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1997 Cadillac Catera

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1997 Catera.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1997 Cadillac Catera, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 6.1 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, returned EPA fuel economy figures of 16 city, 23 highway, and 19 combined mpg. As the first year of the model's 1997-2002 span, it represents the absolute nadir of the vehicle's reliability record, accumulating 189 owner complaints predominantly focused on the engine and engine cooling systems despite zero official recalls. Consequently, the 1997 model stands as the most problematic iteration of the lineup by a wide margin, meaning researchers should approach it as a high-risk outlier that contrasts sharply with the mere 2 complaints recorded for the final 2002 model year.

Model year2001 2000 1999 1998 1997

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.1 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy16/23/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 91 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12737092. Note the factory fuel filter, spark plug and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 91 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP225-55R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12737092
Engine air filter	90509318
Fuel filter	90542540 discontinued · alt 90501397
Spark plug	09195166 discontinued
Front wiper blades	09195187 alt 09195186
Serpentine belt	93181720
Thermostat	09128363 discontinued · alt 55353492
Cabin air filter	93165208 alt 93182438

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	193.7 in
Overall width	70.5 in
Overall height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	107.5 in
Curb weight	3770 lb
Track (front / rear)	58.7 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	54/46

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	16 / 23 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	99 cu ft
Cargo volume	14 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Catera of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.5–8.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.50 sec — 1997 Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1997	Sedan 3.0L V6	8.50 sec	16.50 sec	200 hp	RWD
1997	Sedan 3.0L V6	8.90 sec	16.70 sec	200 hp	RWD
2000	Sport Sedan 3.0L V6	8.00 sec	16.10 sec	200 hp	RWD
2000	Sport Sedan 3.0L V6	8.20 sec	16.30 sec	200 hp	RWD
2000	Sport Sedan 3.0L V6	8.30 sec	16.50 sec	200 hp	RWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.1 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 8.8 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3.6 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6.1 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	6 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	15 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	30 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts	6 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	8.8 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

80 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Bosch
Spark Plug Type	Bosch (R) FLR-9LTE
Spark Plug Gap	0.035-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	19.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.60 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	91
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	14.5 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
RPM	46-60 rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11.8-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	140

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs / 59 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.043 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.984 in / 0.393 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque Caliper to Bracket — tightening sequence 1 stages

70 FT. LBS., STEP 2: 37

70 FT. LBS

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages

37 ft. lbs., Step 2: 60 degrees, Step 3: 15

37 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	18 ft. lbs.	18 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees	90 degrees
3	90 degrees	90 degrees
4	90 degrees	90 degrees
5	15

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1997 Cadillac Catera opens the generation with the highest federal complaint count—189 complaints—far exceeding the 167 filed in 1998 and the steep decline to just 99 by 1999 and 2 by 2002, while the entire run recorded zero recalls and zero investigations. This places 1997 at the peak of the model’s complaint arc, with reported issues concentrated heavily in Engine & Engine Cooling (58), followed by Steering (13), Suspension (12), and Electrical System (10), plus eight crash and three fire complaints; however, the data does not specify root causes or confirm defect trends. Notably, technical service bulletins remained modest at 59 in 1997, well below the 179–192 seen in 2000–2001, suggesting early field data had not yet driven widespread factory guidance. Because complaint volume drops consistently in subsequent years without any corresponding increase in recalls, the 1997 model year carries the heaviest documented owner-reported burden of the generation. Consequently, a used 1997 Catera represents the least favorable year to buy relative to its successors, and prospective owners would be better served by a later example with a lower federal complaint footprint.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

189

Owner complaints

8 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’97’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 189 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling58

Steering13

Suspension12

Electrical System10

Exterior Lighting8

Visibility8

Air Bags7

Service Brakes, Hydraulic7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 59 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-09-18	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-02-15	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Catera. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 91 battery Vehicles taking 6.1 qt Engine oil filter 12737092 Engine air filter 90509318 Fuel filter 90542540 Spark plug 09195166

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1997 Catera take?

6.1 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1997 Catera have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Catera get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 23 highway / 19 combined mpg.