Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Cadillac Eldorado problems

Owners filed 59 complaints about the 1997 Cadillac Eldorado with NHTSA between Jul 1997 and Jun 2016. The most-cited component is fuel system, gasoline (14).

Complaints
59
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Fuel system, gasoline14
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic14
  3. Engine and engine cooling8
  4. Steering3
  5. Fuel system, other3
  6. Electrical system2
  7. Power train2
  8. Air bags2
  9. Equipment2
  10. Fuel/propulsion system1
  11. Engine1
  12. Service brakes1
  13. Traction control system1
  14. Tires1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19976
19985
199911
20001
20011
20024
20038
20042
20054
20062
20074
20082
20092
20102
20111
20121
20130
20140
20152
20161

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Fuel system, gasoline

14 reports1 crash2 fires1 related recall
“MY VEHICLE STARTED STALLING ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, IT WOULD SUDDENLY JUST CUT OFF AS IF THE GAS WAS NO LONGER FUELING THE VEHICLE. IT WOULD STOP AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN FOR ABOUT AND HOUR. AFTER STARTING IT WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT TWENTY MIN. IT WOULD THEN STOP AGAIN. I CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP WITH A NEW ONE AND IT DID THE SAME THING. IT APPEARS THERE IS NO SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 13, 2012Fuel system, gasolineODI 10451355

Service brakes, hydraulic

14 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO TOURING COUPE (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED SHORTLY AFTER AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO 15 MPH AND THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN AFTER IT WAS STARTED UP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF A CORRODED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM OR ABS SYSTEM SENSOR. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,200.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2011Service brakes, hydraulic, Traction control systemODI 10374633

Engine and engine cooling

8 reports
“1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN IN TRAFFIC *TGW THE DEALER REPLACED THE OIL SENDER, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE IDLE WAS BELOW FACTORY SPECS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT OVERRIDE THE COMPUTER, TO PLACE THE VEHICLE AT THE FACTORY SETTING. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, IT IDLED AT 900 RPM AND NOT IT IDLES AT 400 IN WARM WEATHER. *JB UPDATED 05/05/10.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY SHUT DOWN WHEN IT WAS WARM. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. UPDATED 06/15/10.*JB UPDATED 06/29/10. *JB UPDATED 08/03/10.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10327426

Steering

3 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V110000 (FUEL SYSTEM/GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. ...UPDATED 08/29/16 UPDATED 6/11/18*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 13, 2016Steering, Fuel/propulsion systemFire reportedODI 10873929

Fuel system, other

3 reports
“DT: 1997 CADILLAC EL DORADO. THE CONSUMER STATES HE HAD RECALL, 04V110000REPAIRS PERFORMED ON VEHICLE. THIS WAS DONE APPROXIMATELY ON AUGUST 30, 2005. WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP IT BEGAN LEAKING FUEL. THE REPLACED COMPONENTS WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. THIS CAUSED THE FUEL TO LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SINCE THIS WAS REPLACED. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 13, 2005Fuel system, otherODI 10136331

Electrical system

2 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTI BRAKING SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT NOTICED A FUEL ODOR WHEN SHE TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH INTO THE RUN POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH INTO THE RUN POSITION INTERMITTENTLY AND HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 20, 2015Electrical system, Service brakesODI 10735170
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.