Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Cadillac Seville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
1994 CADILLAC SEVILLE HAD HOT COOLANT POUR ONTO THE DRIVER'S FOOT CAUSING SEVERE BURNS.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE HEATER CORE HAD RUPTURED, IN ADDITION THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE WATER PUMP WATER PUMP HOUSING, HOSES AND THERMOSTAT. *JB
OIL WAS LEAKING OUT THE LOWER CRANK CASE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY CONSUMER, AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CRANK CASE LOWER SEAL ON THE 4.6 NORTHSTAR ENGINE AND MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED. OIL LEAK IS HITTING EXAUST AND CAT CONVERTER WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL FOR REPAIR. THERE IS A TSB ON THIS ISSUE , BUT NO RECALL. I WANT A FIX!!! LOCAL DEALER WANTS OVER $2000 FOR REPAIR! DT
ON 7/25/01, ENGINE OVERHEATED AS PER ENGINE SCREEN. 255 DEGREES. REPLACED "FAILED THERMOSTAT" TOPPED OFF COOLANT AND RECHECKED. CAR SMELLED LIKE ENGINE HOT. VEHICLE LOST COOLANT. CALLED PUTNAM CADILLAC/BUICK. THEY CHANGED OIL & CHECKED. NO DETECTION OF OVERHEATING. 7/23/02 CAR DRIVEN TO PUTNAM CADILLAC. $5,153 CHARGED TO TEAR DOWN HEADS & FOUND 5 STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS ON FRONT BANK AND ONE ON REAR BANK. SIX TOTAL THREAD REPAIRS. CYLINDER HEAD PRESSURE TESTED. RESURFACED & RESET VALVES. 6 HELI COILS INSTALLED. REINSTALL CYLINDER HEADS AFTER MACHINE SHOP REPAIRS. HEADS WERE CHECKED FOR WARPAGE DUE TO EXTREME HEAT CAUSED BY MANUFACTURER'S OVER-TORQUING THE HEAD BOLTS AND SPINNING THEM IN THEIR THREADS. NEW VALVE SEALS ADDED. REPLACED WATER PUMP. CADILLAC SERVICING CENTER REVEALED THAT NUMEROUS OTHER 94 SLS CADILLACS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT OTHER SERVICE CENTERS TO HAVE THE SAME FLAW OF "LOOSE HEADBOLTS COMING LOOSE FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING HEAD GASKETS TO LEAK & OVERHEATING." THIS IS DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE COMPUTER IN THE ENGINE STATES "SHUT OFF ENGINE" THIS OCCURRED JULY 23, 2002 WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT . WE HAD TO PULL OFF THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY AND ALLOW THE CAR'S TEMPERATURE TO DECLINE. WE LIMPED HOME DANGEROUSLY BY HAVING TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND STOP SEVERAL TIMES TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE DOWN.*AK
ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING UP MOUNTAIN ROAD DUE TO OVERHEATING. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED BY DEALER AS BLOWN HEAD GASKETS DUE TO LOOSENING OF HEAD BOLTS. PROBLEM IS USE OF STEEL BOLTS DIRECTLY IN ALUMINUM BLOCK WHICH VIBRATE LOOSE OVER TIME, CAUSING LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. WIDELY RECOGNIZED PROBLEM BY REPAIR SHOPS AND THERE IS A TECHNICAL SEVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THIS REPAIR; NEVERTHELESS CADILLAC CLAIMS IT IS NOT AWARE OF ANY DESIGN DEFECT AND REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH REPAIR. REPAIR COST $4,600 TO REBUILD ENGINE OR $7,800 TO REPLACE ENGINE. PROBLEM DEVELOPED WITH NO WARNING AND CAUSED OCCUPANT AND FAMILY TO BE STRANDED.*AK
THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS STRETCHED RESULTING IN OIL LEAK AND HEAD GASKET FAILURE. LEAK VARIES FROM DROPS ON GARAGE FLOOR TO SMOKING OIL CLOUD FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CADILLAC MISDIAGNOSED PROBLEM WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND PERFORMED WRONG REPAIR TWICE. CADILLAC WILL NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF ENGINE MILEAGE.*AK
ENGINE HALF CASE OIL SEAL FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE HAZARD. *MJS
ENGINE IS MADE OF 2 METALS, THEY EXPAND DIFFERENTLY, OIL USAGE IN VEHICLE IS 3 QUARTS WEEKLY. CADILLAC DEALER MADE CONSUMER AWARE OF THIS FACT. *AK
OIL IS LEAKING FROM CRANK CASE, POSSIBLY CAUSING OTHER RELATED DAMAGE. *AK THE OIL LEAK IS DUE TO DESIGN FLAW, WHICH THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF BUT RELACTANT TO REPAIR BEYOND WARRANTY. *YH
ENGINE OIL LEAKS, IN TWO PLACES, POSSIBLE HEAD BOLTS STRIPPED, GM RECOMMENDS REPLACEING ENGINE AT A COST OF $7,500. THE ENGINE HAS ONLY 72,500 MILES ON IT. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. GM SHOULD REPAIR THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST, DUE TO PROBLEM ORIGINATING FROM A DESIGN PROBLEM.*AK
ENGINE BOLCK THREADS FOR HEAD BOLTS FAILED, RESULTING IN BLOWN HEAD GASKETS AND LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT.
