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1998 Cadillac Seville Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

78 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.58 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical99V070000

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

THE ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE THAT COULD SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE VEHICLE AND ANYTHING NEAR IT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GENERATOR.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN DEVELOP IN THE GENERATOR, EVEN WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF.

Moderate98V144000

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY COULD BE AFFECTED.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR COVER WHICH CONTAINS THE MICROPROCESSOR.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR 'LOW' SPEED FUNCTION CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE WHEN THE MOTOR IS SWITCHED FROM 'HIGH' TO 'LOW' SPEED.

Complaint volume

78 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
3Fires
7Injuries
0Deaths

Across 78 complaints. Severity Index 0.58.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…8 · 10%Engine And Engine Cooling…6 · 8%Engine And Engine Cooling5 · 6%Exterior Lighting · Headl…4 · 5%Steering · Rack And Pinion4 · 5%Suspension · Rear3 · 4%Air Bags · Frontal3 · 4%Steering2 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 8 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 6 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling — 5 reports
  4. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 4 reports
  5. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 4 reports
  6. Suspension:Rear — 3 reports
  7. Air Bags:Frontal — 3 reports
  8. Steering — 2 reports
  9. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 2 reports
  10. Suspension — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (2) · 1996 (2) · 1997 (2) · 1998 · 1999 (1) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (1) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (1) · 2004

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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