Yeah the problem with these engines was the head studs/bolts that held the heads to the engine block were too small and had weak threads, so they would fail and cause head gaskets to blow prematurely. Around 2005 or so GM fixed the issue, and there is a company that makes a kit to fix the older engines, but too little too late. These pre-2005 Cadillac's with 4.6 Northstars are worth maybe $2000, and to fix the engine studs is like a $4000 job.
556johny556 the only thing that goes on them is the head gaskets and that’s on the older models 2001 and older. And oil leaks. From 2002-2004 I’ve never ever had a problem with my engine and I’ve owned 5 of these cars. Stop talking shit like they are sooo bad. They run very good when maintained.
@@90s_Nostalgiagames Head gasket failure on these engines means the car is totaled. The cost to fix head gaskets on these engines far exceeds the cars value. The issue these engines had since the 90's until 2002 was use of inadequate parts causing these failures (It has to do something with the bolt or something of the sort used in the head. I don't remember the exact details because I don't even want to be anywhere near those engines). You can maintain it all you want, a pre 2002 Northstar will blow up unless you perform an expensive preventative measure that replaces the faulty parts with the ones that won't blow up the engine. And that is simply not worth anyone's time or money
@@556johny556 I believe it was caused by the head bolts and studs not being strong enough, which allowed the heads to lift off the block and leaks to occur around the head gasket. I don't think it was the gaskets themselves that actually failed - it was much more expensive that just replacing the gaskets, because to actually cure the problem you had to drill out and re-tap the block and head to take larger/stronger studs and bolts... a very complex engine-out job that as you said, would often cost more than the car was worth. A pity, because it was a very smooth, powerful and refined engine.....when it was working! Later builds seemed to have corrected that design flaw and are very durable engines. You can buy stud kits to upgrade the earlier cars, but unless you are a competent DIY mechanic, those earlier (pre 2002) cars are a financial black hole.
Mr. Clarkson made the mistake of believing GM marketing hype. Big mistake. The Northstar could have been a good engine, but it was made by GM. Actually it never needed servicing, just replacing.
+CarLuvrSD The Northstar V8 was an excelletn engine and last a longtime of maintained properly!! They were only replaced to get more money out of the customer and GM as that happens on many cars.
This was a good car, we never had problems with it and drove it 304.000 KM in Germany. This was an enjoyable car. It made less trouble than the BMW we had later!
I have owned STS for six years and it was a pleasure. Also the best winter car I have ever owned. With winter tires runs nicely on snow and ice and cold starts at - 18 ! Jeremy HAS never liked any US cars.
Drove my friends 2002 STS through the Rockies when I was in Canada in '07. The Northstar is a true masterpiece of a engine, the brakes however created quite a few 'code brown' moments!
I had one from new in the UK - I chose it over the BMW 7 Series (approximately the same dimensions at that time). I kept it for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed it. The handling was surprisingly good for a front wheel drive car and the sort of nice touches that JC alludes to in this video were ahead of their time in many cases. Yes, the engine was incredible - and, yes, it sounded amazing. The styling was very muted European, so, as he said, no chrome, no fins :-) Compared to the flame-surfaced Beemers that came later, this was a model of restraint. However (you knew there had to be one), although the engine didn't need "servicing" for 100,000 miles, that didn't exempt you from minor non-engine services - and the problem with that was the lack of dealerships. Most STS owners had to travel very long distances to get their cars serviced. If the engine was incredibly reliable (and incredibly clever, as JC notes) the rest of the car was NOT reliable. And this was a car so rare that the average AA or RAC van wasn't going to carry spare parts. I did enjoy my two years with the Caddy (at the same time I had a track day Lotus, so I had my "outlet" for driving dun) however, just as I had already agreed for its disposal, it broke down once more, so the last I ever saw of it was when the flat-bed truck took it back to the dealer :-(
+LemonCat1 Its sad how that ended up for you. Its the same way over here in the U.S. with the European cars. You have to travel a long ways to go get servicing done and a lot of times many people don't service them correctly. And its even more sad to see such beautiful Mercedes, BMW's, Jaguar's and even Rolls Royce's sitting around with engine problems or such. They are all excellent cars including the Cadillac Seville but it doesn't help when you have people that don't have a clue how to work on them or worse yet, when owners fail t properly maintain there cars and let them turn to junk and develop engine failures due to being poorly maintained.
John Callaghan Anyone that owns a car should know to always let an engine warm up before fast driving. And also many of those second hand buyers almost never properly maintain any of those cars. I see it here all the time with many Cadillac's, Lincoln's, Mercedes, Volkswagen's and everything else. Its really a shame because all these cars are excellent and built very well that would last a long time of given proper maintenance and care.
+Pedro Dorantes No its not! That is what makes Cadillac and Lincoln a nice variety over all the other same cars. FWD is excellent and is NOT a bad thing what so ever!
Lord Apophis I'm not crazy. Its a matter of personal taste. FWD is great. I have both FWD and RWD Cadillac's and I much prefer FWD Cadillac's like this Seville. They drive and handle excellent.
+cowmilky Its not unreliable. It is a decent engine that is IMPOSSIBLE to work with prohibitively expensive parts. However, people buy them used for dirt cheap, change the fluids and drive them until they crap out. They rack up mileage but you need to be a real hobbyist to own one a GM from that era.
I personally have a 91 Seville that has a ride comfort that floats along. It also has the engine right before the northstar (engine shown in the video) The 4.9L V8. After 200,000 miles this engine refuses to stop pushing. I am trying to run this thing into the ground but it simply just wont. The reliability of this vehicle out shines any Mercedes or BMW. Sure, it isn't as fast mainly because of the miles but it rides so graciously and parts are rather easy to find.
Green Pretzel My BMW has 307k miles and no issues. Check your facts. BMWs after 1998 or so how ever, I'd easily agree with you on terms of reliability (accept 3 series), absolute shit, especially the 7 series.
Jonathan Quinones The problem with any BMW is that the price of parts is through the roof. That isn't an opinion,go try to find fuel injectors for the car and you'll spend more than $800. I like the sport like feel of BMW, but as a car to live with forget it.
