MY WIFE PURCHASED A 1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO IN 2009 AND IT ONLY HAD 38K MILES ON IT. NOW IN 2016 IT ONLY HAS 103K MILES ON IT BUT WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE WILL FREQUENTLY GO FROM 'NORMAL' TO 'ENGINE HOT - A/C OFF'. AFTER SHUTING OFF THE ENGINE, LETTING IT COOL, AND TOPPING OFF THE COOLANT LEVEL, THE WILL OPERATE IN THE 'NORMAL' TEMPERATURE RANGE FOR SEVERAL MILES BUT THEN IT WILL SUDDENLY JUMP UP TO THE 'ENGINE HOT - A/C OFF' RANGE. THE CAR IS NOW AT A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY HAVE DIAGNOSED THAT THIS 1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO HAS FAILING CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS. RECALL - CAMPAIGN #99086 (MARCH 19, 2002) ACKNOWLEDGES THIS DEFECT AND THE REASONS FOR IT. WILL CADILLAC PLEASE HELP US WITH THIS PROBLEM? A 103,000 MILE CADILLAC ELDORADO SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE AND, IF IT DOES, THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
1999 Cadillac Eldorado
Owners filed 23 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Windshield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsCADILLAC ELDORADO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO INFORMATION ON VEHICLE ENGINE FAILURES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, IT HASN'T WORKED CORRECTLY SINCE. *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE BRAKES ENGAGED ON THEIR OWN AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE STABILIZER CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE WITHIN THE STEERING SENSOR MODULE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING SENSOR MODULE, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP AND THE OVER PIPE GASKET WERE LEAKING. THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, THE OVER PIPE GASKET AND THE THERMOSTAT BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM FOR THE FAILURE AND TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO GET A SECOND OPINION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 184,320.
1999 CADILLAC EL DORADO. AT APPROX 75,000 MILES SUDDEN FAILURE OF REAR BRAKE LINE (BETWEEN TWO REAR WHEELS) DUE TO CORROSION. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. COST TO REPAIR $550. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO. IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ON PAGE. 6-31 ON BRAKE WEAR IT STATES THAT BRAKE PADS HAVE BUILT IN INDICATORS THAT WILL MAKE A SOUND WHEN NEW BRAKES ARE NEEDED. THE INDICATORS DO NOT WORK. THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE BRAKE PADS. ON THE CADILLAC ELDORADO IT IS WEARING DOWN QUICKER ON THE INSIDE THAN ON THE OUTSIDE. THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD WEAR DOWN AND THERE IS METAL TO METAL SOUND. ONLY THE OUTSIDE BRAKES HAVE WARNING INDICATORS. THERE ARE NONE ON THE INSIDE. CONTACT EXPLAINED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER. HE THINKS THAT THEY SHOULD LET PEOPLE KNOW NOT TO WAIT UNTIL HEARING THE INDICATOR. BECAUSE IF THE INSIDE BRAKES WEAR OUT CONSUMER WILL NOT HEAR THE INDICATOR SOUND.*AK *NM
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT HOSPITAL AFTER DRIVING 2 MILES. WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, ENGINE OFF, NO KEYS IN IGNITION, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE TOTALED. *JB
VEHICLE STALLED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OF 25 MPH OR MORE. ALSO THE CONSUMER HAD A CONCERN THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND EXTINGUISHED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BY SERVICING THE ENGINE. THEN, ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON, THEN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS LOSING COOLANT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES, IN WHICH THE RADIATOR AND THE WATER PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE PRESSURE TESTED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *LA
THE BRAKES WOULD PULSATE WHEN APPLIED. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE DEALER ONLY GROUNDED THE ROTORS DOWN. *SC
TOTAL POWER STEERING FAILURE - STEERING WHEEL UNRESPONSIVE. VEHICLE WAS TESTED BY AUTHORIZED GM DEALER IN LUXEMBOURG WHEN FAILURE WAS REPEATED. GM WAS NOTIFIED AND IS STONEWALLING. WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION IN HAND FROM BOTH GM DEALER IN LUXEMBOURG, PASSENGERS AND DRIVER. REQUEST RESPONSE ASAP. THIS COULD COST 1000'S OF FATIALITIES
CAR HAS PULSATION/VIBRATIONS WHEN BRAKING. UNSTABLE AT FREEWAY SPEED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE WOULD DIE OUT AT LOW SPEED OF 5-25 MPH WHILE APPLYING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. VEHICLE BEEN INTO DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINS WINDSHIELD WIPER IS CHATTERING AND NOISY, DEALER REPLACED INSERT, WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY, AND CLEANED DIRTY WINDSHIELD. *SLC
SMOKE COMING OUT OF STEERING WHEEL AREA. *AK
CONSUME R WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS ICE ON THE ROAD. HE WAS GOING AROUND A TRUCK, AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SKIDDED INTO A TREE, VEHICLE BOUNCED OFF THE TREE AND VEERED INTO AN ENBANKMENT. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. ALSO, VEHICLE HAD TWO FLAT TIRES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH ENGINE WENT DEAD WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING FOR THE SECOND TIME. THEN, A TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE CAUSE WAS A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT SENSOR.*AK ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING DUE TO EGR VALVE FAILURE. *YH
OUTSIDE DRIVER'S MIRROR HASN'T WORKED SINCE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT. DEALER CONTACTED, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO COMPLETELY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. *AK *ML
20 of 23 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1996Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.