Tl* the contact owns a 2001 cadillac deville. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized while driving. In addition, the "check service air leveling system" and "battery charging" warning indicators illuminated. The contact mentioned that it was difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Cadillac Deville steering lock-up problems
45 of the 2,538 owner complaints about the Cadillac Deville describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 45
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical mileage
- 87,124
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 15Power steering loss 3Stalling 2Brake failure 2Warning lights 1Spongy pedal 1Fuel smell 1Fire or smoke 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 cadillac deville. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH and attempted to make a turn, the steering wheel locked. No warning indicators illuminated. The contact mentioned that the failure progressed. The contact had to shut the vehicle off and restart in order to make the turn. The dealer or an independent mechanic did not diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 cadillac deville. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel seized, the vehicle stalled, and the battery warning indicator illuminated. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers for diagnostic testing, but a failure code could not be located. The contact spoke to an independent mechanic who informed her that the failure was due to the failure of the upper and lower crank shift position sensors, which caused the engine to stall. The sensors needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
I was accelerating onto main hi-way when steering wheel locked up and could not turn steering wheel and was almost hit by a motor home as my car went straight across hi way instead of turning which I was trying to do. Took a few tries to get vehicle safely off road as steering wheel could not be turned.called my son who brought tools to take steering column apart.when I inspected the cause, the steering wheel lock button would not disengage so had to remove steering wheel lock button from steering column. Since then the vehicle has no steering wheel lock so car can be shifted without pressing the brake at the same time but by simply moving the gear shift lever when key is in run or accessory position!
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 cadillac deville. While driving 40 MPH, the steering seized and the contact lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a tree. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 cadillac deville. The contact stated that while reversing at approximately 3 MPH, the steering wheel seized as the brakes failed to respond without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced under the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,045.
200 cadillac deville. Consumer writes to address concerns related to recalls and the ignition switch. *tgw the consumer stated the recalled did not adequately address the problems with the ignition switch. The consumer stated he experienced a terrifying event when the switch was turned on and the engine running, the steering wheel locked up when the wheel was turned to the left. The consumer was unable to turn off the vehicle. It took two strong men to manually to turn the wheel enough to turn to vehicle off. The ignition switch was replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 cadillac deville. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle shook violently and the brake pedal stiffened. In addition, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle crashed into a steel dumpster. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The driver was injured and required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system), but the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 cadillac deville. While driving approximately 35 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the power steering seized. The vehicle was merged to the side of the road and the engine was turned off, which caused the power steering to resume normal operation. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 87,503.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 cadillac deville. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized and extreme force was required in order to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering pump, the rack and the pinion needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.
Related recalls
Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles were built with missing or under-torqued steering gear attachment bolts. If a bolt is missing, the driver may notice uneven steering response or unusual noises during turns.
- Risk
- If the left bolt is missing and the right mounting strap fails, steering control is lost and a vehicle crash could result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles for presence and proper torque of both steering gear bolts. Owner notification began april 5, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300 or cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006.
Recall number 02V067000 · Recall details
Questions about the Cadillac Deville steering lock-up
Which Cadillac Deville years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (8 complaints), 2004 (8 complaints) and 2005 (7 complaints).
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