1997 Cadillac Seville STS from North America - Comments

This car burns a quart of oil every thousand miles! The dealerships and Cadillac Customer Service claim that this is all within normal usage. I don't believe that G.M. built this engine with this rather loose spec as a standard. Is anyone else out there having this experience? Has Cadillac responded the same way?

I like the style and performance of the car in general. Having had two Mercedes Benz prior to this, I think that Cadillac has come very close and kept the cost quite reasonable by comparison.. I do find that I have very little space to put any little personal things like papers, glasses, snacks, etc., while operating the car.

I have recently purchased a 97 STS and am enjoying it very much. However I too have heard of the high oil burn on that engine, especially that year. The one I purchased had the same problem described by another review, burning a quart every 1k of miles. This was documented and found by cadillac to be a defect from the factory and I got a new NorthStar put in the car just before going out of factory warranty. I had the best car dealer experience and best service experience in my life at this particular dealership. I highly recomend this model.

I have a 97 STS, I purchased it with 19K, currently pushing 50K, I noticed early on that it would burn a lot of oil, about the same you are experiencing. My dealer told me to expect it to be down one to two quarts during oil changes. Other than that the car is great, I also have an older Seville pushing 200K it also has been a great car.

I have recently purchased a '97 STS with 49K miles. The car has tons of power and is reasonably comfortable. I was warned ahead of time about the oil consumption so I knew what to expect. It definitely does use it's share of oil. It does not appear to be blowing blue smoke nor is it marking the rear (plastic) bumper. It loves fuel. There is a big difference in consumption between 70 MPH and 80 MPH. The biggest complaint is with the lack of interior storage space. My old Bonneville SSE has much more storage space than this car, which does not say much for Cadillac's "best" model. It is a beautiful car and turns many heads. The body-style is a classic. I was also warned (by a friend that works for GM) that there is a strange "wiggle" that comes from the rear of the car going over larger bumps. I must say that I have noticed it, but think it is not much to be concerned about. I will say this, though, if the Germans could get their large cars priced more competitively than Caddy better get it's "stuff" together.

I purchased a 1997 Cadillac STS on a ‘lease turn back’ in 1999. The car had 32K miles at the time. Shortly before the first oil change, I noticed a very high oil consumption rate - 2 to 3 quarts low - and inquired at the dealership. They claimed this was normal. However, when I discussed the matter with one of the mechanics, he told me this was not normal, and that if I pushed the issue, GM would fix the problem. I logged oil consumption and returned to the dealership, whereupon the service writer miraculously came up with an official “GM Oil Consumption Test” form. It took another few months of logging oil changes and consumption, and GM finally agreed to re-grind the cylinders and install new rings. The mechanic had said that this would be the first thing they tried. He also said that the oil consumption would actually get worse – the Northstar engine has such tight tolerances that they had found a re-work of this nature simply does not work. All True. Another 3 to 4 months and many thousands of miles of another “Oil Consumption Test” and GM finally agreed to put in a new engine under warranty. Since then – roughly 40K miles – no oil loss whatsoever. In short, the oil consumption should not be this high (at least in the 97 model year) and GM knows it.

1999 De ville- same engine as Seville- I just went through the oil consumption bit with the dealer. Car has just 26,000 miles and also uses 1 quart in a little over 1,00 miles.

I have a 97 STS 32 V NorthStar. Had the same oil consumption problem, fortunately I purchased the extended warranty...

They first did the valves & seals, etc etc...$4000.00 CDN

then, more and more oil consumption beyond belief, they kept an oil consumption chart and ultimately decided the engine was to be replaced. $10,000.00 CDN...

All covered under warranty fortunately, at the time I was advised they now have a fix for this problem other than replacing the engine, not sure what that might be

(something the GM Warranty people are very unhappy about of course.. apparently replacing at least one engine every 4 weeks at my particular dealership) Now I have a new engine and it's running again like a dream. Somewhat noisier, but maybe my imagination.

Otherwise a fabulous vehicle and beyond expectations in the power field compared to the newer SLS and Deville Models, ( (I've driven them both for extended periods) )

I purchased a 1997 Seville STS 9 months ago which had almost 50k miles, at that time. Now at almost 62k, I can concur that this thing uses oil like it's free. The only other car I've had which used oil like this was a 1985 Mazda RX-7 which I was told was inherent in the Rotary engine. To the best of my knowledge the Northstar V8 is not a Rotary and it is supposedly the most technically advanced motor GM has built to date (1997). I love the power and am satisfied with the economy, but this oil thing is absolutely ridiculous. As others have mentioned the dealer says it is normal, but now I know that I should go back and become a more squeaky wheel. The ride comfort is very good albeit not to German standards. The handling is very good for an American luxo-barge and the interior storage is very poor. Yes, I too have experienced the odd rear end wiggle, just what is up with that? Maybe these shortcomings help to explain why Cadillac has the worst retention of original value in the luxury car market. Yes, it is nice to drive around in a vehicle that can outrun 70% or more of the cars on the road today and it is nice to drive something that cost nearly $50k less than 6 years ago for the mid $-teens today, but come on GM, get your stuff together. With some of the odd designs that BMW is putting out these days this really offers an opportunity for someone like Caddy to step into the fold, but it is going to take something way better than my '97 STS and much better than today's STS. Is the CTS the answer? That remains to be seen. With the odd interior of the CTS, I'd say "no." Just one man's opinion. Thanks!

Man, does this oil consumption thing tick me off. I bought the car with 3,000 miles on it, (it was a program car in the 1996 Summer Olympics.) Got a great deal - $51,000 list and paid $37,000 for it. In 130,000 miles, I've only replaced a handful of things; a power window motor, an A/C compressor, the blower motor, and EGR valve and an O2 sensor. I'd say that's pretty reasonable for seven years of hard use, especially when compared to the service records of American cars produced in the 70's.

The oil consumption, however, has been awful. I guess GM knew all about this - that's why it holds 7.5 quarts. I, like everyone else, went to my dealer in awe of the perpetual, "check oil level," message. They said that this was, "...within specs." I've NEVER seen ANY car use oil like this. O.K. SO, I can afford a few quarts of oil and I do keep spare oil in the trunk, (like I used to with my old junkers as a teenager.) The one thing that really stinks, however, is the, "James Bond smoke screen," that I put out whenever I really step on it. Its particularly bad if I'm near the end of an oil change cycle, (which for me is every 3,500 miles.)

Cadillac Service bulletin 01-06-01-011 offers a ring cleaning procedure as an alternative to new rings or a new engine. GM cleaning kit Part Number 12378545 is a solvent that you squirt down the spark plug holes for a couple of hours. Then you suck the gunk out with Kent-Moore J-45076 induction/evacuation tool and change the oil. I haven't tried it - don't know how mileage affects the success rate.

I've also started to have a little trouble with the throttle body getting gummed up and the throttle sticking shut.

And yes, I agree with everyone else that there aren't any places to put anything in the car. When you get into much cheaper cars, there are little cubby holes everywhere, but in the STS, you travel light. The other thing that drives me nuts is the insanely long rear door panels. While the door panel is so long it hits virtually everything you park near, only half of the door panel exposes the seating area, so your rear seat occupants have a very small space, (especially for their feet,) to squeeze in and out of. The side, rear-view mirrors are also so small, they're fairly useless.

All of that being said; I'd buy the car again. It still turns heads and will pass almost anything on the road. The 11 speaker Bose system is a joy to wring out when there's nobody else in the car.

Happy Motoring!

I purchased, new, a Seville SLS and my problems were not

many. When the car reached the 90,000 mile level I noticed

I had to add about 2 quarts of oil between changes and I

noticed no oil on the ground. I reported this to the service

manager and he said to switch to regular gasoline and the

problem would soon cure itself. I am going to try that starting

tomorrow. Has anyone else tried this remedy? Wm. Anderson.

January 9, 2003

Cadillac STS 1999 purchased new now has only 16,000 miles. Uses 2+ quarts between 3,000/m oil changes. Dealer says "that's normal", but no mention of corrective possibilities. Dealer mentioned car uses less oil if driven hard. "Check the internet to see if I'm not correct" OK, did that. Bummer. No evidence of leakage or exhaust smoke. Surprised at the the number of engine replacements in these comments. Think I'll dump it before the warranty gives out.

