Illustration1989 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
1989 Cadillac Deville
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Cadillac Deville do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 44.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Deville years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 48 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
48 reportsWOULD 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…
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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
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.