Home · 2013 Cadillac ATS V-series · Complaints

What 160 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac ATS V-series

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (160)Crash / fire / injury (10)Engine (48)Transmission & drivetrain (45)Electrical system (36)Steering (25)Brakes (17)Speed control (10)Airbags (9)Lights (7)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (5)Fuel system (5)

9 of 160 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Sep 30, 2025AirbagsCrash1 injury

I was in a vehicle accident on 9-26-25 and was t-boned. The other driver hit me at 35-45 after she blew the stopping, I was hit on the driver side pillar and back driver door. My air bags never deployed and I was trapped inside the car until the fire department was on scene

NHTSA ODI 11690585

Apr 11, 2025Airbags

Air bag lights came on.

NHTSA ODI 11654145

Mar 2, 2022Airbags

Airbag module fail on passenger seat

NHTSA ODI 11454880

Sep 16, 2019SteeringAirbagsBrakes

TAKATA RECALL THERE HAS BEEN NO "INCIDENT" RE THE 2013 ATS. THE ISSUE ORIGINATED WITH RECALL NOTICES TO MY DEALER AND TO ME RE (1) STEERING (2) AIR BAGS (3) BRAKES. THE AIRBAG ISSUE INVOLVES CONTINUAL WARNING BY LIGHT AND BY SOUND RE THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. DEALER SECRETARY STATES THAT SHE HAS NOTICES FOR ALL THREE (ABOVE) TO BE RECALLED. DEALER GARAGE, HOWEVER, STATES THAT THE ONLY RECALL WAS STEERING AND HAVE RECENTLY REPAIRED THE STEERING. I RECALL RECEIVING RECALL NOTICES AT MY HOME BUT NO LONGER HAVE THEM. AND SO, COMPLAINANT IS SEEKING TO LEARN WHETHER THE BRAKES AND THE AIR BAG WARNING NEED ADDRESSING.

NHTSA ODI 11255602

Sep 16, 2019SteeringAirbagsBrakes

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

NHTSA ODI 11255814

Aug 28, 2019AirbagsCrash2 injuries

MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON A CITY STREET AND MY WIFE WAS REAR-ENDED AND WAS PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER, AND THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND A CAR CRASH THIS BAD SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIRBAG.

NHTSA ODI 11251968

Jul 17, 2019SteeringAirbagsBrakes

TAKATA RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR MY AIRBAGS. NOTHING HAPPENED. MY AIRBAGS WERE DEEMED TO BE DANGEROUS/RECALLED/ SAME WITH MY STEERING WHEEL (2).. SAME FOR REAR BRAKES. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE NOT RELEVANT. NOTHING HAPPENED. RATHER RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED ON AIRBAGS, STEERING WHEEL (2) AND ON MY REAR BRAKES.

NHTSA ODI 11232942

Apr 13, 2018AirbagsSeat beltsWheels1 injury

TAKATA RECALL. THERE WAS NEVER A NOTICE SENT OUT ABOUT THE RECALL. REAR WHEEL BROKE AT THE SPOKES WHICH CAUSE FOR THE CAR TO GO INTO A SPIN OUT. DRIVER CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT NOT INFLATED LIKE THE PASSENGER SIDE. SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD ME IN SECURELY, IT WAS LOOSE.

NHTSA ODI 11084947

Sep 28, 2015AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

MY DAUGHTER DROVE MY CAR AND HIT A METAL MAIL BOX (6X6 POLE, HOLDING 3 MAIL BOXES) AT 35 TO 40 MPH, SHE HIT ALMOST DEAD CENTER. THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T STOP HER FROM HITTING HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. MY DAUGHTER SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, NECK AND BACK PAIN, ONE OF HER EYES VISION IS AFFECTED. SHE WAS DRIVING IN OUR STREET 3 HOUSES DOWN FROM OUR HOUSE, STREET IS WINDING AND NOT LIGHTED.

NHTSA ODI 10778287

Working with the data? Download all 160 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 27, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Cadillac ATS V-series verdict →