Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 DeVille.
The 1983 Cadillac DeVille is noted for its engine oil requirement of 4.5 quarts, with acceptable viscosities ranging from 20W‑20 to 10W‑30 or 10W‑40. Reliability data show a total of five owner complaints, the most frequent concerning Vehicle Speed Control, and a single recall issued for the model year. When viewed against the broader DeVille complaint history from 1990 to 2005 — where complaints rose to a peak of 306 in 1997 and fell to a low of 94 in 1990 — the 1983 example occupies an early, comparatively low‑complaint point in the model’s long‑term trend.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | d'Elegance Sedan 6.0L V8 | 11.60 sec | 18.40 sec | 145 hp | RWD |
| 1978 | Coupe 7.0L V8 | 10.60 sec | 18.20 sec | 195 hp | RWD |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 4.5 qt of 20W-20 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Differential Gear Oil | 80W-90 · GL-5 |
| Differential Gear Oil Capacity | 4.3 qt |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | ABOVE 40 degrees F |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4.5 qt |
| Engine Oil | API · 15W-30 · 10W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 7 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1983 Cadillac DeVille recorded zero crash‑related and zero fire‑related complaints in the federal database. Its most frequently cited problem categories were Vehicle Speed Control (3 complaints) and Engine & Engine Cooling / Power Train (1 complaint each). The federal record begins in 1990, so the 1983 model sits outside the range of yearly complaint, recall, investigation, and TSB counts that can be compared to the surrounding years. Consequently, no trend of increasing or decreasing complaints can be extrapolated from the provided dataset for that specific year. Given the absence of serious safety complaints and the lack of documented recalls for 1983, it represents a comparatively low‑risk purchase from a safety‑complaint perspective, though overall reliability should still be verified.
All 5 complaints on record, top 3 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
THE FUEL FILTERS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN INCORRECT THREADED FITTING. THE INCORRECT FITTING IS SIMILIAR ENOUGH IN SIZE THAT THE FUEL FILTER MAY APPEAR TO BE CORRECTLY THREADED ONTO THE FUEL LINE. Remedy: THE IMPROPER THREADING COULD CAUSE A GASOLINE LEAK WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
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.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
4.5 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 10W-30, 10W-40, 20W-40 OR 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40, BELOW 20 degrees F: 5W-20 OR 5W-30, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.