1998 Cadillac Catera fuel system problems

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

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 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. HAD AAA TOW IT TO MY HOME AND NEXT DAY (WED.) TO THE CADDY DEALER. THEY CHARGE ME $109 TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM, THEN TELL ME THE TIMING BELT BROKE! IT WILL COST ANOTHER $600 LABOR FOR 5 HOURS OF INSPECTION TO CHECK THE PROBLEM AND DEPENDING WHAT THEY FIND $$$$$$ TO FIX, DAAAAA! I CALL THE SERVICE MANAGER HE TELLS ME HE'LL CHECK IT OUT AND CALL ME BACK. OK SO NOW HE CALLS ME AND TELL ME THE REP MISS-QUOTED WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO. NOW IT'S THE TENSION PULLEY THAT FAILED CASING THE TIMING BELT TO SNAP, TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SET IS $699 + LABOR AND SUGGESTED I INVEST ANOTHER $150 TO CHANGE THE COOLANT PUMP AS IT'S SHOWING SIGNS OF LEAKAGE AT THE SAME TIME SO IT DOESN'T RUN ME ADDITIONAL COSTS LATER AS IT'S IN THE SAME PART OF THE ENGINE AS THE PULLEY AND BELT. GRAND TOTAL OF $1207 + TAX. "BUT" DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THEY REPLACE THE TENSIONER PULLEY & TIMING BELT THERE MIGHT BE ADDITIONAL COST IF THE CAR STILL WILL NOT START. OK SO I TELL HIM TO GO AHEAD. I DECIDED TO GOGGLE THE PROBLEM TO SEE WHAT IT IS I AM PAYING FOR, HELLLLLLO! WHAT DO I FIND BUT A MAJOR RECALL BACK IN 9/2002 ON THE TENSIONER PULLEY FAILURE CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SNAP!!!!!!!!! & THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLANT PUMP. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OR ADVISED OF THIS RECALL. THEY NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING EVERY TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I ONLY HAVE ONLY 20,654 MILES ON THE CAR, AS IT'S MY 2ND VEHICLE AND USE IT LOCALLY FOR SHOPPING. NORMAL REPLACEMENT FOR THE TIMING BELT & TENSIONER PULLEY IS 70K MI.

NHTSA complaint #10275593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL LINE BEHIND PASSENGER FRONT TIRE WAS DAMAGED BY AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD THAT THE DRIVER RAN OVER. THE FUEL LINE IS NOT PROTECTED IN ANYWAY ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WELL. THIS INCIDENT LEAD TO A MAJOR GAS LEAK AND THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #10229812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

I'M REPAIRING THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON THE SAME ENGINE FOR THE THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN 50000 MILES, 100000 TOTAL MILES. THESE CARS WERE LEMONS! CADILLAC KNOWS IT, BUT DOES NOT FEEL THE NEED TO RESPOND TO THE THOUSANDS OF CATERA OWNERS WHO HAVE SUFFERED THE EXPENSE OF REPEATED REPAIRS, TOTALING $10,000 WITH TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, MAJOR ENGINE REPAIR, TIMING BELTS, COOLING SYSTEMS, WATER PUMPS,AND OH YEAH...ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE!!! GIVE ME A BREAK! AND ANY ADVICE BESIDES THE OBVIOUS.

NHTSA complaint #10187875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM

I HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND THEY JUST KEEP PILING UP. I JUST REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET AND VALVE COVER GASKETS A MONTH AGO AND NOW MY OIL PRESSURE IS FAILING. MY SERVICE WRITTER TELLS ME THIS CAR IS NOTORIUS FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE, SPECIFICALLY THE WAY IT HANDLES OIL AND COOLING. I SENT A LETTER TO CADILLAC WHEN I HAD PROBLES A MONTH AGO BUT HAVE HEARD NOTHING. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?

NHTSA complaint #10067764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

SENSORS WENT BAD. OIL CURRENTLY IN THE ENGINE, HEAD GASKETS GONE. TOO MUCH PLAY IN THE STEERING COLUMN. CRANK SENSOR AND IGNITION COIL PACK REPAIR

NHTSA complaint #10070850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP CAUSED VEHICLE TO BECOME DISABLED. *AK *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10017429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL FILTER REPLACED, FUEL SENDER SEAL WAS LEAKING, FUEL TANK LEAKING CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLM. NLM

NHTSA complaint #563665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL FILTER REPLACED, FUEL SENDER SEAL WAS LEAKING, FUEL TANK LEAKING CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLM. NLM

NHTSA complaint #563665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

BRAKE INSP.BRAKE REPLACED3/9/00;CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 5/12/00-FUEL INJECTOR DIRTY, REPLACE SENSOR; LEFT WINDOW SLOW IN OPERATION - 6/23/00;INGINTION REMOTE KEY NOT WORKING- TWO REPLACEMENT 6/23/00;CAR JERKING IN SPORT MODE, PRBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS, SUNROOF SLIDES BACK AN FORTH WITHOUT TURNING DIAL,RECALL ON ENGINE CHECK PULLEY 7/05/000; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON CAR STALLS7/31/00; VIBRATION ON ACCELERATION TOLD NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR BUT TIRES, REPLACE TWO FRONT TIRES, I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE TIRE RODS. I ASK FOR A REA SUSP. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DO IT THAT DAY. RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP OUT 3/01/01; LEFT HEAD LIGHT OUT 4/13/01;CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, SUNROOF OPENS WHILE DRIVING W/O TURNING DIAL,5/24/01; REMOTE KEY NOT WORKING REPLACE KEY , CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, 6/21/01; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON , SLOW PICKUP, REAR SUS. ROUGH RIDE HELP-RECALL EMISSION 7/26/01; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON CONTACT DEALER ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TO ADJUST THE KNOB ON THE GAS TANK BY TURNING IT SEVERAL TIMES. 8/6/01; CAR WILL NOT START BATTERY DEAD, SUNROOF NOT WORKING. CONTACT TOW SERVICE THEY REFUSE TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER. TOW SERVICE BOOST CAR BATTERY AND LEFT. SUNROOF REFUSE TO OPERATE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 8/13/01-CAR PARKED GOING ON VACATION; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON RETURN FROM VACATION 8/23/01-HELP- DOING THE FIRST YEAR OF 1999 I HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY BREAKS THOSES DOCUMENTS WERE DESTROYED IN A HOUSE FIRE. MY HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 11/24/99.*AK (TIRESIZE: 14RHS)

NHTSA complaint #751086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

WHENEVER VEHICLE IS PARKED OVERNIGHT IT WOULD FAIL TO RESTART AGAIN. WOULD HAVE TOW VEHICLE TO DEALER EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, 8 TIMES SO FAR. MECHANIC WOULD REPROGRAM KEY; REPLACED BATTERY/FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. GMC EPURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER, 1999 FOR THE FULL PURCHASE PRICE LESS $400.OO

NHTSA complaint #849840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.