IllustrationVEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON FOUR OCCASIONS, DURING EACH OF WHICH THE BRAKES WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER SHOP ON EACH OCCASION, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT USED AT ANY TIME WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURRED. *AK
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
What owners actually said
76 reportsTHE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS LEAKED BRAKE FLUID OVER THE BRAKE SHOES MAKING THEM USELESS. NLM
POWER STEERING FAILED ON THE ROAD, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND NEAR ACCIDENT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH. YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH THEREIS VIRBATION WITHIN THE VEHICLE DUE TO A BROKEN SHAFT AXLE. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SLIGHTLY TURNING THE WHEEL ON AN EXPRESSWAY ENGINE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WILL START UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLETO SLIDE. ALSO, AND ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. *AK
BARRINGTON MOTOR WORKS HAD MADE MORE EXCUSES THAN FIX PROBLEMS, OTHER PROBLEMS EXIST, BUT TOO MANY TO LIST. THE BARRINGTON MW HAS NEVER ONCE FOUND A PROBLEM TILL THE CAR LEAVES US STRANDED, EVEN AFTER WE COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT PROBLEM. UNTIL I FIND A DECENT GM DEALER, THIS IS THE LAST GM FOR US, WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF CADILLA…
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BARRINGTON MOTOR WORKS HAD MADE MORE EXCUSES THAN FIX PROBLEMS, OTHER PROBLEMS EXIST, BUT TOO MANY TO LIST. THE BARRINGTON MW HAS NEVER ONCE FOUND A PROBLEM TILL THE CAR LEAVES US STRANDED, EVEN AFTER WE COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT PROBLEM. UNTIL I FIND A DECENT GM DEALER, THIS IS THE LAST GM FOR US, WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF CADILLAC DEALERS, AND WE HAVE BEEN TO MANY.
MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY-SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE I SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODER AND THEN SEEN WHISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL-I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION AND THE SMOKE QUIT SHORTLY AFTER - I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAG STARTED TO SMOKE IN A FEW SECO…
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MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY-SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE I SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODER AND THEN SEEN WHISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL-I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION AND THE SMOKE QUIT SHORTLY AFTER - I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAG STARTED TO SMOKE IN A FEW SECONDS AGAIN--I DISCONNECTED THE S.I.R. CONNECTOR ON THE STEERING COLUMN AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE-NO SMOKE OR SMELL WITH S.I.R. DISCONNECTED-I REMOVED THE AIR BAG FROM THE STEERING WHEEL-ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE AIR BAG MODULE THERE IS A ROUND STEEL CAP ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 1/2 HIGH FASTENED TO THE BACK OF THE AIR BAG MODULE--THIS WAS VERY HOT AND HAD BLACK SOOT COMING OUT ALL AROUND THE EDGES WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE AIR BAG MODULE-----I TOOK THE AIR BAG MODULE TOO MY LOCAL CADILLAC DEALER-THEY CHECKED FOR ANY RECALLS OR TECH BULLETINS AND SAID I SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC DIV. CONCERNING THIS AS IT WAS PAST WARRANTY--I CALLED CADILLAC CONSUMER RELATIONS CENTER ON 4/12/90 THEY SEEMED CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND TOOK A VERY DETAILED REPORT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED -EVEN THE TIME OF DAY AND TEMP.--THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME IN3-5 DAYS--ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF LATER THEY GOT CALLED ME BACK AND SAID VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I SHOULD BRING IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND GET IT FIXED AT MY EXPENSE-.-I TOLD THEM I WOULD CONTACT THE NHTSA AS I FELT THIS WAS A DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN-THEY JUST SAID THEY WOULD NOTATE IT IN THE FILE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A COASTING SPEED VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE TO 80 MPH TO STOP. CONSUMER JUST JAMS TRANSMISSION GEAR INTO PARK AND SHUTS THE ENGINE DOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *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
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