- The 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.
- The risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
1996 Cadillac Deville Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 225 complaints about the 1996 Cadillac Deville with NHTSA, most often about the steering (45) and the engine & cooling (41). Those complaints describe 12 crashes, 8 fires and 13 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in March 2004 for the hoses, lines / piping, and fittings. For comparison, the 1995 has 129 and the 1997 has 280.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Deville year, for its age
#25 most complained-about 1996 vehicle
- Complaints
- 225
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 12
- Fires
- 8
- Injuries
- 13
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1996 Cadillac Deville problems
Share of all 225 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1996 Cadillac Deville recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The 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."
- The 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.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL ADJUST THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH.
What owners say
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225 complaints about the 1996 Cadillac Deville
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 9.
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 park it to keep it from catching on fire.. It's a 1996 cadillac deville and it's in mint condition. I am asking for some help in getting this repaired/replaced.
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 remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
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 middle back seat and it has the identical buckle, my suggestion was to remove the seat belt for the middle back seat and use the buckle for my driver's seat. I was told for legal reason they could not do this. So...
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it is ok for me the driver not to have a seat belt when the part is not available through gm but is available in my middle back seat which is never used. I noticed the 91 cadillac deville had a recall for a similar problem.
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 they would repair the vehicle at their cost and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer. The dealer stated to the contact that the manufacturer advised them not to make any repairs to the vehicle. A letter was written to the chief executive officer who responded that they would not assist in the repair of the vehicle. The failure and current mileage was 74,000.
My father purchased a 1996 sedan deville brand new. He passed away in april 1998. My mother drove the car until this year. She gave me the car. The car has approx 17,000 miles. I just found out the car has a blown rear head gasket. I realize the car is 15 yrs old but I feel this should not have happened with such low mileage. The car was never abused and still smells new inside. Do I have any recourse with gm? *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v110000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) yet the contact continued to experience failures with the vehicle after repairs. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where a diagnostic was performed and the mechanic advised the contact that the plastic tubing connected to the stainless steel fuel rail failed, causing fuel to spray into the engine....
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The manufacturer advised the contact that the tubing was no longer manufactured therefore they could not authorize the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 154,000.
Tl*the contact owns 1996 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the anti freeze came over the firewall and caused second degree burns to his feet. The contact was traveling 55 mph when this occurred. The mechanic stated that the heater core failed on the vehicle and allowed the anti freeze to leak into the vehicle. The vin was not available at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 160000 and the current mileage was 167000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated until heavy pressure was applied to the brake pedal. The failure would occur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer yet they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 90,201.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. While driving approximately 60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact smelled a strong odor of fuel inside and outside the vehicle. On a separate occasion, the odor was present when the engine was started after several attempts. There were no warnings prior to the failures. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the nylon tubing used in the fuel rail contributed to fuel leakage in the engine. The...
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original part was discontinued and the replacement component would cost $400. The vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 04v110000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery;hoses, lines/piping, and fittings), although the failures were identical. The vehicle has not been repaired. The vin and mileages were unknown.
Refer to open nhtsa action number pe94071. Customer owns a 1996 cadillac sedan deville with 93,884 miles. Car was originally equipped with michelin xw4 tires from manufacturer in size p225/60 r16 97s with a thin whitewall. All 4 tires replaced with same michelin xw4 tires at around 50,000 miles in 2002, due to age and wear. All the new tires had dot code: b93v 222x 0902, and are marked made in usa. In 2006, while traveling at about 40 mph, the front passenger tire had a sudden blowout. This blowout created a...
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hole from just past the tire bead to the beginning of the tread, making a flap about the size of your palm, still attached to the side of the tread. Tire replaced with a matching xw4 with dot code: b33v 222x 1105, marked made in canada. At that time, the xw4 was discontinued by michelin, so had to find it as nos (new old stock) via mail order distributor. In sept. 2008 At around 93,800 miles, the front drivers side xw4 tire was noticed to have a small bubble in the sidewall, near the tire bead and in the writing area for the tread and sidewall designations. Have pictures showing this bubble, which is about 3 inches long and 1.25 Inches wide. Submitted claim to michelin and replaced the tire with a michelin symmetry, which almost exactly matched the xw4 in tread and sidewall appearance. When tire was dismounted from the rim, the bubble stayed inflated?! Michelin came back saying the tire was out of warranty, as it was a few months past the 6 year warranty. At the same time, the 2 remaining xw4 tires on the back exhibited significant cracking right where the tread meets the sidewall, around the entire circumference of the tire. Appears to be tread separation. These 2 rear tires also have a dot code: b93v 222x 0902, and marked made in usa. Rear tire tread depths measured 9/32 inches, front drivers side 6/32 inches, and newer xw4 on front passenger side measured 9/32 inches. All tread depths measured the same across the entire width of the tread. *Tr
Front wheels passed through a puddle and water splashed into engine compartment while I attempted to make a turn. There was a complete loss of power steering and the turn could not be completed. The effect was momentary but scared me quite a bit. This has happened three times on different rainy days with the car. *Tr
Any time the vehicle is driven more than 2 hours, the vehicle overheats, and causes the "check engine light to come on. The vehicle has been brought to the dealer numerous times, and he is unable to repair to our satisfaction. This has occurred many, many times without resolution. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the rubber part of the brake line split into two separate pieces while driving 35 mph. The brakes could not be used and the emergency brake and gears were applied to stop the vehicle from moving. General motors stated that someone would look into the failure at some point. The contact is a mechanic and stated that he has never seen this type of incident occur on a vehicle. He stated that the bracket that is attached to the strut is being...