Well at that point it still depends on the model, for 5 and 7 series, yes, you're right, all way through, but for the 4 cyl e36 and any e30 3 series or older, they're fairly priced if you find the right place to order it (definetly not the dealer), and that's if the issues actually start to come on. But Those I6 e36s, you're absolutly right, for a small sized sports/luxury car the components prices are ridiculous, and unfortunatly that's the 2nd most common BMW, so naturally cause of that, they've gained a pretty horrid rep. End of the day though, you're right, if you want a reliable luxo car that doesn't break fort knox to fix or get a simple oil change, get a Caddy or Lincoln.
Jonathan Quinones Bullshit! If you own a BMW you had a shitload of problems!" I had 3 of em, they all died on me, it would be wiser to get bicycle, to get on time to work! BMW is the biggest, overrated, piece of shit in the car industri that ever existed! Honda is the best, Rover the next! Now i will try a Cadillac!
And it was Cadillac that first came out with that option back in 1959. Cadillac is still the world leader when it comes to automotive engineering. Cadillac all the way for me. I will always be driving an older Cadillac for the rest of my life. Thanks for your response!!
Although its been a few years i have a question? Would any of you happen to know what that knob to the left of the headlamp switch does when pulled out? Is that what your talking about?
BronxXxBass TV My parents bought a 1995 Seville SLS back in 1999 and they are still driving it today with over 330k! Its been the best running and most reliable car we ever owned with the least amount of problems. I'm glad to hear the same from yourself.
I also had a '96 STS and truly loved it. It did not hold up well unfortunately. It started burning oil around 60,000 miles and was eventually taking a quart every 1500 or so. You wouldn't see it out of the tailpipe unless you stepped on it, and it didn't affect performance, but the consumption was there. And the depreciation! It was $58,000 new and I got $4000 on trade in 1993. But every minute of it was a joy to drive. I actually thought the '98 looked worse. They really got it right with the '93-97. Terrific Bose stereo. Solid controls on the wheel, it all felt made to last. And besides the oil consumption and depreciation, I have nothing but good memories of it.
@@jbruce1269 Clarkson, Hammond and May are car reviewing Gods. Doug is like a mentee of some sorts, spreading. the car reviewing gift to the modern RUclips world. Regular Car Reviews does the same, but with way more Clarkson-ish and modern jokes.
@@jbruce1269 Dougs reviews aren't good though. He clearly doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to driving. He's just good at pointing out oddities in a cars interior.
I will agree with one thing, it seriously bugs me that all of these big cadillacs with the northstar v8 are front wheel drive. what the crap is up with that?
+AsTheSeasonsGray What is wrong with FWD??? FWD first came out in the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was car of the year and FWD is still very popular and wanted to this day. I'm glad these Cadillac's were FWD.
After losing the small-car market to FWD Japanese cars, clueless top management at GM proclaimed that ALL their new cars would be front wheel drive. That silly attitude took Cadillac completely out of the running in the luxury sedan market.
@@johntechwriter Nah. The majority of Cadillac buyers preferred FWD back in those days and they never stopped offering a RWD model. Back then it was the Catera.
@@TeeroyHammermill so you put a fwd in a big car and a rwd in a smaller opel derived Catera (not saying it is smaller than the Seville but smaller then big cadillacs) how smart is that? Does that even make any sense from the design and space using perspective? And to the buyer,what sense does it make? No wonder GM kept loosing market share year after year.
I've owned a '99 Seville STS and currently own a '03 Seville SLS and couldn't be happier. The 99 took me 150k without issues and just got the 03 with 56k.
Richard Hammond had a north star engine in one of the latest grand tour episode..it blow up half way true 200 mile trip...lol..yeah Jeremy a great engine...
At the time, the Northstar V8 was lauded for it's performance and smoothness---little did they know it also had a penchant for devouring head gaskets and warping cylinder heads.
+David Topchiev Wow! The 90's was the era for 32 Valve DOHC V8 engines as every top luxury brand made one. They really are some impressive powerplants. I have one and love them!!
Used to own some rentals, and one day went to collect the rent when I noticed almost all the tenants had better cars than me! So bought a used '98 STS to better fit my 'role', and even started smoking cigars (lol). Though for all the focus on 'luxury', that was a pretty fun car, probably more in league with a Jaguar XJ, than a traditional stodgy 'Cadillac'. And luved that 300 HP motor, which actually wasn't that bad on gas... if you could keep your foot off it.
AMCNorthstar 93. An acquaintance I know bought one of the modern Cadillac's, front wheel drive job....burned more oil than an old clunker with no piston rings. The darned thing went through more than a quart of oil in several hundred miles. That put me right off them. The oil problem got so bad that she sold the car. The '61 Fleetwood Special was a great car. 390 with HydraMatic, if I remember right.
best cars every i don't care what issues it had I love them I been buying them since 1999 dts sts and I'm only 37 I love these cars and have a eldorado etc as well
i have four Cadillacs Seville, Deville, DHS, and Eldorado..The Northstar is a beast plenty of power..these cars can move and they sound great. they main problem with the Northstar engine is over heating due to the head bolts pulling out over time due to torque.but that problem was corrected eventually..But the are luxurious and gorgeous cars and look timeless lol it is true alot of people wont know what a Seville is mine has been mistaken for a Camry... A 300 HP Camry with a caddy reef
Apart from oil leaks, If this engine is fitted with head studs, not bolts or helicoils, the heads are clamped down and I believe it would be the most reliable engine out there, if you can keep the oil level up, too many people buy these engines with no knowledge of how to take care of them, then they run them out of oil, and the good die young, I've had a 2001 STS my first car, it was buy far the most reliable car I've owned, I bought it with 189.9k miles and I junked it at 239k, and in that time I never had 1 problem with the drive train, other than coil packs, ultimately cracked the block, but I do have to admit, I beat the living snot out of it with what head bolts it had in it. I've a got a couple vids on my channel of just a couple opportunities I've abused it. In the end, buy one, head stud it, and enjoy the drive, cause it is a gem, oh and dont buy Chinese coil packs, only OEM, to save you time and money, I've been there, got 10k miles out of new Chinese coils, People mostly arguing about their reliability are going off n* reputation which isn't good. But like I said, Head stud it and Enjoy your Drive, Just like any diesel today, head stud and never sweat, just drive.
Cadillac are practical. Got an 86 brougham, gets good mileage, insurance is cheap, tax is cheap, seats six adults comfortably, massive boot and get a smile on my face. The only problems I have with it is the result of age and the fact that is sat for 13 years.
