AI Damage1978 Cadillac Deville: common problems
Owners of the 1978 Cadillac Deville filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 50% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- Tires: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The obvious problem is the rusted steel it was manufactured on and the lack of adhesion to it. I informed the company and was told it was caused by mounting and would not be replaced. I am 100% sure this tire defective and anyone mounting this tire would have exposed the defect.
The brake hydraulic control valve failed on a module there are no brake . Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Deville has 83 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Deville 19763 sources
- Deville 19823 sources
- Deville 19835 sources
- Deville 19846 sources
- Deville 198519 sources
- Deville 198622 sources
- Deville 198740 sources
- Deville 198828 sources
- Deville 198948 sources
- Deville 199076 sources
- Deville 199187 sources
- Deville 1992135 sources
- Deville 199392 sources
- Deville 1994127 sources
- Deville 1995129 sources
- Deville 1996218 sources
- Deville 1997269 sources
- Deville 1998237 sources
- Deville 1999187 sources
- Deville 2000225 sources
- Deville 2001175 sources
- Deville 2002176 sources
- Deville 2003145 sources
- Deville 2004167 sources
- Deville 200595 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1978 Cadillac Deville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (25%), rust, corrosion (25%), tires: bulges, blowouts (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1978 Cadillac Deville?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1978 Cadillac Deville from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.