The Cadillac Eldorado has 26 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1981–2000. On average a defect was admitted 4.77 years after the car was built, the slowest took 20 years. The most recalled system is Vehicle Speed Control (5 campaigns). Owners also filed 160 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Cadillac Eldorado
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Vehicle Speed Control 5 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, hearses and limousines. The canister purge evaporative emissions harness on these vehicles was misrouted
Risk. The harness could interfere with the cruise control and throttle linkage preventing return to a closed throttle
Fix. Dealers will inspect the vehicle for proper routing of the harness, correct as necessary, and install a plastic tie strap to the harness
What's wrong. The throttle cable can become disengaged from the retaining bracket
Risk. The disengaged throttle cable can interfere with thethrottle cam mechanism, resulting in the throttle sticking in either the openposition or closed position. When the throttle sticks in the open position,unwanted vehicle acceleration will occur which may cause an accident
Fix. Inspect throttle cables to ensure the throttle control cable is fully seated in the retaining bracket and install a cable tie strap to secure the cable in its correct seat
What's wrong. Floor mat could become mispositioned and interfere with accelerator pedal
Risk. Throttle may not return to the closed idle positioncausing loss of accelerator control which could result in a vehicle crashwithout prior warning
Fix. Replace floor mats with newly designed mats that are longer and have improved retention
Fuel System, Gasoline 5 Read
What's wrong. Some passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l v8 engines have a condition in which the nylon tubing used in the fuel rail construction may degrade and crack. Additionally, the 1995 model year uses a unique underhood fuel return line that may crack. Cracking of the fuel rail or return line tubing can result in a fuel leak into the engine compartment
Risk. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine fuel rail with a new stainless steel fuel rail. Dealers will also install a revised chassis fuel return line. The recall began on june 2, 2004, for 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora vehicles. Owners of 1995 cadillacs and 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora were sent letters…
What's wrong. Some passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l v8 engines have a condition in which the nylon tubing used in the fuel rail construction may degrade and crack. Additionally, the 1995 model year uses a unique underhood fuel return line that may crack. Cracking of the fuel rail or return line tubing can result in a fuel leak into the engine compartment
Risk. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine fuel rail with a new stainless steel fuel rail. Dealers will also install a revised chassis fuel return line. The recall began on june 2, 2004, for 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora vehicles. Owners of 1995 cadillacs and 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora were sent letters…
What's wrong. Some passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l v8 engines have a condition in which the nylon tubing used in the fuel rail construction may degrade and crack. Additionally, the 1995 model year uses a unique underhood fuel return line that may crack. Cracking of the fuel rail or return line tubing can result in a fuel leak into the engine compartment
Risk. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine fuel rail with a new stainless steel fuel rail. Dealers will also install a revised chassis fuel return line. The recall began on june 2, 2004, for 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora vehicles. Owners of 1995 cadillacs and 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora were sent letters…
Steering 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The inner tie rod nuts are loose and can result in separation of a tie rod
Risk. Separation of a tie rod can cause unexpected steering input increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will check and adjust the vehicle toe-in and tighten the inner tie rod nuts to the specified torque
What's wrong. The intermediate shaft to steering rack lower coupling pinch bolt may be missing
Risk. If this condition exists and shaft disengagement occurs, loss of steering control will be experienced by the driver which could result in an accident
Fix. Install pinch bolt
Equipment 2 Read
What's wrong. The analog instrument panel cluster on these vehicles could have an internal short circuit disrupting the pass key system, causing failure of the instrument panel gauges and tell-tales, and a possible no-start condition. This does not conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 101, "controls and displays;" no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment;" and no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Risk. Consequence of non-compliance: if the short circuit occurs while driving, the instrument panel cluster will go blank, causing loss of gauge function and all teel-tale indicators except for ABS, sir, park brake and service engine soon. The loss of all tell-tales for seat belts, turn signals, high beam, hazard, oil…
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the instrument panel cluster
What's wrong. If the air conditioner compressor clutch assembly contacts the auxiliary engine oil cooler out hose, the hose may wear through allowing engine oil to leak in the engine compartment
Risk. An oil leak that contacts the hot exhaust system can result in an engine compartment fire
Fix. Dealers will install a tie strap to retain the auxiliary engine oil cooler outlet hose to the auxiliary engine oil cooler inlet hose at the bottom of the radiator assuring adequate clearance of the affected hose from the air conditioner compressor clutch assembly
