1997 Cadillac Catera

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN DUE TO A BELT WHICH HELD THE PULLEY INTO THE ENGINE, MELTING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS.*AK THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PART WAS ON RECALL. *JB *NM

I PURCHASED A 1997 CADILLAC CATERA ON JAN 31, 2001 FROM UNITED AUTOMAX IN MEMPHIS, TN. FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. BEGINNING WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH TIRES WEARING OUT PREMATURELY, HEATER CORE REPLACED, ROTORS REPLACED AND WEARING OUT AGAIN WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME. FUSES HAVE BLOWN, RADIATOR FAN ALONG WITH OTHER PROBLEMS. NUMEROUS RECALLS AND ETC. ON APRIL 14, 2003 I TOOK MY CAR TO BUD DAVIS CADILLAC IN MEMPHIS AND REPORTED THAT I COULD SMELL OIL BURNING. THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED VALVE COVERS RESEALED AND TO REPLACE REAR MAIN SEAL. (THE WORK WAS DONE THRU MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY). I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT END. THEY IN RETURN REPLACED RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR FROM DEALER I NOTICED THAT THE NOISE STILL EXISTED AND INFORMED SERVICE AGENT BEFORE I LEFT THE DEALER'S LOT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A BAD STRUT LINK TO WHICH MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER. AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH ANOTHER MACHANIC (NOT DEALER), HE STATED THAT THE NAME OF THE PART WAS A STABILIZER NOT STRUT. AND NOT ONLY DID THE NOISE EXIST IN THE FRONT END, BUT THERE WAS A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THAT THE OIL LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON AND STAY ON. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE HISSING NOISE CAME FROM A PART THAT WAS PROBABLY DAMAGED BY BUD DAVIS CADILLAC WHEN REPAIRING VALVES AND SEALS. I THEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT MY WARRANTY COMPANY DID COVER THE STABILIZER LINKAGE AND THEY STATED THAT THE SERVICE AGENT USED THE WRONG TERMINOLOGY. THEY AGREED TO FIX IT AND DID, BUT REFUSED TO CHECK THE SOURCE OF THE HISSING SOUND WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR IT. IT SEEMS THAT EACH WEEK OR MONTH THERE ARE EXTENSIVE REPAIRS NEEDED. *TT

THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING: THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING/THERE'S A LOUD TAPPING SOUND, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE POWER LOCKS AT TIMES WON'T UNLOCK/MUST PLAY WITH THE FLOOR SHIFTER, AND THE CLOCK WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, IN REFERENCE TO THE ENGINE. SCC

THEIR ARE TO MANY PROBLEMS AND TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP TO LIST!!! I EXPERIENCED FOUR RECALLS AT ONCE ON JULY 25TH, 2002. THE TECHNICIANS ARE OBVIOUSLY INCOMPENTENT OR HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THIS VEHICLE CORRECTLY IN THE FIRST PLACE. I CALLED THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER GIVEN RUN AROUND. I SUFFERED A CATROSTROFIC ENGINE FAILURE AS A RESULT OF LOW COOLANT IN MY ENGINE WHEN FAILURES OCCURRED. LETTERS FROM GM STATE VEHICLES CAN SUFFER ENGINE DAMAGED OR ENGINE FAILURE AND THAT THEY WILL COVER THE LOSSES AND AT NO COST TO ME. I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE COST, TOTAL $1,700.71 FOR THE ENGINE COOLER TO BE REPLACED!! GM REFUSES TO COVER THE ENGINE COOLER DAMAGE!! CAR STILL IS NOT RUNNING RIGHT AND ENGINE SOUNDS HORRIBLE. THE SERVICE MANAGER GETS ON THE PHONE AND STARTS YELLING AT ME BECAUSE I HAVE A FILED A LOCAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DEALERSHIP AND GM. HE TOLD ME HE REFUSES TO HONOR MY WARRANTYS BOTH FROM THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED AND THE REPAIRS I HAD TO PAY FOR 12 MONTH/12,000 MILES WARRANTY. I HAVE NO COOPERATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP OR GM AND I'M STUCK WITH A LEMON NO ONE WANTS BECAUSE THE VALUE IS SO LOW COMPARED TO WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR AND THE KNOWN PROBLEMS (LEMON) FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THE BBB REFUSES TO HELP. THIS AGENCY IS EVERYONE'S LAST HOPE THAT OWNS A CATERA BECAUSE GM TREATS US LIKE DIRT AND REFUSES TO COVER THE ENGINE DAMAGES AND RELATED DAMAGES THAT OCCUR WHEN THESE FAILURES THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE FINALLY. PLEASE HELP US AS CONSUMERS AND INFORCE A MANDATORY RECALL ON THIS ENTIRE VEHICLE. WE ARE ALL PAYING FOR CARS THAT HAVE LITTLE TO NO VALUE WITH LOANS THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO GET OUT OF BECAUSE THE TRADE IN VALUE IS SO POOR. IT'S NOT RIGHT AND IS ABSOLOUTELY UN AMERICAN!!!!! I WISH SOME ATTORNEYS WOULD FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST GM TO MAKE THEM DO JUST THAT OR HELP US GET OUT OF THESE LEMONS. PLEASE HELP US.

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. $145 TO REPAIR THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ITEM THAT SHOULD NOT FAIL. SECONDARY AIR INJECTION VALVE AND LR OXYGEN SENSOR BAD CAUSING "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TO COME ON. $345 TO REPAIR THIS ITEM THAT SHOULD NOT FAIL. HAVE GONE THROUGH TWO SETS OF TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF ABNORMAL WEAR TO THE INSIDE OF TIRES. DT