CadillacDeVille2002Overview/cadillac/deville/2002/base/

2002 Cadillac DeVille

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 DeVille.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2002 Cadillac DeVille is a full-size passenger car that carries forward Cadillac's traditional rear-wheel-drive architecture, powered by a 4-speed automatic transmission with EPA fuel economy ratings of 16 city, 25 highway, and 19 combined mpg, requiring 8 quarts of 5W-30 API-grade engine oil for maintenance. Within the broader 1990-2005 model-year complaint history, the 2002 DeVille accumulated 182 owner complaints—a figure that positions it below the peak of 306 recorded in 1997 but above the low of 94 from 1990, suggesting moderate rather than exceptional reliability performance for this model year. The vehicle's top complaint area centered on the electrical system, and with 5 recalls issued, prospective owners should account for these documented service concerns when evaluating the vehicle's total cost of ownership.

Model year200520042003200220012000199919981997

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity8 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/25/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 79 · 800 CCA battery, 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 Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

Battery groupBCI 79 · 800 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnTURN/STOPOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731179
Engine air filter19166106
Fuel filter25121293 discontinued
Spark plug12571535
Front wiper blades25670415 alt 15214346
Serpentine belt12588412 alt 12560974
Thermostat12559807 alt 03522676
Cabin air filter25906375

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 25 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume115 cu ft
Cargo volume19 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular 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.

6.4–7.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 2002 DTS Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2002DTS Sedan 4.6L V86.40 sec15.00 sec300 hpFWD
2002DTS Sedan 4.6L V87.30 sec15.80 sec300 hpFWD
2000DTS Sedan 4.6L V86.60 sec15.00 sec300 hpFWD
2000DTS Sedan 4.6L V86.80 sec15.10 sec300 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 8 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity8 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub170 (FE7) ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug TypeAC 41-929
Spark Plug Gap0.050 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.20 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity8.70 oz
Standard BCI Group Number79
Standard BCI Cranking Performance800 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)41-47
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression140
Engine Oil Pressure35 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM2000 rpm

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH Heavy Duty / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket83 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle181 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs / 94 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake ApplicationWITH Heavy Duty / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0004 in / 0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in / 0.004 in / 0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.496 in / 0.787 in / 1.267 in / 0.433 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs., step 2: 12037 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
1M11 bolts30 ft. lbs
2M11 bolts70 degrees
3M11 bolts60 degrees
4M11 bolts45 degrees
58.9

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 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 7,500 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Throttle Body (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

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 2002 DeVille sits in a declining complaint arc after the generation's peak in 1997 (306 complaints), with 182 complaints marking a modest improvement over 2000 (248) and 2001 (190) before falling further to 147 in 2003. Recalls hold at five for 2002, matching 2000 and exceeding the one-to-four range of adjacent years, while investigations drop to zero — a status maintained through 2005. Technical Service Bulletins surge to 475, continuing a steep climb from 383 in 2000 and 435 in 2001 that peaks at 548 by 2005, indicating high dealer-service activity rather than safety defects. The leading complaint categories — Electrical System (30), Engine & Engine Cooling (20), Air Bags (14), and Engine (11) — plus 20 crash and two fire complaints, reflect known trouble areas but no data-specified root causes. The 2002 model benefits from lower complaint volume than early-generation years but carries elevated recall and TSB counts typical of the 2000-2003 window. This is a reasonable purchase year if the specific vehicle has documented recall completion and electrical system verification.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
475
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
182
Owner complaints
20 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 182 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System30
Engine & Engine Cooling20
Air Bags14
Engine11
Visibility11
Tires11
Power Train9
Vehicle Speed Control7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V355000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 23/06/2014

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… 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…

02V067000Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)Reported 06/03/2002

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH MISSING OR UNDER-TORQUED STEERING GEAR ATTACHMENT BOLTS. IF A BOLT IS MISSING, THE DRIVER MAY NOTICE UNEVEN STEERING RESPONSE OR UNUSUAL NOISES DURING TURNS. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR PRESENCE AND PROPER TORQUE OF BOTH STEERING GEAR BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 5, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 475 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D2025-02-19Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 DeVille take?

8 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 DeVille have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the DeVille get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 25 highway / 19 combined mpg.