1996 Cadillac DeVille problems
Owners have filed 281 complaints about the 1996 Cadillac DeVille with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 16% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of engine and engine cooling at 15.7%.
Complaints281
Crashes14
Fires10
Injuries17
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Steering 16.0% · 45
Engine and engine cooling 15.7% · 44
Fuel system, gasoline 12.1% · 34
Service brakes, hydraulic 7.8% · 22
Vehicle speed control 7.5% · 21
Electrical system 6.4% · 18
Air bags 5.0% · 14
Exterior lighting 4.6% · 13
Severity
Of those complaints, 14 describe a crash, 10 describe a fire and 17 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 16 model years of the Cadillac DeVille in this data, 1996 sits 4th by complaint volume. 1997 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 4 in the last three years against 5 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 89,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Whenever the vehicle goes through even to a moderate water puddle the power steering is subject to temporary failing and the drag on the wheel is considerable. Very hard to steer for several seconds. Many people would be unable to control the car. Number of failures is many but this is the first time I have been able to get together and report the matter. Steering
When driving vehicle in wet wether the vehicle loses all power steering and the wheel locks up, causing the driver to lose steering when vehicle goes around the corner. Took vehicle to dealer, and they said that the power steering goes out when driving through water. The dealer fixed the problem, but driver says that this is a safety hazard. Steering
While driving in the rain and attempting to make right hand turn, steering wheel locked up. After several tries, steering wheel finally turned. This happened twice that day. Contacted dealer, and was told that when the serpentine belt gets wet, it will slip. Gmc is aware of the problem because they have issued a bulletin. Steering
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…