AI Damage1997 Cadillac Deville: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Cadillac Deville filed 269 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 269
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 61 complaints (23% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 47 complaints (17% of all).
- Fuel system: 38 complaints (14% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 29 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 28 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 269 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 | 61 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 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.
Gm will be sending out an inspector to determine cause of brake failure.I do not know what brake component failed. Whether it was master cylinder, abs, vacuum booster, etc. I only know there was failure.
I was answering a text on my phone and as I looked up to get out of the car there were flames coming out from between the fender and the hood. I rushed to the front of the car to put the flames out.. I just got the car a d couldn't afford to let turn to the ground.
While driving over a speed bump, the traction warning light illuminated. In addition, the air conditioner failed to operate. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not included in the nhtsa campaign number: 97v064000 (service brakes, hydraulic).
[xxx] the owner gets up to get something to eat when he looked outside the patio, he saw his car smoldering and than immediately burst into flames at the engine area. Called the fire department immediately and in the meantime tried to suppress the fire but not successful.
The contact stated that while driving approximate 35 mph, the abs and the traction control warning lights illuminated. The failure recurred intermittently and progressed to permanent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
The fuel gauge indicated that there a half of tank of gas was in the tank, when the tank was nearly empty. The vehicle has gone empty on fuel on three separate occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
The contact mentioned that once he inspected the vehicle, he noticed that there was a fuel leak under the engine compartment. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 97,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 cadillac deville with uniroyal tigerpaw tires, size: 265/75/r16 . The contact stated that while parked, the front driver side tire blew. The tire was taken to a dealer for inspection. The technician stated that the tire was out of warranty and would not be covered for replacement.
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 1,518 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Deville has 83 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 269, above 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.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
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 199392 sources
- Deville 1994127 sources
- Deville 1995129 sources
- Deville 1996218 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 1997 Cadillac Deville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 269. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%), steering or power steering problems (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.