Owners have filed 649 complaints on the Cadillac Seville, covering 1981–2004. The system named most often is Engine And Engine Cooling (121 reports). Worst years by volume: 1996, 1997, 1995; cleanest: 1981, 1984, 1983. 44 reports describe a crash, 31 a fire, 2 a death. On average the car was 6.3 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Cadillac Seville
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 649 Seville complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine And Engine Cooling 121 Read
The consumer had difficulty shifting the gears when a passer by informed him to exit the vehicle because it was on fire. The fire in the engine compartment totaled the vehicle. *nlm. *ak *cb *nlm the consumer noticed fire coming from the gear shift and was told the fire had come from the engine. *scc
The consumer was having difficulty shifting the gears when a passer by informed him to exit the vehicle because it was on fire. The fire in the engine compartment totaled the vehicle. *mr *cb
On february 18, 2010 I had to call the fire department because my car had caught on fire. It had been sitting in the garage for 5 hrs after being driven
Steering 71 Read
While making a right turn consumer noticed a loud popping noise, and then lost total steering control. Vehicle continued on, and hit a curb before stopping. Dealer and the manufacturer were notified. The cause of the steering lock up was not determined
The contact owns a 1998 cadillac seville. While driving approximately 30 mph, the contact heard a loud whining noise coming from the steering wheel. The steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as the wheel seized without warning. The contact stated that as the steering failed, another vehicle crashed into the rear…
Smoke and smell of electrical fire coming from steering column. Immediately took to gm cadillac dealer. They were aware of the problem as they have corrected the problem in other cadillac's "several times". The turnsignal switch melted. They replaced turnsignal switch & canceling cams. Reaseembled and tested. Price:…
Electrical System 65 Read
My son almost died on october 25, 2013 in his 1999 cadillac seville in our driveway while he was relaxing in it with his dog. He had fallen asleep waiting for his mother/my wife and the engine caught fire. He needed to climb out of window and pull his dog through the window. He injured himself and went to hospital.…
The contact owns a 1999 cadillac seville. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from the vehicle. In addition, there was smoke and an abnormal odor. The exhaust manifold and the engine were being affected by the failure which could result in a fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced eleven…
The contact owns a 1997 cadillac seville. While the vehicle was parked in a residential driveway, it caught fire. The fire department extinguished the flames and indicated that there may have been an electrical short associated with the front passenger seat. A police report was not filed. The interior of the vehicle…
Fuel System 55 Read
I would also like to bring to your attention the fact that the fuel filter is located on the right side of the frame just inches from the front bumper. I strongly feel that this needs imediate attention. Also, my seatback broke immediataly after impact which rendered my shoulder harness useless
While driving. The consumer smelled gas fumes. The consumer then noticed a little smoke, she then pulled into a parking lot away from others, lifted the hood and flames ignited. She said the flames was so hot and high that it burned the paint on the hood and the installation that was under the hood. She said she did…
The contact owns a 1995 cadillac seville. While driving 20 mph smoke was coming from under the hood. The vehicle burst into flames after being pulled over. There was NHTSA recall # 04V110000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery). The fire department extinguished the fire. The current and failure mileages were 140,000
Service Brakes 52 Read
Anti lock brakes locked when the brake pedal was depressed on a wet snowy road at 20 mph. As result, vehicle hit a curb. *ak
Applied brakes and front end did not dip as it should have; no gripping as it should have; felt grinding and slippage as vehicle continued forward without losing any momentum. There was sufficient stopping distance that vehicle speed should have been reduced and stopped
ABS brakes failed, resulting in a crash
Air Bags 43 Read
Vehcle was hit in the front right side at 55mph by another vehicle and ran into a guardrail. Driver's side airbag did not deploy. Car was totaled. Dealer did not see
The contact was a passenger in a 2002 cadillac seville. The contact was involved in a crash while traveling 65 mph. The driver of the vehicle crashed into a ditch and the air bag did not properly deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact sustained a concussion to the head. A police report was filed. The contact…
While stopped behind 3 vehicles at a stoplight I florida a female who said she was unfamiliar with driving her husbands stick shift vehicle stalled out. Two vehicles in front of me pulled around her when the light changed, this left about twenty feet between my car and hers. She accidentally put the car in reverse and…
Suspension 43 Read
I have a 1998 cadillac seville sls and was going through left curve on road 40-45 mph right rear axle broke, causing car to spin left then right. Parallel to road on the right and crashing into a big rock between two ponds that saved my life. Car had 70,000 miles on it. Is there any one else that had a rear axle break…
At 65 mph vehicle shakes and vibrates. New tires and four wheel alignment have been done to try to eliminate the problem, but to no avail. Two separate garages have told me they can see no other problems with the suspension
Car vibrates 60 to 70 mph. Dealer cannot fix problem
Exterior Lighting 27 Read
The contact owns a 2003 cadillac seville. While driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, there was a decrease in the brightness of the headlights. The contact stated that the headlight lens cover was not clear and caused the headlights to appear dim. As a result, the contact had poor visibility while…
My concern is plastic headlight lenses. The plastic lenses deteriorate to the point that they cloud over and become yellow, drastically reducing there effectiveness in lighting the roadway at night or during inclement weather. How did the auto makers convince the NHTSA that plastic lenses were safe ? When did it…
The contact owns a 2002 cadillac seville. The contact stated that the low beams are inadequate. The range is off and limits the visibility on the road. He has notified the dealer on several occasions throughout the years; however, they only install better bulbs that do not correct the failure. Cadillac has yet to…
Seville years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2003 | Electronic Stability Control | — | — | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 2 | 1 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 4 | — | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 1999 | Air Bags | 1 | 2 | |
| 1998 | Air Bags | 3 | 2 | |
| 1997 | Air Bags | 3 | 3 | |
| 1996 | Air Bags | 7 | 6 | |
| 1995 | Air Bags | 3 | 9 | |
| 1994 | Air Bags | 4 | 5 | |
| 1993 | Electrical System | 1 | 2 | |
| 1992 | Air Bags | 6 | — | |
| 1991 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 1990 | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — | |
| 1989 | Engine And Engine Cooling | — | — | |
| 1988 | Electrical System | 1 | — | |
| 1987 | Equipment | — | — | |
| 1986 | Electrical System | 1 | — | |
| 1985 | Engine And Engine Cooling | — | — | |
| 1984 | Wheels | — | — | |
| 1983 | Engine And Engine Cooling | — | — | |
| 1981 | Vehicle Speed Control | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 347 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.9 |
| Worst single series | 8 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.3 years |
A model average of 1.9 hides a worst series at 8. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Seville?
By complaint volume, 1996, 1997, 1995 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Seville years are the cleanest?
1981, 1984, 1983 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Cadillac Seville have?
649 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1981–2004. Of those, 44 describe a crash and 31 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.