What breaks most · 1997 to 2003 model years
Cadillac Catera problems by year
Owners have filed 468 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac Catera across model years 1997 to 2003. Two years stand out: 1997 for engine and cooling complaints and 1998 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 2000 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 1997, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 2000, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 4681997 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 1997163 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 279 fires · 24 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 163 | 8 | 0 | Engine and cooling (75) | |
| 123 | 6 | 0 | Engine and cooling (56) | |
| 80 | 4 | 0 | Engine and cooling (30) | |
| 67 | 5 | 0 | Electrical system (24) | |
| 30 | 4 | 0 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 1997 Cadillac Catera
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 46% |
75 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 15% |
24 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 13% |
21 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
18 | 2 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 10% |
16 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
14 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 1997 Cadillac Catera |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 7% |
12 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 7% |
11 | 6 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Tensioner pulley locked up. The tensioner stopped turning. As a result of this, the drive belt shredded like spaghetti and then melted. I avoided an accident by applying brakes and then having the car towed. Total repair cost: $729.
-
Engine have a problem with oil pressure that stay below minimum at idle when engine is at operating temp. Front control arm bushing fail with less then 90000 miles. Auto transmission fail with less then 90000 miles. Have engagement problems and shifting problem.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Cadillac Catera years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1997, 1998 carry the most filings on the Cadillac Catera. The 1997 alone has 163 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Cadillac Catera problem?
On the 1997 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 75 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Cadillac Catera problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Cadillac Catera complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.