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I bought a (new to me) 2003 Seville STS mid February of this year from a non-GM dealer in Toronto that has 169,000 kilometers on it at the moment.

Since that time, I have done the following:

New brakes

New brake pads

New rotors

New tie rod

New engine mount

New surge tank (coolant)

Replaced both AC outlets in car (cigarette lighter outlets)

Replaced rear license plate light and housing

Upgraded OnStar to digital

Replaced driver side view mirror (actuator stopped moving up and down, whole assembly needed to be replaced)

Front windows go full up and down but will not stop mid way, despite numerous tries at reprogramming.

Needed now:

Both front struts

Both rear shocks

(those two will cost approx. $4000 to replace, then the alignment)

4 new tires

Steering wheel vibrates between 100km/hr and 110km/hr

I am tired of the repairs. However, I cannot bring myself to sell the darn thing because it's so beautiful and when it's riding well, there's nothing like a Cadillac.

Anyone interested in buying it? It's like a new car except for the struts and shocks.

Toronto area only.

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My honest opinion is that all of what was done was either necessary or not too expensive.

Shop around for the struts. Monroe is starting to make conversion kits, and others like Arnott also.

One cannot expect to drive a Cadillac and not spend a little more on parts.

Have you had your front end looked at? it may be a bad tire..

Think of it like this. a 2003 is now about 11 years old. That can mean alot even if the miles are low.

Best of luck to you and welcome to caddyinfo

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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Thanks rockfan. (sorry for some reason I cannot log into my stsguy account above).

Well, I'm in Canada. The repairs I mentioned above (and I neglected to include the single in-dash CD player failure that required replacing the entire Bose head unit) totalled close to $4000. I made the huge mistake of going to a Caddy dealership for the repairs. I know, I know. :(

I have the F55 Magnaride air suspension and cannot and do not want to convert to passive. The Caddy dealer says struts and shocks are $1200 CAD EACH, but there's a dealer in the US who will sell me all 4 for $2700, but they have to be shipped to a US address. By the time everything is said and done it'll be $4000 anyway. Then I need an alignment, etc.

Front end has been checked many times. Tires are 5 years old, and need replacement before the Toronto winter sets in, that'll be another $1000 for the same Michelin MX4V that came on the vehicle in 2003.

I'm too nervous about the car overheating and a N* HG failure, and any number of other things that plague these cars.

I bought a Mustang, it's not a Caddy but repairs are fewer and if they are necessary, they are much cheaper. Plus the car is great to drive and is a real head-turner.

Will I cry the day I get rid of the STS? Most definitely. It is gorgeous. But my wallet will thank me. :)

My honest opinion is that all of what was done was either necessary or not too expensive.

Shop around for the struts. Monroe is starting to make conversion kits, and others like Arnott also.

One cannot expect to drive a Cadillac and not spend a little more on parts.

Have you had your front end looked at? it may be a bad tire..

Think of it like this. a 2003 is now about 11 years old. That can mean alot even if the miles are low.

Best of luck to you and welcome to caddyinfo

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....Anyone interested in buying it? It's like a new car except for the struts and shocks.

What color is it?

Toronto area only.

What does that mean?

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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Last night I decided to take a spin. Guess what - something else broken!

I noticed that the controls on the steering wheel seemed very dim, and then I realized that one of them was out altogether (the backlighting).

Every time I get in the car something new is wrong.

I'm posting this just as a serious warning to anyone thinking about buying an older STS, unless you have $$$$$ for repairs.

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Last night I decided to take a spin. Guess what - something else broken!

I noticed that the controls on the steering wheel seemed very dim, and then I realized that one of them was out altogether (the backlighting).

Every time I get in the car something new is wrong.

I'm posting this just as a serious warning to anyone thinking about buying an older STS, unless you have $$$$$ for repairs.

You do realize that the car is over 10 years old has over 105,000 miles on it.

If the previous owner did not do routine maintenance on it, things are now starting to wear out.

That would happen to almost ANY 10 year old car with that many miles on it, not just to an STS...

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Last night I decided to take a spin. Guess what - something else broken!

I noticed that the controls on the steering wheel seemed very dim, and then I realized that one of them was out altogether (the backlighting).

Every time I get in the car something new is wrong.

I'm posting this just as a serious warning to anyone thinking about buying an older STS, unless you have $$$$$ for repairs.

You do realize that the car is over 10 years old has over 105,000 miles on it.

If the previous owner did not do routine maintenance on it, things are now starting to wear out.

That would happen to almost ANY 10 year old car with that many miles on it, not just to an STS...

For that matter even with maintnence. Things wear. some people dont care about certain things and others go nuts over things.