The STS was a very nice car. Yes, it was flawed; it was a GM product, and that means bean counters battling designers and engineers, but it was still a very good car. Strong engine with smooth delivery, good ride quality, quiet interior, tasteful interior, and all of the latest electronic gadgets. FWD was a drawback for what it was trying to be, but honestly not a real issue for actual sports/luxury car buyers, whether they know it or not. Brakes and transmission were also not what they should have been. Clarkson is always entertaining though.
+Frank Burns I am Canadian and have driven american cars till 2000. planned obsolesence, chep products, poor quality, all crapcans. Purchased a toyota and still driving it , no leaks 480,000 mi. dosent burn oil, not rusted out, and you wonder why gm went broke?
+bob lanz the STS was a comfortable car with an awesome V8 engine...yeah it wasn't a masterpiece, but it wasn't bad. Most toyotas are indistinguishable from a refrigerator, so I couldn't care less how many miles they last...if you have a camry or corolla, you are basically telling me you hate driving.
+bob lanz Must be newer. I remember when Toyota's were notorious for oil leaks and the bodies would start to rust by the third years. Like my '88 Pick up did. The eighties were a terrible time for most makes but most Japanese cars were just throw-a-ways back then. I still work on cars and Toyota definitely stepped up their game but no more than every one else at this point in time.
My mom’s ‘93 STS went 100,000+ miles without mechanical incident or so much as a sputter or untoward flinch from the engine room. Now the TRANSMISSION, on the other hand . . . Yeah, that f******g thing packed up it’s shit & went out not long after that 100,000k milestone. Still a great looking car designed/styled/penned by the legendary (to the CAR-OBSESSED-GEEK in me, anyway...) Wayne Cherry ! #NorthstarSuccessStory #BaddyCaddy P.s. It it had been driven by the rear wheels...man, oh, man...how sweet they woulda/coulda/SHOULDA been...
Did you hear about the solicitor who was upset about losing a client? The solicitor's foot slipped off of the bumper of the ambulance before he could get the victim's name.
I work for GM and get to see what was considered the top automaker really looks like behind closed doors, you dont want to be stuck with any of these past the warranty period.. Good American vehicles ended around 2006, I believe the 90s were quite awesome actually, I bought a $600 flood victim supercharged 97 pontiac seven years ago thinking it only had to make it a year til I can afford a new car. Still driving it with no mechanical issues whatsoever
As someone who sells Cadillacs I can honestly tell you I walk in the service department garage parking building that holds all of our customer cars and not one mid 90's to 07 Cadillac will be seen there. Either no one has them anymore of people just don't drive them cause we don't see them anymore.
These were decent cars for what they were, but the biggest issue was with that 4.6 Northstar V8 Clarkson raved about. The problem with these engines was the head studs/bolts that held the heads to the engine block were too small and had weak threads, so they would fail and cause head gaskets to blow prematurely. If you watch the episode of the Grand Tour where Richard Hammond buys one of these, that's exactly what happened to his STS. Around 2005 or so GM fixed the issue, and there is a company that makes a kit to fix the older engines, but too little too late. These pre-2005 Cadillac's with 4.6 Northstars are worth maybe $2000, and to fix the engine studs is like a $4000 job.
he said it won't be more reliable than a bmw or a mercedes ..silly goose have you not been owning a w140 or e39 before. none of those v8s make 300hp without passing 5.0 liters...the air ride on the sts is to part with a lincoln ..but what would you know
you missed the point. the w140 s500 is a 5.0 liter and it made 305 hp. the 740il was even a smaller engine. .it didn't make 300 hp. the 8 series with a v12 also made terrible power for a v12. the Northstar is only a 4.6 and it reached 300 hp on a front wheel drive.
NoLeafClover You missed the point a version of the s600 engine was used in the Pagani Zonda the same can't be said for the Northstar. Also, the W140 is way better built and much more reliable than the Seville.
Owner one for six years and was the best winter car I have ever had. With northstar yes the gasket is the issue due that ppl dont change oil often enough. Still very good value for the money. Mr C NEVER likes any US made cars.
every Brand has its problems look at the mercs. ... they still rust like hell, talking about faillure. and all brands suffer from repairs needed after a certain amount of Miles. Owned a volvo v70 t5r a brilliant car but also cost me loads of money to keep it healthy. now I drive a 99 seville sls Just for the fun of it and must say im not disapointed till now.
+Herke Van Der Veen - Benz don't rust like hell. If I remember right, some 90s Benz actually had a 25 year anti-rust warranty. They guarantee not to rust for 25 years...
The Northstar engine is a beast after 4000rpm another note the probable reason why the auto box was so sluggish was that it was new car and i had not yet got it's parameters or the previous driver had been quite gentle since it's an adaptive box with an algorithm computer that predicts drivers intentions I have the same auto box minus the computer in my 95 sts and it's also an adaptive box and when you drive aggressively it will shift and vice versa and it works
Thats why my friend who has two cars with these engines had to have them completely rebuilt after about 60,000 miles. It was just an issue with these motors had nothing really to do with how you drive it the head gasket would simply fail
+michael emerson Good I'm glad that you love your car. I love them myself and Im not letting mine go ever!! I think these cars are excellent in every way and are great cars overall!!
Oh yeah i loved it but the head gasket blew on it and i replaced it just i had over heating problems with the car. I had to let it go. I still miss it very much. Now drive a mustang
michael emerson Sorry to hear that. I have worked at Cadillac for a few years now and so I know those cars pretty well. The main problem with them was the coolant. If the wrong coolant is used, mixed or has gone acidic, it eats away at the head gasket and then corrodes the lower head bolts. However when the engines are rebuilt with the new GM approved head stud, they become much more stronger and are bulletproof for sure. My parents still drive their 1995 Seville SLS and its got over 330k. We had it since 1999 and its been the best running and most reliable car. My parents love how fast it is and how economical it is. I have a 2005 deville myself with 125k and its been great. Both cars are all original and I do keep them both well maintained.
michael emerson If they are maintained properly like I stated before, you will not have any problems. Don't listen to anyone that tells you that its a bad engine design or the head bolts are cheap. I have worked on these engines and they are very well built performance engines. There is a reason why GM made it for almost 20 years and in other special edition GM cars. And also the engine can be pulled out from up top the engine bay. Dropping the sub frame is all unnecessary.
