CADILLAC SEVILLE · model year

1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1978CADILLACSEVILLE carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1978 SEVILLE is exterior lighting:headlights:high/low beam dimmer switch with 1 filings, followed by interior lighting (1) and fuel system, gasoline (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 1978 SEVILLE, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH1
INTERIOR LIGHTING1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recent Complaints

20080512FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE. THE CONTACT SMELLS GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, AND OCCASIONAL NOTICES GASOLINE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. SHE CALLED THE DEALER, BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 79V197000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL) WAS REFERENCED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT WERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL. IN 2006, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A GAS LEAK IN THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,785 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,488.

Mileage: 50,488

19970122EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH

PLUGS TO DIMMER SWITCH ON FLOOR ARE CORRODED AND MELTING.

19970122INTERIOR LIGHTING

INTERIOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DUE TO DELAYED ENTRY SYSTEM.

Compare 1978CADILLACSEVILLE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE have?
The 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE?
The most-complained component for the 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include INTERIOR LIGHTING and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 1978 CADILLAC SEVILLE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.