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1989 Cadillac DeVille

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1989 DeVille.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1989 Cadillac DeVille is defined mechanically by its automatic 4-speed transmission and a powertrain requiring 4.0 quarts of 10W-30 API oil, delivering an EPA-rated 15 city and 23 highway mpg for an 18 mpg combined average. This specific model year logged 58 total owner complaints—primarily focused on Vehicle Speed Control—and was subject to a single recall, figures that contextualize its standing in the broader lineage. When viewed against the model's complaint history from 1990 to 2005, where the lowest year recorded 94 complaints and the peak reached 306 in 1997, the 1989 DeVille's relatively low complaint volume positions it as a notably stable entry in the model's reliability timeline before subsequent years saw escalating issues.

Model year2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1989

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/23/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731179
Engine air filter	19259030
Fuel filter	25171792 discontinued
Spark plug	19354416
Front wiper blades	22155381
Serpentine belt	03531941
Thermostat	03539588 alt 03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 23 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	114 cu ft
Cargo volume	16 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

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.

6.6–11.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.60 sec — 1997 Concours Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1994	Concours Sedan 4.6L V8	7.80 sec	15.80 sec	270 hp	FWD
1994	Sedan 4.9L V8	8.30 sec	16.50 sec	200 hp	FWD
1995	Concours Sedan 4.6L V8	6.90 sec	15.20 sec	300 hp	FWD
1996	Concours Sedan 4.6L V8	7.20 sec	15.40 sec	300 hp	FWD
1981	d'Elegance Sedan 6.0L V8	11.60 sec	18.40 sec	145 hp	RWD
1997	Concours Sedan 4.6L V8	6.60 sec	14.90 sec	300 hp	FWD
1998	Concours Sedan 4.6L V8	6.90 sec	15.10 sec	300 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.0 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace)
At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Injection System Air Pump Filter Element (replace) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

The provided federal record begins in 1990, so 1989 sits just outside the documented arc; that year’s specific profile shows 18 Vehicle Speed Control complaints, 8 Engine & Engine Cooling complaints, 5 Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints, and 4 Power Train complaints, alongside 6 crash-related and 1 fire-related complaint. Against 1990’s 94 total complaints, 1 recall, 3 investigations, and 5 TSBs, the 1989 data points to discrete speed-control and engine-cooling concerns without the broader recall activity recorded in subsequent years. From 1990 onward, the trend rises sharply to a 1997 peak of 306 complaints, with recalls and TSBs proliferating through the late 1990s and early 2000s, implying the generation’s federal exposure intensified after 1989. Because 1989 predates that upward trajectory and records no recalls in this dataset, it sits at a relatively quiet point before the generation’s documented deterioration. For a used-car buyer, this makes 1989 a comparatively favorable year to purchase, provided the documented speed-control, brake, and engine-cooling concerns are inspected.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

6 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 58 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Vehicle Speed Control18

Engine & Engine Cooling8

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Power Train4

Structure3

Electrical System3

Steering3

Wheels2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

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.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 4.0 qt Engine oil filter 12731179 Engine air filter 19259030 Fuel filter 25171792 Spark plug 19354416

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1989 DeVille take?

4.0 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1989 DeVille have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the DeVille get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 23 highway / 18 combined mpg.