1997 Cadillac Catera

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, ENGINE STALLED. DEALER DETERMINED THAT TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN AND DAMAGED ENGINE. ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK WHEN THE TIMING BELT BROKE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ENGINE HAD STOP RUNNING EEXCEPT THAT THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. APPLYING BRAKES BECAME VERY HARD TO ACCOMPLISH. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND RESTART. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JG

THE 1997 CADILLAC CATERA HAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT BUT GENERAL MOTOS REFUSES TO ASSIST ME WITH GETTING OUT OF THIS UNSAFE CAR. THE TENSIONER ON MY CAR BROKE MAY 8, 2002. I THANK GOD THAT I WAS NOT KILLED. MY CAR STALLED RIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A $6900 ENGINE PROBLEM. I WAS SHOCKED. I LEARNED THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS KNOWN FOR ALMOST 5 YEARS ABOUT THE TENSIONER DEFECT BUT DI DNOT DO A RECALL. WHEN I CALLED, I WAS GIVENTHE RUNAROUND. I TOLD THE MECHANIC TO STOP UNTIL I COULD GET ASSISTANCE. HE SAID HE PUT ON A NEW TENSIONER, TIMINGBELT. AND WATER PUMP. IT DIDN'T HOLD. I'VE HAD TO TAKE TH CAR BACK OVER 4 TIMES. THE LAST TIME ON JULY 1, 2002,THE COOLANT SYSTEMHAD A LEAK. GENERAL MOTORS JUST LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID THE CAR IS DRIVEABLE. IT IS UNSAFE AND I WILL NOT SPENDMY TIME IN A GARAGE. THE CAMPAIGN THAT THEY SUPPOSEDLY ISSUED IS NOTHING BUT A HOAX TO KEEP FROM GETTING FOLKS OUT OF THESE LEMONS. THEY WOULD NOT BE IGNORING THESE DEFECTIF IT WERE THE ESCALADE OR THE DEVILLE BUYERS. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAVE IT AT A DEALERSHIP. I'VE TRIED TO TRADE IT BUT DUE TO THE BAD MECHANICAL RECORD, NO ONE WILL BUY THEM. EVEN THE MARKETPLACE/AUCTION SYAS THEY'RE ONLY WORTH $600 WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE A $13000 VALUE SINCE IT WAS A $36,000 VALUE CAR IN 97. GENERAL MOTORS WON'T CALL ME BACK. I AM ASKING FOR A COMPARABLE VEHICLE TO DRIVE AT THE SAME PAYMENT WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT IMMEIDATELY. GENERAL MOTORS IS THE THIRD LARGEST CORPORATION IN THE WORLD BUT IS TREATING SOME OF ITS CUSTOMERS LIKE DIRT. THEY ARE TRYING TO IGNORE THE CATERA OWNERS. MY VEHICLE WAS AN $800 REPAIR. MOST PERSONS KEPT TRYING TO DRIVE THEIR CAR AND ENDED UP WITH A $8000 ENGINE PROBLEM AND GERNAL MOTORS PAID FOR THAT. I'VE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE TO GET INTO ANOTHER CAR - MUCH LESS THAN WHAT THE ENGINE COST WOULDHAVEBEENIF I HAD KEPT DRIVING THE CAR. GENERAL MOTORS HAS NOTHELPED ME AT ALL. I AM TIRED OF THE RUNAROUND. CATER OWNERS ARE AT RISK.*AK

FIRST OF ALL THE CATERA IS A BAD CAR AND IS UNSAFE . WE HAVE PUT THIS CAR IN THE SHOP OVER 7 TIMES. WE HAVE REASON TO BELIVE THAT THE ODOMETER HAVE BEEN ROLLED BACK. ON JUNE 9 01 THE CAR HAD 56615 ON A ORDER REPAIR BUT WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR ON JULY 3 01 THE ODOMETER HAD 56512 HOW IS POSSIBLE.SINCE THEN THE MILES HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE .IT SHOWS THAT ON ONE ORDER REPAIR THAT I DROVE THIS CAR 56512 - 58101 JULY 3 - JULY 11 01.THATS 1589 MILES IN10 DAYS IN WHICH I TOOK NO MAJOR TRIPS. MY WIFE DROVE BACK IN FOUTH TO WORK.ON THE 12 OF JULY WE HAD THE TIMING BELT CHANGED WHICH BROKE ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER ON 8/11/01.KEEP IN MIND WE JUST GOT THE CAR OUT OF THE SHOP ON 7/18/01 ODOMETER READ 61095 WHICH MEANS WE DROVE THE CAR 2994 MILES IN ABOUT 23 DAYS.THE CAR HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP. SOMETHING STRANGE IS GOING ON I HAVE GOOD REASONS TO BELIVE THAT THIS ODOMETER HAVE BEEN TAMPERD WITH .IT SHOWS THAT I HAVE WENT 36532 IN ABOUT 9 MONTHS NO WAY. *AK

TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BREAK DOWN. DEALER REPAIRED, AND CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN. CONSUMER INFORMED THAT DEALER WILL NOT GIVE HER COPY OF SERVICE INVOICE. VERY DANGEROUS FOR CONSUMER TO TRAVEL WITH REPEATED BREAKDOWNS. CONSUMER RECEIVED A CAMPAIGN LETTER ON 06/2002 WITH REGARD TO PROBLEM. COOLANT LEAKS, THE COOLANT LIGHT IS ON AND THE ENGINE IS SLUGGISH AFTER TENSIONER WAS REPLACED. *TT