18 of the 281 complaints about the 1996 Cadillac Deville are about the electrical system — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 89,000 miles.
18
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
DESPITE TWO TRIPS TO THE CADILLAC DEALER, THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" KEEPS COMING ON, PARTICULARLY DURING EXTEND PERIODS OF DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10188359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DT: WHILE DRIVING CALLER TRIES TO SLOW DOWN AND WITHOUT WARNING THE BRAKES LOSE POWER. WHILE AT THE STOP LIGHT IT ACCELERATES, AND SHE HAS TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT STOPPED. WHILE IN PARK IT RACES AT 2125 RPMS. HAD CAR TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. DEALER SAID IT WAS A CHIP IN COMPUTER. CAR WILL BE TOWED AGAIN TONIGHT. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED.
NHTSA complaint #10124654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ON A 3000 CROSS COUNTRY TRIP THE CAR ACCELERATES UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE TURNING THE A/C OFF, GIVING IT MORE HORSEPOWER. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM UNTIL I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAR WILL IDLE BETEEN 3000 AND 4000 RPM WHEN THIS CONDITION EXISTS. I HAVE SEEN IT ACCELERTE THROUGH 80MPH. TURNING THE CAR OFF THEN RECRANKING IT CAUSES THE PROBLEM TO GO AWAY TEMPORARILY. THE LOCAL CADILLAC DEALER HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR IT OR EVEN DIAGONSE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED THE CADILLAC NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY HAVE ALSO REFUSED TO HELP ME GET THE NEEDED REPAIRS. NO ONE BUT A CADILLAC DEALER CAN SERVICE THESE CARS. THEY VERY RUDELY SUGGESTED THAT I JUNK THE CAR. THIS IS THE FIRST PROBLEM THAT I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST 110,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS 180,000 MILES AND IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM. WHILE I WAS IN THE CADILLAC SERVICE CHECK-IN AREA, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO BURST WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS CHECKING IT INTO THE SHOP. THEY REPAIRED THE RADIATOR THEN DEMANDED THAT I DRIVE THE CAR AWAY WITHOUT THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION PROBLEM BEING REPAIRED, GROSSLY NEGLECTING THE DANGERS INHERENT TO MYSELF AND OTHERS IN DOING SO.
NHTSA complaint #10078467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WHEN THE DRIVER PUT THE KEY IN AND TURNED THE IGNITION VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.
NHTSA complaint #10044610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE HAS STALL WAS CONTACTED BUT WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10001884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT PANEL IS NOT WORKING ANY MORE. CONSUMER CANNOT TELL/ READ FUEL LEVEL OR SPEED ON VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER.
NHTSA complaint #8017074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY DIDN'T HOLD. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM HOOD. UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE, STEERING LOCKED UP. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND WAS TOTALLED.
NHTSA complaint #8010829 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRING SYSTEM FAILED, RESULTING IN A SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH IGNITED A FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.
NHTSA complaint #886735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY WIRING CAUSED BY ACID LEAKING ONTO THE AUTO CABLES ETC. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM CAUSED BY THESE DEFECTIVE BATTERIES, BUT CADILLAC REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, STATING ONLY THAT MY WARRANTY RAN OUT! THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE BATTERY!
NHTSA complaint #737141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY WIRING CAUSED BY ACID LEAKING ONTO THE AUTO CABLES ETC. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM CAUSED BY THESE DEFECTIVE BATTERIES, BUT CADILLAC REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, STATING ONLY THAT MY WARRANTY RAN OUT! THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE BATTERY!
NHTSA complaint #737141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER INCLUDING POWER STEERING.
NHTSA complaint #735052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IN HEAVY RAIN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOULD MOMENTARILY SHUTDOWN, INCLUDING POWER STEERING. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SIX DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. DEALER HAS NOT MADE ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE 6TH TIME WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN. DEALER HAD RECOGNIZED A SERVICE BULLENTIN ISSUED, AND CHARGED CONSUMER $80 FOR REPAIRS FOR NON CLIP ON SERPENTINE BELT. *AK THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN.
NHTSA complaint #873768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN IN MODERATE TRAFFIC, INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK,TEMPERATURE DEMAND WENT TO 75F,BLOWER CAME ON FULL WITH BLAST OF VERY HOT AIR; IN DRIVING TO DEALER INCIDENT RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND TRACTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, THOUGH TRACTION WAS NOT LOST.
NHTSA complaint #719417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN IS DIFFICULT TO BLOW. HAS TO PRESS EXTREMELY HARD AND GRAB IN ORDER FOR HORN TO BLOW AT ONE PARTICULAR STOP ON PAD. DEALERSHIP REPLACED HORN PAD . THIS DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING, CANNOT ATTRACT ATTENTION OF OTHE VEHICLE . THIS DEFECT CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #818613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT HORN IS POSITIONED SO THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH DURING EMERGENCY.
NHTSA complaint #519445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
UPON ACCELERATION, VEHICLE VIBRATES W/POOR ACCELERATION AND POSSIBLE STALLING. MFG., AND DEALER IDENTIFY PROBLEM AS A COMPUTER CHIP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #985124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN BUTTON IN AIR BAG COVER MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE HORN. *DSH
NHTSA complaint #490790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ACTIVATE THE HORN ON THE VEHICLE, EQUIPPED WITH AN AIRBAG. TT
NHTSA complaint #976522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.