Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
19
Latest May 7, 2002
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 7, 1995
What this page shows
Our database holds 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Cadillac Deville. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaints, most recent first
Showing 1–19 of 19
Steering
Filed May 7, 2002
- RACK AND PINION STEERING - STUCK IN CERTAIN POSITIONS AND WHEN COLD - DANGEROUS! - REAR LOAD LEVELING SYS. DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK ON ANY CADILLACS OF THIS ERA. I CAN'T PUT A SINGLE BAG OF GROCERIES IN THE TRUNK WITHOUT THE REAR BOTTOMING - WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN RECALLED? - HEADLINER CAME LOOSE AND HANGS DOWN. - CASSETTE PLAYS A COUPLE SECONDS THEN EJECTS. - ENGINE SPUTTERS AND MISSES EVEN THOUGH ALL TUNE-UP RELATED ITEMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. - FRONT BRAKE HOSE CLOGGED AND LOCKED BRAKE OFF AND ON. - DANGEROUS. HIT BRAKES AND PULL HARD TO RIGHT. I OWNED AN 86 CELEBRITY WITH TWICE THE MILES AS THIS CADILLAC YET IT WAS 100 X MORE RELIABLE. CAN'T BELIEVE CADILLAC COULD HAVE STAYED IN BUSINESS AFTER THIS MODEL YEAR. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER BUY ANOTHER. THIS ONE WAS GARAGE KEPT AND NOT DRIVEN IN SNOW SINCE 1987 AND WAS OWNED BY AN ELDERLY MINISTER. IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND LOOKED LIKE NEW WHEN I BOUGHT IT DIRECTLY FROM HIM. IF ONE THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF THIS WELL WAS SO BAD, WHAT ABOUT THE ONES THAT RECEIVED ONLY NORMAL LEVELS OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE. THIS CAR LOOKS LIKE NEW (EXCEPT HEADLINER) BUT I'VE BEEN TEMPTED TO GIVE IT TO THE JUNK YARD. IT DEPRESSES ME GREATLY. WHEN I FIX ONE THING, OTHER THINGS FAIL TWICE AS FAST AS THE RATE I CAN GET THEM FIXED. I WANT TO TRYTO GET IT REPAIRED TO SELL BUT I CAN'T GET AHEAD OF NEW PROBLEMS.*AK
NHTSA ID
761654
Incident
Jun 1, 2001
Steering
Filed Dec 1, 2000
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT AT ANY DEGREE GREATER THAN A LANE CHANGE, THE STEERING GIVES THE CONSUMER HIGH RESISTANCE, ESPECIALLY DURING A COLD START. *SLC
NHTSA ID
558242
Filed Sep 12, 2000
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205-75R14 )
NHTSA ID
731106
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 3, 1999
STOPPED TO OPEN THE GATE. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE UNCONTROLLABLLY (AS THOUGH ONE HAD THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GAS AT THE SAME TIME). HAD MY FOOT THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED BACK INTO PARK, IT STILL RACED UNTIL I SHUT IT OFF. STARTED THE CAR AGAIN TO SEE IF WE COULD GET HOME. PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD AND STOPPED TO LET OFF MY FATHER. RESTARTED THE CAR IN OUR PARKING AREA. THIS TIME THE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD AND IT RACED FULL SPEED IN A CIRCLE THAT I WAS STEARING. FINALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE ANY REAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE (OTHER THAN THE SEVERE FRIGHT IT CAUSED ME AND MY FATHER)
NHTSA ID
714265
Incident
Jun 18, 1999
Steering
Filed Sep 28, 1999
INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN STARTED. WHEN DRIVING, IT FREQUENTLY OFFERS HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURN RIGHT TO ANY DEGREE GREATER THAN A LANE CHANGE. *AK.ET
NHTSA ID
848916
Brakes
Filed Mar 24, 1999
1 injury reported1 death reported
POSSIBLE BRAKE FAILURE WAS THE CAUSE OF VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTING IN DEATH.
NHTSA ID
544554
Incident
May 2, 1995
Electrical
Filed Feb 13, 1999
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE PURCHASE, THE ALTERNATOR/BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED. LAST WEEK, I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN.
NHTSA ID
703251
Incident
Sep 16, 1997
Engine
Filed Apr 15, 1997
ENGINE REPLACED.
NHTSA ID
516431
Incident
Oct 26, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Oct 1, 1996
UPPER SEAT BELT IS NOT SNUG AGAINST CHEST, IF DRIVER LEANS FORWARD, BELT DOES NOT RETRACT/SOMETIMES, UPPER BELT STAYS ALL THE WAY OUT AND REQUIRES THAT BELT BE UNBUCKLED. *AK
NHTSA ID
509336
Steering
Filed Mar 18, 1996
FAILURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN, THE BOLTS THAT HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL IS BREAKING AWAY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
NHTSA ID
980849
Incident
Mar 1, 1996
Body & structure
Filed Dec 26, 1995
GAS STRUT ON HOOD FAILED, CAUSING HOOD TO CLOSE ON DRIVERS HEAD WHILE CHECKING OIL. *DH
NHTSA ID
505105
Incident
May 10, 1995
Other / unspecified
Filed Nov 8, 1995
CONSUMER WHEELS BEND AND TIRES WOBBLES ALL 4 OF THEM. TT
NHTSA ID
974823
Incident
Sep 15, 1995
Engine
Filed Oct 11, 1995
ENGINE HAS FAILED, NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AFTER 30K MILES. TT
NHTSA ID
973267
Incident
Oct 7, 1995
Engine
Filed Jul 5, 1995
ENGINE FAILURE. *AW
NHTSA ID
485771
Incident
Jan 1, 1994
Engine
Filed Jun 21, 1995
THE ENGINE HAS A KNOCK IN IT AND THE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED AND IT HAS ONLY 22,000 MILES ON IT. TT
NHTSA ID
967421
Incident
Jun 1, 1995
Engine
Filed Jun 20, 1995
REPLACED ENGINE DUE TO ANTI-FREEZE LEAKAGE. *AK
NHTSA ID
967331
Incident
Jan 12, 1994
Engine
Filed Apr 15, 1995
MAIN BEARINGS /BLOWER MODULE FAILED. *TW
NHTSA ID
489346
Incident
May 7, 1993
Steering
Filed Mar 6, 1995
POWER STEERING FAILURE WHEN STARTING VEHICLE. TT
NHTSA ID
961224
Incident
Mar 6, 1995
Transmission
Filed Feb 7, 1995
TRANSMISSION SUPPORTS/TRANSAXLE FAILED. *AK
NHTSA ID
480316
Incident
Dec 10, 1994
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.