AI Damage1993 Cadillac Deville: common problems
Owners of the 1993 Cadillac Deville filed 92 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 92
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 22 complaints (24% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 18 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 9 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.9 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 92 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 | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 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.
My husband had a car accident on july 4, 2009 where he hit another vehicle, air bags did not deploy. Aaa adjuster came to diamond car collision in hesperia and stated the car was not totaled. I requested a second opinion and they said they could not total the vehicle.
Suv and pickup trucks should be modified to watch bumpers of all passenger cars.
During rear impact, the driver's side seat brackets broke, causing the seat to fall backwards into the rear seat.
Upon two different accidents, drivers airbag did not deploy, dealer said nothing was wrong during 1st accident, have not check for second accident. Tt
The engine fell out the engine craddle broke lose from the frame it rusted through the rest of the car has no rust and is in perfect condition.thank god I had just gotton of the highway and it happened stpped at the stop sign.do I have any recourse .
Was driving in a 25mph zone when both rear engine cradle mounts broke loose causing the engine to drop effecting steering of said car. Had this been on a highway, serious injury could have resulted.
If the vehicle is driven for a while, smoke will appear from the bottom of the vehicle, rather than the hood. The failure has also caused the air conditioner to stop working. A warning indicator illuminated and read, "stop.turn off engine".
Occasionally, the contact smelled a strange odor and the vehicle began smoking and leaking transaxle fluid from the cooling line. He stated that he normally drives 1 or 2 miles, but after driving 60 miles between 55-60 mph, the smell, smoking, and leaking worsened. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer.
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 3,758 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Deville has 83 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 92, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
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 199187 sources
- Deville 1992135 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 1993 Cadillac Deville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 92. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), warning lights, check engine (4%), brake failure (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 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 1993 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 1993 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.