22 of the 66 complaints about the 1989 Cadillac Deville are about the throttle and cruise control — 33% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 108,000 miles.
22
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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".
NHTSA complaint #10315999 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
NHTSA complaint #10118953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
NHTSA complaint #8006945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #9006327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #9001063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #723716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
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.
NHTSA complaint #856162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #715506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #706803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #706803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
NHTSA complaint #835579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #701275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, VECHICLE GOES TO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, PARKED THE VEHICLE AND IT WENT INTO HIGH IDLE AND WOULD NOT IDLE DOWN.
NHTSA complaint #810655 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #514832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN DUE TO FAILED IDLE SPEED CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #503149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TO SURGE.
NHTSA complaint #503149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE, PULLED INTO PARKING LOT, MADE A RIGHT TURN, STARTED FOR PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE, WITHOUT WARNING, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED; VEHICLE JUMPED CURB, WENT ACROSS GRASS, HIT LIBRARY BLDG.
NHTSA complaint #801843 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTOL.
NHTSA complaint #502471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE THROTTLE STUCK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AROUND A PARKING LOT AT 70MPH AND HIT 7 CARS. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #983797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE THROTTLE STUCK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AROUND A PARKING LOT AT 70MPH AND HIT 7 CARS. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #983797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR ACCELERATED DAMAGED THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN . T
NHTSA complaint #977149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TWICE, ONCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #482664 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.