Your vehicle report
1998 Cadillac Deville
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 237
- Received Jan 1998 to Feb 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night36 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes20 complaints · 8.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early15 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V217000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of the side impact sensor modules have quality problems that can cause an inadvertent deployment of the driver or passenger side impact air bags. These side air bags deploy with less force than a frontal air bag and are designed to minimize the risk of serious injury.
- Recall #97V232000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with hood hinge pivot bolts which can break due to an improper heat treat condition. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 219, "windshield zone intrusion." a broken bolt can cause either the corner of the hood near the windshield to raise, or one side of the hood to be unstable when opened.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 1 fire, 17 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Suspension struts and shocks wear out early
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 18 |
| 1999 | 46 |
| 2000 | 29 |
| 2001 | 34 |
| 2002 | 20 |
| 2003 | 17 |
| 2004 | 22 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 237 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 36 | 15% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 20 | 8.4% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 15 | 6.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 11 | 4.6% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 9 | 3.8% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V217000August 11, 2000215,293 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of the side impact sensor modules have quality problems that Can cause an inadvertent deployment of the driver or passenger side impact air bags. These side air bags deploy with less force than a frontal air bag and are designed to minimize the risk of serious injury.
However, an occupant Can receive some injury from a deployment.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the driver and passenger side impact sensing modules. If the vehicle has had the side air bags temporarily disconected, the temporary disconnect will be removed before replacing the side impact sensing modules.
NHTSA recall #97V232000December 18, 199714,423 vehicles affected
structure: body: hood: hinge and attachments
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with hood hinge pivot bolts which Can break due to an improper heat treat condition. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 219, "windshield zone intrusion." a broken bolt Can cause either the corner of the hood near the windshield to raise, or one side of the hood to be unstable when opened.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the hood could be pushed back through the windshield glass possibly injuring the vehicle occupants.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the hood hinge pivot bolts.
NHTSA recall #97V183000October 27, 19978,611 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, hearses and limousines. The canister purge evaporative emissions harness on these vehicles was misrouted.
The harness could interfere with the cruise control and throttle linkage preventing return to a closed throttle.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the vehicle for proper routing of the harness, correct as necessary, and install a plastic tie strap to the harness.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Cadillac Deville.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN