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 1999 Cadillac Seville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 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.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 294,853.
TL* 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 GASKETS WITHIN THE ENGINE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V070000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. UPDATE 1/13/16 LN *JS
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 FIRE WAS SO INTENSE THAT THE ENGINE FELL APART FROM HEAT, THE CABIN WAS DESTROYED, FRONT TIRES ARE GONE/MELTED WHILE TRUNK AND GAS TANK WERE RELATIVELY FINE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED TO THIS DISASTER IN OUR DRIVEWAY. MY SON ALSO LOST VARIOUS PERSONAL POSSESSIONS AND HIS TRANSPORTATION TO WORK. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE MY SON'S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE AND THE ONLY THING GM SAYS IS THAT THE FIRE DAMAGED THE CAR AND THERE IS NOTHING IT CAN DO. IT ALSO HAS INFORMED ME THAT IF I WISH TO TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION, I MUST RETAIN THE VEHICLE, WHICH IS A BURNED-OUT SHELL OF A VEHICLE IN OUR FRONT DRIVEWAY. IT IS A REMINDER EVERY DAY THAT MY SON ALMOST DIED IN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A HIGH QUALITY CAR AND GM DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ITS CUSTOMERS. I WAS HOPING THAT GM WOULD RESOLVE THIS MATTER IN A REASONABLE MANNER SO MY SON COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH HIS LIFE. HE LOST SEVERAL PERSONAL AFFECTS, HIS PRESCRIPTION EYE GLASSES, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND MONEY HE HAD WITHDRAWN TO GIVE TO MY WIFE FOR A SCHOOL BILL. I ALSO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO USE OUR BONNEVILLE FOR 5 MONTHS BECAUSE THE CADILLAC IS BLOCKING ACCESS TO IT. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL RESOLVE THIS MATTER IN A FAIR MANNER? WE NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FROM GM. THANK YOU. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CADILLAC SEVILLE STS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE GASKET REPLACED AROUND THE COOLING SYSTEM YET THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
THIS MAY BE NOTHING YOU CAN HELP WITH, HOWEVER THE NORTHSTAR ENGINES MADE BY GM HAVE HAD A DEFECT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. THERE ARE NO RECORDS THAT YOU HAVE CHECKED INTO THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS. IT REGARDS THE HEAD GASKETS BREAKING AT AN ALARMING AND CONSISTENT RATE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS! ASK ANY MECHANIC ABOUT THIS. AROUND 100,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE THE HEAD GASKETS BREAK, AND COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE. NO ONE WILL REPLACE THE GASKETS. ALL YOU CAN DO IS SPEND A SMALL FORTUNE ($5,000 TO $9,000) ON A NEW ENGINE. A WASTE OF MONEY SINCE THE NEXT NORTHSTAR ENGINE WILL PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT AND CONTINUES TO IGNORE. NO WONDER THEY ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. AFTER 100 YEARS THEY STILL CANNOT PRODUCE A RELIABLE ENGINE! IF YOU EXPECT AMERICANS TO CONTINUE BUYING AMERICAN CARS, ESPECIALLY CADILLACS, PLEASE DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS. YOU CAN FIND LETTERS WRITTEN BY SEVILLE OWNERS ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS. I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY ONE, JUST ONE OF MANY, MANY LEMON OWNERS. HOPING YOU CARE ENOUGH TO HAVE LISTENED AND CHECK THIS OUT, SINCERELY *TR
CAR STALLED (DIED) WHILE EXITING HWY ON EXIT RAMP; LOST PWR STEERING, BRAKES, AND WAS LUCKY TO COME TO A STOP WITHOUT INJURY. THIS HAPPENS EVERY FEW MONTHS AND DEALERS CANNOT REPEAT OR FIND THE PROBLEM. *NM
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, MOSTLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN QUICKLY, VEHICLE STALLS & DIES. WHEN THIS OCCURS VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER. HAPPENS EVERY FEW WEEKS; STARTS RIGHT UP AGAIN AFTER COMING TO STOP, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO STOP BECAUSE NO POWER BRAKES, STEERING, ETC. VERY DANGEROUS. I WANT THIS TO BE A RECORD OF THE PROBLEM IN CASE I AM KILLED IN ACCIDENT FOLLOWING AN OCCURANCE OF THIS TYPE.
