2017 Cadillac ATS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Cadillac ATS has 32 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 5 per year. That is more complaints per year than most ATS years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Electric power steering.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (12 of 32), then Electrical system (6) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 ATS has 35 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2018 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Cadillac ATS. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall Electric power steering 2025-03-20 · NHTSA campaign 25V175000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist may fail.

Remedy Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025. Owners may contact Cadilac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252497020.

Recall Electric power steering 2019-02-07 · NHTSA campaign 19V086000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, and 2017 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist system may fail.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. GM' number for this recall is N182182760.

Complaints by component (32 total)

Steering

Electrical system

Powertrain

Engine

Air bags

Service brakes

Back-over prevention

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Exterior lighting

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Show 4 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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."
Powertrain · filed 2026-05-26
"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 2026-04-25
"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…"
Wheels · filed 2026-03-03
"My Que Screen has webbed and makes it impossible to view my screen, important vehicles warnings and my maps for directions. This has been a recall in the past. Prior to me owning my vehicle. I can’t believe Cadillac…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2025-09-14
"In center console there is a dual USB port for either charging or data for CarPlay. When two phones are plugged in and charging, and one phone is in passengers hand, while vehicle is in motion or stopped, the airbag…"
Electrical system, Air bags · filed 2025-06-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Cadillac ATS 2DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2017 Cadillac ATS 2DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2017 Cadillac ATS 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars
2017 Cadillac ATS 4 DR RWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars

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	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	22	31	25 MPG	$3200
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	30	24 MPG	$2700
ATS	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	20	29	23 MPG	$3450
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 2016 Cadillac ATS Next year 2018 Cadillac ATS See every Cadillac ATS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Cadillac ATS reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Cadillac ATS?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (12 of 32), then Electrical system (6) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2017 Cadillac ATS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 ATS has 35 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2018 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Cadillac ATS been recalled?

The 2017 Cadillac ATS has 2 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 2017 Cadillac ATS?

Owners have filed 32 complaints about the 2017 Cadillac ATS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Cadillac ATS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 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).