I purchased a 1997 Seville in May of 1999. It was a lease return with 24,000 miles. From the beginning it used a lot of oil. When the dealer, Harry Marx Cadillac, was contacted on this issue they stated that it was normal usage. I continued to have this problem and returned on several occasions to have this item addressed under warranty. They performed a dye test to determine if there were external leaks of which they found none. Again, I was told that it was normal usage. At 90,000 miles, the car was using a quart every 600 miles. I brought the car into the same dealer and the insisted that it was normal. At 110,000 miles the usage increased. I contacted the dealer and they informed me that it was a leaking oil manifold gasket and that it was a 2,700 dollar repair. I then contacted GM's customer service department and they told me that the car was out of warranty and that I would have to pay for the repair myself. I got a second opinion and was informed by another dealer that the only thing wrong with the engine was a loose oil filter and that there was not apparent leak from the engine. They did state that the oil consumption was excessive, but that the car was out of warranty and I was out of luck. The car now has 119,000 miles on it and still burns the same amount of oil. I get smoke out of the tail pipes on hard acceleration only. The latest item to fail was the fan blower motor. This is a 550 dollar repair item. It appears that the new spark plug wires that were installed a couple of weeks ago created a voltage spike that fried the motor control module. Cadillac is aware of this problem as they have an updated motor with a protective shield to prevent this from happening. I strongly believe that General Motors should be held accountable for their poor engine design and that all of us should get together and file a lawsuit against them to remedy the problem and compensate us for the money we have spent fixing their problem. What we need is an attorney who owns one of these oil sucking monsters. And to think that GM is spending millions of dollars trying to establish themselves as a major player in the luxury car market. I suggest that they look at the feedback for all the current and former owners and develop a more reliable vehicle. Then I would have them buy a Lexus, BMW and Mercedes and study how a real car is built and go from there.

Hello.

I purchased a 1997 SLS with 51,000 miles on it... The car was a one owner and has the NorthStar Engine. Recently I took the car to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and I am pleased to report that the car got 29.9 miles to the gallon at speeds in excess of 70 M.P.H.! Initally, I found that the car to get a quart or so low of oil between oil changes, but since the Mardi Gras trip it hasn't lost any oil that I can tell. The only real problem I have had is 2 of the oxygen sensors have had to be replaced and I think that recently I broke the transmission mount when I really 'got into it.'

The NorthStar engine is fantastic! It has power galore, is quiet and so far, very dependable. The interior is extremely comfortable and the styling is beautiful. When I first brought the car home my teenagers really gave me a rough time about having an "old man's car." After taking the Mardi Gras trip in it, they don't want to go on any long trip without taking the Cadillac... My 17 year old son really loves it. So it may be an 'old man's car,' but as a middle aged man, I am glad I bought it!

I bought a '95 De ville Concourse (same high HP motor) way back when with 40,000 miles on the clock. Since day one, I noticed the crazy oil consumption rate. I took it to the dealer-same story, normal for the car. I almost fainted! As a mechanic, I crawled all over the thing looking for leaks or blue smoke plumes. Nothing. For the past three months I have been putting regular in her tank, and, she actually does go to 3500 miles with only a 3/4 quart loss. Go figure.

I own a 98 DeVille. One quart every 1000M. Recently switched to Quaker Synthetic. See if that makes a difference. Also, can anyone really verify that using regular gas helps the oil consumption problem and why would that be?

Allow me to add this sorry bunch. I too purchased a used 97 STS. After about a year, I was having problems with oil consumption - it eventually got as bad as 7 Liters between oil changes. At first, the dealer monitored it - said it was normal. Ultimately they agreed it was excessive and tore down the engine. It was beyond repair - piston slap, and bores out of round. Since then, the replacement engine too is burning oil. Lessons Learned: 1. Do not fall for the de-carb procedure - it makes it worst and you have thrown your money down the oil pan 2. If enough of us gripe, GM may come to its senses and realize it has turned off its most lucrative buyers - I'm in for a class-action suit 3. Fill'er up and check the gas.