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

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I don't know but it seems the early 2000-07 Cadi's had a lot of problems. I had a new 2005 CTS that was a lemon even though it was red in color. The repairs done to the car in 30,000 miles and 4 yrs was astonishing. The first day I had the car the check engine light came on, R&R O2 sensors and light comes back on, R&R catalytic converters. Before I had a 1,000 miles on it the rear axle was replaced because it made a loud whining noise and would bang hard when you left of the gas to coast.

The list of parts replaced under warranty was mind boggling and most before 20,000 miles;

02 sensors, @100 miles

catalytic converters, (cannibalized car off lot to fix, cats on back-order)

battery, failed test

rear posi axle (complete asm, had to be zone approved repair),

TCM, reflash?

ECM, failed when doing a upgrade for random no-start,

persistance engine pinging on all fuels

AM/FM/CD radio died,

front suspension parts wearing out, dealer noticed on test ride after ECM fix

windshield garish molding came loose, broke windshield replacing

brake parts rattling, fix for that,

etc

and thats all I can remember, I am certain there were more

An acquaintance had a 05 STS same color and he had many problems as well and no longer a GM owner. His dealer was a ahole, mine was great, even returned my car 100 miles to my home when they kept it overnight.

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Last night I decided to take a spin. Guess what - something else broken!

I noticed that the controls on the steering wheel seemed very dim, and then I realized that one of them was out altogether (the backlighting).

Every time I get in the car something new is wrong.

I'm posting this just as a serious warning to anyone thinking about buying an older STS, unless you have $$$$$ for repairs.

You do realize that the car is over 10 years old has over 105,000 miles on it.

If the previous owner did not do routine maintenance on it, things are now starting to wear out.

That would happen to almost ANY 10 year old car with that many miles on it, not just to an STS...

Yes of course I do. My point, however, is that EVERYTHING goes wrong on these cars, one thing breaks every day. And each thing, as minor or major as it might be, costs hundreds, if not thousands to repair due to the nightmare electrical/electronic components in the Seville. I was aware of that before I bought the car but i was NOT prepared for the car to be literally falling apart as each day passes.

It's almost as if there's some kind of built-in timer that kicks in when you hit a certain mileage or age and chooses which system(s) will fail the next time you turn the key in the ignition.

Oh and by the way, today's broken item is the valet key that refuses to turn in the ignition, even though it was working fine until now.

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I don't know but it seems the early 2000-07 Cadi's had a lot of problems. I had a new 2005 CTS that was a lemon even though it was red in color. The repairs done to the car in 30,000 miles and 4 yrs was astonishing. The first day I had the car the check engine light came on, R&R O2 sensors and light comes back on, R&R catalytic converters. Before I had a 1,000 miles on it the rear axle was replaced because it made a loud whining noise and would bang hard when you left of the gas to coast.

The list of parts replaced under warranty was mind boggling and most before 20,000 miles;

02 sensors, @100 miles

catalytic converters, (cannibalized car off lot to fix, cats on back-order)

battery, failed test

rear posi axle (complete asm, had to be zone approved repair),

TCM, reflash?

ECM, failed when doing a upgrade for random no-start,

persistance engine pinging on all fuels

AM/FM/CD radio died,

front suspension parts wearing out, dealer noticed on test ride after ECM fix

windshield garish molding came loose, broke windshield replacing

brake parts rattling, fix for that,

etc

and thats all I can remember, I am certain there were more

An acquaintance had a 05 STS same color and he had many problems as well and no longer a GM owner. His dealer was a ahole, mine was great, even returned my car 100 miles to my home when they kept it overnight.

Well sometimes the benefit of owning a Cadillac is that some dealerships do actually go out of their way to treat you well (at least before and during the sale, not so sure after), plus thankfully there are good warranties (and free maintenance) during the first few years. Unfortunately, it's usually after those warranties are expired that things start breaking, one by one.

Basically if I look on canadianblackbook.com, it says my car is worth $1,200. That doesn't take into consideration of course all the repairs and upgrades I've done in the past few months, thinking that once everything would be repaired and replaced that it would be like new. How wrong I was. Today I think I"ll shop the car around and see if someone will buy it for say $3500 or $4000. Regardless, it's going to be a huge financial hit for me. I'll be sad, true, because without all these troubles, and it might sound funny but I truly love this car, it's beautiful, rides great when it's not breaking down.

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Andy...

I truly am sorry you are having all the trouble with your car...

I have a 2006 with almost 130,000 on it and it is still in great shape...

Everything on it still works and it still runs and drives great.

I wish you had got a good one instead of the one you have and I know how you feel about letting it go...

I love my 2006 Cadillac and would hate to have to part with it.

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Thanks, Jim. Well don't forget you have the RWD (AWD?) STS, not a FWD Seville. Big difference, probably.

Most of this is my fault because I let my heart overrule my head when I bought the car (in February of this year, if you can imagine!). I loved it so much, took it on a test drive and got the report from a GM dealer on repairs. He said nothing of major concern ... right. So I should have had it put up on a lift and thoroughly examined, but I didn't.

Lesson learned. And a painful one at that. I am hoping to get at least $4K for it but from what I've seen, that won't be anywhere near what someone will offer.

If it weren't so d*** gorgeous I wouldn't care , but it is and that's the rub.

Anyway if anyone reading this board is in the Toronto area and is interested please let me know. I realize this isn't a Classifieds board so thanks, Moderators, for allowing me to post this here. I mostly wanted to give others who might be considering purchasing a used (10 year old or more) Seville (or Caddy in general) to do your homework.

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I bought a 1997 ETC new and drove it for over fifteen years. It gave so little trouble that the dealer techs grew to hate it and I went to private mechanics after about 80,000 miles. It had its first brake job at 120,000 miles, for example, and we did the rears only because we wanted to do all four wheels. Easily the best and most reliable car I ever had.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I bought a (new to me) 2003 Seville STS mid February of this year from a non-GM dealer in Toronto that has 169,000 kilometers on it at the moment.

Since that time, I have done the following:

New brakes

New brake pads

New rotors

New tie rod

New engine mount

New surge tank (coolant)

Replaced both AC outlets in car (cigarette lighter outlets)

Replaced rear license plate light and housing

Upgraded OnStar to digital

Replaced driver side view mirror (actuator stopped moving up and down, whole assembly needed to be replaced)

Front windows go full up and down but will not stop mid way, despite numerous tries at reprogramming.

Needed now:

Both front struts

Both rear shocks

(those two will cost approx. $4000 to replace, then the alignment)

4 new tires

Steering wheel vibrates between 100km/hr and 110km/hr

I am tired of the repairs. However, I cannot bring myself to sell the darn thing because it's so beautiful and when it's riding well, there's nothing like a Cadillac.

Anyone interested in buying it? It's like a new car except for the struts and shocks.

Toronto area only.

The only items in this list I'd consider out of the ordinary would be the window and mirror issues. Tires, brakes, tie rod ends, shocks, and struts are all wear items. Monroe makes shocks and struts that are passive that will keep the factory air ride for a fraction of the OE parts - about $100 each if I recall. Upgrading the Onstar was a waste of money in my opinion.

Steering wheel vibration points to a tire balance issue on one of the front tires.

In order to properly evaluate the cost of repairs vs. the cost of a newer car, you need to compare the average cost of the repairs from the last two years, not just the recent repairs.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Thanks KHE for your feedback, appreciate it. You're completely right. However, each day as I turn the key in the ignition, I see something else is broken. To wit: now the backlighting on the steering wheel audio controls has failed on one of the buttons. I understand it's a big job to replace it...apparently the airbags have to be removed and again, I'm just not willing to do this.

I'm concerned that the car will have the normal overheating issue and HG failure while I'm in the middle lane of the highway which could cause a fatal collision. Yes, it's a 10 year old car but as some others have commented, they have driven long past my 169,000 kilometers without issues. However other forums aren't that complimentary.

In any event I found an 08 STS that I hope to be trading this one in for. Dealership is offering me peanuts for my 03 but I'm not willing to go the private sale route. Recently a guy in Ontario took 2 guys on a test drive, disappeared and his charred (rather burnt) body was discovered in a barn. Granted, that was probably not random but I'm not taking any chances. So I'm stuck in a bad position.

I'm considering it lesson learned, and it's very much my fault for not having done my due diligence before buying this money pit nightmare.

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Thanks KHE for your feedback, appreciate it. You're completely right. However, each day as I turn the key in the ignition, I see something else is broken. To wit: now the backlighting on the steering wheel audio controls has failed on one of the buttons. I understand it's a big job to replace it...apparently the airbags have to be removed and again, I'm just not willing to do this.

I'm concerned that the car will have the normal overheating issue and HG failure while I'm in the middle lane of the highway which could cause a fatal collision. Yes, it's a 10 year old car but as some others have commented, they have driven long past my 169,000 kilometers without issues. However other forums aren't that complimentary.

In any event I found an 08 STS that I hope to be trading this one in for. Dealership is offering me peanuts for my 03 but I'm not willing to go the private sale route. Recently a guy in Ontario took 2 guys on a test drive, disappeared and his charred (rather burnt) body was discovered in a barn. Granted, that was probably not random but I'm not taking any chances. So I'm stuck in a bad position.

I'm considering it lesson learned, and it's very much my fault for not having done my due diligence before buying this money pit nightmare.

Removing the airbag is no big deal - disarm the system, wait 2 minutes, release the spring clips on the back and the bag comes out. 5 minute job. The lights in the switches can be replaced with 12V bulbs from Radio Shack - part no. 272-1154. They will need to be soldered in place but it is MUCH cheaper than replacing the whole switch assembly.

