1998 Cadillac Catera Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Cadillac Catera, 46% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing belt” (23% of reports).
- 56engine and engine cooling complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 35%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing belt: mentioned in 13 of 56 complaints (23%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 7 of 56 complaints (13%)
- Head gasket: mentioned in 5 of 56 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 25 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 56 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Cadillac Catera engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Catera | 8 | 27% | 62,580 |
| 2000 Catera | 18 | 27% | 78,000 |
| 1999 Catera | 30 | 38% | 86,900 |
| 1998 Catera | 56 | 46% | 60,000 |
| 1997 Catera | 75 | 46% | 65,074 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Cadillac Catera. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Engine have a problem with oil pressure that stay below minimum at idle when engine is at operating temp. Front control arm bushing fail with less then 90000 miles. Auto transmission fail with less then 90000 miles. Have engagement problems and shifting problem. *tr
The water pump gave out. *tr
The tensioner pulley & timing belt was a know defect for vehicle and was recalled but i was never notified, at the time of failure i lost all power & control of the vehicle on an decline in a high traffic location in a server rain storm. Vehicle is now doa and gm refuses to remedy tues evening 6/23…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Cadillac Cateras have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Cadillac Catera (46% of the 123 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Cadillac Catera engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Cadillac Catera?
The most frequent phrase is “timing belt”, in 13 of 56 complaints, followed by “water pump” (7).
See all 1998 Cadillac Catera problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Catera years.