IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILED.
1990 Cadillac Deville
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 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: 9 of 76 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
21 reportsVACUUM BOOSTER FAILED.
THE BRAKE SHOES IN THE REAR DO NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE DRUMS, CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKES TO WEAR OUT OFTEN. *AK CONSUMER STTES IN ADDITION TO WEARING OUT THE FRONT BRAKES FASTER CONSUMER HAS REDUCED BRAKING, CONSUMER HAS TRIED TO GET DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT THEY FEEL IT IS INSIGNIFICANT.*JB
WHEN DRIVING CAR SOMETIMES ACCELERATES OUT OF CONTROL. *AK WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES THEY WERE VERY HARD, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE, CONSUMER THEN FORCED THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARKED THE STOP WAS SEVERE, THE SECOND OCCASION THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN AND CONSUMER HAD TO PUT GEAR IN NEURAL AND BEGAN RAP…
Read full complaint
WHEN DRIVING CAR SOMETIMES ACCELERATES OUT OF CONTROL. *AK WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES THEY WERE VERY HARD, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE, CONSUMER THEN FORCED THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARKED THE STOP WAS SEVERE, THE SECOND OCCASION THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN AND CONSUMER HAD TO PUT GEAR IN NEURAL AND BEGAN RAPIDLY HITTING THE ACCELERATOR AFTER 3 TIMES THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN AND THE BRAKE WORKED, HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE.*JB
INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE.
POOR ABS BRAKE PERFORMANCE, ALL THE BRAKE POWER IS GOING TO ONE WHEEL, THE PASSENGER'S FRONT, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO LOCK UP DURING OPERATION. *AK
SOMETIMES DRIVING, THERE IS NO BRAKE, IT PULL TO THE SIDE, HAVE ABS ANIT-LOCK. CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES ARE FAILING-BRAKES GO AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 7-8 MINS BEFORE THEY WORK PROPERLY. TT
BRAKES TOTALLED FAILED, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. TT
BRAKES FAILED PREMATURELY. *AW
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
3EA91019 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Mar 22, 1991 · Closed Mar 25, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
PE91029 · Throttle Linkage Interfer
Opened Jan 7, 1991 · Closed Apr 16, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
PE91016 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Nov 26, 1990 · Closed Mar 22, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available