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stretched beyond its limit, which after time will eventually split. The failure mileage was 138,210 and current mileage was 138,449. Updated 09/10/08 *bf the metal bracket that holds the rubber part of the brake line is cutting the rubber line right at the top of the bracket . Updated 09/18/08. *Jb
Upon approaching the 1996 cadillac deville it was noted that a fluid was dripping from behind the left front wheel. Inspection revealed that the leak was gasoline - opening the hood found no leaks. Car was started in order to relocate it in the drive way, within a minute of starting there was a strong blast of vaporized gasoline spraying on the driveway. Car was immediately shutoff. Further inspection showed there was a leak from the plastic fuel line under the floor at a location under the driver's seat. The...
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plastic fuel line is mounted parallel the body and it is about 9 inches outboard of the catalytic converter. This was the first time that day that the car was started. The car was towed to the cadillac dealer where it was repaired by installing a new fuel harness - part number 25644121 at a cost of $608 to me. Any design that uses plastic (nylon) fuel lines placed so close to the hottest part of the car is just plain irresponsible ! *Tr
Car loses power completely and cuts off. There is no electric or engine available and the car must be restarted in order to proceed in traffic. This failure usually occurs at low rates (20-35mph) of speed but especially when turning corners. Power steering is diminished due to power failure. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 cadillac deville. The contact smelled fuel upon starting the vehicle. He received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 04v110000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). The vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions and each time the dealer stated they ran out of parts. The contact had scheduled repair appointments. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 101,000.
Instrument panel cluster went blank while driving, causing loss of gauge function and all tell-tale indicators except for abs, sir, park brake and service engine soon. Checked fuses and let the vehicle sit. Started vehicle following day to check, instrument panel cluster worked. Driving vehicle following day, instrument panel cluster working, cluster went blank after driving for 15 minutes. Parked vehicle, checked 1 hour later, cluster blank, then faded in after several minutes. This occurred at least 2 more...
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times while driving and is startling when driving at night. When researching to see if there was a recall for this I observed a recall for the 1996 seville, not the deville, but for the same problem. The nhtsa campaign id# is 95v224000 federal motor vehicle safety standard# 101. *Tr
Replacement of brake controller 1996 cadillac concours at a cost of 1400.00. Approaching stop sign at low speed brakes failed causing car to stop beyond stop sign. I notice that 1997 and later cadillacs have been recalled for this same problem. I am sure gm is aware that 1996 models have the same defect so why have they not covered 1996 models? *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 cadillac slf. While coming to a stop from 80 mph, the contact noticed that the rpms were between 2,000-3,000. He drove the vehicle to his residence and clicked the ignition on ten times, attempting to decrease the idling. The failure occurs at any speed. The current mileage is 130,000 and failure mileage was 129,000.
Despite two trips to the cadillac dealer, the "check engine light" keeps coming on, particularly during extend periods of driving. *Jb
1996 Cadillac concours deville. 1. Events leading to failure: power steering fails during rain events. 2. Failure & consequences: unable to safely steer vehicle. 3. Belt tensioner replaced; did not correct the problem. *Jb
Tl*- the contact heard a loud pop come from under the hood of the 1996 cadillac deville and also noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The contact turned the vehicle off, and then noticed there flames were coming from under the hood . The fire department advised the contact that cause of the fire was a problem with the fuel. The vehicle currently had 115000 miles. The contact stated there was a recall 04014 for the fuel system .
Very dangerous situation occurred while driving on city roads where posted speeds are 35-45 mph. The car just started to speed up on its own and I could not get the engine to slow down. The only way I could avoid a traffic accident was to ride the brakes continuously. By the time I got home the brakes were smoking and extremely overheated. I almost could not stop with the engine racing and the brakes worn out. I had to shut the engine down while still in drive, almost running into the wall of my house. I am 70...
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years old and was very scared. On edmunds .Com there are three other reported instances of the same thing happening with the same make and model. My car is undriveable and I will have to get it towed from my house to the dealer for it to be checked out, please follow up on this as it is a very dangerous condition. I was very close to having an accident. *Jb
Bought vehicle used from auto dealership. From day one smelled oil from under hood, smelled engine coolant leak. Having to constantly refill coolant level. And coolant mixed on with engine oil. Dealer "could not find problem after three attempts. Later, 3 other repair shops all diagnosed blown head gasket. Estimated cost of repairs ranged from $2800.00 To $5200.00. *Jb
Cadillac Deville: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 237 | 5 | F |
| 1999 | 192 | 1 | F |
| 1998 | 242 | 3 | F |
| 1997 | 280 | 2 | F |
| 1996 | 225 | 2 | F |
| 1995 | 129 | 2 | F |
| 1994 | 142 | 0 | F |
| 1993 | 102 | 1 | F |
| 1992 | 137 | 1 | F |
1996 Cadillac Deville vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Cadillac Deville | 225 | 2 | F | |
| 1996 Cadillac Seville | 122 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Cadillac Eldorado | 60 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood | 17 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Cadillac Concours | 7 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 1996 Cadillac Brougham | 4 | 0 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1996 Cadillac Deville
Does the 1996 Cadillac Deville have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 1996 Cadillac Deville: hoses, lines / piping, and fittings (March 2004); hinge and attachments (December 1995). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Cadillac Deville?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the steering (45), engine & cooling (41), fuel system (35).
How many complaints has the 1996 Cadillac Deville had?
225 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on December 5, 1995 and the latest on December 31, 2018. Of these, 12 describe a crash and 8 a fire, and together they report 13 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 1996 Cadillac Deville a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 10 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Cadillac Deville year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Cadillac Deville years have the most complaints?
1997 (280), 1998 (242), 2000 (237). See every Cadillac Deville year compared.
What should I do if my 1996 Cadillac Deville has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data