The Cadillac Catera is a midsize car built from 1997 to 2001. Most were assembled in Germany — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: V6. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Catera is
The Cadillac Catera is a midsize car that Cadillac built from 1997 to 2001 — 5 model years. It has been offered with V6 power. Its closest siblings in the Cadillac range: CTS, CT5, Eldorado.
Where the Catera is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 329 Cateras on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | W06 | 1997-2003 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Cadillac VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Catera belongs to. What every character in a Catera VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Cadillac Catera adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Cadillac Catera tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Catera owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Cadillac Catera have? Power & range
The Cadillac Catera is offered with 1 powertrain — 3L 6-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Cadillac Catera, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 3.0L · 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | RWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Catera by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Cadillac Catera. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Catera | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 5 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 553 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Cadillac Catera?
The Catera is a midsize car, built from 1997 to 2001. Engines offered: V6.
Where is the Cadillac Catera made?
Across 329 cars in our records the split is: Germany (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Cadillac Catera warranty?
New models carry 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 4 years / 50,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Catera reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Catera?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Cadillac
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Escalade | 1999–2026 | 128 | 23 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Cadillac CTS | 2003–2019 | 75 | 25 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Cadillac CT5 | 2020–2026 | 20 | 27 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Cadillac XT5 | 2017–2026 | 23 | 24 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Cadillac Deville | 1981–2005 | 50 | 19 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Cadillac Eldorado | 1981–2002 | 40 | 21 mpg | 4.0/5 |