Cadillac Cimarron Reliability

Owners filed 12 complaints about the Cimarron: 1.09 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars. The year to avoid is 1986; the cleanest year old enough to judge is 1987.

NHTSA owner complaints · 12 complaints · 1984–1988 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 0 years of age, so 100% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 2 complaints.

Cadillac Cimarron years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Cadillac Cimarron — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
1987133yes
1986133yes
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 2 Cadillac Cimarron years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1986, 1987; the three worth hunting are 1987, 1986.

What actually fails — and at what age

Systems by number of complaints, with the age at which each typically goes. The age column is the useful one — it tells you what to expect next on a car you already own, and what to inspect on one you are about to buy.

FIG.03·Cadillac Cimarron — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Electrical System2——1
Vehicle Speed Control2—2—
Seat Belts2———
Structure1——1
Suspension1———
Power Train1———
Exterior Lighting1———
Steering1———
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Cimarron's vehicle class.

FIG.05·Cadillac Cimarron — rivals in the same class
Same class as the CimarronComplaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Toyota Corolla12,3892191981–2026
Lexus IS471182001–2026
BMW M3565781988–2026
Acura TLX893412015–2026
Ford Focus22,5761382000–2026
Subaru WRX290172015–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

  • Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
  • Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
  • Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
  • Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
  • No ads, on every page
  • No ads, no tracking — and much more
Free plan available — no credit card needed

Frequently asked questions

Is the Cadillac Cimarron reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.09 against 3.73 for the average car.

When do Cimarron problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 0 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, followed by Vehicle Speed Control.

Will the warranty cover Cimarron problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 0% of reported failures fall inside it.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →