Problems · by component

2002 Cadillac Deville air bags problems

26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Cadillac Deville cite air bags, 14% of all 182 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
26
14% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2002 Cadillac Deville. The contact stated that while driving approximately 7 MPH and making a left turn, the vehicle suddenly shut off, causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into a tree. During the crash, the vehicle sustained front-end damage, but no air bag had deployed. No injuries were reported, and no police report was taken. The vehicle was later towed to a local dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition switch had failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 7, 2025Electrical system, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11653218
“MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHEN THE HORN SOUNDED EXTREMELY LOUD AND WOULD NOT STOP I COULD NOT STOP IT SO I TOOK IT TO SHOP. THE DEALER SAYS THAT AIRBAG SHORTED OUT AND SHORTED OUT THE HORN. THEY WANT TO REPLACE AIRBAG AND HORN AT A COST OF $1109 WAS THIS AIRBAG RECALLED?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2021Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11394334
“TAKATA AIR BAG, DO NOT KNOW IF THAT ITEM IS IN MY CAR BUT THEY SAY IT IS. ALSO LIKE SO MANY NORTHSTAR ENGINES THERE IS TROUBLE WITH THE HEAD GASKET, AND ACCORDING TO THE HYDROCARBON BLOCK TEST, MINE MUST BE REPLACED. IN ORDER TO REPLACE IT, THE ENGINE AND POWER TRAIN MUST BE REMOVED, AT MY EXPENSE. DUE TO THIS ISSUE, MY CAR CONTINUES TO TRY AND OVERHEAT AFTER ABOUT 29 MILES OF DRIVING. AFTER LISTENING TO THOSE FOLKS ON THE CADILLAC FORUM, I HAVE BEEN LEAD TO BELIEVE, THE OVERHEATING ISSUE MAY BE, PARTLY THE FAULT OF THE FINE THREAD HEAD BOLTS AND OR STUDS. MANY MECHANICS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HAVE SAID THAT I NEED A NEW ENGINE, ALTHOUGH THE FOLKS ON THE CADILLAC FOURM HAVE SAID THAT TIME-SERTS, OR THE LARGER STUDS/BOLTS MIGHT FIX THE ISSUE. NEVER THE LESS, WITH EACH CADILLAC DEVILLE DHS WITH THE NORTHSTAR ENGINE I READ ABOUT, THE SAME ISSUE EXISTS FOR ALMOST ALL OF THEM, WHICH INDICATES TO ME THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF POSSIBLY NOT USING A LARGE ENOUGH BOLT/STUD TO BEGIN WITH. EITHER THAT OR CADILLAC MAY HAVE HAD A PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE TYPE THING TO GET THE DRIVERS TO KEEP REPLACING THEIR AUTOMOBILES. AND THEY SAY RECALLS ARE NOT COVERING THIS DESIGN FLAW....”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2019Power train, Air bags, EngineODI 11242844
“WILD TRAVELING FAR RIGHT LANE 45 MILE-AN-HOUR 5 LANE MAJOR ROAD IN MICHIGAN HIT POTHOLE LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BEARD LEFT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC STRUGGLED CAR BACK TO THE RIGHT TOOK OVER 1 MILES TO FINALLY COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AT A FOUR FOOT CONCRETE BARRIER IN FRONT OF A CAR DEALERSHIP AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY LOSS OF CONTROL BRAKES STEERING VERY HARD”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 28, 2016Steering, Air bags, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10862037
“I GOT INTO MY CAR AT WORK TO GO TO A BUSINESS. I INSERTED THE KEY AND STARTED THE CAR AND THE AIR BAGS IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASH DEPLOYED BREAKING THE DASH AND THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED IN MY COMPANY'S PARKING LOT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 24, 2016Air bagsODI 10851415
“PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM BROTHER 7 MONTHS AGO. AIRBAG WARNING WILL NOT GO OFF. GROUND WIRE DEFECT DEC. 2014 AND DEALERSHIP REPAIR SAME. THEY INDICATED EVERYTHING CLEARED OUT; HOWEVER, WHEN I LEFT DEALERSHIP PROBLEM STILL EXIST FOR AIRBAG. I HAVE ASKED ABOUT ANY RECALL BUT THEY DID NOT INDICATE ANY. THE GROUND WIRE REPAIR RESTORED ALL OTHER MALFUNCTIONS ON DASH BUT AIR BAG STILL ON. THEY DID INDICATE LOW VOLTAGE TO AIR BAG. DEALERSHIP VERY NICE BUT I AM STILL VERY NERVOUS OVER AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON. REPAIR INVOICE [XXX] / DICK SHIRLEY DEALERSHIP BURLINGTON,NC. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 1, 2015Air bagsODI 10680318

Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Air bags: frontal

Free remedy

CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.

Air bagsReported Aug 9, 2002NHTSA 02V222000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 30, 2026

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