1998 Cadillac Seville problems & reliability
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Cadillac Seville. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Cadillac Seville vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 20 | 31% |
| Steering → | 10 | 15% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 9% |
| Suspension | 6 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 8% |
| Visibility | 5 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 79,500 miles (middle 50% between 62,803 and 104,000 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 the radiator needed…”
Engine · filed May 4, 2017
“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 was local…”
Visibility/wiper · filed May 11, 2016
“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 vehicle crashed into the…”
Steering · filed Mar 30, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
Recall Query RQ03001 · opened Jan 2, 2003 · closed Sep 15, 2003
- CADILLAC COOLANT COOLED ALTERNATOR FIRES
Recall Query RQ99013 · opened Jun 10, 1999 · closed Feb 22, 2002 · led to recall 99V070000
Technical service bulletins
94 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Cadillac Seville. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Cadillac Seville in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Cadillac Seville?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 79,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.