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2002 Cadillac Seville

The Verdict

82 Smooth Ride

The 2002 Cadillac Seville has 68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (24 complaints) and engine (17 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 82/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Cadillac Seville, consider the 2004 model year which has 75% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2004 has 75% fewer complaints

View the 2004 Cadillac Seville dashboard →

82

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000175692
20012947112
200224914174
2003123372
200471540

By Category

Body
24
Engine
17
Electrical
14
Brakes
9
Transmission
4

By Severity

1
37
2
26
3
1
4
4

Worst Problems

Complaints

Transmission 2

CAR SNAKES EXTREMELY BAD AROUND 45 TO 70 MPH SO BAD IT SHAKES THE ENTIRE CAR LIKE MY WHEELS ARE LOOSE OR BENT AND SO I BOUGHT 4 NEW WHEELS AND GOT ALIGNMENT NO HELP DID RESEARCH AND LEARNED THAT IT IS DUE TO TYPE OF TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE CAR IS A BAD BRAND THAT MESSES UP A LOT AND THAT GM HASN'T ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE WHICH IS SUCH A SHAME AND A SHAM THAT I HATE THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX AND I HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL PLUS BUSHING ARE LOW GRADE IN FRONT END AND YOU WOULD THINK BE HIGH END VEHICLE SHOULD BE HIGH END PARTS HAPPENED FIRST ON HIGHWAY AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE

63mo ago
Transmission 1

DRIVE TRAIN CRADLE HAS WEAKENED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM RUST. WHILE DRIVING THERE IS A LOOSENESS OF THE SUSPENSION FELT AND A SHIFTING EVIDENT WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. I RESIDE IN MINNESOTA AND THE D.O.T. USES SALT ON THE ROADS DURING THE WINTER SEASON AND THIS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATED CORROSION OF VEHICLES AND THEIR EXPOSED COMPONENTS. MATERIALS USED FOR CRITICAL COMPONENTS ON VEHICLES MUST WITHSTAND THIS FACTOR OR LIVES MAY BE LOST DUE TO THIS CORROSION, FAILURE OF THE SUB-FRAME CRADLE WILL BE CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL . HELP... THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE SUCH A MAJOR COMPONENT WITH A RESISTANT COMPONENT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED NOW SINCE 2008 WHEN THIS ISSUE HAD BEEN DISCOVERED. BEAUTIFUL CAR AND I'D LIKE THE SUB=FRAME REPLACED, ONLY THAT COMPONENT NEEDED TO ENABLE ROADABILITY. PHOTO/S OF DEGRADATION UPON REQUEST.

66mo ago
Body 1

ENGINE CRADLE/FRAME IS SEVERELY DEGRADING STRUCTURALLY DUE TO THE NORTHERN STATES PRACTICES OF SALTING/SANDING ROADS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THE INTEGRITY OF THE SUB-FRAME STEEL STRUCTURE IS SUCH THAT NORMAL USE OF THE VEHICLE, ITS SUSPENSION, STEERING AND DRIVE TRAIN STABILITY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. THE MANUFACTURES USE OF SUBSTANDARD METALS IN ITS SUB-FRAMES IS THE REASON FOR THIS VEHICLES INSTABILITY ISSUES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOW BEEN PARKED FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS FOR FEAR OF A POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS OUTCOME, RELATED TO THE DRIVE-TRAIN FRAME INSTABILITY, WHICH MAY CAUSE INJURY TO NOT ONLY THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE BUT ALSO ANYONE ELSE SHARING THE ROAD.

70mo ago
Body 4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A DRIVE THRU WINDOW, THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM EXPLODED AND SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

88mo ago
Body 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND MAKING TURNS AND LANE CHANGES, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND MADE AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL CAP WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KEY CADILLAC (6825 YORK AVE S, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55435, (952) 388-0813), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 8-4766958386. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,500.

94mo ago
Engine 4

WHILE STOPPED BEHIND 3 VEHICLES AT A STOPLIGHT I FLORIDA A FEMALE WHO SAID SHE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH DRIVING HER HUSBANDS STICK SHIFT VEHICLE STALLED OUT. TWO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME PULLED AROUND HER WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, THIS LEFT ABOUT TWENTY FEET BETWEEN MY CAR AND HERS. SHE ACCIDENTALLY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED INTO MINE AT ABOUT 15 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN I STARTED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SHE PULLED FORWARD FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FEET BEFORE THE ENGINE OF HER CAR QUIT. AS I WATCHED TO SEE WHAT SHE WAS DOING SHE GOT THE CAR STARTED AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AGAIN HITTING MY CAR AGAIN. SHE DID THIS THREE TIMES BEFORE GETTING IT IN A FORWARD GEAR AND MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT THE CAR ENGINE STALLING. AT NO TIME DID DURING THIS DID THE AIRBAGS IN THE SEVILLE DEPLOY.

