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
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Exterior lighting43
  2. Air bags35
  3. Engine and engine cooling34
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic30
  5. Electrical system18
  6. Steering16
  7. Visibility15
  8. Suspension12
  9. Vehicle speed control11
  10. Power train8
  11. Fuel system, gasoline8
  12. Equipment5
  13. Tires5
  14. 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
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199818
199948
200030
200134
200221
200318
200422
200513
200611
20074
20086
20091
20103
20113
20122
20130
20142
20153
20160
20172
20181

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.

03 —Owner reports

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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2012Exterior lightingODI 10462802

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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 23, 2017Air bags, Unknown or other, Service brakesODI 10967955

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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 8, 2012Engine and engine coolingCrash reportedODI 10447222

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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2006Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Exterior lighting, VisibilityODI 10172586

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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2005Electrical systemODI 10122024

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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 20, 2004Steering, SuspensionODI 10057371
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.