Daughter was driving vehicle. On two separate occasions (thankfully both at slow speeds) steering wheel locked up and could not be turned (locked up heading left). She was able to guide vehicle to stop without injury. She turned off vehicle and restarted and steering returned to normal. Online research indicates all cadillac models of this vintage and some newer are experiencing this steering problem. However, no recall or service bulletins issued. This is the last gm product we will ever purchase.
The worst 1998 Cadillac STS problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags1
- Lights1
- Steering1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags1
- Lights1
- Steering1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Cadillac STS 5
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Vehicle Recalls
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation.
- Buick cadillac chevrolet gmc hummer oldsmobile pontiac saab saturn service campaign: special coverage...
What 1998 Cadillac STS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The main air bag from the steering wheel was set off with the car running and in park. The car was not moving nor was there any collision to set off the air bag. Later investigation by cadillac/gm determined faulty sensors that caused the air bag to deploy improperly which created/creates a potentially dangerous situation.
After a police stop for high-mount brake light inoperative, I learned that there is a 100% failure rate for this 3rd brake light in cadillac vehicles. Mine is a 1998 sts, now with 80k miles. It is not simply a bulb replacement because it is a sealed LED unit and it is very expensive. The unit is subject to water damage. The price for the part alone is over $800. Research has revealed that this problem was first noted on 1992 - 1997 vehicles, and then again on 1998 - 2001 cadillac vehicles with 100% failure rate, no repair is possible other than replacing the $800 part. The cadillac division of gm should stand behind their product and replace these defective units.
Compare the 1998 Cadillac STS
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Questions about the 1998 Cadillac STS
Is the 1998 Cadillac STS reliable?
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 1998 Cadillac STS, fewer than a typical STS model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Cadillac STS?
Airbags, with 1 complaint. Next is lights (1).
How many recalls does the 1998 Cadillac STS have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Cadillac STS have bad airbags?
The Cadillac STS model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (57 complaints), 2007 (16 complaints) and 2005 (11 complaints).
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