Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Jul 8, 2002TX
WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN UNFAMILIAR HIGHWAY, THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WENT OUT.*JB
1991 Cadillac Seville
Fatalities reported
Owners filed 21 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | |
| Exterior Lighting › Headlights | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Webbing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsExterior Lighting › Headlights1 killed
Filed Dec 2, 2000TX
LIGHTS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING @10PM ON A SMALL PAVED HIGHWAY WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC. MY WIFE MANAGED TO COME TO A HALT WITHOUT INCIDENT WHILE I REACHED OVER AND PRESSED ON THE MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH, WHICH CAME ON. HAD THERE BEEN AN ACCIDENT WHITH SOME INJURIES OR DEATH THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ALOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY SOMEONE. I AM RETIRED AND I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE COMPUTERIZED DEVICE. THIS WAS A PROGRAM VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I'VE BEEN DRIVING 50 YEARS AND NEVER HAD THE LIGHTS GO OUT EVER BEFORE. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Oct 26, 2000MD
VEHCILE WOULD INVOLUNTARILY ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. MECHANIC UNHOOKED CABLE TO THE IDLE SPEED MONITOR TO KEEP FROM ACCELERATING. VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO CUT OFF, BATTERY INDICATOR READ LOW. CONSUMER GOT A JUMP, FOUND OUT ITWAS FINE & CAR WAS FLOODING.*AK
Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 29, 1999CA
THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICES BULLETIN 331708 ISSUED ON CADILLACS 1998-1992, BUT THE DEALER I CONTACTED SAID AFTER 5 YEARS THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?
Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages
Filed Sep 13, 1999CA
WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. HAS HAPPENED ALSO WHILE IN PARKING LOT & HAD FOOT ON BRAKES AT THAT TIME. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Mar 22, 1999MN
ACCELERATOR PEDAL WILL GO DOWN TO FLOOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TAKE OFF TO A HIGHER SPEED. *AK
Air Bags › FrontalCrashFire2 injured
Filed May 18, 1998PA
VEHCLE WAS HIT IN THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE AT 55MPH BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND RAN INTO A GUARDRAIL. DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR WAS TOTALED. DEALER DID NOT SEE. *AK
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Oct 21, 1997GA
AIR CONDITIONER: COMPRESSOR FAILED TWICE. IN ADDITION, FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED TWICE. *AK
Electrical System
Filed Jun 2, 1997CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1 injured
Filed Mar 10, 1997IN
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
Interior Lighting
Filed Sep 16, 1996NY
DASH LIGHTS CONSTANTLY DIM WHILE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsCrash
Filed Aug 7, 1996CA
BRAKE FAILURE, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION , SPEED 5 MPH, APPLIED THEBRAKES, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE/LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Aug 7, 1996CA
DRIVER'S SHOULDER/LAP BELT BUCKLES INOPERATIVE, MALE WON'T LATCH INTO FEMALE PORTION.*AK *SLC
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jul 10, 1996IL
WHILE PULLING OUT OF GARAGE CONSUMER HEARD A POP AND CHECKED AND THE GAS TANK RUPTURED. *AK *SLC
Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Apr 29, 1996OH
MINIVAN STOPPED SUDDENLY, VEHICLE REAR ENDED IT, AIR BAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *AK
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Apr 21, 1996IL
TRANSMISSION LINE SEALS FAILED, CAUSING LEAK.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash5 injured
Filed Aug 7, 1995CA
ABS: WHILE DRIVING DOWN STEEP ROAD, APPLIED BRAKES; PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR; NO BRAKES AT ALL; SHIFTED TO PARK, KEPT PICKING UP SPEED; HIT TWO PARKED CARS. TT
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash
Filed May 7, 1995CA
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD
Seat Belts › Front › WebbingCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 8, 1995MI
DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. TT
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Mar 8, 1995VA
BECAUSE OF THE THIN MEDAL IN THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT THE SEAT BROKE. TT
20 of 21 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1996| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 73 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 65 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 95 | 2 | 6 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 1996 | 122 | 2 | 7 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1995 | 74 | 2 | 10 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 50 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 42 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 — this page | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1990 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.