The engine has one fatal problem, which is the head gasket. That doesn't make it a shitty engine, it just has a design flaw. And by the second generation of Northstars, the problem was already pretty well-known - I'm sure he took it into account.
He didn’t savage it, he was remarkably complimentary. Clarkson savaging a car is a lot more damning- the British built Vectra for example, a car clarkson derided as so dull, he did a whole 6 minute roadtest without being able to think of anything to say about it.
its how you drive...the torque pulls the head bolts out over time..trust me your friend was spinning his tires every chance he got because thats exactly what i do..but that inevitably kills your Northstar..plus these cars have so much torque its hard not to...some times when i take my foot of the brake the car lurches forward if you even tap the gas these things jump.. the heads themselves dont fail the bolts pry out causing the coolant leak
I just bought seville 4.6 DOHC 97 and the engine overheats, it was probably badly used by the previous owner, I have a problem now and I do not know whether to replace the pump, gasket under the head or the whole engine. could someone present help me? of course not for free. a movie with my caddy on my channel.
If you can find an SLS, you’ll only ever have to worry about head gaskets. If you get an STS, you have to worry about replacing more expensive magnetic ride control struts and springs on top of worrying about blowing a head gasket
In retrospect you can tell why the BBC axed this Top Gear and how Clarkson helped rework the show to bring it back in 2001. Clarkson segments are clear, direct and have some humour while the other segments are very dull and remind me of a terrible 1990s-2000s gardening and home improvement show.
I guess that all depends on whether you want to be entertained or informed. Clarkson is very good at the former, but pretty hopeless at the latter. The later series of Top Gear wasn't really a useful or objective source of information to the motoring public, but it drew in huge numbers of viewers because it was funny. Turns out most people would rather be laughing than learning.
i just laughed when he said its not as reliable as a lexus or mercedes. today in 2017 i still find some of these driving around here and there. i however have not seen a mercedes or lexus from the late 90's doing the same. except for the cheap lexuses based on the corolla model. but i still see more seville sts' and sedan devilles than lexus' or benzes.
I love how the only thing clarkson praised was the engine, and after all theese years the engine turned out to be it biggest weakness. :D
Yeah the problem with these engines was the head studs/bolts that held the heads to the engine block were too small and had weak threads, so they would fail and cause head gaskets to blow prematurely. Around 2005 or so GM fixed the issue, and there is a company that makes a kit to fix the older engines, but too little too late. These pre-2005 Cadillac's with 4.6 Northstars are worth maybe $2000, and to fix the engine studs is like a $4000 job.
You are completely wrong. The older models had head gasket issues. I have owned 5 of these cars and never had a head gasket or over heating problem.
The deadly northstar
hence the service millage, thay knew it would blow up befor then
steve green I have one with 150k on it no issues
R17CAD is still on the road as of March 2020
I was going to look that up
It’s on ebay
Cadillac Seville 4.6 auto STS, ONLY 24,000 MILES, 1 OWNER RHD!!!
FULL MOT, SERVICE HISTORY, 1 OWNER, 24,000 MILES, RHD!!
Unfortunately, the MOT expired in January this year, and it says Statutory Off Road Notification.
oh no
Anyone else love the sound of the Northstar? I honestly think it sounds fantastic!
James Wasylyshyn too bad they kill themselves out of nowhere
556johny556 Unfortunately lots of them had some serious issues... mine so far has run beautifully! I really do love it :)
556johny556 the only thing that goes on them is the head gaskets and that’s on the older models 2001 and older. And oil leaks. From 2002-2004 I’ve never ever had a problem with my engine and I’ve owned 5 of these cars. Stop talking shit like they are sooo bad. They run very good when maintained.
@@90s_Nostalgiagames Head gasket failure on these engines means the car is totaled. The cost to fix head gaskets on these engines far exceeds the cars value. The issue these engines had since the 90's until 2002 was use of inadequate parts causing these failures (It has to do something with the bolt or something of the sort used in the head. I don't remember the exact details because I don't even want to be anywhere near those engines). You can maintain it all you want, a pre 2002 Northstar will blow up unless you perform an expensive preventative measure that replaces the faulty parts with the ones that won't blow up the engine. And that is simply not worth anyone's time or money
@@556johny556 I believe it was caused by the head bolts and studs not being strong enough, which allowed the heads to lift off the block and leaks to occur around the head gasket. I don't think it was the gaskets themselves that actually failed - it was much more expensive that just replacing the gaskets, because to actually cure the problem you had to drill out and re-tap the block and head to take larger/stronger studs and bolts... a very complex engine-out job that as you said, would often cost more than the car was worth.
A pity, because it was a very smooth, powerful and refined engine.....when it was working! Later builds seemed to have corrected that design flaw and are very durable engines. You can buy stud kits to upgrade the earlier cars, but unless you are a competent DIY mechanic, those earlier (pre 2002) cars are a financial black hole.
Mr. Clarkson made the mistake of believing GM marketing hype. Big mistake. The Northstar could have been a good engine, but it was made by GM. Actually it never needed servicing, just replacing.
+CarLuvrSD The Northstar engine was troublesome at first, but the later engines were superb.
+CarLuvrSD The Northstar V8 was an excelletn engine and last a longtime of maintained properly!! They were only replaced to get more money out of the customer and GM as that happens on many cars.
+Earth 2 The Northstar was never troublesome at all. The early years were some of the best years until Dexcool came out in 1997.
GM is just as good a manufacturer as any other.
Earth 2 exactly. to me the northstar was one of the best motors from gm and i had a few other gms in the past.
This was a good car, we never had problems with it and drove it 304.000 KM in Germany. This was an enjoyable car. It made less trouble than the BMW we had later!
Legend has it, this is going to be in china for the Grand Tour
I have owned STS for six years and it was a pleasure. Also the best winter car I have ever owned. With winter tires runs nicely on snow and ice and cold starts at - 18 ! Jeremy HAS never liked any US cars.
My dad had one of these and loved it, looking for another as we speak
Drove my friends 2002 STS through the Rockies when I was in Canada in '07. The Northstar is a true masterpiece of a engine, the brakes however created quite a few 'code brown' moments!
Everyone loves to hate on the NorthStar, but most have never driven one. Such a sweet engine when it's all working.
