Looks nice inside and out, stereo system.

cup holder, others listed.

Looks Nice,Rides nice. Has been in the shop twice within the first four months. Transmission been repaired once,the gear stick and steering wheel vibrates , the steering wheel is stiff , veers to the right , and the fog lights continually blow out. The dealership will fix the problems if you keep hounding them.They cannot fix the vibrating,its a design flaw. Not at all what is expected from Cadillac. E-mail us @ Cadi@bolynx.com with similar problems.

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Ford Escort GT , traded at 100,000 miles and was in the shop only once in Five Years.

Great driving car.

Reliability, Cost of Ownership, Poor service including lack of knowledge from Cadillac dealers service departments.

After reading the reviews on this site I'm glad I'm not alone in my Catera woes. Unfortunately, I'm a real glutton for punishment since I leased mine and then, even after all the problems, still went ahead and purchased it. Ow!

At that time, my problems were fairly minor and I had hoped the kinks had been sorted out. Now after reading the reviews, I'm getting worried!!

These are the problems I've had:

* Dead battery for no apparent reason, TWICE.
(and to the dealer, "no, I didn't leave my lights on...")

* Rear door handles Jam

* Leak of fluid onto the front drivers carpet

* Low coolant light (excessive use of coolant)

* Sunroof opening and closing by itself

* AC panel died and had to be replaced

* Couldn't shift car into gear. Something had to be replaced.

* Excessive tire wear. First set of tires replaced around 12k miles. I kept complaining to the dealer that the car veers to the right when the wheel is dead centered. They tried to portray me as the idiot. In attempting to fix it, they made it go to the left. I thought that at least for a $30k plus car I'd get one that goes straight. Tires continued wearing even though the dealer swore nothing was wrong. They tried to blame it on me for not rotating the tires (it seems maybe I should rotate them every 100 miles to keep them happy). My one tire wore down completely. I refused to pay for another one and they finally gave it to me for 'customer goodwill'. How can they say its 'balanced' when I keep getting this tire wear?

* ABS and TC lights come on for no reason. Fixed once. Problem happening again.

* Complete replacement of breaks and rotors at approx 16k miles, at my expense. Excuse me, but I'm not an aggresive driver with my foot on the breaks. Is this normal?

* Excessive squeaking from steering wheel. Replaced some ball bearing.

* Cheap cup-holders broke. Replaced.

I don't recall other problems at the moment, but I'm sure I will as I submit the review.

I now have 27k miles on the car. To all the other 97 Catera owners out there, what can I expect next? Should I bail out now and hope another dealer will trade-in the car? Or have I had the problems fixed? Is this level of reliability acceptable, or should GM be taken to task for this? Has anybody pursued legal action?

Please feel free to contact me.

Chris

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None

NICE RIMS, QUITE INTERIOR, VERY NICELY DESINED INTERIOR, LOOKS SMALL BUT IS VERY SPACIOUS, VERY GOOD AT HIGHWAY DRIVING.

NO BODY UNDERSTANDS THIS CAR NOT EVEN GM. LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH ALIGNMENT, LEAKS, BATTERY FAILURE, BRAKES, AND THE LIST GOES on.

The car is a good car without the damn problems, I would like anybody who has had these similar problems to email me, my warranty is over and i have to pay everything from my own pocket. I would like anybodies suggestion and opinions on what to do.

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BMW 3 series, the drive in the cadillac is better only if it stays out of the shops.

Free year of on star, Good handling (generally), good brakes, good stereo system, sunshade in back is cool, rims are nice, car looks good (not sporty though). Comfortable seating (never been in the back), seats have 3 position memmory, do not need to get an extra garage door opener.

Slow (0-60 about 8 secconds, 1/4 mile HIGH 15's), tires lose grip easily which affects the good handling...stick pirellis on this babby and it hunkers down. Weighs alot. Steering is heavy. Battery died twice on me.
Looks are not near as good without windows tinted

I enjoy my catera it is a nice entry class luxo car, but it is not a sporty as I hoped it would be. Aftermarket add ons cost major bucks and just dont seem worth it. I havent yet had any real problems (except the battery dying twice, but cadillac was very nice about replacing it) driven it 16000 miles and hopeing I dont experience the problems other reviewers have. Could be sportier, when I'm driving for fun the A6 beats the Catera hands down. Once I tinted the windows, I would pickup girls in the Catera not the audi.
I have been pleased with this car, but I am also very glad it was a lease. My next car is going to be a Subaru Impreza WRX which will make up for the lack of speed and soprty handling my Catera is lacking.

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Audi A6 very fun, good looking, a blast to drive!
1993 pontiac bonnivile SSE...boat?

Interior comfort and luxury - sound system - big trunk space!

No driver/passenger storage space. Continuous need to visit repair shop for different problems. Uses LOTS of gas!

