AI Damage2004 Cadillac Deville: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Cadillac Deville filed 167 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 167
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 22% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 19% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 47 complaints (28% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 36 complaints (22% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 31 complaints (19% of all).
- Air bags: 25 complaints (15% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 17 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 167 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 47 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 36 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 25 | 8 | 0 |
| Engine | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 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 airbags never deployed. I was not injured, and did not seek medical attention. The vehicle was a total loss. I did not know my vehicle was involved in a recall until my insurance provider sent me a document to that effect as part of the payout for the car.
No power, engine died, hit from behind, airbags did not deploy. Went hospital by ambulance, with neck brace, iv drip, spent one night, went doctor next day. Car taken repair shop, per geico insurance adjuster. Went to this doctor for two years, then another doctor at v.a. Hospital, to this date.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact suffered from whiplash which required medical treatment. The driver in the other vehicle was transported to the hospital. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact's residence.
I was standing still at red light old van with steel bumper ran into back of me knocking me forward an out against steering wheel air bag failed to deploy I was injured car had extensive damage.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The dealer repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
The contact stated while driving the 35 mph, the vehicle started to vibrated causing the contact to lose control and crashed into construction barrier. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v35500 (electrical system).
However, the steering wheel locked up, failing to turn the wheels to the right, and the car struck another car sitting in the left-turn lane. My mother, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, suffered whiplash as a result of the incident.
(1) angle parking in front of jekyll island pharmacy (2) car accelerated, crossed 12' sidewalk, crashed thru glass window front and skidded 12' to final stop inside pharmacy. (3) car was repaired at cost of $11,518.46 paid by insurance. Cadillac division of general motors was notified, without any response.
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 2,401 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Deville has 83 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 167, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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 1997269 sources
- Deville 1998237 sources
- Deville 1999187 sources
- Deville 2000225 sources
- Deville 2001175 sources
- Deville 2002176 sources
- Deville 2003145 sources
- Deville 200595 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Cadillac Deville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, steering, visibility. Total complaints: 167. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (22%), steering or power steering problems (12%), stalls while driving (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.