Total Complaints
14 filings
CADILLAC SEVILLE · model year
1986 CADILLAC SEVILLE
14 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986CADILLACSEVILLE carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 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 1986 SEVILLE is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control with 3 filings, followed by steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) (2) and fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system (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 1986 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.
14
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 3 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020514ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HAS GONE UNCONSCIOUS DUE TO FUMES FROM THE EMISSION SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASHES, CONSUMER STATES THE EMISSION SYSTEM IS WORN AND HAS 7 HOLES, CAN NOT GET IT REPLACED, CONSUMER HAS BEEN INJURED AND HAS BEEN IN FOUR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. *YH
20011113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HAS GONE UNCONSCIOUS DUE TO FUMES FROM THE EMISSION SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASHES, CONSUMER STATES THE EMISSION SYSTEM IS WORN AND HAS 7 HOLES, CAN NOT GET IT REPLACED, CONSUMER HAS BEEN INJURED AND HAS BEEN IN FOUR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. *YH
20010702ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY EMISSION SYSTEM, THE FUMES AND SMOKE ARE BAD, CONSUMER STATES THIS CAUSES UNCONCIOUSNESS AND ACCIDENTS. *SLC
20010702ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THERE IS AN OIL LEAK. *SLC
20010306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
THE MANIFOLD WAS NOT CONNECTED AND HOLES WERE IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING FUMES INSIDE VEHICLE AND RESULTED IN CONSUMER FEELING ILL. NLM
20000420CrashENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
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
20000420CrashVISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
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
19990111EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
I PRESENTED A COPY OF THE FOLLOWING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 87V047000 COMPONENT: LIGHTING:SWITCH:BUTTON:RING:HEAD LIGHTS RECALL AND THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE NO RE CALLS ON THIS CAR. SHOULD THE DEALER FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGE? THANK YOU CONRAD SIMONEAU
19970404SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE ACCELERATED, ACCELERATOR PEDAL PULSATED, FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO ENGAGE CRUISE. *AK
19961231SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
DEFECTIVE BRAKE HOSES CAUSE BRAKES TO SQUEAL/SMOKE.
19960619STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
WORN STEERING GEAR. *DH
19960619STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
'COLD POWER STEERING'. *DH
19950909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
CONSUMER HAD A NEW ENGINE PUT IN MY CAR CAR IS NOT WORKING RIGHT WHEN AT LIGHT START TO MOVE CAR STALLS. TT
19950420FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
INTERNAL LEAK IN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO OIL. *AW
Compare 1986CADILLACSEVILLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-View Camera Failure
PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
EQ11001EQClosed
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 CADILLAC SEVILLE have?▼
The 1986 CADILLAC SEVILLE has 14 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 CADILLAC SEVILLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 CADILLAC SEVILLE is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM.
Is the 1986 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.