2000 Cadillac Deville Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about engine stalling and no-start episodes, power window regulators that fail and drop the glass into the door, engine overheating and cooling-system trouble, and airbag warning lights or airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Complaints are spread fairly evenly from low mileage up past 100,000 miles, and in several cases owners describe repeat failures of the same part after dealer or independent repair attempts.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or loses power while driving

   • 39 complaints (17%)
   • median 57,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2015

   Owners describe the engine cutting out at speed or when lifting off the accelerator, sometimes with the power steering and brakes going away with it. Several say the dealer identified crankshaft or camshaft position sensors and replaced them, with the stall returning afterward; in some cases a wiring harness was replaced instead. A few complaints tie the failure to a fuel pump wire or to no confirmed cause at all, and some owners mention that their vehicle was included in campaign 14V355000. Reported from under 10,000 miles up past 130,000, with many around 40,000 to 100,000 miles.

   Recall 14V355000

   What to check: Ask whether the ignition-related recall has been completed and whether position sensors or the engine wiring harness were replaced. Have a mechanic scan for stored codes and road-test at light throttle and while coasting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The engine dies while driving down the road. It has happened at least a half-dozen times when I take my foot off the accelerator. I have to immediately put it in neutral and turn the key to restart the engine. I've had my mechanic check the computer readout and he found it was the crankcase sytem sensor(s). My mechanic is not associated with a Cadillac dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10165287, filed 2006-08, 60,000 miles

   “I was driving down a city street at about 35 MPH when all of the power to the car went dead. The engine went dead, all the dash lights went off, the power steering was gone, I pulled over to the side of the road. This happened within the first 3 months of my owning this car and still happens frequently, at least once every third time I drive the car. I have taken the car to several shops but they have never been able to locate the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10606934, filed 2014-06, 94,600 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Power window regulator fails, glass drops

   • 21 complaints (9%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2014

   Owners describe a loud pop followed by the window glass falling into the door, often while driving or in rain, and then being unable to raise it. The dealer typically replaced the window regulator or cable assembly, and several owners report multiple windows failing within months of each other; some say the dealer called the cables weak or acknowledged it as a frequent repair. Complaints also mention having to pull the glass up by hand to close it. Reported from as little as 8,000 miles up to about 96,000, with several repeats across all four doors.

   What to check: Operate every window up and down from both the driver and passenger switches and listen for pops or grinding. Ask which regulators have already been replaced and keep receipts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rolled down front passenger window using the driver button and was down for about a minute and then as I tried to bring it back up with the same button the window came up and then slammed down inside the window. The plastic guides broke inside and had to replace. The following week, the rear driver side window did the same thing. Today, my wife got the car washed and the attendant was unable to get the passenger rear window up without using his hands to help pull it back up. I'm hoping I'm not having to replace that one soon. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10616536, filed 2014-07, 65,000 miles

   “Driver side power window failed in the down (open) position during heavy rain. A very fragile plastic connector failed where connected to a cable. The service man commented that this is a very frequent failure on this car. Window came down while on the highway at 70 MPH. Causing my coffee to spill on the interior and myself. Cadillac dealer repair cost for window is $550.00.”

   NHTSA complaint #10181291, filed 2007-02, 72,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light or no deployment

   • 24 complaints (11%)
   • median 83,000 mi at 13.6 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2018

   Owners describe the airbag warning light staying lit, sometimes traced to a connector under the driver's seat that changes state when the seat is moved, and one owner notes the car will not pass inspection with it on. Other complaints describe airbags not deploying in collisions, including cases where the impact was severe and the vehicle was destroyed. Some owners were told there was no airbag recall for their vehicle. Reported from around 50,000 to over 200,000 miles, and in some collisions at moderate speed.

   Recall 14V355000

   What to check: Confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check and ask whether the ignition recall has been applied, since the recall notice concerns airbag function. Have the under-seat connectors inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Air bag warning light comes on. After doing some research on the internet it seems to be related to a wiring problem underneath the driver's seat. I confirmed this by moving the seat which causes the light to come on or go out. Since this is a safety related problem which might inactivate the air bags, I believe that this should be handled by a recall notice by GM and the burden to repair the loose wire connection should fall upon GM. Thanks.”

   NHTSA complaint #10664207, filed 2014-12, 83,000 miles

   “Airbag light stays on at all times. Car will not pass inspection. I had to park car and no longer drive even though I put a new engine in it and had the transmission rebuilt in 2013. Dealer says there is no recall on airbag system for my car.”

   NHTSA complaint #11139094, filed 2018-10, 218,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor or poor braking

   • 36 complaints (16%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 7.7 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2015

   Owners report the brake pedal traveling to the floor with little or no braking, sometimes traced to a fluid leak with an empty reservoir or to a pedal linkage that came apart. Others describe weak stopping and extended stopping distance, or repeated rotor resurfacing and pad replacement at low mileage. One complaint refers to a prior campaign for internal fluid leaks in the hydraulic control unit. Reported from very low mileage up to about 200,000, including some cars around 30,000 to 60,000 miles.

   Recall 00V114000

   What to check: Check the brake fluid level and look for leaks at the master cylinder and lines, and confirm whether campaign 00V114000 was performed. Ask for brake service records and test the pedal feel at a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was preparing to make a 270 degree left turn and I was attempting to turn the wheel and the steering wheel kept spinning while the car stayed in a forward motion. I attempted to press on the brakes and they had barely any brake pressure which resulted me to collide with a parked car that was in the first parking spot in the lot I was attempting to pull into. The operator in the parked vehicle I hit was taken to the hospital after sustaining injures due to the impact of the crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #10670672, filed 2015-01, 101,000 miles

   “I pulled off the hwy and went to apply my brakes. They went to the floor and the car kept going. I pulled on my emergence brakes and the car stopped. The tow-truck driver said a piece had broke off the brake.”

   NHTSA complaint #10038658, filed 2003-09, 45,447 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Overheating and coolant loss

   • 8 complaints (4%)
   • median 59,000 mi at 10.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2004–2016

   Owners report the temperature gauge climbing during highway driving, repeated coolant top-offs, and a coolant warning light. In some cases a radiator flush or water pump replacement did not stop it, and mechanics later found a cracked engine block or a failed head gasket that let coolant escape. Dealers or independent shops sometimes advised that the car was outside any assistance due to age. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 115,000 miles, sometimes at sustained highway speed.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for white residue or sweet smells, and have a shop pressure-test the cooling system before purchase. Ask whether the water pump or head gasket has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check coolant light, overheating, taken to garage free lance Cadillac mechanic researched problem that it is a factory related incident that the first owner of the car ignored and should have been sent back to GM and they would have fixed it. I am a second owner to car and I have inherited this problem. Blown head gasket............you pour coolant in and it runs right out the tail pipes!”

   NHTSA complaint #10264909, filed 2009-04, 112,000 miles

   “While driving at 62 MPH vehicle stalled. This caused loss of steering and brakes. Consumer took the vehicle o the dealership several times over the course of a year. The dealer replaced different parts yet the problem recurred. The coolant level light had a poor connection which caused the then it is moist or damp outside the vehicle sputters and stalls. Coolant light to illuminate. Sometimes the door locks would unlock once the vehicle was placed in park, sometimes they didn't. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10080008, filed 2004-07, 43,077 miles

Buying note. These complaints point to stalling, window regulator breakage, cooling-system trouble and brake or airbag concerns rather than cosmetic issues, so a pre-purchase inspection that includes a code scan, cooling-system pressure test, brake check and every power window is worth the cost. Ask for receipts showing whether the ignition and brake-hydraulic recalls were completed and which sensors, regulators or gaskets have already been replaced.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.