1996 Cadillac Fleetwood from North America - Comments

The fan belt tensioner had to be replaced at approximately 290,000 miles.

The interior windshield pillar trim pieces have both been replaced due to broken clips, but since they had seen over a quarter of a million miles, they probably deserved a rest.

This car, in my opinion is unbeatable in many areas. First, of course is the ride that only a full-size rear drive Cadillac can give. This is a "true" 6 passenger car, where all 6 ride in perfect comfort.

The 5.7 V8 not only can leave most other family sedans behind, but it consistently gets over 20 mpg on the highway even with over 300,000 miles on it.

The only problems I have ever had with any of the previous 10 Cadillacs I have owned has been electrical, and this one has never had the hint of a problem in that regard.

When the manufacturers get tired of dreaming up "gadgetry" to sell vehicles, maybe they will come back to the comfort, quality, and dependability that made Cadillac the real "Standard of The World" years ago and in cars like this one.

Thank you so much for stating your review! I am 22 years old right now, and I have already owned 4 hardworking comfortable Cadillacs. At 16, my first '83 De Ville I bought off an elderly man. He was currently driving a '94 Fleetwood and no longer used the '83. He took $600. The only things missing were the body fillers that tend to fall apart on older Cadillacs. It gave out on me after 5 years of not having a single problem with over 300,000k on a 4.1LT. One heck of a motor!! Then came an '80 Fleetwood with a 6.0LT. My dad traded his '74 Dodge pick up for it. The car could have used some good body work and the AC. But that wasn't a big deal for me since I mainly used it to go to and from work. I must admit that I loved to pick on Camaros and Mustangs on the expressway. Sure at first they had a head start due to the lightness of the car, but it was only a matter of seconds before I caught up to them and left them behind wondering how I had done it. My brother in law had a Cougar and he thought he had me beat when we went on an 150 mile road trip. When we reached our destination, I had arrived first. He was shocked with the power that my car had, and he was also worried that his car could have over heated with him slamming the gas pedal to the floor. Naturally it wasn't long before I realized how much gas she ate when I sold her to a friend of mine and I now bought myself another '84 De Ville with another 4.1LT. Had it for 2 years before I sold it to another friend of mine and I currently have an '88 Brougham. Bought it for $2500 with 65,000k. Bought it too soon an now I want a '95-'96 Fleetwood Brougham. And the one you are talking about is my absolute dream car! When I was younger, it used to be the '55 Eldorado, but I now realize that I would not have that car and use it as a daily driver. All of my friends and family know that cars are my passion and especially Cadillacs. Nobody seems to truly understand that Cadillac is or was "The Standard of The World". The reason I say was, is because ever since the last Fleetwood Brougham rolled out of the assembly line in 1996, that was the year Cadillac lost it's style, grace, comfort, and beauty! Thank you for making this clear. May your Caddy serve you well and I am sure that when I get my '95-'96 Fleetwood, it will too!

This comment is actually for the commenter on the posted review. the 4.1L cadillac motor wasn't actually "great". it was hot rod magazines one of the top ten worst motors of all time. I tend to stay away from the 4.1 motors when looking at older cadillacs. I haven't had a newer fleetwood, but just doing some research I am going to soon be purchasing either a 96 fleetwood brougham or a 2000 escalade.

The 4.1 did have huge issues, but the fuel economy was excellent, and the power was still sufficient for the luxo-barges it was expected to pull. They were lightweight, and when working correctly, ran smooth and silent. The HT4100 engines got better as GM scrambled to correct its design faults, and the 1985-on versions are much better.

The 4.5L V8 used on all FWD Cadillacs until the advent of the Northstar was actually a bored-out and upgraded derivative of the 4.1. Most of the faults with the 4.1 stemmed from the use of a cast iron block with aluminum cylinder heads. The metals expanded/contracted at different rates, creating leaks of both oil and coolant. GM later added cast-iron sleeves to the cylinder heads which helped the problem a great deal.

Most failures with the 4.1 seem to have occurred within the first 50,000 miles, so if the car has gone much beyond that its probably a good, safe runner. Some of the engines have lasted 200,000+ miles, others failed at less than 20,000. Luck of the draw, but at least replacement engines are pretty cheap.