OIL PAN IN THE NORTHSTAR ENGINS HAVE DEFECT THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF AND WILL FIX IN ANY UNIT UNDER WARENTY OR EXTENDED INSURANCE PROGRAMS. THE PROBLEM IS A STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS OF THE CAST METAL OF THE OIL THE OIL PAN IS CONSTRUCTED....MINUTE CRACKS DEVELOP IN THE METAL AROUND THE RETAINING SCREWS OF THE OIL PAN AND EXCESSIVE SEEPAGE IS ENCOUNTERED CAUSING AT THE LEAST AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD. OWNERS WITHOUT THE ABOVE COVERAGE ARE FORCED TO PAY EXTENSIVE REPAIR COSTS WHICH SHOULD BE BORN BY MANUFACTURER WHENEVER THE PROBLEM DEVELOPS. I HAVE A DEFINITE FEAR OR REPRECUSION AND DO NOT WANT MY IDENTY OR MY VEHICLE IDENTY MADE PUBLIC.
LEAKS OIL FROM FROM JOINT SEAL, MAKES ANNOYING METALLIC TICKING KNOCK SOUND. $48,000 CAR... FEELS LIKE A HI-MILEAGE NOISY JOLLOPY THATS GOING TO IMPLODE.
NO SUMMARY
CYLINDER HEAD BOLT HOLE THREADS IN ENGINE BLOCK FAILED AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND LOSS OF COOLANT. TEMPERATURE ELEVATED RAPIDLY THROUGH 255 DEG.F. PRIOR TO "ENGINE SHUTDOWN WARNING". CAR HAS BEEN DOWN FOR A MONTH AND A HALF DUE TO PARTS PROBLEMS. *AK
OIL PAN GASKET LEAKING.....THERES BEEN A SERVICE BULLITEN ALERT PUT OUT ON THIS IN FEB. 1996. MY TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN 1997 AND THE GASKET SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THIS TIME. OIL IS LEAKING FAIRLY BAD AND I WAS INFORMED BY CADILLAC MECHANIC THAT THE OIL GOING BACK ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THE CAD. CONVERTER COULD CAUGHT FIRE. I'M TRYING TO GET CADALLIC TO REPLACE THIS GASKET AT THEIR COST. THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $1500.00 TO REPLACE THIS $28.00 PART. ANY HELP YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK
DEALER NEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM ON 93-94 SEVILLES I WAS NOT INFORMED WHEN I BOUGHT IT. NO DEFECT (S) LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
WHILE PARKED CONSUMER NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED,CONSUMER NEVER RECIEVED RECALL ON AUXILIARY ENGINE OIL COOLER OULET HOSE WHICH WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE A/C CLUTCH. CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS WHAT CAUSED VEHICLE FIRE.
ENGINE HAD A SEVERE OIL LEAK DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEM.
WHEN DRIVING THERE IS AN ODOR COMING UP FROM THE DUCTS(VENTS) BECAUSE OF AN OIL LEAK ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .