10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,155 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #10

Apr 062011

Eldorado

  • 1,000 miles
On our way to a family funeral bells started going off and lights flashing. My husband had put in a new engine from one stop auto don't know why. When we came back from Virginia I took the car to my mechanic he didn't want to do anything to it. He believed the brain and the engine wasn't communicating. My husband suggested we take the car to chesapeake Cadillac in cockeysville where he usually buy his car from. When we went into the service department my husband and the service person [xxx] new each other because he would take his car there for service. We also told them we believed there was a recall on the car. My husband also told him to deal with me because the car was given to me. And we were separated and he was moving not to send anything to his old address but to talk to me. When I would call [xxx] to ask about the vehicle he made it sound like something suspicious was going on with the car. He told me to tell my husband to call him and I asked him to tell me what was going on was the car ready. It was only taken there for diagnostic so I could take the car back to where the engine was put in just needed confirmation. [xxx] never told me the car was done and I could pick it up. They send information to my husband old address not to me since he didn't respond and I didn't know anything about it because [xxx] never told me it was ready. And it was ready nor did he tell me they send info to my husband. They told me to stories they gave it to a junk yard but they wouldn't give them anything because the car was a piece of junk. The other was that they had fixed it and I never came to pay for it. When I called and told [xxx] that I was coming to pick the car up he told me to hold on to see if the car was on the lot. He came back and asked me if I had already picked the car up. I told them about the recall. They took my car from me. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #9

Jul 242012

Eldorado

  • 61,200 miles
The contact owns a 1996 Cadillac Eldorado. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, he noticed that the instrument panel lights were flashing before completely failing. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and but provided no assistance. The failure and the current mileage was 61,200.

- Martinsville , IN, USA

problem #8

Jul 222008

Eldorado

  • 103,000 miles
The contact owns a 1996 Cadillac Eldorado. The contact stated that the instrument cluster malfunctioned. The entire instrument panel is inoperable, except for the speedometer and odometer. While driving 60 mph, the instrument panel cluster will go blank, which causes a loss of gauge functionality except for the ABS, sir, park brake, and service engine soon indicators. The dealer stated that his VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 95V224000 (equipment: Electrical). The failure mileage was 103,000 and current mileage was 103,200.

- Wasilla, AK, USA

problem #7

Feb 162006

Eldorado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 94,500 miles
: the contact stated the vehicle failed to start and the dashboard lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop which repaired the analog instrument panel cluster to fix the starting failure. The dash light failure occurred while driving 35mph and at night. There is a NHTSA recall, # 95V224000. The vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #6

Oct 262005

Eldorado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles
The contact complained about an electrical problem. There was NHTSA recall 95V224000. Contacted the manufacturer, and they stated that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN. The electrical system failed twice. On both occasions the car was being driven. The indicator lights came on stating security system default. The vehicle ran fine until the engine was turned off. It would not restart. The indicator lights came back on "stating system disabled. The vehicle was repaired at cost on the first occasion in 2003. Now it has to be repaired again.

- Ozark, AL, USA

problem #5

May 132004

Eldorado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Electrical system failed. Recall 95V224000 was issued.

- Vineland, NJ, USA

problem #4

May 212003

Eldorado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 77,848 miles
After sitting in a parking lot while I went into the bank for 15-20 min. I got into my car and started the engine. I heard a "pop", pulled forward about 10 to 15 feet when I started to smell something burning. I looked down at the gauges and everything looked off. When I looked back up I saw black smoke coming out from under the hood. I put the car in park and turned off the engine. I then turned to my daughter and told her to get out of the car and get away from it. By that time flames were coming out from under the hood. We both got out of the car and called 911. By the time the fire department arrived the fire had gotten in side the car and cracked all the windows. The fireman smashed the drivers side window to get to the hood release but the cable had already been burned and the release did not work. The fire department had to pry the hood of the car off. By this time the car was in flames from the doors forward. The car is now a total loss. My husband suspect a fuel supply line had disconnected.

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #3

Feb 242003

Eldorado

  • 4,000 miles
The instrument panel went blank while driving.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #2

Feb 132003

Eldorado

  • 50,000 miles
All the lights on the instrument panel flickered on and off.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #1

Apr 071997

Eldorado

  • miles
An electrical short, in the trunk area behind the rear seat where electronic components are housed, caused a fire and burned the vehicle. Driver suffered smkoe inhalation and the vehicle was a total loss.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA