1992 Cadillac Deville

Routine

Owners filed 135 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline › storage › tank assembly. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly18
010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip9
201
Vehicle Speed Control8
203
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline8
030
Air Bags › Frontal8
807
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System5
000
Structure › Body › Bumpers4
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump4
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine4
020
Electrical System › Starter Assembly4
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Axle Assembly94V199000
Filed Oct 13, 1994403,273 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE UPPER TRANSAXLE OIL COOLER HOSE CAN PULL OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT THE TRANSAXLE END OF THE LINE ASSEMBLY.

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF SEPARATION OF THE COUPLING, AN OIL LEAK CAN OCCUR WHICH, WHEN EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW UPPER TRANSAXLE OIL COOLER LINE TO THE TRANSAXLE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Jul 18, 2015108,000 milesNH

MY SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 35 MILES AND HOUR AND THE ENGINE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CAR AFTERWARDS, IT APPEARS THAT THE RUBBER BUSHINGS ON FOUR BOLTS FOR THE ENGINE MOUNTS HAD DISINTEGRATED / DRY ROTTED AND THE BOLTS THAT WERE HOLDING THE ENGINE INTO CAR WERE SEVERLY RUSTED WHICH RESULTED IN LETTING THE ENGINE DROP OUT OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD JUST PASSED INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO RUST ON THE BODY OF THE CAR AND ONLY SLIGHT SURFACE RUST ON VERY LITTLE OF THE CARS UNDERCARRAGE. MY SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES AN HOUR THE DAY BEFORE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU COULD NOT SEE THIS DRY ROT ON THE ENGINE MOUNTS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS MOUNTED IN CORRECT POSITION.

Power Train › Axle AssemblyFire
Filed Mar 3, 2008123,000 milesMA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 CADILLAC DEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED OIL BURNING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER LOCATED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 94V199000 (POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY); HOWEVER, THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,725 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000. UPDATED 3/18/08 *CN UPDATED 03/18/08 *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jan 12, 2006126,000 milesPA

MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON,AND WHEN I HAVE TO STOP SUDDENLY MY CAR SLIDE SIDEWAYS, CAUSING MY BACK END TO GO INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK MY CAR INTO GRAY CHEVY-CADILLIAC OF THE POCONOS.AND DID THE SCANN AND SAID IT WAS THE PUMP MOTOR. I HAD IT CHANGED AND THE LIGHT IS STILL ON, AND KNOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE ABS MODULE HAS TO BE CHANGED. IT COST ME THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE DOLLARS AND EIGHTY CENTS TO HAVE THE PUMP MOTOR PUT IN AND KNOW IT'S GOING TO COST MORE MONEY TO PUT IN THE ABS MODULE. I FEEL IF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AREN'T WORKING,THEN THAT IS A DANGER TO ME OR ANY ONE ELSE OUT THERE.I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A ONCOMING CAR THAT WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD,IF I WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM COMING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAD ON COLLISON. *JB

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch1 injured
Filed May 9, 2005OR

WHILE CHECKING COOLANT HOOD SUDDLENLY WITHOUT WARNING FELL AND LATCHED WITH MY HAND TRAPPED UNDER IT, RESULTING IN SEVERE NERVE AND SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE TO MY LEFT HAND. PHYSICAL THERAPY FAILED TO RESTORE FEELING AND RELIEVE PAIN, RESULTING IN SURGERY TO FREE UP THE DAMAGED NERVES SO THEY COULD HEAL. AFTER 6 MONTHS THE FEELING IS STILL NOT 100% RESTORED IN MY LEFT HAND, WHICH IS NOW VERY SENSITIVE TO COLD.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Sep 8, 2004110,000 milesCA

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A GAS TANK PROBLEM. WHEN THE GAS TANK WENT DOWN TO 5 OR 6 GALLONS WHILE TURNING A CORNER GAS WOULD NOT CONTINUE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. ALTHOUGH THIS DEFECT OCCURRED WHEN ON THE STRAIGHT AWAY IT WAS MORE OBVIOUS WHEN TURNING THE CORNER. CONSUMER MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS QUESTIONING THE CONSUMER ABOUT THE INFORMATION HE RECEIVED CONCERNING THE GAS TANK REPLACEMENT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Nov 7, 2003138,000 milesPA

CONSUMER NOTICED OIL ON THE GROUND WHEN VEHICLE WAS MOVED. THE OIL LEAK IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Oct 21, 200371,000 milesMO

ENGINE, HAVE HAD THE HEAD GASKET FAIL AT 71,000 MILES, HAD ENGINE REBUILT, NOW AT 92,000 MILES HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED AGAIN, HAD MECHANIC REPLACE IT, HOWEVER THE BOLT HOLE IN THE ALUMINUM BLOCK HAS HAD THE THREADS STRIP OUT AT ONLY 40 LBS. OF TORQUE AND DEALER CAN OFFER NO POSSIBLE REPAIR ADVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM, HAVING A NEW ENGINE PUT IN VEHICLE AT THIS TIME, ALSO CLEAR COAT FINISH ON UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF FRONT FENDER HAS COME OFF CAUSING THE DARK BLUE FINISH TO BECOME WHITE. CAR ALSO DIES RANDOMLY WHEN PULLING UP TO STOP LIGHTS OR SLOWING DOWN. ALSO HAVING ALL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE OF TWO MOUNTS. EXPECT MORE FROM CADILLAC THAN THIS TYPE OF LOW QUALITY. *LA

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 8, 200375,000 milesOH

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT A HIGH SPEED WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT END WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES FROM IMPACTING THE STEERING WHEEL.*AK

Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs1 injured
Filed Sep 1, 2003PA

WHEEL LUGS AND NUTS ON 8/01/03 WHILE DRIVING ON 279E RIGHT FRONT TIRE NOISE AND TERRIBLE VIBRATION OF FRONT END OF CAR. MADE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. 3 LUGS WERE SHEARED OFF AND THE OTHER 2 WERE READY TO FALL OFF. NEAR MISS CAUSING MUTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT. HAD ALL 5 LUGS AND NUTS REPLACED. SEPT. 1, 03 HEARD A STRANGE NOISE, FIRST THING I CHECKED WAS THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE LUGS AND SURE ENOUGH ALL 5 LUG NUTS ARE ONLY BEING HELD BY 2 OR 3 THREADS. THERE IS ONLY 76,001 MILES ON THIS CAR. ALSO WHILE CHECKING FLUIDS UNDER HOOD, THE HOOD CAME DOWN ON MY BACK CAUSING BRUISING. THE GAS HINGES FAILING.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank AssemblyFire
Filed Aug 22, 2003AL

CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHILE DRIVING ALONG- VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW UP. SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE, HER HUSBAND GOT OUT OF VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS SMOKING. HUSBAND WENT AROUND, LIFTED THE HOOD, THEN LOOKED AROUND TO THE REAR, AND SAW FIRE COMING OUT OF THE BACK OF VEHICLE. BY THE TIME THEY GOT THE FAMILY OUT OF VEHICLE AND STARTED ACROSSING THE STREET THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, AND THEY PUT THE FIRE OUT. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE GAS TANK.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines
Filed Aug 15, 200360,800 milesAR

MITCHELL REPAIR INFORMATION LISTS CAMPAIGN NO: 94V199000 FOR UPPER TRANS AXLE OIL COOLER HOSE PULLING OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT TRANS AXLE END OF THE LINE ASSEMBLY. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. MY CAR IS LEAKING IN THAT AREA NOW, SO I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. ON NHTSA WEB SITE, THE CAMPAIGN IS NO LONGER LISTED. HOW DO I GET MY UNSAFE CAR REPAIRED.*AK

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables
Filed May 14, 2003152,470 milesVA

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL INFORMATION. WHEN THE CAR WAS FINALLY STOPPED, THE DOORS COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED BECAUSE THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE AND THERE ARE NO DOOR LOCK KNOBS AVAILABLE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE CAR FROM THE INSIDE. ALSO, NO WINDOWS COULD BE OPERATED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER AVAILABLE TO OPERATE THEM. THE END RESULT WAS THAT PASSENGERS WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR WITH NO WAY TO GET OUT OTHER THAN BREAKING THE GLASS OF ONE OF THE WINDOWS AND UNLOCKING THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THERE ARE NO OVERRIDE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FROM WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FOR THIS PROBLEM. A PERSON WHO IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE CAR ONCE THE POWER STEERING IS LOST (E.G. A SMALL WOMAN, AN ELDERLY PERSON) COULD VERY EASILY HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND IF THE CAR IS IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN A FIRE, THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE OCCUPANTS TO ESCAPE FROM THE CAR. DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM REVEALED THE BATTERY CABLES HAD APPARENTLY WORKED LOOSE OR HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED AFTER REPLACEMENT OF A CAM SENSOR AT A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EPISODE. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING IS SIGNIFICANTLY DANGEROUS IN THIS VEHICLE AND SERIOUSLY THREATENS THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS AND PUTS THEM IN A VERY HIGH RISK SITUATION. HAD THIS EPISODE HAPPENED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN

Engine and Engine Cooling › EngineFire
Filed Mar 31, 2003OR

THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *JB THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE INCIDENT MAY BE THE RESULT OF RECALL #94V199000. SCC

Equipment
Filed Jan 30, 2003WI

THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP. THE PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED ON SIX OCCASIONS. SCC

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Nov 4, 2002WI

WATER PUMP FAILURES SINCE PURCHASE--WATER PUMP REPLACED SIX TIMES

Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal
Filed Nov 1, 2002WI

CONSUMER STATED THAT BY BEING SLIGHTLY DEAF, HE IS NOT ABLE TO HEAR WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS LEFT ON. CONSUMER REQUESTS A SUPPLEMENTAL FIX OF A LOUDER TURN SIGNAL SOUND THAT WILL ALERT CONSUMER WHEN THE SIGNAL HAS BEEN LEFT ON. *MR *JG *NLM

Equipment › Mechanical › Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift
Filed Jul 26, 2002IN

HAD A FLAT TIRE--USED THE SCISSOR JACK(NEVER BEFORE USED)TO RAISE THE TIRE--JUST ABOUT TO REMOVE THE TIRE, THE JACK COLLAPSED

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jul 25, 2002VA

TWO (2) PROBLEMS: IF ENGINE FAILS, FOR ANY REASON, CAR MUST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PLACED IN PARK, TO RESTART ENGINE. IN TRAFFIC THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION. SECOND, ENGINE QUITS UNDER HARD BRAKING WHEN THERE IS LESS THAN 4 GAL FUEL REMAINING. YES, FUEL FILTER REPLACED. YES, NO WATER IN FUEL SYSTEM. PLEASE ASSIST.8JB

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jan 8, 2002SC

I MENTIONED THIS TO WOODY BARWICK CLAIMS ADJUSTER AND HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH DAMAGE TO CAUSE IT TO DEPLOY. THE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER WAS SUPRISED IT DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WHEN I RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. HIGHWAY PATROL STATED I DID NTO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACCIDENT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Dec 10, 2001MI

VEHICLE STALLS/ALL FUEL GOES TO ONE SIDE OF TANK. ALSO, THERE IS NO POWER STEERING, AND BRAKES FAILED. *AK FUEL TANK WAS REMOVED WITH NO APPARENT VISABLE PROBLEMS. THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO AN UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE IN A TURN. *YH

20 of 135 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1997
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200595110Routine
2004167140Routine
2003145400Routine
2002176521Fatalities reported
2001175430Routine
2000225541Fatalities reported
1999187143Fatalities reported
1998237312Fatalities reported
1997269280Above average
1996218270Above average
1995129266Fatalities reported
1994127080Routine
1993921140Routine
1992 — this page1351130Routine
199187190Routine
199076220Routine

Compare every Deville year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 13, 1994. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.