Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 48 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 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.
Showing 1–25 of 48 · page 1 of 2
1989 CADILLAC DEVILLE CP SPEED ACTUATOR - HIGH IDLE / RUNAWAY VEHICLE - HAVE REPLACED 3 TIMES PROBLEMS STILL HAPPENING. NOW I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR OF A ACCIDENT! I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF ANY OTHER CONSUMERS HAD SAME PROBLEMS AND IT IS CONFIRMED! "INCIDENTS NUMEROUS TIMES". *TR
WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS DUE TO MISFIRE AND NOX CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION (MOST LIKELY DUE TO PROBLEMS IN ONLY A FEW CYLINDERS). POSSIBLE CAUSES INCLUDE LEAN AIR/FUEL RATIO, PORT VACUUM LEAKS, EGR SYSTEM, ERRATIC IGNITION TIMING, AND/OR OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. *TR
HOOD ON FRONT CAR FELL CLOSED BY ITSELF AND LATCHED CLOSED. MY FINGERS WERE ON FENDER AT THE TIME IT FELL. MY FINGERS WERE SMASHED BETWEEN THE HOOD AND THE FENDER. I COULD NOT GET THEM OUT. I HAD TO SCREAM FOR SOMEONE TO OPEN THE HOOD FROM INSIDE THE CAR SINCE I WAS TRAPPED. MY FINGERS CAME VERY CLOSE TO BEING CUT OFF. THERE WAS NO WIND OR ANY OUTSIDE CAUSES FOR THE HOOD TO FALL. THE HOOD WAS ALL THE WAY OPEN AND I DID NOT DO ANYTHING IMPROPER TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE HOOD SUPPORTS ARE A DESIGNED IN FLAW THAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. THEY DO NOT ADEQUATELY SUPPORT THE HOOD. HOOD HAS NEVER FALLEN BEFORE. *NM
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATED, AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED AN ACCELERATOR MOTOR THAT MALFUNCTIONED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACE THE IDLE SPEED SENSOR.*AK FRONT CALIPERS AND ROTORS BURNED UP. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE CALIPERS, ROTORS AND FLUSHED THE BRAKE FLUID. *BF *NM
REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY FELL APART AND DROPPED FRONT END ONTO THE PAVEMNENT.*AK
AFTER ACCELERATING THROTTLE KEEPS PUMPING, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND CAN NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK ALTERNATOR FAILED, FRONT BRAKES MAKE NOISES, ALSO THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED.*YH *YH
RUNAWAY THROTTLE, SUDDEN HIGH SPEED ENGINE CONDITIONS THAT OCCURRED ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF THE DRIVER. STOPPING REQUIRED STEERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IT PERSISTED EACH TIME ENGINE WAS RESTARTED.
THE TIRE AND RIM ASSEMBLY ON THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER CAME OFF DAMAGING THE FRONT FENDER (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM
WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL MODE, PUT FOOT ON BRAKE TO RELEASE CRUISE CONTROL, CAR IMMEDIATELY EXCELLED TO 85MPH. REACHED OVER TO TURN OFF SWITCH ON CRUISE CONTROL, AT THE SAME TIME BOTH FEET ON BRAKES, TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, FINALLY PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, CAR SLOWED DOWN.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
BRAKES ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE VEHICLE, VERY WEAK IN SPITE OF GOOD LININGS. *MJS
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 55MPH ACCELERATED TO CHANGE LANES IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. CONSUMER THOUGHT ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK AND HIT THE BRAKE. THEN CONSUMER TRIED TO LIFT THE GAS PEDAL WITH HER FOOT, THINKING IT WAS STUCK AND CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. CAR WAS ALSO PLACED IN NEUTRAL, BUT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 90MPH. CONSUMER TURNED IGNITION OFF, AND PUT EMERGENCY BRAKE WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. THE PLASTIC LOCK IN RETAINER CLIP FELL OFF INTO THE THROTTLE BODY & JAMMED THE THROTTLE OPEN. *AK