I had one from new in the UK - I chose it over the BMW 7 Series (approximately the same dimensions at that time). I kept it for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed it. The handling was surprisingly good for a front wheel drive car and the sort of nice touches that JC alludes to in this video were ahead of their time in many cases. Yes, the engine was incredible - and, yes, it sounded amazing. The styling was very muted European, so, as he said, no chrome, no fins :-) Compared to the flame-surfaced Beemers that came later, this was a model of restraint. However (you knew there had to be one), although the engine didn't need "servicing" for 100,000 miles, that didn't exempt you from minor non-engine services - and the problem with that was the lack of dealerships. Most STS owners had to travel very long distances to get their cars serviced. If the engine was incredibly reliable (and incredibly clever, as JC notes) the rest of the car was NOT reliable. And this was a car so rare that the average AA or RAC van wasn't going to carry spare parts. I did enjoy my two years with the Caddy (at the same time I had a track day Lotus, so I had my "outlet" for driving dun) however, just as I had already agreed for its disposal, it broke down once more, so the last I ever saw of it was when the flat-bed truck took it back to the dealer :-(
+LemonCat1 Strangely, I loved this car, never owned it though, the taxes would have ruined me, but I loved it.
:-) It was fun! I certainly don't regret it :-)
+LemonCat1 Its sad how that ended up for you. Its the same way over here in the U.S. with the European cars. You have to travel a long ways to go get servicing done and a lot of times many people don't service them correctly. And its even more sad to see such beautiful Mercedes, BMW's, Jaguar's and even Rolls Royce's sitting around with engine problems or such. They are all excellent cars including the Cadillac Seville but it doesn't help when you have people that don't have a clue how to work on them or worse yet, when owners fail t properly maintain there cars and let them turn to junk and develop engine failures due to being poorly maintained.
True. And accelerating like hell with a cold engine has been the misery of a lot of second hand buyers.
John Callaghan Anyone that owns a car should know to always let an engine warm up before fast driving. And also many of those second hand buyers almost never properly maintain any of those cars. I see it here all the time with many Cadillac's, Lincoln's, Mercedes, Volkswagen's and everything else. Its really a shame because all these cars are excellent and built very well that would last a long time of given proper maintenance and care.
The front wheels...... THE WRONG WHEELS
+Pedro Dorantes No its not! That is what makes Cadillac and Lincoln a nice variety over all the other same cars. FWD is excellent and is NOT a bad thing what so ever!
+AMCNorthstar 93 you're crazy or maybe you being sarcastic, I don't know. Cars that big are supposed to have rear wheel drive.
Lord Apophis I'm not crazy. Its a matter of personal taste. FWD is great. I have both FWD and RWD Cadillac's and I much prefer FWD Cadillac's like this Seville. They drive and handle excellent.
Lord Apophis you are the crazy ass! your sarcasm dont prove shit!
Bigluxurycar 69 I just don't understand why a big ass luxury car would have front wheel drive. It just seems crazy.
The sts only needs servicing every 100,000 miles? How is that possible when it blows the headgaskets ever 40,000?
+nick fernandez The first is the reason for the other.
Not true! I've owned 2.
+Chris Johns The northstar is by far the most unreliable engine to ever exist, stop lying to yourself.
+cowmilky Its not unreliable. It is a decent engine that is IMPOSSIBLE to work with prohibitively expensive parts. However, people buy them used for dirt cheap, change the fluids and drive them until they crap out. They rack up mileage but you need to be a real hobbyist to own one a GM from that era.
+cowmilky No it's not. What happens is just like most other luxury brands, people buy them used and fail to maintain then properly.
I personally have a 91 Seville that has a ride comfort that floats along. It also has the engine right before the northstar (engine shown in the video) The 4.9L V8. After 200,000 miles this engine refuses to stop pushing. I am trying to run this thing into the ground but it simply just wont. The reliability of this vehicle out shines any Mercedes or BMW.
Sure, it isn't as fast mainly because of the miles but it rides so graciously and parts are rather easy to find.
BMW make shitboxes, stick with cadillac, im british and saying that.
Green Pretzel My BMW has 307k miles and no issues. Check your facts. BMWs after 1998 or so how ever, I'd easily agree with you on terms of reliability (accept 3 series), absolute shit, especially the 7 series.
Jonathan Quinones
The problem with any BMW is that the price of parts is through the roof. That isn't an opinion,go try to find fuel injectors for the car and you'll spend more than $800. I like the sport like feel of BMW, but as a car to live with forget it.
Well at that point it still depends on the model, for 5 and 7 series, yes, you're right, all way through, but for the 4 cyl e36 and any e30 3 series or older, they're fairly priced if you find the right place to order it (definetly not the dealer), and that's if the issues actually start to come on. But Those I6 e36s, you're absolutly right, for a small sized sports/luxury car the components prices are ridiculous, and unfortunatly that's the 2nd most common BMW, so naturally cause of that, they've gained a pretty horrid rep. End of the day though, you're right, if you want a reliable luxo car that doesn't break fort knox to fix or get a simple oil change, get a Caddy or Lincoln.
Jonathan Quinones Bullshit! If you own a BMW you had a shitload of problems!" I had 3 of em, they all died on me, it would be wiser to get bicycle, to get on time to work! BMW is the biggest, overrated, piece of shit in the car industri that ever existed! Honda is the best, Rover the next! Now i will try a Cadillac!
I got an 07 STS cadillac basically fixed all the problems Jeremy listed in this video, what a great car.
"Only needs servicing every 100k miles" Because it will explode at the turn of the odometer.
Caddilacs built in self distruct buttion. Makes me wish I could go back in time and yell into an engineers ear that they need corser bolts.
Had mine for 3 years loved every minute of it 2001 sls
This car is still on the road nearly 20 years later with only 23k miles on the clock.
Seems to have remained grounded all through those years
"headlights suggested", just turn on the Twilight Sentinel and it turns the headlights on for you at dusk and will turn them off if it's daytime.
+alien goth This was always my favorite message on my Cadillac's. One of the best options ever on a car.
Yeah I have my Twilight Sentinel on all the time. It's always weird to get into other cars and have to turn the lights on LOL
And it was Cadillac that first came out with that option back in 1959. Cadillac is still the world leader when it comes to automotive engineering. Cadillac all the way for me. I will always be driving an older Cadillac for the rest of my life. Thanks for your response!!