How would a head gasket failure cause a fatal collision???

You need to realize that forums are slanted toward the problems with the cars - rarely does someone seek out a forum to brag on how reliable their car is. They seek a forumn when they are having trouble. This holds true for car, snowmobile, lawn tractor, etc. forums.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Without the upgrade of the phone to digital the phone is worthless because you can't get analog service out there anymore. If you really want a car phone, the upgrade is worthwhile. Personally, I would want BlueStar instead but I don't think that it integrates with OnStar the way the car phone does.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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Another important item in cost of driving is scheduled and preventive maintenance. From andy957's list it seems like the car he just bought went several years with zero maintenance, something that all of us who bought a desirable but old used car probably have experienced by now. The 1969 Chevrolet station wagon with the 427 cid engine that I drove seven years is an example in my experience. The first year was rough but it was a magnificent car once I had the engine, transmission, suspension, tires, wheels, and body straightened out. It took a year, and that period was my first experience with going to a dealer with multiple problems and having them price out each one using the flat manual rate instead of doing them at the same time and using the clock. For example, ball joints, bushings and wheel bearing? Four jobs for each wheel, not one. I finished up the job with private mechanics of opportunity.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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Yup I am aware of the fact that people don't come here to say how wonderful their cars are.

And I have to bring my car to mechanics/dealerships to do any repairs. I am not mechanically inclined.

It doesn't take much to become "mechanically inclined". A service manual outlines all the steps necessary to accomplish a repair. There will be investment in tools - Whenever I need to do a repair and I do not have the tools required, I purchase them. Even at that, the price is far less than having someone else to the work and I have the tool for the next job. I hardly ever need to buy a tool now.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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That's all well and good for you, KHE. And you're lucky.

However, I live in a high-rise condo building with a) no space in which to work on the car, b ) no tools, and no desire to purchase any, and c) am just not mechanically inclined, tools/manuals/space/time/interest/skills don't exist.

I wish I did. It would have saved me thousands. But live and learn.

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andy957 if and when you trade for that 08 return to this forum and tell us how much you like that car.
We all like to hear good stories too.

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andy957 if and when you trade for that 08 return to this forum and tell us how much you like that car.

We all like to hear good stories too.

I will rush here to do that, mike. ;)

The crux of the issue for me is that I didn't do my due diligence and research on the car's history before buying my 03. I let my heart overrule my head, and when I saw and test drove the car, I had to have it but made a terrible error in so doing. It is just so beautiful, the black on black, the tinted windows and the oh-so-comfortable interior, I love the look of that model year, it's just so gorgeous. Each time I drive it now, if I forget about all the troubles, I love it more and more. There is nothing like the ride of a Cadillac. So the thought of parting with this beauty is tough, but I don't want to continually pump money into what has been a less than stellar vehicle.

I added a rear spoiler that I bought painted from carid.com. In fact if you look at their website, and search for a spoiler for the 2003 Seville, and look at the JKS one, they used my pics! I have better ones too. I happen to love the look, others have criticized me for ruining the profile of the car but I don't care, it makes it mine and stands out from all the other black/black 03 STS'es that I see. ;)

Anyway I'm going to test drive the 08 tonight, and everything being equal, hopefully I'll have good news. The dealer is offering bupkus on the trade, which is what I expected.

Cheers.

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I used to do much of my own work but in the last several years I've fallen away from that because of limited space in our home and garage, unwillingness to leave our cars out of the garage overnight, etc. I found that getting good work on my 1997 Cadillac Eldorado increasingly difficult as the car got older, something that I encountered with several other cars that I drove more than a few years. But I drove the 1997 longer than any other, and fought the battle far longer. Some mechanics think you're crazy to drive a car with over 100,000 miles on it, in spite of the fact that most people do just that these days. Some believe that once a car is over seven or ten years old that the cheapest possible repair to get it back on the road is the only one worth considering and sometimes will do so without telling you in advance, so you have an awkward do-over situation. The worst example of that was replacing the front stabilizer links; the mechanic charged me for the parts and work but never touched the car. The next worst was the same mechanic telling me to "drive with the lights on" instead of fixing an electrical problem with the EBTCM connector.

Most people, and mechanics, evaluate the choices for every repair as if the car was going up for trade or sale Monday morning instead of deciding what you want to drive for the next four years or so, which inevitably leads to a car going downhill to the scrap yard instead of providing the service, performance, and comfort that you bought the car for as long as you want to drive it.

People like you and me that don't do their own work anymore need to find one or two good service people that they trust and that they agree with on the maintenance and future of the car.

It sounds like you are well on the way to straightening out your 2003 and that perhaps you might consider keeping it instead of spending money on another used car.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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