1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 5.7L from North America

Summary:

King of the Road

Faults:

Water pump replaced at 206,000.

Idler arm replaced at 202,800.

Catalytic converter replaced at 189,000.

Starter replaced at 188,700.

Muffler and fuel filter at 187,000.

At around 13 years old:

Interior lights stopped working.

Trunk latch stopped working.

Seat heaters stopped working.

Seat adjustment got stuck and ran all the time.

Traction control stopped working.

ABS stopped working.

Level ride stopped working.

General Comments:

My husband and I received this car as a hand-me-down from my parents after our wedding. It is a BIG car, but we grew to love it. We like to say it's like driving a couch. The leather seats are so comfortable and the ride is so smooth.

Lots of little things started to go wrong after the 12 year mark. Electronics, exterior details, interior lights, and small motors for all the fancy extras on the car failed one after the other. But the car remained luxurious, albeit much more (ahem) "ghetto." Nevertheless, people would approach us on a regular basis to ask if we were selling.

More recently, at around 15 years old and 200,000 miles, bigger things have started going south -- we've basically overhauled the exhaust system and had to replace the water pump after the car overheated several times. But we keep fixing it because the comfort and power of this car can't be beat. And 16 mpg isn't too bad for a 5.7L 8-cyl engine, either.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th September, 2009

11th Sep 2009, 14:35

Just about the last real American car. I'm afraid it won't last forever, alas, at 200,000 miles. The only option which remains is the Lincoln Town Car (and family), but perhaps not for much longer.

1st Jan 2013, 16:11

Oh yeah, my seat heater (as well as the power seat controls) doesn't work on my driver's seat on my 93 Fleetwood, but it does on the passenger side.

1993 Cadillac Fleetwood 5.7L TBI from North America

Summary:

I am amazed how well this car is put together and it has that great "Old School" Cadillac ride

Faults:

Cracked dash. Hard to find a 93 Fleetwood without a cracked dash.

Driver's seat worn badly but the rest of the leather is in great shape.

I replaced the water pump, the bearings were starting to go on this item.

Right rear passenger window is starting to stick. I suspect window guide rollers need replacing.

Paint is thin. Some kind of plastic coating put on the paint is peeling on passenger door.

Backup light lens falling off. I hear that this is a typical problem with this model car. This part is no longer made by GM. Found a junk yard replacement.

Front and rear bumpers show rust from the inside. Chrome is still in great shape. I took the bumpers off and applied no rust paint.

General Comments:

I am 6'5" tall and the drivers seat offers plenty of leg and headroom.

The front passenger seat does not provide as much legroom.

Rear seat legroom is fantastic for people of normal height. Not so great for me but I do most of the driving on our weekend trips to the mountains.

A very nice comfortable ride.

Some wind noise on the highway but not bad.

Everything works on this base model Fleetwood. No heated seats or lumbar supports to break.

The 1993 Fleetwood has the old style water pump, throttle body fuel injection, rear drum brakes, standard rear axle bearings and differential. This is why I bought the car. Easy maintenance and I know I can go many miles without trouble.

Inexpensive parts from auto supply stores. Used dashboards are still available and many body parts are available at a good price from wrecking yards that specialize in Caddies. Rear bumper trims gets very brittle with age, no new replacements available.

Gas mileage, driving up and down the mountains of New Hampshire: 24MPG highway with the temperature at 65 degrees. 13MPG around town with some hard accelerating. 90 percent highway and 10 percent city driving, Temp. 60 degrees, I averaged 22MPG.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2008

12th Jan 2009, 14:27

I too like the simplicity of this model year. It has no crank sensor, no optispark ignition, only 1 O2 sensor, and no computer controlled transmission. The 350 TBI has plenty enough power to move this boat around.

17th Jul 2010, 17:05

I agree; my wife drives the kids around in our 93 Fleetwood Brougham. Very nice riding vehicle; we love it.