YearToAvoid

2005 Cadillac Deville Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

No verdict The 2005 Cadillac Deville has 95 NHTSA complaints, led by Electrical System issues (39%) and Steering (31%), with 10 crashes and 12 injuries reported. It carries 1 recall covering the airbag key-ring defect, and this is the only model year in the dataset, so no comparison across years is possible.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
—/100
Verdict
No verdict
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
95
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
1
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
10
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
12
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
—
no alternative with data
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18.5
15.5 city / 23 hwy
Injuries / deaths
12 / 0

Top 2005 Cadillac Deville problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System37 (39%)
  2. Steering29 (31%)
  3. Airbags18 (19%)
  4. Engine14 (15%)
  5. Brakes10 (11%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (6%)
  7. Structure & Body5 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain4 (4%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers4 (4%)
  10. Fuel System2 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Airbags reportedly fail to deploy in low-speed and moderate-speed rear-end or frontal collisions, sometimes leading to total vehicle loss.
  • Steering can become difficult to control or swerve suddenly at various speeds, in some cases causing the vehicle to leave the road.
  • Owners describe sudden engine stalling or seizing at highway speeds, occasionally followed by loss of vehicle control.
  • Brake pedal reportedly fails to slow the vehicle, resulting in rear-end collisions with other vehicles.
  • The heated steering wheel has been reported to smoke and burn a driver's hand during winter use.
2005 Cadillac Deville complaints: complaints filed per quarter212005 Q42008 Q12010 Q22012 Q12013 Q42015 Q12016 Q32019 Q1
95 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q4 to 2019 Q1; peak 2014 Q4 (21).

2005 Cadillac Deville recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V355000Jun 23, 2014Electrical System3,141,731 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

    Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

2005 Cadillac Deville fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15.5 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
18.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,500
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2005 compared with other Deville years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005No verdict—95118.5

All Cadillac Deville years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Cadillac Deville reliable?
NHTSA lists 95 complaints for the 2005 Deville, with Electrical System (39%) and Steering (31%) as the top problem areas. Complaint index and verdict are not available for this year.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Cadillac Deville?
Electrical System complaints are most common, accounting for 37 of 95 complaints (39%), with a median failure mileage of 98,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Cadillac Deville have any recalls?
Yes, one recall (campaign 14V355000) addresses an airbag system defect related to the key ring and ignition key that can affect airbag deployment.
Are airbag failures common in the 2005 Cadillac Deville?
Airbags account for 18 of 95 complaints (19%), with 8 of those complaints involving a crash and a median failure mileage of 74,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.