IllustrationWHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND VEHICLE WAS NOT HIT. DID NOT BUMP ANYTHING, AND DID NOT HIT ANYTHING WHILE THIS HAD HAPPENED.*AK
1999 Cadillac Deville
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Deville years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Cadillac Deville are substantially higher than 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
70–25K
1625–50K
1850–75K
1675–100K
10100–150K
2150K+
69 reports with mileage · 118 unknown
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports4 fire reports23 injury reports
What owners actually said
187 reportsWHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, MAINLY BEING HIT BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR, BY A TOW TRUCK TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH, AIR BAG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE AND TOW TRUCK WERE TOTALLED IN THE CRASH. *AK
DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. INCIDENT NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND DID CAUSE HEARING DAMAGE. IT WENT OFF BY ITSELF !
PASENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. RANDOM DEPLOYMENT. NO CRASH INVOLVED. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT DIVULGE WHY THIS HAPPENED. HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GAIN INFORMATION BUT REFUSED BY MANUFACTURER. CONCERNED THAT A RANDOM DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT.
THE VEHICLE STALLED IN RAIN WATER AND WOULD NOT RESTART BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED UP. YH
WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW WHY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN IMPACT OCCURRING. *AK *ML
CONSUMER WENT TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE , PULLED EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND JACKED VEHICLE UP WITH FACTORY EQUIPPED JACK . CONSUMER REACHED FOR WHEEL AND JACK BROKE INTO 2 PIECES, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FALL STRAIGHT DOWN, TRAPPING CONSUMER'S ARM BETWEEN FENDER AND FLAT TIRE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. TAKING VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. *AK
THE VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO ROLL BACKWARDS DUE TO DESIGN OF THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE. YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
100V217000 · Air Bags:side/window
Aug 11, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THE SIDE IMPACT SENSOR MODULES HAVE QUALITY PROBLEMS THAT CAN CAUSE AN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS. THESE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOY WITH LESS FORCE THAN A FRONTAL AIR BAG AND ARE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: HOWEVER, AN OCCUPANT CAN RECEIVE SOME INJURY FROM A DEPLOYMENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT SENSING MODULES. IF THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THE SIDE AIR BAGS TEMPORARILY DISCONECTED, THE TEMPORARY DISCONNECT WILL BE REMOVED BEFORE REPLACING THE SIDE IMPACT SENSING MODULES.
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
2EA00004 · Inadvertent Of Side Impact Air Bag
Opened Feb 15, 2000 · Closed Sep 28, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available
PE99061 · Inadvertent Deployment Of Side Air Bag
Opened Sep 27, 1999 · Closed Feb 15, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
THIS SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG CAN INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY DUE TO A NUMBER OF ROOT CAUSED INCLUDING: ERRONEOUS ACCELERATION INPUTS OR FALSE ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT ALGORITHM DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE (SDM); FALSE ACTIVATION RESULTING FROM AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SDM WIRING HARNESS; AND FALSE ACCELERATION INPUTS RESULTING FROM IMPROPER SDM INSTALLATION.IN EACH CASE, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT TO OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.THE SCOPE OF THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY 1997 DEVILLE VEHICLES.ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 253 REPORTS ALLEGING INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF A SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG ON 1997-1999 CADILLAC DEVILLE VEHICLES.GM HAS MADE 8 MODIFICATIONS IN THE MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN OF THE SIDE IMPACT SYSTEM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES SOME OF WHICH ARE FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF A SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG CAN RESULT IN UNWARRANTED INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS AND PRESENTS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTOL. AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE IF A POTENTIAL SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.