1997 Cadillac Catera

WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN ON INTERSTATE 24 ABOUT 60 MPH WHEN I NOTICED THE CAR FELT FUNNY. PROCEEDED TO GET BACK INTO RIGHT LANE JUST AS I LOST ALL POWER. WAS ABLE TO GET ON THE SHOULDER SAFELY. HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED 45 MILES AWAY TO A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $12,000. THEY TOLD ME THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND CAUSED THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO BLOW. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ALSO TOLD ME THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS TO CADILLAC FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE CATERA. CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS REFUSED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS THE TIMING BELT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE CHANGED FOR 100,000 MILES OR 96 MOS WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD! IF I HAD BEEN GOING DOWN THIS MOUNTAIN INSTEAD OF UP THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PLEASE HELP! CADILLAC NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.*AK

CURRENTLY CADILLAC HAS NO PUBLISHED INFORMATION REGARDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT FOR THIS VEHICLE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN SPEAKING WITH VARIOUS DEALER ACROSS TEXAS, THAT THE CATERA HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING FAILURE TO THE TENSIONER. WHEN THE TENSIONER BREAKS, THE TIMING BELT THEN EITHER BREAKS AS WELL OR FALLS OFF, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SUFFER SEVER DAMAGE. I AM CURRENTLY TAKING UP THE ISSUE WITH CADILLAC BECAUSE THE PRICE QUOTED TO ME BY THE DEALER FAR EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE OR CAN LEND ANY ASSISTANCE PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.*AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S TIMING BELT TENSIONER ASSEMBLY EXPLODED. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP IN THE FAST LANE OF A FIVELANE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE AWARE THAT THIS EVENT HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS CATERA MODELS! CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO ASSIST CUSTOMER IN MAKING EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD TO ALL CATERA OWNERS! PLEASE HELP CADILLAC DO THE RIGHT THING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED! *AK

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE 75,000 MILE CHECK UP AND ADVISED DEALERSHIP I WAS HEARING A NOISE. THEY ADVISED CAR WAS FINE. I PAID $200 FOR THE WORK. THE NEXT WEEK THE CAR WAS MAKING THE SAME NOISE, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE BELT TENSIONER. I PAID $280 TO HAVE THAT FIXED. THE VERY NEXT WEEK, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HOV LANE TO TAKE MY BABY TO DAYCARE, THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WENT DEAD WHILE I WAS GOING 65MPH. THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE AND TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY THEN ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE RUINING THE ENTIRE ENGINE AT THE COST OF $8000. I THEN BEGAN DOING RESEARCH AND FOUND 6 OTHER COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE ON MSN CARPOINT AND ABOUT 3 ON THE NHTSA SITE. I BELIEVE GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS AND SHOULD HAVE RECALLED IT AND MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE BECAUSE MY CHILD AND I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. GM NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INADEQUACIES OF THEIR VEHICLES. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN?