CADILLAC ELDORADO · model year

1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO

12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994CADILLACELDORADO carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1994 ELDORADO is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by power train (2) and seat belts:front:retractor (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 1994 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.

12
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
POWER TRAIN2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
TIRES1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20160410ENGINE

WATER PUMP LEAK AFTER 50K MILES. HAD TO BE REPAIRED 3 TIMES. POSSIBLY DUE TO OVERHEATING WHEN RADIATOR CAP WAS LEFT LOOSE.

Mileage: 45,000

20160409POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 60K MILES AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT.

Mileage: 60,000

20160409POWER TRAIN

REAR MAIN SEAL LEAK AFTER 70K MILES. WILL REQUIRE OVER $4K DUE TO ENGINE NEEDING TO BE REMOVED.

Mileage: 75,000

20101115FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO TOURING COUPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. SHE THEN EXITED THE VEHICLE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE THEN WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD AND FOUND PIECES OF THE GASKET. THE CONTACTS MECHANIC ARRIVED TO ASSIST AND WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FUEL INJECTOR AND IT HAD FRACTURED INTO PIECES. THE CONTACT INQUIRED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20100524POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO.ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2008, WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH , THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 6000.THIS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 93V164000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 186,000.

Mileage: 186,000

20070329SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH THE CONTACT FELT HEAT COMING FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND STAYED THAT WAY. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE FAILURE. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IT VIBRATED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE A VIBRATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000. *AK

Mileage: 180,000

20070329VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH THE CONTACT FELT HEAT COMING FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND STAYED THAT WAY. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE FAILURE. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IT VIBRATED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE A VIBRATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000. *AK

Mileage: 180,000

20050310TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING REAR RIGHT TIRE EXPLODED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. MICHELIN TIRES, RADIAL ALL SEASON TIRE, DOT M33VE4JX4302, P225/60R16 97S. *AK

20050201TIRES

PASSENGER'S REAR TIRE BLEW OUT UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED THE RIM TO BE DAMAGED, AND BE REPLACED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY CONSUMER.*AK THE REAR FENDER WAS ALSO DAMAGED. *NM

20041025ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE CONSUMER STATED RECALL #93V164000 WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. BUT, CONSUMER HAD TO PAY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO TRY AND GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY DIED WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE LOCKED WHILE IN PARK, THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE ENGINE SURGED AND DIED WHEN STOPPING AND THE EGR VALVE BINDING. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED HOSE AND REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKAGE AND A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DIE. *SC

Mileage: 60,000

20041025VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE CONSUMER STATED RECALL #93V164000 WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. BUT, CONSUMER HAD TO PAY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO TRY AND GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY DIED WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE LOCKED WHILE IN PARK, THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE ENGINE SURGED AND DIED WHEN STOPPING AND THE EGR VALVE BINDING. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED HOSE AND REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKAGE AND A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DIE. *SC

Mileage: 60,000

20040716SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC *JB

Compare 1994CADILLACELDORADO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO have?
The 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO?
The most-complained component for the 1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1994 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.