CadillacFleetwood1979Overview/cadillac/fleetwood/1979/base/

1979 Cadillac Fleetwood

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 Fleetwood.

The 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood represents a model year that predates the documented complaint history for this nameplate, which spans 1990 through 1998 and tracks a marked decline from a peak of 46 complaints in 1993 to just 4 by 1998. Consequently, this generation sits outside the available reliability dataset that defines later model years, meaning assessments of its specific durability and defect patterns must rely on sources beyond this particular complaint record.

Model year199619951994199319921991198919881979

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

9.1–12.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.10 sec — 1989 60 Special Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
197460 Special Brougham d'Elegance Sedan 7.7L V812.00 sec17.98 sec205 hpRWD
197360 Special Brougham d'Elegance Sedan 7.7L V810.20 sec17.60 sec220 hpRWD
1985Sedan 4.1L V811.70 sec18.20 sec135 hpFWD
198960 Special Sedan 4.5L V89.10 sec17.00 sec155 hpFWD

Reliability & federal safety record

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

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

79V247000Seat Belts:Front:AnchorageReported 13/11/1979

THE HEADS MAY BREAK OFF THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLTS DURING NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION EVEN UNDER NO LOAD CONDITIONS. THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF BOLTS USED, HIGH INSTALLATION TORQUE AND ARRANGEMENT OF… Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE ALL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AT NO COST TO OWNER.

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 Fleetwood. 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

Does the 1979 Fleetwood have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.