME, IF EVER. HOPEFULLY, ONCE REPAIRED, THIS WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN. MOST CONSUMERS CAN NOT AFFORD AN UNEXPECTED $4,800 REPAIR BILL ONCE, LET ALONE EVERY FEW THOUSAND MILES. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE TENSIONER MUST BE FAULTY OR HAVE A FAULTY DESIGN. THE EDMUNDS WEBSITE SHOWS MANY CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS COSTLY PROBLEM. WHY HAVEN'T THEY MADE SOME PROVISION FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM?*AK