AI Damage1991 Cadillac Deville: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Cadillac Deville filed 87 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 87
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 8 Latches, locks, linkages 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 29 complaints (33% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 15 complaints (17% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 9 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 87 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 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.
Car was at complete stop: accelerator pedal goes to floor and takes off on its own.
Driving at approximately 45mph consumer rearended another vehicle, driver's side airbag did not deploy which could have caused injuries. Dealer claimed that the bumper went underneath vehicle that was hit.
Vehicle was involved in a collison when another vehicle backed into vehicle. Airbag did not deploy.
Applied brakes and pedal went to the floor, no response from abs and driver air bag did not deploy.
Consumer was in an accident and the air bag didn't deploy. Please describe .
Vehicle started leaking fuel underneath at the nylon fuel line. I had it repaired and it started leaking in a different location. Apparently the entire line is faulty and I cannot even seem to find a replacement. Fire hazard!
I had no idea this vehicle was under recall I actually own a 1984 cadillac sedan deville, it had a gas leak which rotted out the timing chain casing, and knocked teeth down into the gear box. I just realized this car was recalled because of the fuel leaks and the rotting parts under the engine compartment.
The contact stated that the vehicle's door locking mechanism was faulty, which allowed the doors to open independently while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the locks needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue.
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 3,884 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Deville has 83 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 87, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
- Deville 19763 sources
- Deville 19784 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 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 1991 Cadillac Deville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 87. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), brake failure (7%), stalls while driving (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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.
Other 1991 models
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.