IllustrationTHE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED 5 TIMES, THE DEALER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT FINDING THE CAUSE. *JB
1999 Cadillac Catera
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
00–25K
425–50K
850–75K
575–100K
3100–150K
0150K+
20 reports with mileage · 60 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 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
80 reportsAFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED, 30 DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE. CONSUMER PUT THE FIRE OUT AND TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT FIRE AGAIN A HALF MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. *JB
I HAVE A 1998 AND 1999 CADILLAC CATERA. BOTH CARS HAVE GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES. THE 1999 HAD TO HAVE ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 25,000 MILES. GOODYEAR PAID FOR THE FRONT TWO BECAUSE THE CAMBER SPECS GIVEN TO CADILLAC WERE INCORRECT. THE BACK TWO WERE BLAMED ON THE DELAER SWITCHING TIRES FROM ANOTHER CAR. THE…
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I HAVE A 1998 AND 1999 CADILLAC CATERA. BOTH CARS HAVE GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES. THE 1999 HAD TO HAVE ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 25,000 MILES. GOODYEAR PAID FOR THE FRONT TWO BECAUSE THE CAMBER SPECS GIVEN TO CADILLAC WERE INCORRECT. THE BACK TWO WERE BLAMED ON THE DELAER SWITCHING TIRES FROM ANOTHER CAR. THE 1998 HAD BOTH ITS FRONT TIRES REPLACED UNDER THE SAME PROGRAM BUT THE REAR TWO SEEMED ALL RIGHT. THEY WERE UNTIL LAST NIGHT WHEN ONE OF THE REAR TIRES WENT FLAT. AND THE OTHER REAR TIRE COULD GO FLAT AT ANY TIME. ALL EIGHT TIRES HAVE EXHIBITED THE SAME EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE TREAD. THE STEEL BELTS SHOW AND ALL RUBBER IS GONE ON THE EDGE. THE REMAINDER OF THE TIRE HAS TREAD COMPARABLE TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE MILAGE OF THE CAR. SOMETHING IS WRONG EITHER THE CAMBER OR THE TIRE ITSELF. THE FLAT LAST NIGHT OCCURRED AT 75 MPH ON I-12. A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
THIS CAR WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. FIRST LEFT, THEN RIGHT. WE HAVE HAD IT ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES AND IS WITHIN SPECS BUT WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM. TWO DEALERS HAVE NOW TOLD US THAT THIS IS HOW THEY DRIVE. I FEAR THAT IT WILL BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, AND AM ACTUALLY SCARED TO DRIVE IT FOR ANY DISTANCE. YOU MUST HOLD THE ST…
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THIS CAR WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. FIRST LEFT, THEN RIGHT. WE HAVE HAD IT ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES AND IS WITHIN SPECS BUT WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM. TWO DEALERS HAVE NOW TOLD US THAT THIS IS HOW THEY DRIVE. I FEAR THAT IT WILL BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, AND AM ACTUALLY SCARED TO DRIVE IT FOR ANY DISTANCE. YOU MUST HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHT AND WITH BOTH HANDS AT ALL TIMES OR IT JUST SEEMS TO LEAP FROM ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO THE OTHER.
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 50MPH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN CAUSING LOST OF POWER STEERING . PH
CONSUMER STATES IT'S HARD TO TAKE THE KEY OUT THE IGNITION AND START THE CAR AT TIMES.CONSUMER STATED IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER STATES SHE WOULD LIKE THE PROBLEM FIXED OR GET HER MONEY BACK. PH CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT TIMES.*JB
THE AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF FROM FUEL TANK FILLER DOES NOT REGISTER WHEN TANK IS FILLED AND THE AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILLAGE IS DANGEROUS. ALARM AND DOORS DO NOT RESPOND TO KEYLESS REMOTE; CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT EVEN AFTER WHEEL ALIGNMENT. DT
FRONT TIRES ARE BEING REPLACED WITHIN 10,000 WITH STEEL BELTS SHOWING ONCE THIS MILEAGE IS REACHED. THE OWNER IS BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP "THAT IT IS HER DRIVING". THE TIRES ARE ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES WITH ALIGNMENT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. MR
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COMES ON. OWNER THEN STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION SYSTEM. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERHSIP. OWNER PICKED UP VEHICLE, AND LATER VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE APPROACHING TOLL TO CROSS A BAY BRIDGE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER PUT KEY IN IGNITION AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHUTDOWN TWICE WITHOUT ANY WARNING.CONTACTED DEALER.*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.