CADILLAC FLEETWOOD · model year

1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD

17 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1985CADILLACFLEETWOOD carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1985 FLEETWOOD is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2). 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 1985 FLEETWOOD, 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.

17
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

17 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
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
WHEELS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT1

Recent Complaints

19981014WHEELS

WHEEL FELL OFF OF VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT).

19971204ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE GEAR ,WITH NO ACCELERATION, VEHICLE SHOT BACKWARDS AND CAUSED ACCIDENT.

19970828POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE VIBRATION.

19970828POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

DRIVESHAFT BENT.

19960722EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR LEAKED/REPLACED. *SD

19960417VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THROTTLE PEDAL LOCKS UP. *SD

19960417STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN LOCKS UP. *SD

19960417SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKES LOCKS UP. *SD

19951109POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION REPLACED DUE TO NOISE/SLIPPING. *SKD

19951109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ALTERNATOR REPLACED.

19951109SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

ELECTRONIC LEVELING GEAR PROBLEMS.

19951109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

BATTERY FAILED, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING.

19951109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

BATTERY CABLES CLEANED/TIGHTENED.

19951109VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WASHER FAILED.

19951109EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AIR CONDITIONER RUNS HOT.

19951109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO NOISE AND CONSTANT OVERHEATING.

19951109WHEELS

LEFT FRONT WHEEL MAKES NOISE.

Compare 1985CADILLACFLEETWOOD to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD have?
The 1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD has 17 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD?
The most-complained component for the 1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1985 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD 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.