1998 Cadillac Deville problems
The 1998 Cadillac Deville has 310 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (15%) concerns lighting. After that come brakes (13%) and air bags (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 310 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Lighting 15% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 19 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 22 and 3
- Typical mileage
- 73,000 miles 88 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 9 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 11 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 17 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 13 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 11 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 5 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 88 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 73,000 miles. For lighting specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (25 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 19 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 22 injuries reported; 3 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the Cadillac Deville with enough data (166 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While driving into a parking space the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward, running into a building and caused injury and a fatality. Also, total brake failure occurred. Cause unknown.
Vehicle hydroplaned off wet highway into trees; driver killed upon inpact (left side & front) when neither front nor side air bags deployed, recall k00066-s/nhtsa campaign id 00v217000.
Driver side headlight cover fell off because it was loose. Consumer didn't know when the headlights fell off. The driver's side cover was dry and brittle.
Component: engine and engine cooling:engine details: the failure occurs in normal use. The consequence is possible engine damage. The dealer has refused to repair this obvious and common manufacturing flaw in the northstar engine. The situation, because this is the same engineer is the same that is described in NHTSA recall number 99086: date: 12/01/1999 component name: 061000 engine and engine cooling:engine NHTSA #: 99086 summary: some vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the cylinder head bolts may become…