FaultScore

Worst years for a Cadillac Catera

Owners have filed 826 complaints about the Cadillac Catera with NHTSA across model years 1997 to 2003. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

1997 Cadillac Catera

269 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

1999 Cadillac Catera

140 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Cadillac Catera year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2003 3 0 0 Electrical System
2002 2 0 0 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2001 C 38 4 0 43,000 Engine & Cooling
2000 C 107 10 1 69,857 Electrical System
1999 B 140 5 4 60,000 Engine & Cooling
1998 C 267 9 1 60,000 Engine & Cooling
1997 D 269 16 5 64,414 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a Cadillac Catera

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 212 25.7%

Worst in 1997

Electrical System 100 12.1%

Worst in 1997

Suspension 59 7.1%

Worst in 1998

Tires 57 6.9%

Worst in 1998

Brakes 55 6.7%

Worst in 1998

Steering 41 5.0%

Worst in 1997

Airbags 37 4.5%

Worst in 1997

Lights 37 4.5%

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1998

Other & Unspecified 23 2.8%

Worst in 1999

Exactly what failed on a Cadillac Catera

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Engine 63 22.9%
Gasoline 47 17.1%
Front 39 14.2%
Cooling System 24 8.7%
Automatic Transmission 19 6.9%
Belts AND Associated Pulleys 18 6.5%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 17 6.2%
Door 17 6.2%
12V/24V/48V Battery 16 5.8%
Headlights 15 5.5%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Cadillac Catera, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 1997 peak 36 Sep 2018

Cadillac Catera problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Cadillac Catera

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.