Model year report

1998 Cadillac Deville: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 1998 Cadillac Deville

On the 1998 Cadillac Deville, the failure owners report most often is headlight failure or clouding, and the reports cluster around 70,000 miles. The earliest to appear is misfire or rough idle, reported by a median of 10,000 miles. Overall it scores 62 out of 100, high risk for a 1998.

High risk for a 1998 — 188th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. 310 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 49 named failure modes on the 1998 Cadillac Deville, and the three most-reported carry 22% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Headlight failure or clouding leads with 36 reports, about 0.3 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 46k to 90,000 miles.

Other electrical problem follows with 18 reports, median 90,000 miles.

Other engine problem follows with 15 reports, median 105,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into lighting (43), engine (42) and brakes (38).

At what mileage it happens

88 of the reports on the 1998 Cadillac Deville came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 72,500 miles.

Cumulatively, 32% by 50,000 miles, 69% by 100,000 miles and 92% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.

The busiest stretch is between 70,000 and 80,000 miles, which alone holds 14% of the dated reports.

20% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

Median

Headlight failure or clouding

70k
Other electrical problem

88k
Other engine problem

105k
Misfire or rough idle

10k
Other steering problem

88k
ABS module or sensor failure
no odometer readings given
—
Premature brake pad or rotor wear
no odometer readings given
—
Other brake problem

54k
Other suspension problem

130
Other visibility problem
no odometer readings given
—
Other body or interior problem
no odometer readings given
—
Oil leak

47k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 49. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 73k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 14 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 9 an injury and 2 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.01, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: headlight failure or clouding at $150–$1,800, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and misfire or rough idle at $250–$1,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

20% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	36	21	46k	70k	89k	0.3	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	18	2	—	88k	—	0.2	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other engine problem	engine	15	5	—	105k	—	0.1	$300–$4,000	High
Misfire or rough idle	engine	13	8	10k	10k	10k	0.1	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Other steering problem	steering	13	5	—	88k	—	0.1	$350–$2,400	High
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	11	0	—	—	—	0.1	$500–$2,400	High
Premature brake pad or rotor wear	brakes	11	0	—	—	—	0.1	$300–$1,400	Moderate
Other brake problem	brakes	9	2	—	54k	—	0.1	$300–$1,800	High
Other suspension problem	suspension	9	1	—	130	—	0.1	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other visibility problem	glass	9	0	—	—	—	0.1	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Other body or interior problem	body	9	0	—	—	—	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Oil leak	engine	8	1	—	47k	—	0.1	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Overheating	cooling	8	7	—	157k	—	0.1	$400–$3,500	High
Water pump failure	cooling	6	4	—	4	—	0.1	$500–$2,200	High
Cruise control failure	adas	6	3	—	107k	—	0.1	$200–$1,400	High
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	6	2	—	49k	—	0.1	$200–$1,500	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	6	2	—	59k	—	0.1	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	5	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,000	Critical
Wiper or washer failure	glass	5	1	—	31k	—	0.0	$120–$800	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	5	1	—	74k	—	0.0	$300–$2,200	High
Other driver assistance problem	adas	5	2	—	106k	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	High
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	4	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	4	2	—	62k	—	0.0	$400–$4,500	High
Other speed control problem	adas	4	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Critical
Excessive oil consumption	engine	3	2	—	69k	—	0.0	$900–$6,500	High
Fuel leak or fuel odor	fuel	3	2	—	111k	—	0.0	$300–$2,500	Critical
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	3	0	—	—	—	0.0	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	3	1	—	122k	—	0.0	$700–$3,000	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	3	1	—	23k	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	3	2	—	36k	—	0.0	$700–$2,600	High
Air conditioning failure	hvac	3	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$2,800	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$450–$1,600	High
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	2	1	—	121k	—	0.0	$300–$1,600	High
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Air suspension failure	suspension	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$900–$4,500	High
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	2	2	—	75k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	Critical
Head gasket failure	engine	1	1	—	92k	—	0.0	$1,400–$4,000	Critical
Stalling while driving	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$300–$2,500	Critical
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure	transmission	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,400	High
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	1	1	—	90k	—	0.0	$450–$2,200	High
Fuel injector failure	fuel	1	1	—	173k	—	0.0	$450–$2,800	Moderate
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	1	1	—	48k	—	0.0	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Rust or structural corrosion	body	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$6,000	High
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin	emissions	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$100–$900	Moderate
Other seat belt problem	airbag	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Unclassified problem	other	40	4	—	89k	—	0.4	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 1998 Cadillac Deville draws about 2.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 78th percentile of complaint rates among 1998 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 107,646 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 1998 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Headlight failure or clouding