THE DATES ARE APPROXIMATE. I BOUGHT MAY 29,1996 AND WAS IN THE SHOP WITHIN TWO WEEKS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR (DICK SMITH I THINK HIS NAME IS) ASSURED ME THAT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD ADDRESS THE ENGINE SURGE PROBLEM AND AS I THINK ABOUT IT I AGREED TO IT BECAUSE THAT WAS AT LEAST THE SECOND TIME I WAS IN LINDSAY CADILLAC FOR SERVICE ON THE ENGINE SURGE. I RETURNED A FEW DAYS LATER AS MY SCHEDULED ALLOWED AND RECALL TALKING WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THE FIRST 3 TIMES I WAS THERE, THOSE CADILLAC "EXPERTS" SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME AND AT THE MOST BEFORE THE 3RD VISIT. OF COURSE "DICK" ASSURED HIS BOSS THAT HE SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT (THAT $495 SHCEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD ONCE AND FOR ALL SOLVE THE ENGINE SURGE). I CAME SO CLOSE TO REARENDING MAYBE FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE DURING THAT WHOLE RUNAROUND PERIOD. FINALLY, WITH MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF VEHICLES, I REDUCED THE IDLE CONTROL SO THE HIGH REVING ENGINE WOULDN'T DO DAMAGE UNTIL I FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS. AND NOW I COME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE AND SEE SOME OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS I MADE TO LINDSAY CADILLAC OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA IN A LIST OF RECALLS AND TSB'S THAT WERE ISSUED 2 YEARS AFTER THEY (LINDSAY) SOLD THIS CAR TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER NAMED TIPTON ACCORDING TO DICK SMITH IN SUMMER OF 1989. OF THE 253 COMPLAINTS ON THE 1989 CADILLAC DEVILLE THAT I FIND IN YOUR COMPLAINTS DATABASE, 29 OF THEM CITE A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE. THAT IS A CONSIDERABLE PERCENTAGE CONSIDERING THAT SILENT SUFFERS (THOSE WHO WON'T MAKE OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS BUT WILL BUY IMPORTS INSTEAD) COULD COUNT FOR A ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL 30%. IT IS NO WONDER THAT IMPORT AUTOMAKERS ADVERTISE LESS THAN "DAMS" (DOMESTIC AUTO MAKER S) DAMS ARE THE SINGLE BEST REASON FOR BUYING UNAMERICAN. NOW, WITH THE SIGNIFICANT % OF REPORTED COMPLAINTS ON THE THROTTLE OF THE 1989 CADILLAC DEVILLE, SHOULDN'T A RECALL BE IN ORDER? REMEMBER THAT A RECALL ON THE 1992 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD INVOLVED THE THROTTLE.
AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVING RIGHT OWNER CHECKED THE WHEELS AND FOUND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TO BE CRACKED AND COMING APART. SPOKES WERE COMING OUT OF THE WHEEL. CUSTOMER WAS NOTIFED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER WILL BE REPLACING THE WHEELS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON VEHICLE, AND DEALER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A GAS LEAK. TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REMOVED THE GAS TANK BECAUSE IT SAT ON TOP OF THE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. FUEL SENDING UNIT RUSTED BECAUSE MOISTURE BACKED UP IN THE LINES. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND IN A MINOR COLLISION. *AK
THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULTIN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ENGINE RACED OUT OF CONTROL ON STARTUP. DESPITE MY HEARING PROBLEM, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION BEFORE LEAVING "PARK". IF I HAD PUT THE CAR IN "DRIVE" I WOULD HAVE SMAHED INTO THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE SERVICE STATION SAID THAT THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT HAD FAILED. IT WAS JAMMED IN THE FULL THROTTLE POSITION AND COULDN'T BE REPAIRED. *AK
WHEN TURNING THE IGNITION ,THE ENGINE GOES TO FULL POWER. CONSUMER MUST PRESS HARD ON BRAKES IN ORDER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. *AK *ML
THROTTLE STUCK AT 71 MPH CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED, WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN AND CONTINUED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION STRIKING A STOP SIGN WHICH FELL ON THE CAR BRAKING THE WINDSHIELD AND DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT FENDER AND SCRATCHS ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE, UPON CHECKING THE VEHICLE AT THE SCENE THE THROTTLE WAS STILL STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION, IT TOOK SOME FORCE TO BREAK IT LOOSE.
TRANSAXLE MOUNT (BOTTOM MOUNT): 2 BOTTOM BOLTS SHEAR OFF FROM TRANSAXLE SIDE AT THE SAME TIME. STEM PART OF BOLT STILL LEFT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION ORIFICE. POSSIBLE WRONG BOLT STRENGTH. BOTH BOLTS ARE ORIGINAL PARTS.
HOOD STRUTS FAILED TWICE, HITTING DRIVER IN THE BACK WHILE HE WAS WORKING UNDER THE HOOD. THE STRUTS THAT HOLD THE HOOD UP ARE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD. *AK
FAN BELT FAILED.
INGITION SWITCH CAUGHT FIRE.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .