2002 Cadillac Deville Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unexpected engine stalls, sometimes while turning or in traffic, and electrical gremlins involving the ignition key, dash lighting and warning lamps. Complaints also cover windows that drop when their regulators break, fuel gauge readings that stop making sense, and air bag warning lights or bags that did not deploy in a crash. Many reports come in at moderate mileage, and several owners link their symptoms to the ignition recall.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls while driving or at a stop

   • 39 complaints (22%)
   • median 57,000 mi at 11.5 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2025

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning, at speeds from a walking pace to highway speed, sometimes at a signal or while turning. Owners say they can often restart it by shifting to neutral, and that dealers either could not reproduce the problem or replaced crank sensors; some report the same sensors failing again later. A few mention a check engine light with the stall, and some note a diagnostic scan showed no faults. Reported from roughly 10,000 to 106,000 miles, with many between 30,000 and 85,000 miles.

   Recall 14V3550002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether crank sensors or the ignition switch have been replaced, and whether the car has ever stalled on a test drive. Note that recall 14V355000 concerns the ignition switch and air bag system, so check that it was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car continues to cut out when driving.cad. Claims that they don't have the part at this time. Refuse to help. Car has stopped at least three times. I don't want to drive the car until its fixed. Have grandchildren that I need to drive to activities. No help from cad although they say that the problem ex.”

   NHTSA complaint #10630385, filed 2014-09, 15,000 miles

   “While driving on a village street, the engine just stops. It has done this three or four times. I had my mechanic check the car diagnostic computer. It showed no faults. Glad it happens at 20mph in town, and not at 70 while on the highway. At least at low speed, I can wrestle the car to the shoulder!”

   NHTSA complaint #10620696, filed 2014-08, 64,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Ignition key hard to turn or stuck

   Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the key sticking or being jammed in the ignition, the car failing to crank, and on some cars needing the brake and accelerator pressed before the ignition would turn. Complaints also mention intermittent dash lights, gauges and accessories cutting out, and in one case the steering column locking up so the key could not be turned. Several owners say they got the ignition recall notice but parts were unavailable, and one says the wiring harness was replaced under the recall. Spread from very low mileage (about 7,000 miles) up to about 135,000 miles, with several reports under 40,000 miles.

   Recall 14V3550002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm recall 14V355000 was performed and ask for documentation. Turn the key through all positions several times and try starting with only the key on the ring.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car will not start/crank. 7,200 miles on odometer! Dash lights/gauges intermittent, no accessories at all. Had to have towed to my home area. Later in evening, manually pushed vehicle to front of my home, tried to start using spare no. 2 key then valet key. No response. Tried accessories again while ignition on - tried opening sunroof - no response but then car started and deck lid popped open!”

   NHTSA complaint #10018866, filed 2003-05, 7,200 miles

   “I was going to drop off some trash bags in dumpster around the block from my house.and was parked next to it at aptments street.I put the car in park turned off engine and removed the keys popped the trunk removed trash bags closed trunk and got back in driver seat placed key in just as always real easy going and tried to turn it for hour in hot sun then walked home called tow truck were we brought it home were I live my house and cost $164.00 dollars and is in same condition as of now.”

   NHTSA complaint #11325916, filed 2020-05, 10,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light or no deployment in a crash

   • 24 complaints (14%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 12.6 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2025

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light coming on, and in several crashes the bags did not deploy despite front-end damage. A few owners report bags deploying on their own, including one car parked with the key just turned where both front bags inflated and cracked the dash and windshield. One owner was told an air bag fault had also affected the horn. Reported across a wide range, from about 15,000 up to 240,000 miles, including several reports between 70,000 and 100,000 miles.

   Recall 14V355000Recall 02V222000

   What to check: Check that the air bag warning light comes on with the key and then goes out, and ask whether the ignition-related recall was completed, since its text notes an effect on the air bag system.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car was parked in my garage when the horn sounded extremely loud and would not stop I could not stop it so I took it to shop. The dealer says that airbag shorted out and shorted out the horn. They want to replace airbag and horn at a cost of $1109 was this airbag recalled?”

   NHTSA complaint #11394334, filed 2021-02, 164,000 miles

   “I got into my car at work to go to a business. I inserted the key and started the car and the air bags in the steering wheel and the passenger side of the dash deployed breaking the dash and the windshield. The car was stationary and parked in my company's parking lot.”

   NHTSA complaint #10851415, filed 2016-03, 160,000 miles
4. 4
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Power window regulator failure

   • 9 complaints (5%)
   • median 62,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2005–2013

   Owners report windows that suddenly drop and will not go back up, usually traced to a broken regulator or arm inside the door. Several say they replaced regulators on two, three or all four doors, sometimes more than once, and that dealers acknowledged seeing the same failure on other cars. Complaints mention rain and security concerns with a window stuck down. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 120,000 miles, a few on cars with roughly 60,000 miles.

   What to check: Raise and lower every window slowly and listen for grinding or a window that moves unevenly; ask whether any regulators have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had 3 windows on my 2002 Cadillac that the arm inside the window has broken and the window fall down and you cannot get it back up general motor has a problem with as the dealer told me he had others with same problem and he quoted repair cost with out looking up the cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10236117, filed 2008-07, 119,000 miles

   “Window regulators have broken. All (every) (all 4) window regulators have broken without warning and required premature replacement. This was a hazard since security in bad neighborhoods was compromised multiple times, also was unable to keep criminals and rain out of car on multiple occasions causing damage to interior.”

   NHTSA complaint #10554738, filed 2013-12, 100,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection check the ignition switch and recall status, look for stored air bag and engine codes, and test every window and the fuel gauge. Since this model year is now well past its original warranty, service records showing the recall work and any sensor replacements are worth asking for.

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.