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2001 Cadillac Eldorado

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Eldorado.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Cadillac Eldorado, a full-size luxury coupe produced in the final years of the model's run, came equipped with an automatic 4-speed transmission and required 8 quarts of 5W-30 API oil for maintenance, while achieving EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined; these figures position it as a traditional American luxury cruiser rather than a performance-oriented model. In terms of reliability, the 2001 model year recorded zero recalls and just 24 total owner complaints, with service brakes and hydraulic systems cited as the most frequent concern—a notably low complaint volume compared to the model's peak of 81 complaints in 1996. Given that this falls within the 1990-2002 complaint range and closely approaches the historic low of 13 complaints recorded in 1991, the 2001 Eldorado represents one of the more dependable iterations of this generation, suggesting that by this point Cadillac had largely addressed earlier reliability issues for researchers examining the model's long-term evolution.

Model year200220012000199919981997199619951994

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity8 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy15/25/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 770 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 770 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731179
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25163684
Spark plug12571535
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt12588412 alt 12569506
Thermostat12559807 alt 03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200.8 in
Overall width75.6 in
Overall height53.5 in
Wheelbase107.9 in
Curb weight3880 lb
Track (front / rear)61 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 25 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Eldorado of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.4–7.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 1995 Touring Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.40 sec14.80 sec300 hpFWD
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.60 sec14.80 sec300 hpFWD
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V87.20 sec15.30 sec300 hpFWD
1993Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.40 sec14.90 sec295 hpFWD
1993Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.70 sec14.80 sec295 hpFWD
1992Touring Coupe 4.9L V87.90 sec16.10 sec200 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 8 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity8 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug TypeAC 41-929
Spark Plug Gap0.050 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.20 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance770 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)41-47
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression140

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle94 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.224 in / 0.404 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs., step 2: 12037 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
1M11 bolts30 ft. lbs
2M11 bolts70 degrees
3M11 bolts60 degrees
4M11 bolts45 degrees
58.9

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2001 Cadillac Eldorado sits near the tail end of a generation whose owner complaints peaked in the mid-1990s — reaching 81 in 1996 and 79 in 1997 — then trended downward, with 2001 recording just 24 complaints, zero recalls, zero federal investigations, and zero crash or fire complaints. Compared with 2000 (30 complaints, 1 recall) and 2002 (16 complaints, 0 recalls), 2001 posts a similarly low complaint count, though its technical service bulletins jumped sharply to 247, part of a late-run climb from 61 TSBs in 1999 to 351 in 2002. The top reported complaint areas for 2001 were service brakes/hydraulic (5), vehicle speed control (4), engine and engine cooling (3), and electrical system (3), but the data does not specify root causes. While the high TSB count reflects continued factory service guidance as the model aged, the absence of recalls, investigations, crash, and fire complaints makes 2001 one of the cleaner years in the federal record. For a used-car buyer, this is a comparatively good year to buy within this generation, provided a pre-purchase inspection addresses the brake, speed-control, engine-cooling, and electrical items flagged in owner complaints.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
247
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
24
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’90’91’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 24 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5
Vehicle Speed Control4
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Electrical System3
Air Bags1
Power Train1
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1
Fuel System, Gasoline,Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 247 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIC5453D2022-09-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that…
PIP5358A2021-05-12EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Eldorado. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 78 batteryVehicles taking 8 qtEngine oil filter 12731179Engine air filter 19259030Fuel filter 25163684Spark plug 12571535

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 Eldorado take?

8 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 Eldorado have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Eldorado get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 25 highway / 18 combined mpg.