AI Damage1998 Cadillac Catera: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Cadillac Catera filed 123 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 123
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 46% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 18% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 15% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 56 complaints (46% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 22 complaints (18% of all).
- Tires: 19 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 17 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 17 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 123 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 56 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My wife sustained some injuries however because she was wearing her seat belt she was released from the hospital 4 days later!
Got vehicle serviced today and was informed that car had another serious problem that needed to be corrected-out of pocket-coolant crossover leaking into oil cooler, and valve cover was leaking oil.....the car runs extremely hot, has poor performance, gets terrible gas millage, battery has low voltage when nothing is…
Airbag failed to deploy. $7,440.00 damage my vehicle. Other vehicle (2002 pontiac grand am) was total loss.
Consumer was on an exit ramp at about 30-40 mph, when she lost control and hit the guardrail, damaging the front and side of vehicle. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. Dealer has been contacted.
Consumer was waiting for light to change, when she drove off, vehicle accelerated and rear ended another vehicle. She then tried to put vehicle in drive, but vehicle would jump back and forward at leased three times, continuing to hit the vehicle in front.
The warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. There was smoke coming from outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the engine was in satisfactory condition.
Vehicle is now doa and gm refuses to remedy tues evening 6/23 the check engine light goes on, in 30-45 seconds the car stopped running, earlier in the day I heard a knock and thought I ran over something as all gauges indicated everything was running normal.
While driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the tension timing belt pulley failed. The entire system needed to be replaced at the estimated cost of $1,200.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,086 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Catera has 67 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 123, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Cadillac Catera?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, suspension, tires. Total complaints: 123. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (10%), stalls while driving (7%), A/C or heater (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Cadillac Catera?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Cadillac Catera from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.