Problems · by component

1997 Cadillac Deville engine and engine cooling problems

51 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Cadillac Deville cite engine and engine cooling, 18% of all 280 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
51
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL PAN SEAL WAS LEAKING OIL. AS A RESULT, THE OIL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED EXTREME CONCERN OVER A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 04/18/12*BF UPDATED 04/23/12.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 6, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10454335
“UPON STARTING THE CAR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, THE ENGINE BACKFIRED THROUGH THE INDUCTION SYSTEM STARTING AN ENGINE FIRE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED IT HAD CAUSED ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT THE CAR HAD TO BE JUNKED. *KB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2011Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10413266
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT FOLLOWED BY STALLING. THE A/C WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED FOLLOWING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10386418
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN. THE CONTACT STATED A FEW PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING UNDER RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V110000-FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 120,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 16, 2010Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10349638
“1997 CADILLAC DEVILLE ENGINE HEAD GASKET AND COOLING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DEALER REFUSED TO FIX OVERHEATING MAY CAUSE EXPLOSION OR FIRE DEFECTIVE POHANKA CADILLAC FREDERICKSBURG,VA 22408 SD REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE, REFUSED TO PROVIDE 12 MONTH WARRANTY UNACCEPTABLE RESPONSE FROM GM CADILLAC DEALER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10258520
“I BOUGHT A USED 1997 CADILLAC FROM A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR I TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, IT DROVE LIKE A DREAM, THEN ON THE WAY BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I TOLD THE SALESMAN ABOUT IT, AND HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, HE ASKED WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THE CAR OTHER THAN THE OIL LIGHT COMING ON , I TOLD HIM OTHER THAN THAT I COULDN,T FIND NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATTER I DROVE BY THE DEALERSHIP AND NOTICED THE CAR WAS GONE, I PULLED IN AND PRECEDED TO LOOK AT OTHER CARS, WHEN THE SAME SALESMAN CAME OUT TO WAIT ON ME AND I ASKED ABOUT THE 97 CADILLAC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD FOUND THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, AND IF THEY WERE TO FIX IT, WOULD I STILL BE INTERESTED IN THE CAR IF THE PRICE WAS RIGHT, I SAID YES,....( I THOUGHT TO MYSELF A CADILLAC BEING REPAIRED AT A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP BY A CADILLAC MECHANIC, WHY NOT, HOW COULD I GO WRONG)...SO AFTER TALKING A WHILE I LEFT AND CAME BACK ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND ACCORDING TO THE SALESMAN IT HAD BEEN FIXED, SO I PRECEDED TO TEST DRIVE IT AGAIN DIDN,T FIND ANY THING WRONG AND BOUGHT THE CAR, DROVE GREAT, COULD,NT ASK FOR A NICER CAR,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 4, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10257390

Showing 6 of 51 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.