2004 Cadillac Seville SLS 4.6 from North America

Summary:

Disappointing compared to previous Cadillacs

Faults:

When I got the car home after purchasing the vehicle, I brought it to my General Motors dealership for inspection. It had a broken engine mount, a bad front wheel bearing, and both inner tie rods had play in them. The repair cost $1400 dollars before my first oil change.

A few months later it developed a vacuum leak in the intake, which cost me another $600 dollars.

Now it has a head gasket issue which will cost up to $4000 dollars. I haven't even owned the car a year. It just passed 60,000 miles. Very disappointed in this Cadillac!

General Comments:

I've owned 4 different Cadillac cars so far. I was pleased with the first two. The third (2011) CTS4 has been shaky at best, and the fourth (2004 Seville SLS) has been a total disappointment.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th February, 2016

12th Feb 2016, 00:05

I would get a professional technician's opinion on that alleged head gasket issue. They have the proper equipment and experience to test for a leaking or blown head gasket. Many of these Northstars with overheating problems were caused by faulty coolant recovery tanks and trapped air in the cooling system. Negligent and frugal owners would let the engine overheat too many times, causing major engine damage or let an inexperienced or improperly trained mechanic condemn the head gasket without proper troubleshooting. Any service to the cooling system on HT and Northstar Cadillac engines and any head gasket testing is best left to the GM dealer or ASE certified technicians.

2nd Jul 2016, 04:57

I have a 2004 Cadillac Seville SLS that I had bought 9 months ago with 70,000 miles. It now has 74,400 miles on it and in the last 2 months I had to replace the coolant recovery tank (it leaked), it has an intake gasket leak (check engine light on), and now it is in the shop getting a new rack and pinion installed as the original one leaked like crazy.

Also the padded dash has been peeling off and it has a terrible vibration when on the freeway at 60+ mph.

When getting the A/C recharged, there is a leak as it had no Freon in it when getting the recharge.

This is a great looking car, but I now see why people are buying the imported brands, Honda, VW, Toyota, etc. This car listed as $45,000 brand new and is now only worth blue book trade in as $2,900.

Cadillac should be ashamed!

In reply to 2nd Jul 2016, 04:57

2nd Jul 2016, 16:59

Buy a nice 60s or earlier old one though and make money. Especially convertibles.

2004 Cadillac Seville SLS Northstar V8 from North America

Summary:

Love it except for the vibration at 65+mph

Faults:

I also have a 2004 Seville SLS, and I bought the car in 06.

Ever since the day I bought it, there has been a vibration at highway speeds. I finally found a place that rebalanced all the wheels ON the car, and that got rid of 90% of the problem, but I still knew it was there. I just bought a new set of Goodyear Touring Tires, and now ALL the vibration is back. It goes into a specialty shop this week to check it all out again, Road Force Balance the tires, and hopefully get rid of the majority of the issue again.

I love the car, love the power, love the fuel economy and comfort, just HATE the vibration at 65mph or higher. But, in this economy, who can afford to trade? It's paid for, so I'll live with it and just try to get it to be as minimal as possible.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2010

21st Sep 2010, 12:24

It's a shame about your Cadillac's vibration problem. I had a 1997 Seville SLS that was pure silk. The ride was glass smooth, no vibration whatsoever.

Good luck solving this vibration issue and please keep us posted.

16th Mar 2011, 15:48

I have read a lot of people have that vibration problem. At least a lot of people that post on here. Some complain about the cars, but the ones I rode in seemed to do fine. I think a lot of people out there have ulterior motives to keep people from buying Cadillacs or GM. All my experience has been good with GM, so I hope you figure out the problem.

2004 Cadillac Seville SLS 4.6 Northstar from North America

Summary:

An incredibly bargain in a used luxury car

Faults:

Air leak in windshield. Repaired by dealer at no charge.

Check Automatic Stability Control message appears occasionally.

General Comments:

The 2004 model was the last of this series, which started in 1998. Although technically it is a Seville, you won't find that name anywhere on the car. It simply says SLS. There was no STS model in 2004, probably because GM brought out an all new rear drive STS in 2005.

It uses no oil between oil changes. It is powerful and comfortable. It is more fun to drive than my wife's 2006 DTS.

These beautiful cars are amazingly cheap on the used car market. I wouldn't pay the $45,000 list price for a new one, but as used car, it is a screaming bargain. Real GM quality, performance and luxury for about the price of a mid-level Hyundai.

I have had 4 Cadillacs with the Northstar engine, and have never had ANY engine problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th March, 2009

14th Aug 2009, 17:14

$45 K for a Seville seems pretty reasonable to me. My 2005 Buick Park Avenue listed for over $42 K. Of course the Buick is more comparable to the bigger Cadillac, but I would expect a higher price gap.