1986 Cadillac Cimarron from North America - Comments

Went through 3 alternators due to an undiagnosed problem.

Leather seats were somewhat worn.

Broke driver's seat on first day of ownership (seats were cheap, I was about 300lbs and tried to reach for something in my back pocket. A small crate against the backseat fixed that problem).

Power mirror's did not work due to broken switch.

Coolant/anti freeze leak.

Coin holder was attached to the base of the gear shift. It broke leaving $3.50 in quarters inside.

When making only right turns, the steering would go manual on me.

Also, when making right turns, every once in a while the windshield wipers would turn on and shut off without the switch being used.

Roof leaked when it rained (mostly on the passenger side).

No heat & A/C.

Car would not pass inspection. Had to pay $25 extra and a case of beer to have it 'passed'.

The power passenger front seat was broken and stuck in a high position.

Driver's side sun visor kept coming down while driving.

While driving for the first 5 minutes or so, the needle in the temperature gauge would go all the way to the red zone, stay there for a few seconds, then go down to the normal spot. This freaked me out the first time I saw this happen. When I gave the car to my friend a year or so later, I didn't tell him about that. His reaction was the same as mine.

Although it was a glorified Chevy Cavalier and considered a cruel joke in the industry, this car started up in all kinds of weather and was very reliable. It was the first car that I didn't share with anybody so it does hold a special place in my heart.

Loved the pick up. Very quick car.

Never got stuck in the snow.

Liked the flip top moon roof.

Used to like the malfunctioning ignition feature in which you can take the key out while the car is on.

All in all this car was a big piece of crap, but it got me to where I had to go with minimal to no headaches. It was quoted in a documentary that the Cimarron was 'Cadillac's biggest mistake'. Well it was an honor to own a piece of automobile history. Now it's probably a cube of crushed metal in a junk yard somewhere. It served it's purpose and it was time to move on to bigger and better things.

I'm glad your mistake was so good to you for so many years. I never rode in a Cimarron, but would love to know if the ride was more Chevy or Caddy.

I am the proud owner of a Cimarron, and I just have to fix a few minor things on it before I can drive it, but I am hoping I like it. If it handles anything like the way my Chevy Celebrity did, then I will be happy. As for people cutting the Caddy down, I like odd cars, and I think it's a sharp looking car, the last few years anyway. My hope (though many may think I am insane), is to fix it up, and turn it into a bit of a sporty car.

Hello, I just purchased a 1987 Cadillac Cimarron,it only has 80,000 miles on it. Was owned by an elderly woman who passed away. Her husband was/is mechanic. The battery and all is new... and the oil change just done... and all minor repairs fixed! I have only had it for like 1 month now--mostly drove it in the daytime. Tonight went to with my son to see the fireworks... not even 10 minutes away from the house... and it died...! At first it appeared to be the battery??? The inside lights were blinking dimly and the headlights came on after about 5 minutes sitting. And at first the windows wouldn't go up! You mentioned the Alternator in your statement! Do you think that is the potential problem? Needless to say... I am nervous now about having bought it! I am a single mom.. and really can't afford to be without a car. But if the problems are minor that is fine! If anyone reads and wishes to comment -would appreciate it! But-- I do love the look of the car!

Thank you!

Cimarron!

Isn't that a flavor of donut?

The Cimarron was Cadillac's biggest mistake? What about the defective aluminum engine they used in the early-to-mid 80's? (BTW, What was up with that idea anyway? Wouldn't you think that Cadillac would have learned from the generally horrible early 70's Chevy Vegas, that also had an aluminum engine?)

True, the HT4100 was pretty troublesome, but the 4500 and the 4900, essentially improved, larger versions of the 4100 have proved to be quite reliable.

Just to be clear here, the Cimarron is not a tarted up Cavalier, it is a tarted up "X" car which included the Omega, Citation, Skylark, and Phoenix.

They were all horrible junk as my parents had a 1980 Skylark that had so many problems they bought a new Camry and never bought American again.

If you happen to have a Cimarron that actually works you are one of the lucky ones.

Actually, the Cimarron is exactly a "tarted-up" Cavalier. It was spawned from the then-new GM J-body platform in 1981, along with the Olds Firenza, Buick Skyhawk, Pontiac J2000 (later Sunbird) and the aforementioned Cavalier. You may check any published history of Cadillac to confirm this. Of course, the J-cars used lots of parts from the X-cars, so the previous poster is sort-of right, but not really.

Oops, you are right.

Of course, this just proves the Cimarron was a bigger piece of junk than I had previously thought since the X cars were somewhat advanced for the day whereas the J cars were just the same old, same old.

In either case, this isn't a Mustang in the making (the original Mustang was based on the mundane Falcon platform). It's just another piece of GM garbage that will be maybe worth $1K in 10 years.

FYI: It is true that the Cimarron is heavily derived from the Chevy Cavalier, but once you consider that the Cavalier was the most popular car in America during the mid-eighties, I suppose one would have to conclude that the Cimarron has excellent lineage!!!

Hello I own a cadillac cimarron I love the car and will never trade it for any car. I never have owned a car that was as reliable as my cimarron. it never failed me and I'm proud to say it is one nice car. I own a 1985 cimarron and will keep it until I die or at least try to.