CADILLAC ELDORADO · model year

1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO

5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1992CADILLACELDORADO carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1992 ELDORADO is exterior lighting with 2 filings, followed by tires (1) and seats:front assembly:recliner (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 1992 ELDORADO, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
TIRES1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20130911ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD OVERHEATED AND HE ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO COOL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 11/15/13*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENTIRE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 11/20/13

Mileage: 98,000

20101124EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN MY 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO HEADLIGHTS WHEN OUT BARELY ABLE TO SEE 5 MINUTES AFTERWARDS LIGHTS CAME BACK ON THINKING THAT I MUST HAVE A WIRE LOOSE CHECK WIRING WHEN I GOT HOME AND FOUND NO LOOSE WIRE ANYWHERE. NEXT DAY HAD VEHICLE SERVICE TO SEE IF MECHANIC COULD FIND WHY MY LIGHTS ARE KEEP TURNING OFF. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. SO WHEN I DECIDED TO GO OUT FOR DINNER MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. THE ONLY LIGHT THAT IS WORKING WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE PARKING LIGHT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING DOWN COUNTRY SIDE ROADS IF IT WAS TOTALLY DARK OUTSIDE I WOULD HAVE HAD A BAD ACCIDENT. *TR

Mileage: 166,255

20101124EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN MY 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, BARELY ABLE TO SEE, THEN 5 MINUTES AFTERWARDS LIGHTS CAME BACK ON, THINKING THAT I MUST HAVE A WIRE LOOSE SO I CHECKED THE WIRING WHEN I GOT HOME AND FOUND NO LOOSE WIRES ANYWHERE. DURING THE NEXT DAY I HAD MY 1992 CADILLAC SERVICED TO SEE IF THE MECHANIC COULD FIND OUT WHY THE LIGHTS ARE TURNING OFF. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. SO WHEN I DECIDED TO GO OUT FOR DINNER MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON AGAIN. THE ONLY LIGHT THAT IS WORKING WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE PARKING LIGHT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING DOWN COUNTRY SIDE ROADS IF IT WAS TOTALLY DARK OUTSIDE I WOULD HAVE HAD A BAD ACCIDENT. *TR

Mileage: 166,255

20040719SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

IN JUNE OF 2003, I PURCHASED A 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO, THAT WAS A TRADE-IN AT RUDDELL AUTO MALL, IN PORT ANGELES, WA. THIS ELDORADO WAS GIVEN A SERVICE CHECK, BUT ONE FRONT SEAT (DRIVERS SIDE) WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, I ASKED THAT IT BE FIXED BEFORE I TOOK POSSESSION, OF IT. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS WORKING, BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT. DURING THE PAST TEN OR SO MONTHS, THE DRIVERS SIDE STARTED TO RECLINE, AND UPON TRYING TO RAISE DRIVERS SEAT BACK TO A SAFE UPRIGHT POSITION, IT FAILS TO DO SO. NOW BOTH SEATS ARE NOT WORKING, EACH HAVING MANUAL RECLINE LEVERS (BROKEN), AND SIX-WAY ELECTRIC ADJUSTMENT THAT WORK ON BOTH FRONT SEATS. IS THIS A COMMON DEFECT, FOR THE '92 ELDORADO MANUAL RECLINE SEATS? THE DEALER COSTS FOR TOTAL SEAT REPLACEMENT, IS TOO HIGH, DEALER COST FOR EACH SEAT-BACK RECLINE HINGE (TWO IN EACH SEAT) IS $148.00 +TAX AND LABOR. WHICH IS ALSO TOO HIGH, FOR A RETIRED 60 YEAR OLD, DISABLED VETERAN, LIVING ON LIMITED INCOME. *JB

Mileage: 97,850

20031120CrashTIRES

VEHICLE'S FRONT LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS CHANGING LANES WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, LOST CONTROL AND STRUCK THE MEDIAN. *SCC *JB

Compare 1992CADILLACELDORADO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO have?
The 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO?
The most-complained component for the 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER.
Is the 1992 CADILLAC ELDORADO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.