Reliable Auto DB

2016 Cadillac ATS reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Cadillac ATS holds 35 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most ATS years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator, Defroster and HVAC, and Sunroof.

2013 Cadillac ATS
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

35

Per year

2

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (11 of 35), then Electrical system (7) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 ATS has 29 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 32 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Cadillac ATS. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V329000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, XTS, 2015-2016 Cadillac ATS, CTS, and SRX vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
Remedy Dealers will replace the front-driver air bag module, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 19, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N262555870. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026.
Recall visibility, defroster and HVAC 2015-09-03 · NHTSA campaign 15V558000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS sedan vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to September 2, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the coil antenna module that powers the rear defogger system may generate excessive heat due to excessive cycling or continuous operation.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electronic Climate Control module to remove the automatic rear defogger "on" function, free of charge. The recall began on October 16, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15299.
Recall visibility, sunroof 2015-07-24 · NHTSA campaign 15V463000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to June 25, 2015. The affected vehicles may experience the roof panel closing automatically when the non-recessed switches are pressed and the roof panel is open. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."
Remedy GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the roof console accessory switch trim plate, free of charge. The recall began on August 19, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15568. Note this recall supersedes 15V-106.

Complaints by component (35 total)

Powertrain
11
Electrical system
7
Air bags
5
Engine
4
Steering
4
Wheels
4
Service brakes
2
Speed control
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Back-over prevention
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seats
1
Suspension
1
Tires
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22017320187201982020320211202222023320243202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-17
  • "Air bag dashboard light is on"
    Air bags · filed 2026-06-17
  • "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!!"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-05-03
  • "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…"
    Steering, Suspension, Wheels · filed 2025-11-24
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated that the message "Service Air Bag" was displayed, and the passenger's side seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-01-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Cadillac ATS 2DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2016 Cadillac ATS 2DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2016 Cadillac ATS 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Cadillac ATS 4 DR RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Cadillac ATS V-Series 2DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
ATS 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500
ATS 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 20 29 24 MPG $2700
ATS 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $3450
ATS 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Rear-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $3200
ATS all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 22 30 25 MPG $3200
ATS all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 27 22 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2013–2019
Body styles Sedan, Coupe
Oil 5W-30 (2.0L/3.6L all temps); 0W-20/5W-20 (2.5L) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/40R18, 225/45R17, 255/35R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 25V-175 covers certain 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS vehicles among other GM models: electric power steering assist may fail, requiring greater steering effort especially at low speeds. Dealers replace the power steering gear assembly. Recall 18V-358 covers certain 2018 ATS vehicles among other GM models: the high-pressure fuel pump may detach and damage a fuel line, creating a leak and fire risk; dealers replace the pump and high-pressure pipe.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Cadillac ATS Next year 2017 Cadillac ATS See every Cadillac ATS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Cadillac ATS reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Cadillac ATS holds 35 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most ATS years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator, Defroster and HVAC, and Sunroof.

What are common problems with a 2016 Cadillac ATS?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (11 of 35), then Electrical system (7) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Cadillac ATS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 ATS has 29 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 32 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Cadillac ATS been recalled?

The 2016 Cadillac ATS has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Cadillac ATS?

Owners have filed 35 complaints about the 2016 Cadillac ATS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Cadillac ATS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Cadillac ATS is 24.2 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Cadillac ATS take?

US notes list 5W-30 for 2.0L/3.6L (all temps) and 0W-20/5W-20 for the 2.5L (about 5.0 qt with filter on common fills).

Does recall 25V-175 cover the Cadillac ATS?

It covers certain 2017-2018 ATS vehicles among other GM models: electric power steering assist may fail, requiring greater steering effort at low speeds; dealers replace the EPS parts named in the campaign.

What generation is the Cadillac ATS?

1st generation for the US years this site tracks (2013-2019).