Although its been a few years i have a question? Would any of you happen to know what that knob to the left of the headlamp switch does when pulled out? Is that what your talking about?
well worth watching to the end!
This is a great car he should've done the test for the fully loaded Seville sts wish he would've done one for 2000 best car I've driven buying another
I highly doubt the equipment level is the issue here.
Um, no. Like he said, you'd have to tell people you drive a Cadillac. Who would want to do that? LOL
+Fan Yu You make no sense....what are you talking about???
+Bryan Usrey Then what is the issue??
I got an old 96 seville sts. Brillant car!
+BronxXxBass TV They are excellent cars!!
+AMCNorthstar 93 best car i ever had !
BronxXxBass TV My parents bought a 1995 Seville SLS back in 1999 and they are still driving it today with over 330k! Its been the best running and most reliable car we ever owned with the least amount of problems. I'm glad to hear the same from yourself.
I also had a '96 STS and truly loved it. It did not hold up well unfortunately. It started burning oil around 60,000 miles and was eventually taking a quart every 1500 or so. You wouldn't see it out of the tailpipe unless you stepped on it, and it didn't affect performance, but the consumption was there. And the depreciation! It was $58,000 new and I got $4000 on trade in 1993. But every minute of it was a joy to drive. I actually thought the '98 looked worse. They really got it right with the '93-97. Terrific Bose stereo. Solid controls on the wheel, it all felt made to last. And besides the oil consumption and depreciation, I have nothing but good memories of it.
Purchased new in 1996 and traded in 2003, sorry for the error.
Maybe a bit of a a jerk , but he’s the best car Reviewer ever
Obviously you never watched Doug Demuro
@@jbruce1269 Clarkson, Hammond and May are car reviewing Gods. Doug is like a mentee of some sorts, spreading. the car reviewing gift to the modern RUclips world. Regular Car Reviews does the same, but with way more Clarkson-ish and modern jokes.
@@jbruce1269 DeMuro's not a Jerk.............hes an out and out Tosser, theres a difference.
@@jbruce1269 Dougs reviews aren't good though. He clearly doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to driving. He's just good at pointing out oddities in a cars interior.
I loved my '99 STS.
I will agree with one thing, it seriously bugs me that all of these big cadillacs with the northstar v8 are front wheel drive. what the crap is up with that?
K and G-body platform
+AsTheSeasonsGray What is wrong with FWD??? FWD first came out in the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was car of the year and FWD is still very popular and wanted to this day. I'm glad these Cadillac's were FWD.
After losing the small-car market to FWD Japanese cars, clueless top management at GM proclaimed that ALL their new cars would be front wheel drive. That silly attitude took Cadillac completely out of the running in the luxury sedan market.
@@johntechwriter Nah. The majority of Cadillac buyers preferred FWD back in those days and they never stopped offering a RWD model. Back then it was the Catera.
@@TeeroyHammermill so you put a fwd in a big car and a rwd in a smaller opel derived Catera (not saying it is smaller than the Seville but smaller then big cadillacs) how smart is that?
Does that even make any sense from the design and space using perspective?
And to the buyer,what sense does it make? No wonder GM kept loosing market share year after year.
I've owned a '99 Seville STS and currently own a '03 Seville SLS and couldn't be happier. The 99 took me 150k without issues and just got the 03 with 56k.
Richard Hammond had a north star engine in one of the latest grand tour episode..it blow up half way true 200 mile trip...lol..yeah Jeremy a great engine...
At the time, the Northstar V8 was lauded for it's performance and smoothness---little did they know it also had a penchant for devouring head gaskets and warping cylinder heads.
What series and episode is this from?
So Jeremy actually sort of liked it. he loved the engine.
+David Topchiev Wow! The 90's was the era for 32 Valve DOHC V8 engines as every top luxury brand made one. They really are some impressive powerplants. I have one and love them!!
Used to own some rentals, and one day went to collect the rent when I noticed almost all the tenants had better cars than me! So bought a used '98 STS to better fit my 'role', and even started smoking cigars (lol). Though for all the focus on 'luxury', that was a pretty fun car, probably more in league with a Jaguar XJ, than a traditional stodgy 'Cadillac'. And luved that 300 HP motor, which actually wasn't that bad on gas... if you could keep your foot off it.
One must see this to realize just how much Top Gear has improved ...
AMCNorthstar 93. An acquaintance I know bought one of the modern Cadillac's, front wheel drive job....burned more oil than an old clunker with no piston rings. The darned thing went through more than a quart of oil in several hundred miles. That put me right off them. The oil problem got so bad that she sold the car. The '61 Fleetwood Special was a great car. 390 with HydraMatic, if I remember right.
best cars every i don't care what issues it had I love them I been buying them since 1999 dts sts and I'm only 37 I love these cars and have a eldorado etc as well
I just skip the rest after Jeremy’s review
Nice to hear Jeremy's opinion on my Cadillac, don't exactly agree with most of it, but nice all the same.
+mpuone Same here. I don't agree witheverything he said or other people's comments on here. They are excellent cars!!
same here dont agree with all of it as i think these cars are very underrated.
man that was one funky intro
100p? but thank you for the upload (sorry for bad english)
i have four Cadillacs Seville, Deville, DHS, and Eldorado..The Northstar is a beast plenty of power..these cars can move and they sound great. they main problem with the Northstar engine is over heating due to the head bolts pulling out over time due to torque.but that problem was corrected eventually..But the are luxurious and gorgeous cars and look timeless lol it is true alot of people wont know what a Seville is mine has been mistaken for a Camry... A 300 HP Camry with a caddy reef
Apart from oil leaks, If this engine is fitted with head studs, not bolts or helicoils, the heads are clamped down and I believe it would be the most reliable engine out there, if you can keep the oil level up, too many people buy these engines with no knowledge of how to take care of them, then they run them out of oil, and the good die young, I've had a 2001 STS my first car, it was buy far the most reliable car I've owned, I bought it with 189.9k miles and I junked it at 239k, and in that time I never had 1 problem with the drive train, other than coil packs, ultimately cracked the block, but I do have to admit, I beat the living snot out of it with what head bolts it had in it. I've a got a couple vids on my channel of just a couple opportunities I've abused it. In the end, buy one, head stud it, and enjoy the drive, cause it is a gem, oh and dont buy Chinese coil packs, only OEM, to save you time and money, I've been there, got 10k miles out of new Chinese coils,
People mostly arguing about their reliability are going off n* reputation which isn't good. But like I said, Head stud it and Enjoy your Drive, Just like any diesel today, head stud and never sweat, just drive.
