1994 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe from North America - Comments

Water Pump went bad at 110,000 miles-- $125.

Oil Pan Gasket leaked oil at about a quart per 300 miles, replaced at 118,000 miles-- $180.

Starter needed replacement at 118,500 miles-- $300.

Wiring Coil replaced when the car was bought at 104,000 miles-- $240.

Both front wheel bearings went bad at 117,000 miles-- $300 each.

Missing wheel center caps-- $25 each.

Seats slight wear on the leather.

Radio cassette deck not functioning at time of purchase-- $50 from Ebay.

Transmission went bad at 118,000 miles-- $2875 from Aamco.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve and passages needed replaced and cleaned at 115,000 miles-- $300.

Trunk lid pull down motor bent when purchased-- $100.

Glove box latch wouldn't close for some reason, and would fly open at the most inopportune times-- $50 at a pull-a-part junkyard.

Engine needed replacement or lifters cleaned; sold car, but quoted between $2500 and $7000 for this final fix.

The Eldorado was very good on gasoline mileage after the wiring coil replacement; it got about 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.

With 295 horsepower, it was a wonderful sports-luxury car. The car itself was fun to drive and handled very well. The trunk had lots of space, and there was amazing leg room in both the front and rear.

However, the car required LOTS of tender loving care, and even changing the oil and filters and checking fluids (basic preventative maintenance) didn't help that the car needed a lot of other fix-up maintenance.

Thanks for the great review. It looks like this is just another GM, just with higher part costs. It looks like I won't be buying one...

It may also depend on who owned it, and how they drove and took care of the car. Cadillac cars will last forever if they are treated gently. This is also one of many cars. You cannot rely on what one person says about their personal experiences.

I was considering a 1992 Eldorado Touring Coupe, and since there are no reviews I went with 1993-1995 reviews (since the 1991 model was a completely different design) and judging by them all, you're not alone. These cars seem to need a LOT of TLC that I just can't afford. Its making me seriously reconsider whether or not to buy one.

Some might think it's a no-brainer, but my other car in mind is a 1996 Caprice Classic LT1 :)

I thank all that make an accurate review on this site.

Actually a 92 or 93 with the 4.9 (the none Northstar) is a great choice; they're extremely reliable and deliver more than enough power, and yes every car loves to be taken care of, but a big V8 caddy hates to be babied on the road; it wants to be punished, you know wide open throttle (on occasion), powering through twisty back roads.

Yikes, that's a lot of problems in only 119k miles. I wouldn't consider that reliable in the least. Problem is, I'm so spoiled to the good older Volvos I have owned in the past that nothing else seems to live up to my expectations now. I want something sexy, but it seems all the stylish sexy cars are rather problematic and expensive to keep running. That's disappointing. Style or substance?

I bought a 95 ETC a couple of months back with 75K on the clock. Literally owned by a doctor's wife (one owner older couple) and it was meticulously maintained. I think she got rid of it because it developed S060 and P056 codes and didn't want to deal with 'em. The P056 and S060 were both electrical contact issues easily fixed.

I have owned seven Volvos two 164E's, two 240 Turbos, one 240, a 90 760 Turbo, and a 780 Bertone Coupe. I still own the Bertone with 226K on the clock and it is a high condition 2 car. I also own a 91 Lexus LS400 with 255K on the clock.

My point is, if you do the proper due diligence when buying used AND the proper preventative maintenance, the costs are MUCH lower than buying any new car. I once had a 91 Nissan Maxima with 280K and was still going strong when I sold it to an acquaintance. This and other groups are good for identifying manufacturing defects like 2.7L Dodge and design weaknesses like the Cadillac's coolant sealant tablets and flushing. Don't be afraid of a model just because people buy badly abused ones.