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2003 Cadillac Seville

The Verdict

94 Smooth Ride

The 2003 Cadillac Seville has 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (12 complaints) and engine (7 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 94/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Cadillac Seville, consider the 2004 model year which has 37% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2004 has 37% fewer complaints

View the 2004 Cadillac Seville dashboard →

94

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.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2003 Cadillac Seville. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000175692
20012947112
200224914174
2003123372
200471540

By Category

Body
12
Engine
7
Brakes
3
Electrical
3
Transmission
2

By Severity

1
13
2
13
4
1

Worst Problems

Complaints

Transmission 1

I was driving the car all day and just had jumped back on highway doing around 65mph and all of a sudden the car threw itself into first gear it felt like and started accelerating on decelerating on its own jerking very violently if I wasn't wearing my seatbelt I would of went through the front windshield because it threw me forward i went from doing 65mph down to 10mph in less then 5seconds I was scared as [XXX] the steering wheel was hard to control and other cars were honking at me and it was just a mess and my car only has 100,763miles on it I barley drove it this year i will not get back in that car unless it is fixed because that's my daily driver and now its stuck in my driveway and my brother cant get his car out of the driveway so he's pissed now it wont go in reverse or wont move in neutral I left it alone I don't wanna mess with the car i already made a complaint to Cadillac and they said they will look into it and asked me for my vin but that was a few days ago they never called me or anything imagine if my nieces were in the car with me which I'm glad they Were not usually they are that [XXX] coulda killed someone and now I'm out of a car and there gonna look into it that's crazy they need to fix these cars transmission problems there having my car has never done this before and now I cant get to my job interviews because of this and still nothing is being done about it . INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

58mo ago
Engine 2

I DRIVING ON I-20 WEST GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW. I STOPPED IN EMERGENCY LANE AND MY CAR WOULDN'T STAY CRANKED. THERE WERE 7 WIRES THAT WERE CUT IN HALF. I COULDN'T CRANK CAR BECAUSE THE WIRES WENT TO FUEL SYSTEM AND HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED AND SOMEONE TRAVEL 3 HRS ONE WAY TO PICK ME UP.

100mo ago
Body 1

THE FRAME BROKE. IT CAME APART - A FULL BREAK. I HAD DROPPED IT OFF AT MY GARAGE AND PARKED IT OUTSIDE. WHEN THEY MOVED IT INTO THE SHOP THEY FRAME CAME APART. I COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING. I HOPE THE 5 PICTURES WERE UPLOADED.

125mo ago
Engine 1

THE VEHICLE STALLS SOMETIMES WHEN STANDING AT A LIGHT OR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS & SOMETIMES INTO A TURN WITHOUT WARNING, THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. *JS

145mo ago
Body 2

THIS CAR HAS THE SAME OR SIMILAR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP THAT GM IS NOW RECALLING FOR OTHER MODELS. THE POWER PUMP WILL JUST STOP WORKING AND THEN IT WILL START WORKING AGAIN. IT USUALLY STOPS WORKING AT LOW SPEEDS MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. IN LOOKING ON-LINE I NOTICE THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF POSTING ABOUT THE SAME AND / OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS CONCERNING THIS ITEM. *TR

146mo ago
Transmission 1

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING JUST AFTER PURCHASE FROM (LIA INFINITY) DEALERSHIP IN ALBANY, NY. REQUESTED DEALER TAKE VEHICLE TO CADILLAC DEALER FOR CHECKOUT WHICH HE SAID WAS DONE AND RETURNED WITHOUT REPAIR. CONDITION WAS INTERMITTENT AND WAS THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. AFTER 1 YEAR OF OWNERSHIP ID PROBLEM AS CRANKSHAFT SENSOR (PART NO.S 012575481 AND 012575482) ISSUE WHICH WAS GENERALLY KNOWN IN INDUSTRY. TOOK VEHICLE TO CADILLAC DEALER ON 1/20/2009 (LONG CADILLAC SOUTHBOROUGH, MA. 01772) AND REQUESTED SPECIFIC REPAIR WHICH COST $427.56. DEALER INSISTED WOULD NOT BE WARRANTED SINCE I WASN'T FOLLOWING DEALER PROCEDURES WHICH REQUIRED DEALER DIAGNOSIS AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE. PROBLEM NO LONGER PERSISTED AFTER REPLACING SENSORS BUT WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION AND CADILLAC/GM WAS NO HELP IN REPAIR OR DIAGNOSIS DURING PROCESS. *TR

149mo ago
Body 2

2003 CADILLAC SEVILLE SLS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RUSTED STABILIZER BAR BOLTS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE MADE A KNOCKING NOISE, WHEN HE MADE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS HAD BROKE IN HALF. *JB

166mo ago
Brakes 2

VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN DRIVEWAY DURING STRONG ELECTRICAL STORM. LIGHTNING APPEARED TO HIT A TREE NEARBY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, SEVERAL DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON, INCLUDING ANTI-LOCK BRAKE, TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNINGS. CALL WAS MADE TO INSURANCE COMPANY AND VEHICLE TOWED TO CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID CAUSE OF THE WARNING LIGHT WAS A BOLT NEAR WIRE TO ANTI-LOCK BRAKE POWER CONTROL MODULE HAD WORN INSULATION OFF, CAUSING FAILURE OF POWER CONTROL MODULE.IF INDEED LIGHTNING/POWER SURGE DID NOT CAUSE THIS PROBLEM, IMPROPERLY LOCATED BOLT OR DESIGN WOULD SEEM TO BE DEFECTIVE. *TR

