Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1972 DeVille.
The 1972 Cadillac DeVille is recorded as having just two owner complaints and two recalls, with the power train cited as the primary area of concern. When viewed against the model’s broader complaint history from 1990 to 2005—where the lowest annual total was 94 complaints in 1990 and the highest rose to 306 in 1997—the 1972 example stands out for its notably low incidence of issues.
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.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Coupe 8.2L V8 | 10.90 sec | 17.66 sec | 190 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
In the 1972 Cadillac DeVille, the only recorded complaint category was Power Train with two complaints, while crash and fire complaints were zero. The federal record from 1990 onward shows a consistent upward trend in total complaints and TSBS, peaking in the early 2000s, indicating that later model years experienced increasingly higher scrutiny. Thus, 1972 sits at the low‑end of that arc, preceding the surge in documented issues. This suggests the 1972 model is not flagged for major safety‑critical complaints, but its overall reliability cannot be confirmed from the provided data. Therefore, while it may be a relatively safer choice regarding crash and fire, prospective buyers should consider the lack of comprehensive safety records before purchasing.
All 2 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Remedy:
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The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.