IllustrationWHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH HEADLIGHTS ON, HEADLIGHT LENS PROVIDED POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO TURNING YELLOW. HEADLIGHT LENS COVER IS MADE OF PLASTIC. PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. HAS CONTACTED DEALER WHO IS UNABLE TO EXCHANGE LENS COVER FROM PLASTIC TO GLASS.*AK *TT *JG
1997 Cadillac Catera
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Catera years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Cadillac Catera are substantially higher than the model-year median of 67.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Catera years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 25 of 163 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
163 reportsWAS 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. TH…
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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
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IDLER PULLEY TENSIONER BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DRIVER LOST POWER OF ENGINE, MAKING IT HARD TO BRAKES AND STEER VEHICLE. DRIVER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, AND DEALER STATED TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAD FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *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 …
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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 TRAVELING HEARD NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. SOON AFTER ,ENGINE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*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 REF…
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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
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ABOUT 60MPH WHEN FUNNY TICKING NOISE OCCURRED AND ENGINE STOPPED AND DID NOT RESPOND. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER TO FIND OUT THAT THE TIMING BELT BROKE / PULLEY FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TO BE TOTALLED. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.