1998 Cadillac Seville Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Seville years
- About as many complaints as other years 5th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Cadillac Seville. That ranks 5th out of 10 Seville model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (20 complaints, 31%), typically at around 78,300 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 65owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Cadillac Seville problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 31% | 78,300 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 15% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 9% | 59,388 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 8% | 600,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 8% | 64,388 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 6% | 56,212 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% | 48,775 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 2% | 81,779 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 124,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 82,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Cadillac Seville recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An electrical short can develop in the generator, even when the engine is off.
Risk: The electrical short could cause an engine compartment fire that could spread to the rest of the vehicle and anything near it.
Fix: Dealers will replace the generator.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The windshield wiper motor 'low' speed function can become inoperative when the motor is switched from 'high' to 'low' speed.
Risk: If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, the driver's visibility could be affected.
Fix: Dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover which contains the microprocessor.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (RQ03001) — opened Jan 2, 2003, closed Sep 15, 2003.
- Cadillac coolant cooled alternator fires (RQ99013) — opened Jun 10, 1999, closed Feb 22, 2002, led to recall 99V070000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 cadillac seville. While driving 60 mph, the temperature warning indicator illuminated and the contact stated that the motor began to overheat. As a result, the contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that…
Windshield wipers failed to work on low, intermittent or "rain sense" settings. Failure was intermittent and sometimes the wipers would not stop or they came on voluntarily. Additionally, the windshield washer failed at the same time. This would occur whether the car was stationary or in motion and…
Tl* 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…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 cadillac seville. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle stopped or driving various speeds, the engine would overheat and a message informing him to add coolant would display on the instrument panel. The engine coolant was routinely added to the vehicle, but the…
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…
Other Cadillac Seville years
← 1997 Seville · 1999 Seville →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Seville | 9 | 0 |
| 2003 Seville | 16 | 1 |
| 2002 Seville | 45 | 2 |
| 2001 Seville | 53 | 1 |
| 2000 Seville | 38 | 2 |
| 1999 Seville | 73 | 1 |
| 1998 | 65 | 2 |
| 1997 Seville | 95 | 2 |
| 1996 Seville | 122 | 2 |
| 1995 Seville | 74 | 2 |
See all Cadillac Seville problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Cadillac Seville?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, steering, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Cadillac Seville?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Cadillac Seville a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Seville model years, the 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.