I am very concerned about the headlights going out on my 1998 cadellac develle. The passenger side lens blew off the car and went flying. The headlight went out. I stoped to see what had happen - saw no lens on the one side. Checked the other side and the lens was ready to fall off. I had not lights on one side and if I had not wired the other lens in place it would have blew off and I would have had no headlights. Contaced the dealer and was told they are aware of this problem but suggested I contact the 800#. They refused to do anything about the problem stating it was out of warrenty. Researching the problem I am finding their has been several complants having the same problem. I beleive an investigation is in order. This is very unsafe for the drive and a projectile could do a great deal of harm to a person being struck but the flying lens. The sad part is you can not even buy a lens. Th e dealer will only sell you a complete assembly at $240. How would one know if the new asm will not do the same?

103,000 miles NHTSA complaint 394560 filed 2003-02-18

Both headlight lens came off. Was told by dealer the lens could not be replaced by itself so had to purchase and install 2 sealed headlight units. Cost of over $600. Dealer picked up half the cost. Car had only 40,000 miles. I called cadillac customer service and all they said they could do was to contact the dealer which I had already worked with. Dealer feels there should be a recall on the headlights because 'we replace a lot of these on '97 & 98' devilles, grand am's, and other similar products. These are sealed units just like any other sealed unit that should be covered under warranty (original or extended). It's considered trim which is not right. What makes a sealed headlamp any less important than any other sealed unit on the car? Certainly its location should not. It's just plain a defect in manufacturing and cadillac should face it and make it right.*jb

42,000 miles NHTSA complaint 397508 filed 2003-03-11

Recalls on the 1998 model year

NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 1998 Cadillac Deville, affecting an estimated 126,374 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover air bags:side/window, structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments and vehicle speed control. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

00V217000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

215,293 vehicles 2000-08-11

Defect: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of the side impact sensor modules have quality problems that can cause an inadvertent deployment of the driver or passenger side impact air bags. These side air bags deploy with less force than a frontal air bag and are designed to minimize the risk of serious injury.
Consequence: However, an occupant can receive some injury from a deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger side impact sensing modules. If the vehicle has had the side air bags temporarily disconected, the temporary disconnect will be removed before replacing the side impact sensing modules.

97V232000

STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

14,423 vehicles 1997-12-18

Defect: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with hood hinge pivot bolts which can break due to an improper heat treat condition. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 219, "windshield zone intrusion." a broken bolt can cause either the corner of the hood near the windshield to raise, or one side of the hood to be unstable when opened.
Consequence: In the event of a vehicle crash, the hood could be pushed back through the windshield glass possibly injuring the vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hood hinge pivot bolts.

97V183000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

8,611 vehicles 1997-10-27

Defect: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, hearses and limousines. The canister purge evaporative emissions harness on these vehicles was misrouted.
Consequence: The harness could interfere with the cruise control and throttle linkage preventing return to a closed throttle.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle for proper routing of the harness, correct as necessary, and install a plastic tie strap to the harness.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 1998 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 1998 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Where 1998 sits in the model line

High risk for a 1998 — 188th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 10 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1997 comes out best at 60 and 2000 worst at 67, with 1998 itself at 62.

No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 1998, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.

Within the 1996–1999 generation specifically, 1997 is the strongest year at 60 and 1998 the weakest at 62.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 1996-1999 generation, 1997 Cadillac Deville scores best at 60 and 1998 Cadillac Deville worst at 62.

What to look at before buying one

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: misfire or rough idle from about 10k and headlight failure or clouding from about 46k.

On a 1998 Cadillac Deville with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether misfire or rough idle has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

The limits of complaint data

310 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 310 reports, 88 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 28% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Cadillac Deville?

The most-reported failures are headlight failure or clouding (36 reports, median 70,000 miles), other electrical problem (18 reports, median 90,000 miles) and other engine problem (15 reports, median 105,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 1998 Cadillac Deville problems start?

Misfire or rough idle is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 10,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 10,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 72,500 miles.

Is the 1998 Cadillac Deville reliable?

It scores 62 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 188th riskiest of the 271 1998 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 1998 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Cadillac Deville is best?

Within the 1996–1999 generation, 1997 scores best at 60 out of 100 and 1998 worst at 62. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed