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2004 Cadillac Deville

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Deville years

Owner complaints for the 2004 Cadillac Deville are substantially higher than the model-year median of 44.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

136 reports with mileage · 31 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports4 fire reports12 injury reports

What owners actually said

167 reports
39,064 miles · Sep 2, 2008
SeatsFire

AFTER SHORT LOCAL DRIVE OF ABOUT 20 MILES, I STOPPED FOR GAS AND FILLED MY TANK. I WAS ALONE IN VEHICLE, NO PASSENGER, AND WHEN I RESTARTED MY CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. IN SECONDS, I OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE POURING OUT OF PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. I EXITED CAR AND RAN AROUND CA…

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AFTER SHORT LOCAL DRIVE OF ABOUT 20 MILES, I STOPPED FOR GAS AND FILLED MY TANK. I WAS ALONE IN VEHICLE, NO PASSENGER, AND WHEN I RESTARTED MY CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. IN SECONDS, I OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE POURING OUT OF PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. I EXITED CAR AND RAN AROUND CAR AND OPENED BOTH PASSENGER SIDE DOORS LETTING SMOKE OUT. THE SMOKE WAS STILL COMING OUT AND I WAS STILL PARKED AT GAS PUMP, SO I LEFT THE DOORS OPENED, GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND MOVED IT TO A SAFER PLACE. BY THE TIME I HAD MOVED THE CAR, THE SEAT HAD STOPPED BURNING, SO I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND DROVE THE CAR HOME ABOUT FIVE MILES. THE CAR HAD AN UNBELIEVABLE BAD SMELL IN IT THAT BURNED MY EYES AND GAVE ME A HEADACHE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE SEAT BY REPLACING THE LUMBAR SWITCH AND SWITCH HOLDER UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THIS SEAT COULD CATCH FIRE WITHOUT ANYONE EVEN SITTING IN IT, THEN THE DRIVERS SEAT WOULD EVEN BE MORE AT RISK. MY OTHER CONCERN IS THAT IF THIS FIRE HAD STARTED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A CITY, THE SPEED AT WHICH THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE WOULD HAVE MADE IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS GETTING SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. MY DEALER TRIED TO ASSURE ME THAT IT HAD NOT HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I STILL DO NOT TRUST THIS VEHICLE AND I WILL MOST LIKELY TRADE IT IN BUT I THINK THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE RESEARCHED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN A GM DEALER. I'M CERTAIN PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10240561

50,000 miles · Jul 10, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC DEVILLE. WHILE THE DEALER WAS PERFORMING AN OIL CHANGE ON THE VEHICLE, A LEAKING GASKET WAS DISCOVERED COMING FROM THE BOTTOM PART OF THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 08/04/08. *LJ

NHTSA ODI #10233767

49,000 miles · May 7, 2008
Parking Brake

L REAR BRAKE ON 04 CADILLAC DEVILLE STARTED SMOKING AND EMITTING STRONG ODOR. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. DEALERSHIP CALLED ME TO ADVISE THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY SINCE BRAKES ARE A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEM. QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $433.00 & ASKED IF THEY SHOULD GO AHEAD W/ REPAIRS< I RESPONDED …

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L REAR BRAKE ON 04 CADILLAC DEVILLE STARTED SMOKING AND EMITTING STRONG ODOR. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. DEALERSHIP CALLED ME TO ADVISE THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY SINCE BRAKES ARE A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEM. QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $433.00 & ASKED IF THEY SHOULD GO AHEAD W/ REPAIRS< I RESPONDED THAT I'D PICK THE CAR UP & TAKE IT ELSEWHERE, THEY RESPONDED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE,SO I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR.SERVICE PERSON STATED THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE S/B SET FREQUENTLY OR THE CABLE WILL SEIZE.J I HAVEN'SEEN ANYTHING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL STATING THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE S/B SET FREQUENTLY. I'VE OWNED MANY AUTOS AND DON'T RECALLEVER SETTING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE,YET HAVE NEVER EVER HAD THE BRAKES SEIZE UP. SERVICE PERSON ALSO STATED THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN WITH DEVILLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10226909

25,000 miles · Jan 2, 2008
Visibility

THE WINDOWS KEEP FALLING DOWN ON MY NEW CAR. OPERATING MECHANISM IS IMPROPERLY DESIGNED.*CN

NHTSA ODI #10213381

77,630 miles · Dec 19, 2007
Visibility

APRIL 2007 RIGHT PASSENGER POWER WINDOW WENT OUT. MAY 2007 RIGHT REAR WINDOW. POWER WINDOW WENT OUT. DECEMBER 2007 DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAS GONE OUT. DEALER HAS NOT OFFERED ANY HELP OR COMPENSATION. THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS. I CALLED, THEY WERE NICE AND PROMISED TO SPEAK TO TH…

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APRIL 2007 RIGHT PASSENGER POWER WINDOW WENT OUT. MAY 2007 RIGHT REAR WINDOW. POWER WINDOW WENT OUT. DECEMBER 2007 DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAS GONE OUT. DEALER HAS NOT OFFERED ANY HELP OR COMPENSATION. THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS. I CALLED, THEY WERE NICE AND PROMISED TO SPEAK TO THE DEALER. IT SEEMS THE DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE CALLS FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE. NOW, CUSTOMER SERVICE HASN'T RETURNED MY CALL. I'M WAITING FOR THE FOURTH AND FINAL POWER WINDOW TO GO BAD ANY MINUTE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10212379

69,940 miles · Dec 17, 2007
Visibility

IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS THREE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE FAILED IN MY 2004 CADILLAC DTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10212169

52,466 miles · Oct 22, 2007
Exterior Lighting

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE TURN SIGNALS ON THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK AND THE FUSES ARE REPEATEDLY BLOWING. THE FUSES LAST FOR ONE OR TWO MONTHS AND THEN HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 52,466

NHTSA ODI #10206558

Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 2007
Steering

TOOK CAR IN FOR LOCATING OIL LEAK; NOTHING FOUND; INSTEAD, A TIE ROD NEEDED REPLACING. ITEM ORDERED AND REPLACED. COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181113

74,000 miles · Jan 30, 2007
Power Train

TRANSMISSION LEAKAGE FROM A 2004 DHS WITH 74.000 MILES ON IT. FLUID FROM THE SEAL SPILLING OUT ON THE FRAME AND EX PIPES COULD CATCH ON FIRE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181073

44,000 miles · Jan 2, 2007
Air BagsCrashInjury

DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO PROPERLY DEPLOY IN A DRIVER'S SIDE COLLISION. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10177560

Official recalls

1

14V355000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jun 23, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.