1998 Cadillac Catera problems & reliability
123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Cadillac Catera. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Cadillac Catera vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 56 | 46% |
| Suspension → | 22 | 18% |
| Tires → | 19 | 15% |
| Electrical System → | 17 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 13 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 7% |
| Power Train | 9 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 7% |
| Steering | 8 | 7% |
| Visibility | 8 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 60,765 miles (middle 50% between 48,000 and 71,000 miles), based on 39 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jan 27, 2012
“My wife was driving our 1998 cadillac catera when another car ran a stop sign forcing my wife's car into a collision t-boning the other car. The approximate speed of our car during the impact was at least thirty miles per hour. Our cadillac was written off in the accident however even though this was a hard front end…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 18, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 cadillac catera. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph. The warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. There was smoke coming from outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the engine…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 11, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
56 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Cadillac Catera. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2017
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest calibrations to correct a condition of the rear entertainment system not operating as intended in colder ambient…
16NA260 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2016
Vehicle Recalls
Recalls · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2014
This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85 vehicle.
05-06-04-035D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2014
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint lamp, Service Vehicle Soon lamp on and/or radio locked, possibly after…
PIC5913 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 19, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Cadillac Catera in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Cadillac Catera?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 60,765 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.