Your vehicle report
1998 Cadillac Seville
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 65
- Received Jun 1998 to May 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine suddenly shuts off while driving8 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes5 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract4 complaints · 6.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V070000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An electrical short can develop in the generator, even when the engine is off.
- Recall #98V144000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The windshield wiper motor 'low' speed function can become inoperative when the motor is switched from 'high' to 'low' speed.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 3 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 12 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 9 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 65 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 8 | 12% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 7.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 6.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 6.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 6.2% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 4 | 6.2% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 6.2% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 4.6% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 3 | 4.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V070000April 12, 199929,766 vehicles affected
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An electrical short Can develop in the generator, even when the engine is off.
The electrical short could cause an engine compartment fire that could spread to the rest of the vehicle and anything near it.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the generator.
NHTSA recall #98V144000June 26, 19981,059 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The windshield wiper motor 'low' speed function Can become inoperative when the motor is switched from 'high' to 'low' speed.
If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, the driver's visibility could be affected.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover which contains the microprocessor.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Cadillac Seville.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN