Total Complaints
3 filings
CADILLAC STS · model year
1998 CADILLAC STS
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998CADILLACSTS carries 3 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, 0 injuries, 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 1998 STS is exterior lighting with 1 filings, followed by air bags (1) and steering (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 1998 STS, 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140530STEERING
DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE. 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. ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES ALL CADILLAC MODELS OF THIS VINTAGE AND SOME NEWER ARE EXPERIENCING THIS STEERING PROBLEM. HOWEVER, NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED. THIS IS THE LAST GM PRODUCT WE WILL EVER PURCHASE. *TR
Mileage: 120,000
20110329AIR BAGS
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 SITUATION.
Mileage: 53,896
20100622EXTERIOR LIGHTING
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. THE UNIT IS SUBJECT TO WATER DAMAGE. THE PRICE FOR THE PART ALONE IS OVER $800. RESEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTED ON 1992 - 1997 VEHICLES, AND THEN AGAIN ON 1998 - 2001 CADILLAC VEHICLES WITH 100% FAILURE RATE, NO REPAIR IS POSSIBLE OTHER THAN REPLACING THE $800 PART. THE CADILLAC DIVISION OF GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE UNITS. *TR
Compare 1998CADILLACSTS 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 1998 CADILLAC STS have?▼
The 1998 CADILLAC STS has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 CADILLAC STS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 CADILLAC STS is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and STEERING.
Is the 1998 CADILLAC STS 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.