What's wrong. If the air conditioner compressor clutch assembly contacts the auxiliary engine oil cooler out hose, the hose may wear through allowing engine oil to leak in the engine compartment
Risk. An oil leak that contacts the hot exhaust system can result in an engine compartment fire
Fix. Dealers will install a tie strap to retain the auxiliary engine oil cooler outlet hose to the auxiliary engine oil cooler inlet hose at the bottom of the radiator assuring adequate clearance of the affected hose from the air conditioner compressor clutch assembly
Air Bags 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags can occur due to water intrusion
Risk. Deployment of the air bag without warning could cause a driver to lose vehicle control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash and personal injury
Fix. Dealers will clean the exterior case of the sensing and diagnostic module (sdm) and appply a potting compound to the sdm case and electrical connector body
What's wrong. Threaded inflator components may have been damaged during assembly which may allow components to separate when inflator receives a signal to deploy the air bag
Risk. Inflator component separation allows hot combustion gasesto escape into the passenger compartment which could result in injuries to vehicle occupants
Fix. Replace air bag modules containing potentially defective inflators
Seat Belts 2 Read
What's wrong. The front outer shoulder belt web sew stop can become stuck in the retractor. The belt can be difficult to pull out of the retractor and some occupants may not be able to fasten the belt
Risk. This condition can prevent a person from using their restraint system resulting in an increased risk of injury in an accident
Fix. Dealer will install a webbing stop button if the customer requests repair
What's wrong. The front outer shoulder belt web sew stop can become stuck in the retractor. The belt can be difficult to pull out of the retractor and some occupants may not be able to fasten the belt
Risk. This condition can prevent a person from using their restraint system resulting in an increased risk of injury in an accident
Fix. Dealer will install a webbing stop button if the customer requests repair
What's wrong. Misaligned rear seat safety belt shoulder retractor assemblies could cause pendulum interference, causing the belt to remain in locked position or to travel freely without locking
Risk. In the event of a panic stop or accident, if the belt retractor inertia lock does not engage, the rear seat occupant would have an increased likelihood of injury
Fix. Realign rear shoulder belt retractor assembly
Visibility 2 Read
What's wrong. Water or snow dripping onto drivers side window switch assemblies may cause an electrical short and switches to overheat
Risk. This could result in a fire in the door panel area
Fix. Install newly designed window switches. (1984 models will receive new connectors also)
What's wrong. Water or snow dripping onto drivers side window switch assemblies may cause an electrical short and switches to overheat
Risk. This could result in a fire in the door panel area
Fix. Install newly designed window switches. (1984 models will receive new connectors also)
What's wrong. During windshield wiper operation, the noise suppresion capacitor in the wiper motor relay may overheat
Fix. The dealer will modify the windshield wiper motor delay relay by removing the noise suppresion capacitor. This will be done free of charge
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. The electronic brake control module or the electronic brake and traction control module can cause the antilock brake system (ABS) to cycle during a non-ABS brake application
Risk. This condition can result in an increase in vehicle stopping distance increasing the risk of a vehicle crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the electronic brake control module or the electronic brake and traction control module
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. Transaxle shift control cable may disengage from the from the floor shift control with loss of gear indicator reference and shift selector operation
Risk. Driver would not be able to determine actual gearposition the transaxle is in, which could result in unexpected vehicle movementand an accident without prior warning
Fix. Install a transaxle shift control cable retaining clip to prevent cable disengagement
Service Brakes, Air 1 Read
What's wrong. One or both ABS hydraulic unit mounting bolts may not be properly seated and could loosen
Risk. This condition could lead to separation of the abshydraulic unit from the mounting bracket and result in loss of brake functionand a crash without prior warning
Fix. Replace both ABS hydraulic unit mounting bolts
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.77 years |
| Slowest campaign | 20 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 35.5% |
| Campaigns on record | 26 |
Which Eldorado years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Steering | |
| 1998 | Vehicle Speed Control | |
| 1997 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1996 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1995 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1994 | Vehicle Speed Control | |
| 1993 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1992 | Steering | |
| 1991 | Seat Belts | |
| 1990 | Air Bags | |
| 1989 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1988 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1987 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1986 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1985 | Visibility | |
| 1984 | Seats | |
| 1983 | Visibility | |
| 1982 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1981 | Suspension |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Cadillac Eldorado have?
26 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1981–2000. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Eldorado still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.77 years, and the slowest campaign came 20 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.