AI Damage1991 Cadillac Seville: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Cadillac Seville filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (24% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 3 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.9 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
Brake failure, impact 12:00 position , speed 5 mph, applied thebrakes, resulting in extended stopping distance/loss of control.
Minivan stopped suddenly, vehicle rear ended it, air bag on driver's side did not deploy upon impact.
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
Anti-lock brakes failed, causing loss of control/accident.
Drivers side shoulder belt did not engage properly when rear ended another vehicle. Tt
While driving down an unfamiliar highway, the lights on the vehicle all of a sudden went out.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Seville has 31 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 21, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Seville 19856 sources
- Seville 198611 sources
- Seville 198711 sources
- Seville 198811 sources
- Seville 19895 sources
- Seville 199019 sources
- Seville 199227 sources
- Seville 199342 sources
- Seville 199450 sources
- Seville 199574 sources
- Seville 1996122 sources
- Seville 199795 sources
- Seville 199865 sources
- Seville 199973 sources
- Seville 200038 sources
- Seville 200153 sources
- Seville 200245 sources
- Seville 200316 sources
- Seville 20049 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Cadillac Seville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (19%), headlights and tail lights (10%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Cadillac Seville?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Cadillac Seville from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.