Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1998 record →
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG LIGHT SENSOR KEEPS COMING ON. ON FOUR OCCASIONS VEHICLE VEHICLE BEEN IN /OUT OF DEALER'S SHOP AND PROBLEM REOCCURRED. CAN NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS. SQUEAKY BRAKES.
NEAR MISS OF SEVERE ACCIDENTAL INJURY/PROPERTY DAMAGE. PROBLEM: SAFETY HAZARD DESIGNED INTO CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH POD. NO PERMANENT OFF FEATURE. CRUISE ACTIVE AND BYPASS OF OFF SWITCH IN ANY MODE SELECTED BY SET-ACCEL/COAST-RESUME ROCKER SWITCH. SET-ACCEL/COAST-RESUME ROCKER SWITCH DETENT ON MY CATERA FAILED (BROKE). ROAD BUMP OR USE OF TURN SIGNAL ACTIVATES SWITCH. DURING PASSING AT 65MPH+, RIGHT SIGNAL ACTIVATED ACCEL FEATURE. SPEED IMMEDIATELY INCREASED TO 80+MPH AND I NARROWLY AVERTED REARENDING CAR(S) AHEAD. SIMILAR FAILURES MAY BE CAUSE OF OTHER REARENDERS AND/OR UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION ACCIDENTS. SWITCH CONFIGURATION IS NOT SIMILAR TO U.S. DESIGNS, BUT OPERATION LEARNING CURVE IS NOT DIFFICULT. SERIOUS HAZARD IN DESIGN. RECOMMEND STANDARD U.S. SWITCH ARRANGEMENT IN SAME ERGONOMIC POD AND RECAL AND REPLACEMENT.
WHILE DRIVING AND USING TURN SIGNALS ,THE SIGNALS WILL NOT STOP BLINKING UNLESS VEHICLE MAKES A 90 DEGREE TURN. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE TO NOT ONLY FOR HIM, BUT TO EVERYONE ON THE STREETS. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE SOUND LEVEL IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM 65 TO 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL STEERING POWER CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OF THE ROAD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER & THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER BROKE, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING BELT TO FALL OFF. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED. *YC
DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THE ALL FOUR TIRES BECAME BALD, AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO SLIDE. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED A CRASH. MANUFACTURER ADMITTED IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, BUT WAS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS ON AN EXIT RAMP AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH, WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL AND HIT THE GUARDRAIL, DAMAGING THE FRONT AND SIDE OF VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH WHEN FRONT END & STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT SNOW WAS LODGED IN WHEEL WELL & OTHER PARTS OF VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO BE UNBALANCED AND IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *AK
O-RING LEAKING.
KEY STICKS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. MJS
REAR PASSANGER DOOR FAILED.
ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED. YH
TEMPERATURE GUAGE FAILED. YH
ELECTRONIC LOAD LEVELARS FAILED. YH
ENGINE BELT FAILED, CAUSED MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE. YH
TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH
SEAT HEATER SWITCH INOPERABLE. YH
CAR STALLED AND NEVER DISCOVERED PROBLEM. YH
DRIVER SIDE POWER SEAT MOTOR FAILED. YH
CONSUMER WAS WAITING FOR LIGHT TO CHANGE, WHEN SHE DROVE OFF, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. SHE THEN TRIED TO PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE, BUT VEHICLE WOULD JUMP BACK AND FORWARD AT LEASED THREE TIMES, CONTINUING TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. *AK
THIS IS A NEW CAR. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE AIRBAG MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ELECTICAL PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR REPAIRS OVER AND OVER. I HAVE ASK CADILLAC TO REPLACE THIS CAR,BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED. PLEASE HELP ME.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 42 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITION ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD TO APPLY EMERGENCEY BRAKES, BUT REAR ENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT. IMPACT WAS DONE AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. NEITHER AIR BAGS OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DEPOLYED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
BOTH OF THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK DUE TO A SOUND THAT HAPPENS TO THE SEAT BELTS. THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE THE SEAT BELT EXPLODED. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, THE SEAT BELT TIGHTENS AROUND THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT THE DRIVER APPLYING THE BRAKES OR ANY SUDDEN IMPACT. THE SEAT BELTS TIGHTEN AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGERS, CAUSING THE PASSENGERS TO BE UNSAFE. IF THIS HAPPENS NOW, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THERE WAS AN IMPACT AND THE SEAT BELT WOULD TIGHTEN WHAT WOULD AROUND THE PASSENGER. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1998 Cadillac Catera → · Every Catera year → · How the figures are calculated →