Although I absolutely love the look and style of my 97 Catera, I chose to invest Cadillac money because I thought it would buy the Cadillac reputation, but was I ever wrong! This car has put us on a first name basis with each and every mechanic and technician in the service department of the Cadillac dealership, including the Service Manager and my personal service rep. From the day we drove it off the lot with only 47,000 miles on it, it has had to make a monthly trip to the shop, usually staying between 2 and 5 days, and now that the extended warranty has kicked in, it's a $50.00 deductible every time (if its a warranty repair) and I can't get a rental or loaner until the warranty company authorizes repairs, which usually takes 2 days, so I have to borrow a car or bum a ride to and from work during that time.
The service department is WONDERFUL - I have no complaints with them at all - they fix the problem and everything is fine until the next piece of equipment misfunctions or just plain quits working. We have experienced everything from needing to rotate and align 2 times in just 4000 miles, to computer chips and automated switches quitting, to cracks in hoses that are in such a strange place the the engine has to be taken apart to get to them, to replacing a front headlight bulb that cost me $48.00 for labor because the battery has to be removed to get into the headlight area (and I paid for the bulb myself) to doors that slam on whoever is unfortunate enough to be within striking distance, to a radio that makes up it's own mind when it will go on and when it won't, to both headlight assemblies that are NOT covered under warranty but are so bent that my lights point in 2 different directions and the dealer wants $750.00 to fix because you have to replace the whole thing, to an ignition switch that won't let go of the key without a wrestling match that rivals the WCW.
I can't take this anymore - we don't qualify for Lemon Law because it's never the same problem, but we have had over 20 out-of-service days in just 8 months, and I can't keep missing hours from work to take this car to the shop, wait around for a courtesy ride home and then find a ride to the rental dealer if and when they approve it.
I would love to hear from other Catera owners about this - I met a woman today who said GM bought back her 97 Catera and they took a 99 instead, but now it's starting to give them problems, also. My email address is classy5465@aol.com. Any constructive suggestions would be appreciated. I have already written and spoken to the General Manager of my dealership to notify him that I feel it is his responsiblility to find a replacement car for me that will be reliable - if not another Cadillac, then anything else that I can depend on to do the job and not always be in the shop. He says he is "keeping an eye out for me", but I don't really think he even cares. So........any new ideas will be helpful!

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Pontiac Bonneville - that car ran 119,000 miles and wasn't in the shop in 10 years what this Catera has been in 8 months!

GOOD LOOKING; VERY QUICK; NICE SOUND SYSTEM; SMOOTH RIDE

EVERYTHING ELSE; TOO EXPENSIVE FOR REPAIRS

THIS CATERA WAS THE FIRST CAR I HAVE EVER PAID FOR MYSELF. THE CAR IS A MECHANICS DREAM. I BOUGHT THIS CAR AT 35,000 MILES. I NOW HAVE 55,000 MILES. FROM 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES MY CAR WAS IN THE CADDIALAC DEALERSHIP A TOTAL OF 18 TIMES, NO LIE. MANY PROBLEMS ARE REOCCURING ONES. I HAVE HAD MY A/C COMPRESSOR FIXED TWICE, MY SPARK PLUG HARENESS CHANGED TWICE, TIMING-CHAIN REPLACED, BATTERY REPACED, HAVE HAD EXHAUST HOSES UNDER THE HOOD CHANGED THREE TIMES, DOOR BROKE OFF HINGES, TIRE PROBLEMS, AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AND A NEW COOLANT UNIT REPALCED. LUCKILY ALL THIS HAPPENED UNDER WARRANTY OR IT WOULD HAVE COST THOUSANDS. THIS CAR IS SO BAD THAT I LEFT MY CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WHOLE WEEK TO FIX SOME THINGS. ON MY WAY HOME FROM PICKING THE CAR UP , IT CUTS OFF ON ME ON THE EXPRESSWAY. ONLY LAST WEEK DID THE DEALERSHIP TELL ME THAT CATERAS HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS, DUH. ALL OF MY FRIENDS TELL ME THAT I DON'T HAVE A REAL CADILLAC AND I ALWAYS ARGUED BACK UNTIL RECENTLY. I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THAT CADILLAC WOULD MAKE A PRODUCT SO BAD. WHAT'S WORSE IS THAT I BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SO THAT I WOULDN'T BREAK MYSELF WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG. I HAVE HAD THE WARRANTY FOR 4 WEEKS AND HAVE ALREADY HAD TO GET REPAIRS DONE TWICE. I STILL HAD TO PAY 2- $150 DEDUCTIBLES JUST TO GET THE WORK DONE. WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF GENERAL MOTORS HAS SOME KIND OF LEMON-POLICY WHERE THEY BUY BACK THEIR DISFUNCTIONAL VEHICLES. I KNOW THAT CADILLAC SOMEHOW DIDN'T BUILD ALL 1997 CATERAS CORRECCTLY BECAUSE I HAVE TWO AUNTS THAT THEM AND THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE. MY TROUBLE IS EASILY ENOUGH FOR THEIRS AND TWO MORE CATERAS.