168mo ago
Electrical 1

MY CONCERN IS PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES. THE PLASTIC LENSES DETERIORATE TO THE POINT THAT THEY CLOUD OVER AND BECOME YELLOW, DRASTICALLY REDUCING THERE EFFECTIVENESS IN LIGHTING THE ROADWAY AT NIGHT OR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. HOW DID THE AUTO MAKERS CONVINCE THE NHTSA THAT PLASTIC LENSES WERE SAFE ? WHEN DID IT BECOME THE VEHICLE OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE TO BUY EXPENSIVE KITS, WHOSE EFFECTIVENESS IS DUBIOUS AT BEST, TO TRY AND KEEP THEIR HEADLIGHTS BRIGHT ENOUGH TO BE SAFE ? THE ONLY OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO BUY REPLACEMENT LENSES AND FOR THOSE WITHOUT THE MECHANICAL ABILITY, ALSO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM INSTALLED, ONLY TO FACE THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN THE NEW ONES BECOME UNUSABLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE AUTO MAKERS SAVE WEIGHT AND MONEY BY NOT USING GLASS BUT IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT IT THE AUTO MAKERS RESPONSIBILITY TO DELIVER A SAFE VEHICLE TO THE DRIVING PUBLIC AND THAT USING PLASTIC ON HEADLIGHT LENSES IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS. THIS COMPLAINT ADDRESSES ALL AUTO MANUFACTURERS. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE NHTSA IS THE RIGHT AGENCY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND THAT I MIGHT HERE BACK FROM YOU REGARDING ANY RESOLUTION THAT MIGHT BE FORTHCOMING. *TR

175mo ago
Body 2

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC SEVILLE. HE HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 24,923 MILES ON IT. HE IS CONCERNED THAT THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $439.27 THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 24,923.

199mo ago
Electrical 1

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC SEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVER WAS NOT CLEAR AND CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO APPEAR DIM. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT HAD POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. UPDATED 12/30/08.*LJ UPDATED 01/05/09. *JB

214mo ago
Body 1

AT 65 MPH VEHICLE SHAKES AND VIBRATES. NEW TIRES AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT HAVE BEEN DONE TO TRY TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM, BUT TO NO AVAIL. TWO SEPARATE GARAGES HAVE TOLD ME THEY CAN SEE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE SUSPENSION. *TR

226mo ago
Body 2

FRONT FRAME MEMBER COLLIDES WITH GROUND EVEN ON SHALLOW DRIVEWAYS AND DRAINAGE SWALES. FRONT END IS MUCH TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND. INSPECTED SEVERAL SEVILLES OF THIS MODEL AND FOUND DEEP GOUGES IN FRONT FRAME MEMBERS. IS FRAME WEAKENED? DEALER AND GM REP SAY DAMAGE IS NORMAL AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE. HAS HAPPENED SINCE FIRST MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. DEALER TECHNICIAN SAYS, "THAT'S NORMAL - THEY ARE ALL GOUGED AND SCRAPED LIKE THAT." *TR

230mo ago
Body 4

CAR SCRAPES FRONT END GOING INTO OR OUT OF DRIVEWAYS EVEN AT SLOW SPEED 1 TO 2 MILES AN HOUR. ALSO HITS CURB PARKING STOPS. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER I PRUCHASED IT FROM AND THE WARRANTY SHOULD COVER IT. THE CAR IS APPROXIMATLY 7-8 INCHES FROM THE GROUND AND THE REAR END IS ABOUT 15-16 INCHES HIGH OFF THE GROUND.

235mo ago
Body 2

TL* - WHILE DRIVING HIS 2003 CADILLAC SLS SEVILLE AT 68 MPH THE FRONT END BEGAN TO VIBRATE, AND THE CONTACT FEARED THAT HE WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THE SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM LIGHT WAS LIT, AND IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AT THIS TIME. THE ROAD CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE WET. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE SIX TIMES FOR THE SAME INCIDENT.*AK

237mo ago
Body 2

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 CADILLAC DTS AT 35 MPH HE BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE CREASE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THERE WERE NO FLAMES PRESENT. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL CADILLAC'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *AK

237mo ago
Body 2

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BACKING UP FROM A PARKING SPACE ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AT 5 MPH, THE BOLT AND WHEEL ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED AND LATER REPAIRED. THE FAILED PART AND THE REPAIR INVOICE WERE AVAILABLE.

240mo ago
Brakes 1

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHILE RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE CONTACT'S FOOT CATCHES ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED.

246mo ago
Engine 2

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BETWEEN 5 TO 50 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. THE DEALER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB

249mo ago
Brakes 2

ON JUNE 30, 2005, I BROUGHT MY 2003 CADILLAC SEVILLE TO CREST CADILLAC IN SYRACUSE NY COMPLAINING OF BRAKE PULSATION AND RUMBLING. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE DISK BRAKE PAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM ITS BACKING PLATE, AND A SECOND SET OF PAD AND BACKING PLATE WAS ABOUT TO SEPARATE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I THINK IT COMPROMISES THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF THE CAR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 12,350 MILES ON IT.

256mo ago

27 total

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