1992 Cadillac DeVille 4.9L V8 from North America
Summary:
It's a comfy cruiser with scary expensive parts to replace
Faults:
I got this car from my grandfather who had only driven it about 33000 in the 11 years that he owned it so it had some problems from just sitting around.
When I got the car, the ABS light was on. The dealer told me it was the main valve body and it would cost $850 to replace.
The car will die at stoplights if the fuel tank reads 6 or below gallons. The dealer said there was a technical service bulletin out for the tank. The bulletin said that the baffles in the tank could fail causing stalling. The dealer wanted over $800 to replace the tank, pump, and sending unit.
The trunk lid pull down switch quit working.
The fuel pressure regulator is failing and the dealer wanted $175 to replace that.
The dealer told me that the master cylinder was leaking and needed replaced for over $800.
Overall, the dealer wanted to charge me over $3000 for parts and labor to fix things on a 11 year old car, with only 34000 miles on it. I told him he was crazy because the car is not even worth that much. I had him replace 3 hard to reach heater hoses and change the oil for about $200. Then, I drove away.
General Comments:
This is a great riding car which has good power and really makes long trips easy.
Stay away from dealers with your older Cadillac. They will really try and take you to the cleaners!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd December, 2003
1st Jun 2004, 22:10
My 91 De ville story is similar. I received it sometime around the year 2001. It had 39000 miles. I have since been driving it for three years and now have 91,000 miles. I agree with you on all counts about comfort and power. And I have had all the same problems with my car about ABS lights and fuel tank baffles. I removed my tank and cleaned it. The baffle had come unglued and was rolling around in the tank. It was impossible to access or see it. I replaced the dirty fuel filter, put on a new pump just for the hell of it, and reinstalled the tank. Now, I fix the stalling problem by keeping it filled with at least 6 gallons. The ABS light can stay on for all I care since the brakes work fine in every other way. I had to replace the upper radiator hose as it had rotted. It is located in a very hot spot above the engine and takes a lot of heat. I also had four injectors loose resistance, and the car would not run worth a damn. I replaced all 8 myself and paid $800 for the parts. I have also required new front rotors, pads, & tires, and otherwise, the headliner is flapping in the breeze like a damn flag and needs to be re-glued. Despite the comfortable ride, it is hard for me to adjust to the lethargic handling of this Cadillac, and with maintenance crap like this, it is easy to see why Japanese automakers are walking all over GM.