I SERVICED MY 1999 CADILLAC SEVILLE IN NOVEMBER 2004. IT ONLY HAS 31,000 MILES AND IS DRIVEN ON FREEWAY ONLY. THE CAR STALLED FOR NO REASON WHEN I LAST DROVE IT AND NOW WILL NOT START. BATTERY IS FINE, POWER KICKS ON BUT ENGINE WILL NOT RESPOND. THIS IS FRIGHTENING AS IT DIES WHILE I WAS IN AN INTERSECTION DURING A U-TURN. WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED AND I WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE DEALER 1/10 (AT MY COST). I THINK THEY SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE. IT WAS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE 7 OTHER COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE SAME YEAR'S MODEL.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH OUT ANY WARNING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE WOULD START UP AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM TWICE ALREADY FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO GO TO THE SHOP AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB
PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS.*MR THE DEALERSHIP NEVER DID CORRECT THE DASHBOARD LIGHT PROBLEM. THE ENGINE WOULD DIE WITH OUT WARNING AND AT TIMES WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS MAKING A TURN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TOOK ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, WHO FIXED ALL THE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO STALL, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS THE ENGINE STALLING BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CODING, WHICH MEANT THE COMPUTER DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM. *JB *NM
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, BUT MOSTLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN, VEHICLE DIED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER, ALMOST RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. ALTHOUGH DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE 6 TIMES IT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES BY DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER, AND DEALER STATED NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE PISTON RING, HOWEVER THEY COULDN'T FIX BECAUSE NO PART WAS AVAILABLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY STALLS OUT WITHOUT WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER BECOME SICK WHILE TRAVELING DUE TO AN ODOR LESS FUMES INSIDE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. DEALER CLEANED AIR CONDITIONER AND CHANGED OTHER PARTS, AND PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED. *AK
THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING.*JB
THE VEHICLE STALLED AT LEAST 10 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 2 MONTHS.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE STALLS FREQUENTLY STOPS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED 14 TIMES ON A ROAD. MR
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
NO DESCRIPTION GIVEN. NLM
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT MULTIPLE SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE CAR HAS STALLED 4 TIMES.. ALWAYS AT SLOW SPEEDS.. EVERY 3-6 MONTHS..THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM... AND NOTHING SHOWS UP IN THE COMPUTER..THE LAST TIME THE CAR ALMOST ROLED INTO A FAST MOVING INTERSECTION.. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED... FOR SURE.. THE DEALER HAS SEEN IT ALL 4 TIMES.. THEY CANT FIX IT. IT IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY..I OPENED A CASE WITH CADILLAC..1-22953970..THEY DISMISSED ME BECASUE THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM..IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE MICHIGAN LEMON LAW BECASE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER..I BOUGHT IT USED FROM CAPITOL CADILLAC..THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.. FOR ME OR FOR SOMEONE THAT I WOULD SELL IT TO..I NEED HELP.. BECAUSE I BELEIVE IT HAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT.. I DONT KNOW WHO THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS.. NOR IF THEY HAD THIS PROBLEM.. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS 3 MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT.. THE MANUFACTUERER AND THE DEALER CANT FIX IT.. AND JUST HOPE I GO AWAY.. WHICH COULD HAPPEN IF WE GET KILLED IN THIS CAR.. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP US.. THANKS THIS CAR IS UNSAFE.. FOR ANYONE. *AK
ENGINE STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. OIL CONSUMPTION EXCESSIVE. NO FIX. *AK
PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE MAY 2001, I HAVE MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STOP WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF A FEW MILES PER HOUR UP TO 70 MPH. I HAVE ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN RESTARTING THE ENGINE WHEN THIS STALLING HAPPENS. I TAKEN IT TO THE CADILLAC DEALER WHO HAS SERVICED MY CAR SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. THE DEALER IS MARTIN CADILLAC, 12101 OLYMPIC BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA 90064. SINCE THE MAY 2001 I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TO MARTIN CADILLAC TO CURE THIS PROBLEM, THE LAST TIME WAS ON DEC. 17, 2001. THEY RETURNED IT TO ME ON DECEMBER 24 AND CLAIMED THEY HAD FOUND THE PROBLEM AND REPAIRED THE CAR. IT IS NOW WORSE THAN EVER. ON TWO OCCASIONS I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR STALLED WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY STREET. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING THE CAR IN DECEMBER WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS A TRANSITION SECTION THAT CONNECTED ONE FREEWAY TO ANOTHER. I WAS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT IT WOULDN'T START. TRAFFIC BACKED UP AND UNFORTUNATEDLY A REAREND COLLISION RESULTED SEVERAL CARS BEHIND ME. IT HAS NOW BECOME TOO DANGEROUS TO ME, MY PASSENGERS, AND TO THE CARS AROUND ME TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR. IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION I CANNOT SELL IT. I KNOW THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO MY CAR. RECENTLY I READ THAT THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO OTHER GM CARS. PROBABLY SOME OF WHICH ARE CADILLACS. MY CADILLAC DEALER IS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE MADE AT LEAST 4 ATTEMPTS SINCE MAY, 2001. I AM NOW GOING TO ARBITRATION TO GET CADILLAC TO BUY BACK THIS DEFECTIVE CAR. THE HEARING SHOULD OCCUR SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 5 TO 6 WEEKS..
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN AT LOW SPEEDS POWER STEERING WAS SUDDENLY LOST. THIS HAPPENED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ALSO, I HEARD A HIGH PITCHED WHIRRING SOUND AS IF THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS SLIPPING. THE DEALER'S MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG.*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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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