Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Cadillac Deville problems
Owners filed 242 complaints about the 1998 Cadillac Deville with NHTSA between Jan 1998 and Feb 2018. The most-cited component is exterior lighting (43).
Complaints
242
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Exterior lighting43
- Air bags35
- Engine and engine cooling34
- Service brakes, hydraulic30
- Electrical system18
- Steering16
- Visibility15
- Suspension12
- Vehicle speed control11
- Power train8
- Fuel system, gasoline8
- Equipment5
- Tires5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
18
48
30
34
21
18
22
13
11
4
6
1
3
3
2
0
2
3
0
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 18 |
| 1999 | 48 |
| 2000 | 30 |
| 2001 | 34 |
| 2002 | 21 |
| 2003 | 18 |
| 2004 | 22 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Exterior lighting
43 reports1 fire
“I AS DRIVING ON A FARMED MARKET ROAD (F.M.) APPROX. 55 MPH. AND THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT LENS FLEW OFF THE CAR. LUCKILY THERE WASN'T ANY OTHER CARS BEHIND ME, AND THERE WASN'T ANY DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND/OR ANYONE ELSES VEHICLE. AFTER I RETURNED HOME, I CHECKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE LENS TO DISCOVER IT WAS LOOSE AS WELL.”
Air bags
35 reports7 crashes1 related recall
“TAKATA RECALL. AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON A FEW DAYS AGO. ALSO, VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND NEEDED NEW WATER PUMP SEVERAL YEARS AGO. KEEP HAVING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. SMOKE WAS COMING UP FROM FRONT AND TURN SIGNALS DID NOT WORK. HAD TO REPLACE FALL 2016 HORN DID NOT WORK, HAD TO REPLACE PART INSIDE STEERING WHEEL. JAN 2017”
Engine and engine cooling
34 reports1 crash
“CUSTOMER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN ROAD, ALL OF A SUDDEN COMING UP TO A STOPLIGHT CAR SUDDENLY DIED, AT THE SAME TIME WHITE SMOKE CAME BILLOWING OUT THE BACK OF THE CAR, IT CAUSED A TRAFFIC HAZARD IN WHICH NOBODY COULD SEE HER CAR, SHE WAS REARENDED, AS WELL AS THE GUY THAT REARENDED HER. THE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE THAT REARENDED HER ENDED UP GETTING HIS NOSE BROKEN WHEN HE HIT HIS STEERING WHEEL. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR HEAD BOLTS HAD PULLED FROM THE BLOCK CAUSING THE HEAD TO SEPARATE FROM THE BLOCK OF THE VEHICLE, QUOTED $4500 TO REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT WARRANTY REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS A NORTHSTAR ENGINE. VEHICLE THEN BROUGHT TO ME TO GET IT REPAIRED. *TR”
Service brakes, hydraulic
30 reports3 crashes
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S OIL AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKED CAUSING THE INTAKE AND OUTTAKE OF THE ENGINE TO RUST, IN TURN CAUSING THE PIPE TO BUST AND THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. UPDATED 12.8/2006 - 4.6 LITER NORTHSTAR ENGINE. THE L/F WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE. THE BRAKES PULSATED. THE SES LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE HEADLIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. *NM”
Electrical system
18 reports1 fire
“DT: WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK AND VEHICLE LOST ABOUT 7 QUARTS OF OIL. THIS GOT ALL OVER THE MOTOR, MUFFLER, AND THE ROAD. THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING SMELL, BUT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT WAS THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR. HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED, BUT THE WHOLE ENGINE WILL NEED REPLACEMENT. FOR NEW ENGINE AND CLEAN UP IT WOULD COST $8,400.00 . *AK”
Steering
16 reports
“THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A NOISE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS AND THE DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SWAY BAR LINKS AND THE STEERING RACK. *NM VEHICLE ONLY HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. *LA THERE WAS BINDING WHEN HOT AND DRY BINDING WHEN COLD, THE TIRE WERE WEARING ON THE INSIDES AND THIN. *SC”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.