How should he know when it is a new car he gets to test?
Cadillac are practical. Got an 86 brougham, gets good mileage, insurance is cheap, tax is cheap, seats six adults comfortably, massive boot and get a smile on my face. The only problems I have with it is the result of age and the fact that is sat for 13 years.
This has to be the only time EVER that a Seat appears in Top Gear
The STS was a very nice car. Yes, it was flawed; it was a GM product, and that means bean counters battling designers and engineers, but it was still a very good car. Strong engine with smooth delivery, good ride quality, quiet interior, tasteful interior, and all of the latest electronic gadgets. FWD was a drawback for what it was trying to be, but honestly not a real issue for actual sports/luxury car buyers, whether they know it or not. Brakes and transmission were also not what they should have been. Clarkson is always entertaining though.
+Frank Burns the car was an absolute pile , nstar motor lol. rea
st of car was crap cavalier, typical gm junk
Basically every automotive expert of the era would disagree, but yeah, of course you know a lot more about it than everybody, including the experts.
+Frank Burns I am Canadian and have driven american cars till 2000. planned obsolesence, chep products, poor quality, all crapcans. Purchased a toyota and still driving it , no leaks 480,000 mi. dosent burn oil, not rusted out, and you wonder why gm went broke?
+bob lanz the STS was a comfortable car with an awesome V8 engine...yeah it wasn't a masterpiece, but it wasn't bad. Most toyotas are indistinguishable from a refrigerator, so I couldn't care less how many miles they last...if you have a camry or corolla, you are basically telling me you hate driving.
+bob lanz Must be newer.
I remember when Toyota's were notorious for oil leaks and the bodies would start to rust by the third years. Like my '88 Pick up did.
The eighties were a terrible time for most makes but most Japanese cars were just throw-a-ways back then.
I still work on cars and Toyota definitely stepped up their game but no more than every one else at this point in time.
My mom’s ‘93 STS went 100,000+ miles without mechanical incident or so much as a sputter or untoward flinch from the engine room. Now the TRANSMISSION, on the other hand . . . Yeah, that f******g thing packed up it’s shit & went out not long after that 100,000k milestone. Still a great looking car designed/styled/penned by the legendary (to the CAR-OBSESSED-GEEK in me, anyway...) Wayne Cherry ! #NorthstarSuccessStory #BaddyCaddy
P.s. It it had been driven by the rear wheels...man, oh, man...how sweet they woulda/coulda/SHOULDA been...
Did you hear about the solicitor who was upset about losing a client? The solicitor's foot slipped off of the bumper of the ambulance before he could get the victim's name.
I work for GM and get to see what was considered the top automaker really looks like behind closed doors, you dont want to be stuck with any of these past the warranty period.. Good American vehicles ended around 2006, I believe the 90s were quite awesome actually, I bought a $600 flood victim supercharged 97 pontiac seven years ago thinking it only had to make it a year til I can afford a new car. Still driving it with no mechanical issues whatsoever
LOL , Bullying the Cadillac ! Still gave you a like.
As someone who sells Cadillacs I can honestly tell you I walk in the service department garage parking building that holds all of our customer cars and not one mid 90's to 07 Cadillac will be seen there. Either no one has them anymore of people just don't drive them cause we don't see them anymore.
I have an 04 DeVille DTS. Astonishing car, actually. 320,000 miles and it's just an overall great car. And I'm not an old fart either, I'm 18.
Perhaps they are having their cars serviced third-party due to the extortionist rates charged by dealers?
I wonder if there's much difference performance wise between the STS and the SLS...... does that extra 25 hp really make much of a difference.
Headlights suggested. xD so polite so American lmao
I got a Cadillac ad right before this video
These were decent cars for what they were, but the biggest issue was with that 4.6 Northstar V8 Clarkson raved about. The problem with these engines was the head studs/bolts that held the heads to the engine block were too small and had weak threads, so they would fail and cause head gaskets to blow prematurely. If you watch the episode of the Grand Tour where Richard Hammond buys one of these, that's exactly what happened to his STS. Around 2005 or so GM fixed the issue, and there is a company that makes a kit to fix the older engines, but too little too late. These pre-2005 Cadillac's with 4.6 Northstars are worth maybe $2000, and to fix the engine studs is like a $4000 job.
Right hand drive caddys, exported over here? ... well THAT went well!!!
as in 5 cylinders?
Oh, the theme. I remember.
"once every 100k mile" riiiight thats why my 2001 STS (my only car) is sitting in my lot rusting every few weeks xD
Was this video made by pointing a cameraphone at a 19" 1976 Zenith?
HAHAHAH very Funny! Good video!
GM tend to out-do themselves on one part of the car (usually the engine) and forget the rest.
wat kinda blazer you got brah
Was this recorded on a cine-camera?
i miss seeing the old subaru and group b rally cars :((
Jeremy praising the engine.....lol. This review didn't age well.
he said it won't be more reliable than a bmw or a mercedes ..silly goose
have you not been owning a w140 or e39 before.
none of those v8s make 300hp without passing 5.0 liters...the air ride on the sts is to part with a lincoln ..but what would you know
you missed the point. the w140 s500 is a 5.0 liter and it made 305 hp. the 740il was even a smaller engine. .it didn't make 300 hp. the 8 series with a v12 also made terrible power for a v12.
the Northstar is only a 4.6 and it reached 300 hp on a front wheel drive.
NoLeafClover You missed the point a version of the s600 engine was used in the Pagani Zonda the same can't be said for the Northstar. Also, the W140 is way better built and much more reliable than the Seville.
Owner one for six years and was the best winter car I have ever had. With northstar yes the gasket is the issue due that ppl dont change oil often enough.
Still very good value for the money. Mr C NEVER likes any US made cars.
Jeremy Clarskson has owned a lot of cars over these years...
every Brand has its problems
look at the mercs. ... they still rust like hell, talking about faillure. and all brands suffer from repairs needed after a certain amount of Miles. Owned a volvo v70 t5r a brilliant car but also cost me loads of money to keep it healthy. now I drive a 99 seville sls Just for the fun of it and must say im not disapointed till now.
