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1986 Cadillac Seville

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
11Owner complaints

Model-year median: 11

2Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1986 Cadillac Seville

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 11 owner complaints · 2 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 4 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 2 reports
  • Steering: 2 reports
  • Electrical System: 1 reports
  • Exterior Lighting: 1 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
2
19831
19846
198511
198611
198711
19885
1989
Compare all Seville years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
4Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2Steering
2Electrical System
1Exterior Lighting
1
All reported categories
Fuel System, Gasoline
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 11 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Visibility complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Apr 20, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibilityCrash

ENGINE MANIFOLD WAS NOT CONNECTED AND FUMES THAT WERE RELEASED PUT CONSUMER TO SLEEP AT RED LIGHTS. ONCE CONSUMER HEARD CAR HITTING CONCRETE RAILS, AND COULD NOT WAKE UP. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. CONSUMER FEARED CATCHING A LIVER DISEASE. *AK DUE TO INHALING FUMES, THE CUNSUMER…

Read full complaint

ENGINE MANIFOLD WAS NOT CONNECTED AND FUMES THAT WERE RELEASED PUT CONSUMER TO SLEEP AT RED LIGHTS. ONCE CONSUMER HEARD CAR HITTING CONCRETE RAILS, AND COULD NOT WAKE UP. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. CONSUMER FEARED CATCHING A LIVER DISEASE. *AK DUE TO INHALING FUMES, THE CUNSUMER ALSO BECAME UNCONSCIOUS WHILE DRIVING AND HIT TRUCK STOPPED AT LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *YH

NHTSA ODI #860665

Recall campaigns

2

87V082000 · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

Jun 4, 1987

FLOOR MAT COULD BECOME MISPOSITIONED AND INTERFERE WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THROTTLE MAY NOT RETURN TO THE CLOSED IDLE POSITIONCAUSING LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASHWITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: REPLACE FLOOR MATS WITH NEWLY DESIGNED MATS THAT ARE LONGER AND HAVE IMPROVED RETENTION.

87V047000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch

Apr 6, 1987

THE TWILIGHT SENTINEL POTENTIOMETER (THUMBWHEEL CONTROL) MIGHT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: WITH THE TWILIGHT SENTINEL SYSTEM ON, THE INTERMITTENTCIRCUIT COULD CAUSE HEADLIGHT AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS TO GO OUT. SUDDENLOSS OF HEADLIGHTS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY AND MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLECRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: INSTALL A NEW PART IN ONE OF THE VEHICLES CONTROL COMPUTERS TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURING.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Defect investigations

1

C89001 · Throttle NON-RETURN

Opened Mar 6, 1989 · Closed Jan 16, 1990

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.