AI Damage1998 Cadillac STS: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Cadillac STS filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 33% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 33% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 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.
On two separate occasions (thankfully both at slow speeds) steering wheel locked up and could not be turned (locked up heading left). She was able to guide vehicle to stop without injury. She turned off vehicle and restarted and steering returned to normal.
The main air bag from the steering wheel was set off with the car running and in park. The car was not moving nor was there any collision to set off the air bag. Later investigation by cadillac/gm determined faulty sensors that caused the air bag to deploy improperly which created/creates a potentially dangerous…
After a police stop for high-mount brake light inoperative, I learned that there is a 100% failure rate for this 3rd brake light in cadillac vehicles. Mine is a 1998 sts, now with 80k miles. It is not simply a bulb replacement because it is a sealed led unit and it is very expensive.
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 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the STS has 31 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Cadillac STS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, exterior lighting, steering. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Cadillac STS?
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 1998 Cadillac STS 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 1998 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.