[ :confused: oh my oh my oh my Ive been reading these horror stories about my 1997 cad catera. My husband bought me this car because he wanted me to have something nice before he died (cancer) we are going to lose the 2002 silverado because of loss of income. We paid cash for this car 97000 miles seems to run fine but what have we done, should we try to unload as a possible or is there a chance that not all of them are lemons. or if theres someone outthere that wants to buy it please help. your input will be much appreciated.

Ah. The Catera. Well it had problems during its life. As for the '97 model, these were the most common:

As for the engine:

A common problem on these vehicles is a failure of the Timing Belt, Cam Drive Idler and Tensioner Pulleys and Water Pump. Failure of these components can cause the engine to become damaged. Check with a Cadillac Dealer for a special coverage policy effective during the first five years after original purchase or 100,000 miles, which ever comes first. The estimated cost to repair the Timing Belt, Cam Drive Idler and Tensioner Pulleys and Water Pump is $766.99 for parts and $227.50 for labor. This is package pricing based on the special coverage policy. All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax.

As for the steering/suspension:

An occasional problem on this vehicle is the Ignition Lock Cylinder. Failure of the Ignition Lock Cylinder can cause the ignition key to be difficult to remove from the cylinder. The estimated cost to adjust the Ignition Lock Cylinder linkage is $32.50 for labor. There should be no parts cost unless a component is worn and this should not happen. All prices are estimates based upon $65.00 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax.

Overall, its an okay car. But f16chico, you must remember that this was the first year model of the Catera and not all of the bugs had been worked out yet. My advice is to sell it. You can probably get about $6,000 for it with 97,000 miles if it seems to be working okay.

If you do sell it and still want a nice luxary cadillac, you can snag a much better Cadillac that your Catera if you check out the Devilles and Sevilles of the mid-90s. You might want to look into the STS(seville Touring Sedan (its a high performance Cadillac)) or the SLS (seville Luxary sedan(its more of a luxary sedan)). Both of these cars can be had for under $6,000 and IMHO they are much better quality than the Catera. NOTE: If you do get a Seville/Deville MAKE SURE it has a NorthStar Engine in it.

Anyways, whatever you decide, Good Luck.

[ :confused: oh my oh my oh my Ive been reading these horror stories about my 1997 cad catera. My husband bought me this car because he wanted me to have something nice before he died (cancer) we are going to lose the 2002 silverado because of loss of income. We paid cash for this car 97000 miles seems to run fine but what have we done, should we try to unload as a possible or is there a chance that not all of them are lemons. or if theres someone outthere that wants to buy it please help. your input will be much appreciated.


Buying ANY car with 97000 miles on it already is a crap shoot.....

Don't be too put off by the forums on the internet. All of them have one thing in common....ANYONE with a problem finds the forum for venting and commiserating but NO ONE who is happy with the car has a reason to find the forum and praise their car. Internet forums, regardless of the car brand, are full of complaints and horror stories so take them with a grain of salt....a large grain of salt. They should never be considered a scientific survey of what the car is really like. Of the millions of Cadillac owners on the road only several thousand even visit this forum so you are referencing a very very small part of the population.

If the Catera has 97000 on it and has never had the timing belt replaced it should be done as normal maintenance as 10 years/100K is about the minimum life span of a timing belt. You may not want to spend the money on maintenance...but it will be cheaper in the long run than a broken timing belt.

Welcome!
Thanks for joining the forum! Sorry to hear of your loss. There are mixed views on the Catera. I think bbobynski has the best advice. His opinions are well respected around this forum. If you have the maintenance records from the previous owners, and a good (trustworthy) dealership they will be able to help you make the correct decisions. Review the 100k recommended service.
Good luck!
:welcome:
Paul

WELL, I HAVE A 97 CADILLAC CATERA AND MY TIMING BELT IS BROKEN. HOW CAN I TELL IF THE VALVES ON MY ENGINE ARE DAMAGE. DOES IS AUTOMATICALLY DAMAGE THE VALVES WHEN IT BREAKS. HELP PLEASE!!!!!! :eek: