CadillacDeVille1971Overview/cadillac/deville/1971/base/

1971 Cadillac DeVille

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1971 DeVille.

The 1971 Cadillac DeVille sits within a lineage of American luxury sedans, and its place in automotive research is framed by the broader reliability record that spans the years 1990 through 2005. Within that span, the model’s complaint history peaked in 1997 with 306 recorded complaints, while the lowest point occurred in 1990 with 94 complaints, illustrating a notable variance in owner satisfaction over time. This historical context underscores the importance of evaluating the DeVille’s long‑term durability against the backdrop of its contemporaries, highlighting how fluctuations in complaint volume can inform expectations about reliability and maintenance trends.

Model year200520042003200220012000199919981971

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the DeVille of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.90 sec — 1975 Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1975Coupe 8.2L V810.90 sec17.66 sec190 hpRWD

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

73V226000Steering:Linkages:Arm:Idler And AttachmentReported 23/11/1973

Remedy:

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific DeVille. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1971 DeVille have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.