Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Seville.
The 1978 Cadillac Seville, introduced as a full‑size luxury sedan, recorded only three owner complaints in its inaugural year, with the fuel‑system (gasoline) issue emerging as the most frequent problem and two factory recalls addressing those concerns. Though the early Seville showed modest teething trouble, its reliability record must be viewed against a broader context in which the model line experienced a sharp rise in complaints during the 1990s—peaking at 131 in 1996—before dropping to a low of 17 by 2004. This contrast highlights that the 1978 edition sits at the relatively quiet beginning of a reliability trajectory that would later see both challenges and improvements.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 202 in |
| Overall width | 72 in |
| Overall height | 56.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 113.4 in |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Seville of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Diesel Sedan 5.7L Diesel V8 | 16.80 sec | 21.10 sec | 120 hp | RWD |
| 1976 | Sedan 5.7L V8 | 14.00 sec | 19.00 sec | 180 hp | RWD |
| 1980 | Elegante Diesel Sedan 5.7L Diesel V8 | 19.70 sec | 21.50 sec | 105 hp | FWD |
| 1986 | Elegante Sedan 4.1L V8 | 11.70 sec | 18.20 sec | 130 hp | FWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1978 model year predates the federal tracking arc provided—which spans 1990 through 2004—by more than a decade, placing it outside the documented lifecycle curve where complaints escalated from 23 incidents in 1990 to a peak of 131 in 1996 before declining to 17 by 2004. Relative to this subsequent volatility, the 1978 target year shows minimal federal documentation with only three total complaints distributed equally among fuel system, exterior lighting, and interior lighting categories, zero crash-related incidents, and zero fire complaints. This positions the 1978 model at a low-incident baseline prior to the aging-related surge documented in the 1990s, though the data does not specify root causes for the isolated lighting and fuel system entries. Given the absence of crash or fire complaints and the negligible complaint volume compared to the later peak years, this appears to be a statistically quiet year in the federal record. For a prospective buyer, the 1978 Cadillac Seville represents a favorable acquisition target within this generational context, exhibiting the lowest documented complaint profile in the available federal dataset with no safety-critical defect patterns indicated.
All 3 complaints on record, top 3 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE EXISTING CONSOLE WITH ONE THAT CONTAINS A LID LATCHING MECHANISM, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
DUE TO FUEL HOSE CONNECTION DETERIORATION, THE FUEL HOSE CONNECTION FROM THE UNDERBODY FUEL PIPE TO THE FUEL RAIL AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE MAY LEAK GASOLINE. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING HOSE WITH A HYPALON HOSE AND NEW CLAMPS. DEALER WILL ALSO CHECK THE PRESSURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AT NO COST TO OWNER.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.