AI Damage1991 Cadillac Eldorado: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Cadillac Eldorado filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 44% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 3 Equipment 22% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 7 Parking brake 11% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (44% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (33% of all).
- Equipment: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.9 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The driver's air bag did not deploy which did not protect the occupant in event of an accident. No prior problem with abs system or airbags. Cause unknown. Please provide problems.
1991 eldorado seat belts are unsafe. Cadillac claimed they were unable to locate replacement seat belts in the color the consumer needed. Updated 12/01/15 the consumer stated went to dealer on nov. 5, 2010, and the dealer caused an engine fire to the vehicle, putting it out with a fire extinguisher.
This car has had multiple problems for the past 2 years.main issue is rough idle and loss of power.so far repairs have cost thousands of dollars and car is still unable to be repaired because no one can figure out what is causing the problems.two fuel injectors,main bearing,torque converter,4 water pumps,struts…
Needed new evaporator core for airconditioner and new transmission lines
While driving owner smelled gasoline fumes, pulled over and vehicle caught on fire. Please describe further details.
Breaking to stop at a stop sign disc brakes did not work went right through the stop sign. Tt
Was driving came to a stop sign car didn't stop the brakes are disc. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Eldorado has 21 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
- Eldorado 19823 sources
- Eldorado 19834 sources
- Eldorado 19847 sources
- Eldorado 198510 sources
- Eldorado 198612 sources
- Eldorado 19877 sources
- Eldorado 19889 sources
- Eldorado 19898 sources
- Eldorado 199025 sources
- Eldorado 199225 sources
- Eldorado 199335 sources
- Eldorado 199435 sources
- Eldorado 199554 sources
- Eldorado 199660 sources
- Eldorado 199759 sources
- Eldorado 199838 sources
- Eldorado 199923 sources
- Eldorado 200030 sources
- Eldorado 200124 sources
- Eldorado 200210 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Cadillac Eldorado?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, equipment. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (22%), airbags did not deploy (11%), brake failure (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Cadillac Eldorado?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Cadillac Eldorado from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.