98mo ago
Brakes 2

104,000 MILES - TOTAL BRAKE LINE FAILURE WHEN DRIVING ON STREET AT 35 MPH. MANAGED TO PULL OVER THEN GOT CAR TO GOODYEAR. BRAKE FLUID DRAINED OUT COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF BRAKE LINE TAPPING AGAINST TRANSMISSION CASING OVER TIME. CASING WAS DENTED IN SEVERAL PLACES. WAS 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM GETTING ON FREEWAY AT 70 MPH. COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. SEE THIS SAME DESIGN FLAW OF THE LINE PLACEMENT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS. GOD IS GOOD AND WAS WATCHING OVER ME FOR SURE. *TR

116mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000. UPDATED 04/19/16*LJ UPDATED 05/11/18*JB *TR

128mo ago
Electrical 2

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

130mo ago
Electrical 2

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 CADILLAC SLS THE IGNITION JUST SHUT OFF THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING I CAME TO A STOP AND PUT MY CAR IN PARK. AT THE POINT I HAD TO REMOVE MY KEY AND PUT IT BACK IN TO START MY CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE WHILE GOING 65 MPH WE HAD TO COME TO A STOP AND REMOVE THE KEY TO START THE CAR. THIS ALSO HAPPENS SOME TIMES AFTER I DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE MY CAR WILL NOT START RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE CALLED GM AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AFTER THE LARGE RECALL ON THE IGNITION RECALL THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS GM STEP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT I JUST HOPE IT IS NOT ME. GM YOU HAVE A IGNITION PROBLEM IN CADILLAC SLS!!! *TR

141mo ago
Electrical 2

WHEN SLOWING AT ABOUT 20 MPH TO 3 MPH THE VEHICLE JUST DIES. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ALL ELECTRICAL IN THE VEHICLE STOPS WORKING. THE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN ONCE STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK OFTEN HAVING TO REMOVE THE KEY AND PUTTING IT BACK. AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS AND OVER 1500 MILES, WORKING WITH THE DE LA FUENTE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP, HAVING A RED BUTTON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUSH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK CYLINDER PART NUMBERS 12369550 AND 25725312 AT A COST OF $615.73 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED ON ME THE FIRST TIME I KEPT TO SURFACE STREETS AND DROVE AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN DEVIATING HAD IT HAPPENED WHILE ON THE FREE WAY. *TR

143mo ago
Body 1

WHILE DRIVING EVERY SHUTS DOWN HAVE TO PULL OVER TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK TO RESTART CAR. *TR

144mo ago
Engine 1

THIS IS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM. ONCE THE FUEL GAUGE GETS TO APPROXIMATELY HALF TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. WHEN YOU GO AROUND A CURVE OR STOP/GO, THE GAUGE GOES TO ALMOST HALF FULL, AND THEN FLUCTUATES CONSTANTLY. THUS YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS REMAINING. *TR

144mo ago
Brakes 1

2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON FIVE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ON ONE OCCASION, THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. ALSO, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS, THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESS. *JB

146mo ago
Electrical 2

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WOULD JUST STOP, IT WOULDN'T START WHILE MOVING. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR STOP WHERE I WAS AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND THEN IT WOULD RESTART. ONLY TO STOP AGAIN, EVERY THING WENT DEAD, LIGHTS, ENGINE, INTERIOR GAGES EVERYTHING. LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, AIR BAGS, EVERYTHING STOPPED. THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. THE PROBLEM WENT ON FOR OVER A YEAR BEFORE THEY FOUND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH (KEY TYPE) WAS THE PROBLEM AND ONCE REPLACED THE CAR HAS FUNCTIONED WELL SINCE. BUT I FOUND MYSELF ONLY DRIVING ON SIDE STREETS KEEPING THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS AND OFTEN NOT DRIVING IT FOR WEEKS AT A TIME WHILE THE DEALERSHIP WORKED ON THE VEHICLE TRYING TO FIX IT. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT AS THE MONTHS PASSED IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT UNTIL IT WAS EVERY TIME I DROVE THE CAR. UPDATED 11/24/2014 *JS

148mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SLS.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,806 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,200.

149mo ago
Engine 1

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY TODAY (3/22/14), THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 (?) CADILLAC SLS ABRUPTLY CUT OFF, SIMILAR TO THE MUCH-PUBLICIZED RECENT FAILURES ON GM'S 2003-11 COMPACT CARS. MY CAR IS NO COMPACT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT USES THE SAME IGNITION COMPONENTS. IN ANY EVENT, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I REFERRED THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, AND HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ONE FURTHER NOTE: WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF TODAY, ONLY *ONE* KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, SO IT WAS *NOT* A MATTER OF THE SWITCH BEING "WEIGHED DOWN" BY AN OVERLOADED KEY CHAIN. I WILL TAKE THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC ON MONDAY AND SUGGEST THAT A NEW IGNITION SWITCH BE INSTALLED. BUT ALL THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A "HEADS UP" WARNING TO GM OWNERS WHO DRIVE NON-COMPACT GM CARS. *TR

150mo ago
Engine 2

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT A NEWLY DESIGNED CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS INSTALLED WHICH CORRECTED THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

150mo ago
Engine 2

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

150mo ago
Electrical 2

I HAVE READ ABOUT THE GM RECALL. I HAD A 2002 CADILLAC. THE CAR DIED TWO DAYS IN A ROW WHILE I WAS DRIVING. COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWN. I CALLED GM. THEY SAID TAKE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER "REPAIRED THE IGNITION". THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD SEEN THE PROBLEM BEFORE. THEY SAID THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. MINE HAPPEN AT LOW SPEED BUT THEY SAID IT COULD HAVE HAPPEN ANYTIME. I NO LONGER HAVE THE CAR. *TR

150mo ago

68 total

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