IllustrationWITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING LINKAGE ON DRIVER SIDE SNAPPED WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE AT A SLOW SPEED. I NEED TO KNOW IF THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON OTHER CADILLAC CATERA'S OR OTHER MODELS BUILT SINCE 1997.*AK
1998 Cadillac Catera
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Cadillac Catera do not stand out strongly from 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
50–25K
625–50K
2050–75K
275–100K
5100–150K
1150K+
39 reports with mileage · 84 unknown
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 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
123 reportsSUSPENSION WILL NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT. HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT 13,000 MILES WITH REALIGNMENT AND CURRENTLY IS IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE ALL TIRES AND HAVE ALIGNED AGAIN. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SPECS OR THE VEHICLE. NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE FOR SAME PROBLEM.*AK (TIRESIZE: P225/55R16)
TIRES WORN OUT ON INSIDE. NOT READILY VISIBLE. SAFETY ISSUE. GM WILL NOT REPAIR. CAR MISALIGNED FROM FACTORY. TECHNICAL BULLETIN ISSUED.*AK
VEHICLE HAS STALLED 3 TIMES; FIRST TIME AT 40 MPH VEHICLE SPUTTERED/ STALLED SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, AND THEN STARTED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE, TOLD CONSUMER HE COULD NOT FIND CAUSE, UNABLE TO REMEDY PROBLEM.*AK
I HAVE TALKED WITH A PERSON A COLE VALLEY AND HE SAID THAT MY CAR AND OTHER LIKE MINE HAD THE SAME THING GO WRONG WITH IT IN ONE CASE SOME ONE HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE FOR A 1997 AND A 1998 DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE HE'S TALKING ABOUT BUT MY GUESS ITS UP THERE . *AK (TIRESIZE: 23540ZR18)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23540ZR18 )
VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT. DEALER CLAIMS THEY ARE GOING BY GMC SPECS. BUT ALIGNMENT IS OFF, CAUSING INNER EDGE OF TIRES TO WEAR DOWN TO STEEL.*AK THERE WAS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM OF SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF SHOP MORE THAN TEN TIMES FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. AL FOUR TIRES HAD BE TO TEPLACED D…
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VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT. DEALER CLAIMS THEY ARE GOING BY GMC SPECS. BUT ALIGNMENT IS OFF, CAUSING INNER EDGE OF TIRES TO WEAR DOWN TO STEEL.*AK THERE WAS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM OF SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF SHOP MORE THAN TEN TIMES FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. AL FOUR TIRES HAD BE TO TEPLACED DUE TO FACTORY RELATED ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. *YH
TIRES ARE WEARING OUT AT INSIDE, IT'S NOT NOTICEABLE ON OUTER TIRE. CONSUMER HAS HAD 10 TIRES PUT ON VEHICLE, AND THEY ALL WORE OUT ON INSIDE RIGHT TO STEEL BELTS.*AK TIRES ARE GOODYEAR EAGLE RSA, SIZE P225/55R16, CONSUMER STATES THAT GOODYEAR OR CADILLAC HAS A SOLUTION, POSSIBLY A SUSPENSION PROBLEM. *SLC
TWO TIRES LOST PRESSURE IN LAST TWO MONTHS. GOODYEAR, RSA TIRES, MTS P225/55R16 94H. FIRST TIRE WAS 2 MONTHS AGO, FRONT DRIVERS SIDE. SECOND TIRE WAS A WEEK AGO, REAR DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK HEATED SEAT IS INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED HEATING ELEMENT. *SLC
A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE: FOG LIGHTS BURNED OUT FAST/ RADIATOR LIGHTS CAME ON/STEERING MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONED, AND TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED A FEW TIMES. TREAD SEPARATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE TRYING TO REMEDY PROBLEM. CONSUMER WANTED DEALER/MANUFACTURWER TO BUY BACK VEHICL…
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A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE: FOG LIGHTS BURNED OUT FAST/ RADIATOR LIGHTS CAME ON/STEERING MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONED, AND TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED A FEW TIMES. TREAD SEPARATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE TRYING TO REMEDY PROBLEM. CONSUMER WANTED DEALER/MANUFACTURWER TO BUY BACK VEHICLE. *AK
A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS RECEIVED IN FEBRUARY OF 1999 THAT RONT END ALIGNMENT WAS CAUSING TIRE WEAR. AUTO SHOULD BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. IF TIRES ARE WORN DUE TO ALIGNMENT, REPLACE TIRES. MY TIRES WERE WORN AND REPLACED AT 17800 MILES. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES NOW NEED REPLACING AFTER 18000 ADDITIONAL MILES. ALIGNMENT IS…
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A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS RECEIVED IN FEBRUARY OF 1999 THAT RONT END ALIGNMENT WAS CAUSING TIRE WEAR. AUTO SHOULD BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. IF TIRES ARE WORN DUE TO ALIGNMENT, REPLACE TIRES. MY TIRES WERE WORN AND REPLACED AT 17800 MILES. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES NOW NEED REPLACING AFTER 18000 ADDITIONAL MILES. ALIGNMENT IS OUT FREQUENTLY, FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING, CAR IS REAR WHEEL DRIVE. I BELIEVE A FRONT END PROBLEM EXIST CREATING THE TIRE WEAR. *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.