Total Complaints
8 filings
CADILLAC CADILLAC · model year
1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996CADILLACCADILLAC carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 CADILLAC is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by steering:column locking:anti-theft device (1) and steering:hydraulic power assist system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 1996 CADILLAC, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071218ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
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 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
Mileage: 67,350
20070712VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
Mileage: 129,000
20050702SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
WHILE DRIVING FROM ATLANTA, GA TO BOWIE, MD, THE DRIVERS SEAT STARTED TO READJUST ITSELF. IE; LOWERING ITSELF TO THE LAY-DOWN POSITION, MOVING ITSELF FORWARD AND THEN BACKWARD. "THIS WAS ALL DOWN WHILE I WAS TRYING TO DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD." THE ONLY THING DONE, WAS TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THE SEATS, WHICH ALSO DISABLED THE HORN.
Mileage: 132,800
19980506STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
POWER STEERING SUDDENLY QUIT FUNCTIONING AT 10-15 MPH, ALMOST RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT.
19980209CrashSTEERING
20 TO 30MPH, CAR VEERED TO THE TELEPHONE POLE, SPLINTERING AND BREAKING IT. AIR BAG NEVER DELPOYED, DEALER REMOVED BLACK BOX. WILL NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION. *AK
19971006STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED.
19970325STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
ANTI-THEFT COMPUTER LOCKS UP.
19960725FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE. *DH
Compare 1996CADILLACCADILLAC to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-View Camera Failure
PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
EQ11001EQClosed
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC have?▼
The 1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE and STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM.
Is the 1996 CADILLAC CADILLAC safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.