1997 Cadillac Catera

PROBLEMS GETTING 1997 CADILLAC CATERA ENGINE REPAIRED.*MR ON 08/01/03, VEHICLE STOPPED ON NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE ENGINE, BUT NEEDED A PART FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. ON 08/04/03, CUSTOMER WAS INFORMED THE PART WAS RECALLED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALER. THIS DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PARTS WERE MISSING/DAMAGED AND WOULD COST THE CONSUMER $100. DOLLARS TO REPAIR BEFORE RECALL COULD BE ADDRESSED. ON 08/06/03, CONSUMER VISITED DEALERSHIP AND SEEN PARTS IN THE TRUNK OFTHE VEHICLE. CONSUME AGREED ALL THE PARTS WERE THERE AND HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGED PARTS. AUGUST 14,2003, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE COULD BE REPAIRED BUT HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGED PARTS (VACUUM STORAGE TANK AND WIRE HARNESS COVER). AUGUST 18,2003 CONSUMER RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT ONE OF THE PARTS WERE ORDERED AND CALLED WEEKLY FOR PROGRESS. HE WAS THEN INFORMED THAT CADILLAC DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND REPAIRS. CONSUMER REQUESTED DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT HE WAS TOLD, BUT WAS DENIED. SEPT. 16,2003, CONSUMER LEARNED VEHICLE WAS READY AND HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR $753.46 DOLLARS BECAUSE CADILLAC WOULDN'T COVER SOME OF THE ENGINE REPAIRS. *PH

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

THE 97-99 CADILLAC CATERA IN MY OPIONION HAS A BAD HEADLIGHT DESIGN. MY 6 YEAR OLD CAR HAS BROKEN HEADLIGHT ADJUSTORS. THIS MAKES IT BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO AIM (ADJUST) THE HEADLIGHTS. REPLACMENT HEADLIGHTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE PARTS DEPARTMENT, BUT THE COST ABOUT $340 PER HEADLIGHT. THIS IS AN EXCESSIVE COST TO CONSUMER TO REPAIR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE ON THIS CAR. HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE, NOT JUST SEVERAL YEARS. I CONSIDER IT A SAFTEY HAZARD THAT THE HEADLAMPS CANNOT BE ADJUSTED.

ELECTRICAL SMOLDERING FIRE WITHIN THE DASH HARNESS P/N90493373 OF MY 1997 CADILLAC CATERA VIN #[XXX]. NO ACTUAL FLAMES WERE SEEN BEFORE THE 80 AMP MAIN FUSE OPENED. I DID SEE THE ACTUAL HARNESS AT THE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP AND MOST IF NOT ALL THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAD THEIR SHIELDING MELTED CLEAN AWAY ABOUT 1/2". THE EXPOSED WIRES SHORTED TOGETHER TO CAUSE THE FUSE TO OPEN. I WAS TOLD THE AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WAS THE ONLY PEOPLE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING FAILURE BUT THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY ABLE TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION. THEY POINTED OUT, ITS POSSIBLE THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ISSUE. THEY WOULD NOT SAY IF THERE WAS ANY EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING THOUGH, EVEN WHEN ASKED TO LOOK FOR IT. CADILLAC FACTORY SERVICE REP [XXX] OPENED FILE #[XXX] ON 8-14-03 AND OFFERED TO LOOK INTO ANY POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE, BUT SAID THERE WOULD BE LITTLE TO NONE. WHEN I ASKED IF I SHOULD REPORT THIS TO NHTSA THEY THEN THREATENED TO WITHDRAW THE FILE AND ANY POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE. BY TALKING TO THE MANAGER [XXX], THE FILE I WAS TOLD WOULD REMAIN OPEN BUT NOT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE.*AK THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW THE STATUS OF THE COMPLAINT SUBMITTED. *JB *PH *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE FAILED TO START EVEN WITH AMPLE CRANKING POWER. TOWED TO CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS ONBOARD COMPUTER CONTAINING EMISSIONS CONTROL UNIT. I WAS ADVISED BY MY EXTENDED SVC WARRANTY COMPANY THAT BECAUSE ECU WAS INVOLVED, REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MANDATORY 8/80 FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY REQUIRED OF MANUFACTURERS BY THE FED. CLEAN AIR ACT. (VEH. IS SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS 61,000 MILES).GM TAKES THE POSITION THAT REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FED EMISSIONS WARRANTY BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE ME A WRITTEN EXPLANATION. I'VE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND WOULD LIKE RECOMPENSE EITHER UNDERTHE FED EMISSIONS WARRANTY PROGRAM OR THRU MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY.*AK