1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Fleetwood years
- Not enough data 2nd of 3 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood. That ranks 2nd out of 3 Fleetwood model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (4 complaints, 24%). Complaints mention 2 crashes, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 17owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 24% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 18% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 12% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 12% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Cadillac Fleetwood recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Problem: The wheel lug nuts were not tightened to the proper specification during assembly.
Risk: This condition could result in a fracture of the wheel studs causing the wheel to separate from the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the vehicle's wheel lug nuts to the proper specification.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Defective lower control arm ball joint attachment nuts were not properly torqued and can loosen.
Risk: The lower control arm ball joint can loosen, fatigue, and separate from the front suspension knuckle resulting in a loss of vehicle control.
Fix: Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm ball joint attachment nuts for proper torque. If the ball joint has loosened, both the ball joint and the knuckle will be replaced.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear wheel separation (EA96007) — opened May 31, 1996, closed Dec 24, 1996.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Car had a flat tire on the highway - left rear. Had jacked it up, and changed tire. Was letting jack down when it collapsed. Scissors type jack. One of the captive nuts that the main bolt runs through to raise the jack assembly failed, dropping the car unexpectedly. Luckily, the tire had been…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 cadillac fleetwood. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated without warning. In order to stop the acceleration, the contact placed the vehicle into neutral gear. The dealer could not duplicate the failure. There were no prior warnings and the current and…
Steering wheel locked up. Consumer down shifted, and was able to pull off the road. Consumer had vehicle towed to dealership.*ak
The fuel pump contained a shortage, which caused a spark. *jb
The steering wheel locked up while it was being turned. This was an intermittent problem. The dealership could not duplicate the problem. *nlm
Other Cadillac Fleetwood years
← 1995 Fleetwood · 1998 Fleetwood →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 Fleetwood | 4 | 0 |
| 1996 | 17 | 2 |
| 1995 Fleetwood | 18 | 5 |
See all Cadillac Fleetwood problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
Embed this 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, steering, air bags problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Fleetwood model years, the 1996 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.