Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1972 Fleetwood.
The 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood presents a distinct reliability profile marked by a single owner complaint and one recall, with wheels identified as the top complaint area. This specific year stands apart from the model complaint history which spans 1990 through 1998, where volumes ranged from a low of four in 1998 to a high of 46 in 1993. Consequently, the 1972 model occupies a unique position with minimal reported issues compared to the later years covered in the aggregate history.
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.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 60 Special Brougham d'Elegance Sedan 7.7L V8 | 10.20 sec | 17.60 sec | 220 hp | RWD |
| 1974 | 60 Special Brougham d'Elegance Sedan 7.7L V8 | 12.00 sec | 17.98 sec | 205 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood’s federal record, when contextualized within the provided generation data (1990–1998), reveals a stark outlier status—though the JSON data appears to reflect a later Fleetwood generation, the 1972 model year itself shows only **one complaint** (related to wheels) and **zero recalls, investigations, or fire/crash incidents**, a profile far cleaner than the surrounding years in the dataset. The broader trend in the provided record demonstrates a peak in complaints and recalls between 1993 and 1996, with 1993 alone accounting for 46 complaints and 3 recalls, suggesting systemic issues not present in the 1972 data. The absence of crash or fire complaints for 1972 further distinguishes it from later years, where such risks may have been more prevalent due to evolving safety standards or design changes. While the data doesn’t specify root causes for the wheel complaint, its isolation implies a minor or one-off issue rather than a systemic flaw. Given the 1972 model’s near-flawless federal record relative to the generation’s later volatility, it emerges as a **strong candidate for purchase**, assuming mechanical condition aligns with its sparse complaint history.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Remedy:
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.