+Herke Van Der Veen - Benz don't rust like hell. If I remember right, some 90s Benz actually had a 25 year anti-rust warranty. They guarantee not to rust for 25 years...
+Joseph Summers it was a 30 year anti-rust warranty
Harsimran Bhatti
Really? I couldn't remember but if they did have that, I was pretty good! I remembered that from like 6 years ago...
Joseph Summers Yeah, it was 30 years. I watched a old fifth gear (not Top Gear) Mercedes review and the reviewer mentioned it
Harsimran Bhatti
That's where I saw it too.
Just found one for sale in the UK, '99 115,000 miles for £950 lol
Don't buy this xd
Google Northstar Performance if you want your engine running good and forever in your caddy
Can’t match a Bmw? I smoked a e39 540 in my 2002 sts
20 years later we have the CTS V ....
RHD ??
The Northstar engine is a beast after 4000rpm another note the probable reason why the auto box was so sluggish was that it was new car and i had not yet got it's parameters or the previous driver had been quite gentle since it's an adaptive box with an algorithm computer that predicts drivers intentions I have the same auto box minus the computer in my 95 sts and it's also an adaptive box and when you drive aggressively it will shift and vice versa and it works
I wish I was Jeremy Clarkson. Best job in the world.
why would it say headlights advised instead of actually turning them on
Love everything about it except some interior touches and those exterior door handles.
what makes him say it won't be reliable? that northstar V8 and 4 speed may be dull, but reliability is what is has going for it.
5:55-6:03 does anybody else remember that clip from new top gear? when hammond tested the cts?
For Americans. At 4:47, a jacket potato is a baked potato.
Thats why my friend who has two cars with these engines had to have them completely rebuilt after about 60,000 miles. It was just an issue with these motors had nothing really to do with how you drive it the head gasket would simply fail
v5????
Idk I love the interior of mine I have a 97 Sevile sts and I love it and the v8 northstar is beast I love it :) idc what he says
+michael emerson Good I'm glad that you love your car. I love them myself and Im not letting mine go ever!! I think these cars are excellent in every way and are great cars overall!!
Oh yeah i loved it but the head gasket blew on it and i replaced it just i had over heating problems with the car. I had to let it go. I still miss it very much. Now drive a mustang
michael emerson Sorry to hear that. I have worked at Cadillac for a few years now and so I know those cars pretty well. The main problem with them was the coolant. If the wrong coolant is used, mixed or has gone acidic, it eats away at the head gasket and then corrodes the lower head bolts. However when the engines are rebuilt with the new GM approved head stud, they become much more stronger and are bulletproof for sure. My parents still drive their 1995 Seville SLS and its got over 330k. We had it since 1999 and its been the best running and most reliable car. My parents love how fast it is and how economical it is. I have a 2005 deville myself with 125k and its been great. Both cars are all original and I do keep them both well maintained.
Damn may look into one again
michael emerson If they are maintained properly like I stated before, you will not have any problems. Don't listen to anyone that tells you that its a bad engine design or the head bolts are cheap. I have worked on these engines and they are very well built performance engines. There is a reason why GM made it for almost 20 years and in other special edition GM cars. And also the engine can be pulled out from up top the engine bay. Dropping the sub frame is all unnecessary.
The engine has one fatal problem, which is the head gasket. That doesn't make it a shitty engine, it just has a design flaw. And by the second generation of Northstars, the problem was already pretty well-known - I'm sure he took it into account.
Dat intro tho
Thats the third rendition of Jessica I've heard so far excluding May's exhaust version.
He didn’t savage it, he was remarkably complimentary. Clarkson savaging a car is a lot more damning- the British built Vectra for example, a car clarkson derided as so dull, he did a whole 6 minute roadtest without being able to think of anything to say about it.
its how you drive...the torque pulls the head bolts out over time..trust me your friend was spinning his tires every chance he got because thats exactly what i do..but that inevitably kills your Northstar..plus these cars have so much torque its hard not to...some times when i take my foot of the brake the car lurches forward if you even tap the gas these things jump.. the heads themselves dont fail the bolts pry out causing the coolant leak
For Americans, when Jeremy says a jacket potato at 4:48: A jacket potato is a baked potato
3:44-3:55
It's not supposed to be sporty. The STS is a Cadillac built for *COMFORT,* unless Cadillac made an STS-V Seville and never sold it.
They actually DID make an STS-V. It had the Northstar, except they made it slightly smaller (4.4l) and supercharged it. 469 horsepower iirc
That NorthStar engine.... (shakes head)
I just bought seville 4.6 DOHC 97 and the engine overheats, it was probably badly used by the previous owner, I have a problem now and I do not know whether to replace the pump, gasket under the head or the whole engine. could someone present help me? of course not for free. a movie with my caddy on my channel.
If you can find an SLS, you’ll only ever have to worry about head gaskets.
If you get an STS, you have to worry about replacing more expensive magnetic ride control struts and springs on top of worrying about blowing a head gasket
In retrospect you can tell why the BBC axed this Top Gear and how Clarkson helped rework the show to bring it back in 2001. Clarkson segments are clear, direct and have some humour while the other segments are very dull and remind me of a terrible 1990s-2000s gardening and home improvement show.
And the rest of them went to Fifth Gear
I guess that all depends on whether you want to be entertained or informed. Clarkson is very good at the former, but pretty hopeless at the latter. The later series of Top Gear wasn't really a useful or objective source of information to the motoring public, but it drew in huge numbers of viewers because it was funny. Turns out most people would rather be laughing than learning.
Thats bloody good, for a car, someone done some thinking, period! It will take you home, no matter what! So American! :-)
No man, or car, left behind :)
0:40 nice music
i just laughed when he said its not as reliable as a lexus or mercedes. today in 2017 i still find some of these driving around here and there. i however have not seen a mercedes or lexus from the late 90's doing the same. except for the cheap lexuses based on the corolla model. but i still see more seville sts' and sedan devilles than lexus' or benzes.
The latest episode of The Grand Tour S3 showed Hammond drive this car. Just to tell you guys about it anyway.
believe or not, because of you I changed my view about american cars. Now send a message to the world
Great
He didn't read the manual. Half throttle under 35, full throttle over 35. Or just shift into 2nd and it will throw you back.