The Cadillac Seville is a midsize car built from 1981 to 2004 over 4 generations. Most were assembled in the United States — 100% of those on record. Between 1986 and 2004 it grew 33 cm longer and gained 255 kg. Engines offered: V8. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Seville is
The Cadillac Seville is a midsize car that Cadillac built from 1981 to 2004 — 24 model years. Our measurements put it at 4 generations, the current one starting in 1998. It has been offered with V8 power. Its closest siblings in the Cadillac range: CTS, CT5, Eldorado.
Where the Seville is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 638 Sevilles on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1G6, 1GG | 1981-2004 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Cadillac VIN decide which of these 4 lines your Seville belongs to. What every character in a Seville VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Cadillac Seville adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Seville generations, and what changed
These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Seville's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Seville that gives 4 distinct generations below.
| Generation | Length | Wheelbase | Weight | vs previous | Weight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-1985 | 518 cm | 290 cm | - | - | - |
| 1986-1991 | 478 cm | 274 cm | 1554 kg | -40 cm | - |
| 1992-1997 | 519 cm | 282 cm | 1617 kg | +41 cm | +63 kg |
| 1998-2004 | 511 cm | 285 cm | 1809 kg | -8 cm | +192 kg |
Between 1986 and 2004 the Seville gained 33 cm in length (+6.9%) and 255 kg in weight (+16.4%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Seville that is 255 kg against 33 cm. Full dimensions by year →
Cadillac Seville tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Seville owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Cadillac Seville have? Power & range
The Cadillac Seville is offered with 1 powertrain — 4.6L 8-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Cadillac Seville, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V8 | 4.6L · 8-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Seville by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Cadillac Seville. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Seville | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 44 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 914 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Used value | 42 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Cadillac Seville?
The Seville is a midsize car, built from 1981 to 2004 across 4 generations. Engines offered: V8.
Where is the Cadillac Seville made?
Across 638 cars in our records the split is: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
How many generations does the Seville have?
4 by our measurements, the latest starting in 1998. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car. Over its life the Seville grew 33 cm longer and gained 255 kg.
What is the Cadillac Seville warranty?
New models carry 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 4 years / 50,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Seville reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Seville?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Cadillac
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Escalade | 1999–2026 | 128 | 23 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Cadillac CTS | 2003–2019 | 75 | 25 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Cadillac CT5 | 2020–2026 | 20 | 27 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Cadillac XT5 | 2017–2026 | 23 | 24 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Cadillac Deville | 1981–2005 | 50 | 19 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Cadillac Eldorado | 1981–2002 | 40 | 21 mpg | 4.0/5 |