1996 Cadillac Deville Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Deville years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 218 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Cadillac Deville. That ranks 4th out of 11 Deville model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (43 complaints, 20%), typically at around 81,500 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 7 fires, 12 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 218owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Cadillac Deville problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 43 | 20% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 18% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 33 | 15% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 10% | 113,605 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 10% | 70,101 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 8% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 6% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 3% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | 93,800 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 147,551 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 205,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Cadillac Deville recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Some passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l v8 engines have a condition in which the nylon tubing used in the fuel rail construction may degrade and crack. Additionally, the 1995 model year uses a unique underhood fuel return line that may crack. Cracking of the fuel rail or return line tubing can result in a fuel leak into the engine compartment.
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine fuel rail with a new stainless steel fuel rail. Dealers will also install a revised chassis fuel return line. The recall began on june 2, 2004, for 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora vehicles. Owners of 1995 cadillacs and 1996-1997 oldsmobile aurora were sent letters on august 6, 2004. Additional letters to owners will be forthcoming. Owners should contact oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments
Problem: These vehicles could have been produced with an improperly adjusted secondary hood latch. This does not conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 113, "hood latch system."
Risk: Consequence of non-compliance: if the secondary latch is not properly engaged and the primary hood latch was also not engaged, the hood latch was also not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly. If this were to occur while the vehicle is in motion, the hood can contact the windshield reducing the vision of the driver and increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will adjust the secondary hood latch.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel rail leaks (EA04003) — opened Feb 3, 2004, closed Apr 23, 2004, led to recall 04V110000.
- Fuel rail leakage (PE03050) — opened Oct 30, 2003, closed Feb 3, 2004.
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (RQ03001) — opened Jan 2, 2003, closed Sep 15, 2003.
- Inadvertent air bag deployment (EA98004) — opened Feb 24, 1998, closed Jun 16, 1998, led to recall 98V115000.
- Erratic turn signal operation (PE98005) — opened Feb 6, 1998, closed Aug 27, 1998.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
One day i could smell gas fairly strong, and then i stopped at a friends shop, opened the hood and you could see gas spurting out. As i was looking up this part and then spoke with someone that informed me that yes there had been a recall on the fuel rail and that it was closed. Of course i had to…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. While placing fuel in the vehicle, the contact observed fuel leaking from underneath the vehicle by the fuel tank. The vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 04v110000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings), but the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the front driver and rear seat belts failed to lock. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
My seat belt on the driver side will not latch. The tongue will not insert into the buckle. I reported the problem to gm/ cadillac and was told to visit the local dealer. The representative of the dealer in zanesville, ohio told me the seat belt buckle was no longer available. Since i never use the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the vehicle began to run hot as soon as the engine was started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where he was informed that the engine block was cracked. The manufacturer was notified and stated that…
Other Cadillac Deville years
← 1995 Deville · 1997 Deville →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Deville | 95 | 1 |
| 2004 Deville | 167 | 1 |
| 2003 Deville | 145 | 4 |
| 2002 Deville | 176 | 5 |
| 2001 Deville | 175 | 4 |
| 2000 Deville | 225 | 5 |
| 1999 Deville | 187 | 1 |
| 1998 Deville | 237 | 3 |
| 1997 Deville | 269 | 2 |
| 1996 | 218 | 2 |
| 1995 Deville | 129 | 2 |
See all Cadillac Deville problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Cadillac Deville?
Owners most often report steering, engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 43 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Cadillac Deville?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Cadillac Deville a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Deville model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.