2016 Cadillac Ats problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Cadillac Ats, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Cadillac Ats vehicles were involved in 14 fatal crashes with 10 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 10 | 31% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 16% |
| Steering | 4 | 13% |
| Wheels | 4 | 13% |
| Engine | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V558000 Rear Defogger Coil Antenna Module may Overheat If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, not sure what is happening but car does seem to overheat off and on especially when radio is turned on”
Electrical System · filed Jun 17, 2026
“On 3rd differential in 2 years. Dealer won’t fix without us paying ANOTHER $4,700. There is NO way a differential goes 3 times in 2 years. Something is wrong. Help!!”
Power Train · filed May 3, 2026
“My 2016 Cadillac ATS Coupe has a serious repeating safety defect. The vehicle violently shakes, vibrates, and becomes unstable while driving. This happened TWICE. Both times the rear bolts came out except one. Both mechanics who inspected it said they have NEVER seen this before. The first time, I paid $4,000 out of…”
Wheels · filed Nov 24, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,537 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Cadillac Ats. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
PIP5700G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
PIP5700F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2025
This PI Addresses a possible solenoid wiring fault and how to inspect the build date to identify
PIP6088 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 8, 2025
This PI advises dealers to inspect for a missing pump gasket if the vehicle exhibits no movement following a VB replacement
PIP6086 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Cadillac Ats has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Cadillac Ats?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.