2017 Cadillac Ats problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Cadillac Ats, alongside 2 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Cadillac Ats vehicles were involved in 14 fatal crashes with 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 12 | 38% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 19% |
| Power Train | 5 | 16% |
| Engine | 3 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Transmission fluid temperature sensor in the 8 speed automatic 8L90 transmission from GM is a known issue. Causes vehicle to shift/jerk erratically especially in stop and go traffic.”
Power Train · filed May 26, 2026
“Driving home message came up on the dash, saying, power steering problem. Next thing you know, it was extremely hard to turn the wheel left or right.”
Steering · filed Apr 25, 2026
“I have replaced two brand new tires on the back right. I then saw that there was a TSB for the very issue im having with my vehicle. A slow loss of air from the back right tire. The TSB link is https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=11017016 Its a slow.loss of air that eventually ends you up with a blown tire on the side of…”
Wheels · filed Mar 3, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,296 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 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 2017 Cadillac Ats has 2 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 2017 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.