Total Complaints
22 filings
CADILLAC DEVILLE · model year
1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE
22 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985CADILLACDEVILLE carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. 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 1985 DEVILLE is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (2) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (2). 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 1985 DEVILLE, 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.
22
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020508STEERING:RACK AND PINION
- RACK AND PINION STEERING - STUCK IN CERTAIN POSITIONS AND WHEN COLD - DANGEROUS! - REAR LOAD LEVELING SYS. DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK ON ANY CADILLACS OF THIS ERA. I CAN'T PUT A SINGLE BAG OF GROCERIES IN THE TRUNK WITHOUT THE REAR BOTTOMING - WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN RECALLED? - HEADLINER CAME LOOSE AND HANGS DOWN. - CASSETTE PLAYS A COUPLE SECONDS THEN EJECTS. - ENGINE SPUTTERS AND MISSES EVEN THOUGH ALL TUNE-UP RELATED ITEMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. - FRONT BRAKE HOSE CLOGGED AND LOCKED BRAKE OFF AND ON. - DANGEROUS. HIT BRAKES AND PULL HARD TO RIGHT. I OWNED AN 86 CELEBRITY WITH TWICE THE MILES AS THIS CADILLAC YET IT WAS 100 X MORE RELIABLE. CAN'T BELIEVE CADILLAC COULD HAVE STAYED IN BUSINESS AFTER THIS MODEL YEAR. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER BUY ANOTHER. THIS ONE WAS GARAGE KEPT AND NOT DRIVEN IN SNOW SINCE 1987 AND WAS OWNED BY AN ELDERLY MINISTER. IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND LOOKED LIKE NEW WHEN I BOUGHT IT DIRECTLY FROM HIM. IF ONE THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF THIS WELL WAS S
20010129STEERING
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT AT ANY DEGREE GREATER THAN A LANE CHANGE, THE STEERING GIVES THE CONSUMER HIGH RESISTANCE, ESPECIALLY DURING A COLD START. *SLC
20010123STEERING
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT AT ANY DEGREE GREATER THAN A LANE CHANGE, THE STEERING GIVES THE CONSUMER HIGH RESISTANCE, ESPECIALLY DURING A COLD START. *SLC
20000920UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205-75R14 )
19991103VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
STOPPED TO OPEN THE GATE. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE UNCONTROLLABLLY (AS THOUGH ONE HAD THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GAS AT THE SAME TIME). HAD MY FOOT THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED BACK INTO PARK, IT STILL RACED UNTIL I SHUT IT OFF. STARTED THE CAR AGAIN TO SEE IF WE COULD GET HOME. PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD AND STOPPED TO LET OFF MY FATHER. RESTARTED THE CAR IN OUR PARKING AREA. THIS TIME THE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD AND IT RACED FULL SPEED IN A CIRCLE THAT I WAS STEARING. FINALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE ANY REAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE (OTHER THAN THE SEVERE FRIGHT IT CAUSED ME AND MY FATHER)
19990928STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN STARTED. WHEN DRIVING, IT FREQUENTLY OFFERS HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURN RIGHT TO ANY DEGREE GREATER THAN A LANE CHANGE. *AK.ET
19990329FatalSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
POSSIBLE BRAKE FAILURE WAS THE CAUSE OF VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTING IN DEATH.
19990213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE PURCHASE, THE ALTERNATOR/BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED. LAST WEEK, I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN.
19990213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE PURCHASE, THE ALTERNATOR/BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED. LAST WEEK, I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN.
19970527ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE REPLACED.
19970527ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR REPLACED.
19961001SEAT BELTS
UPPER SEAT BELT IS NOT SNUG AGAINST CHEST, IF DRIVER LEANS FORWARD, BELT DOES NOT RETRACT/SOMETIMES, UPPER BELT STAYS ALL THE WAY OUT AND REQUIRES THAT BELT BE UNBUCKLED. *AK
19960628STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
GAS STRUT ON HOOD FAILED, CAUSING HOOD TO CLOSE ON DRIVERS HEAD WHILE CHECKING OIL. *DH
19960318STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
FAILURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN, THE BOLTS THAT HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL IS BREAKING AWAY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
19951108WHEELS
CONSUMER WHEELS BEND AND TIRES WOBBLES ALL 4 OF THEM. TT
19951026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILURE. *AW
19951011ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE HAS FAILED, NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AFTER 30K MILES. TT
19950621ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE HAS A KNOCK IN IT AND THE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED AND IT HAS ONLY 22,000 MILES ON IT. TT
19950620ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
REPLACED ENGINE DUE TO ANTI-FREEZE LEAKAGE. *AK
19950518ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MAIN BEARINGS /BLOWER MODULE FAILED. *TW
Compare 1985CADILLACDEVILLE 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 1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE have?▼
The 1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE has 22 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR.
Is the 1985 CADILLAC DEVILLE 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.