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DAD A 1985 FLEETWOOD AND NEVER, EVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE ENGINE SAW 100,000 MILES

Handling, solid feel, sound system

Power, fuel economy, tire wear, air conditioning, Cadillac and dealer support

All-in-all, a generally pleasant car to own, though it spent more time at the dealer than it should have. Most of my problems centered on detail and trim items. I did experience the ABS and TCS lights coming on for no reason. Systems worked fine, the lights would just come on. Dealer fixed the problem on the first visit.

The heater was just great. The air conditioning, however, never seemed to quite settle down on what it was going to do. I did take it in twice, complaining about insufficient air conditioning. Unfortunately, to make it cool satisfactorily in the hot Texas summers, I had to switch out of Auto and set the controls manually. Having done that, however, I would get sufficient cooling. That doesn't seem right for an entry-level luxury car.

I was dismayed to have to replace the original equipment Goodyear tires at 23,000 mi. This is abysmal for tires of that quality. Replaced them with Pirellis, and that made a huge difference in the car's handling. Highly recommended!

The seats were very comfortable and the memory positioning allowed my 5' girlfriend to easily share the car with my 5' 10" frame. The Bose radio system was superbe. Controls were logical and easy to operate.

While the car was attractive, it was not a knockout. From some angles it actually looked somewhat humble. But the Ocean paint was a truly beautiful color and presented different personalities depending upon the color of the sky.

The trunk was large and had good access. The lip is not too high, and the lid rotates up and forward, allowing me to easily lean over the trunk without bumping my head on it.

The car is certainly not a racer, but it could be set into a corner agressively and stay right there all the way through. Steering was heavier than I would like, but the car would stay where you put it. The biggest handling downfall, though, is a tendency to wander in the lane while travelling straight. Accelleration was slow - too bad! Braking, on the other hand, could pull your eyes out of their sockets. If pushed to the extreme, the ABS would kick in with gentle pulsing of the brake pedal, allowing me to manuever the car any way I wanted on any kind of surface.

While the car did spend more time than I would have liked at the dealer's, they always provided me with a loaner (which was usually a full-size Cadillac), so I was never out of circulation. They were always quick about taking care of me, both when I brought the car in and when I returned it. Since all the work was done under warrantee, I paid nothing for any repairs.

The fact that I traded it in on a 2000 Catera Sport should tell you whether I would recommend this car.

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BMW 3-series

Bose stereo, Onstar, Heated seats, twilight sentinel, great style, great comfort, great price

cup holder is cheesy, not enough storage for cd's

After leasing the Catera for only 2 months, I am completely satisfied and still loving the "new car feel". I hope that all the kinks I've read about on earlier models have been worked out, but with only a 3 year lease and a 50,000 mile warranty, I feel confident that any major problem will be taken care of.

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My last car was a 98 Sebring convertible, the Catera is in a completely different class. The Catera was much less expensive than BMW, Audi,Mercedes

Bose stereo, Onstar, Heated seats, twilight sentinel, great style, great comfort, great price

cup holder is cheesy, not enough storage for cd's

After leasing the Catera for only 2 months, I am completely satisfied and still loving the "new car feel". I hope that all the kinks I've read about on earlier models have been worked out, but with only a 3 year lease and a 50,000 mile warranty, I feel confident that any major problem will be taken care of.

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My last car was a 98 Sebring convertible, the Catera is in a completely different class. The Catera was much less expensive than BMW, Audi,Mercedes

As usual the audio system

This is not a repeat but with this review, my third, an update, which I am sorry to say will list All of the complaints which I have read in your reviews have now come to haunt me. March 2000, I bought this car, I have put 9,000 miles on it and today I took it to my local Goodyear Tire Center (the tires are Goodyear Eagle which do not live up to their price. I understand that these tires are OEM. My dealer told me that all 4 tires need to be replaced. I met a man at the local sub shop on Northlake and he told me Schooley Cadillac just replaced all 4 tires on his 2000 Catera with 10,000 miles on it (he was leasing the car) I am not that lucky, they told me ordinary wear and tear on tires not covered and, of course, Goodyear told me there was no mileage rating for these tires. I never heard of a tire that did not stand up to a milage rating????? Next, Brakes, I had a break job Oct. 2000, 6 months ago and my brake light is coming on. My new unusual quirk is that when the turning signal is on all the dash board meters drop to zero. (Temp. PSI, RPM) ??????

Everyone who has written a review shows the concern of the majority of owners who have been left out in the cold and its their fault if they will not get together . . . and lets get started here and now. Let me hear from you and we will form a group with a voice made strong by our numbers.

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None I would have to go to outer space to create anything similiar to this car. When I sent my complaint letter to Detroit, MI, I had a return call from OR. (?) If you thing that is odd, when he told me first he would replace my tinted back window and then called back the next day and said it was a mistake. (It had been determined by the area supervisor) I asked if it was because the car was built in Germany and they could not duplicate the cost (Or Condition) which is their usual way out. He said no Cadillacs are made in Germany, They are all manufactured in the U.S. Well needless to say if the GM Rep. does not know what his product is or where it came from how can we expect a warranty from either a car dealer or a tire manufacturer to stand on. My e-mail address is jfspa@msn.com if you all want to get together. Tom Maher gave his address but I can not reach him.