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What 35 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Cadillac ATS

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 (35)Crash / fire / injury (5)Transmission & drivetrain (11)Electrical system (7)Airbags (5)Engine (4)Steering (4)Wheels (4)Brakes (2)Speed control (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Backup camera & sensors (1)

5 of 35 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 28, 2024AirbagsCrash2 injuries

The contact owned a 2016 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH and entering the expressway, she engaged the turn signal and verified that the road was cleared. The contact stated that while she was making the turn, an 18-wheeler truck suddenly hit the vehicle, causing the vehicle to crash into another vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was hit three times and spun onto the median, where the vehicle continued to spin until it hit the fence. The contact stated that her sister was occupying the front passenger's seat at the time of the accident. The air bags failed to deploy. Both the contact and her sister were transported to the hospital by emergency units. The contact stated that she sustained injuries on the left side of her body. The contact sustained severe pain on the left shoulder, left arm, left wrist, lower back, on and the neck down to under the shoulder blade. The contact's sister sustained injuries on the right side of the body. The contact sister sustained severe pain in the head, the ear, the right hip, the lower back, the abdomen, and the neck. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11579990

Dec 12, 2019SteeringCrash1 injury

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, A CAR WAS MERGING INTO MY LANE. I QUICKLY TURNED INTO THE NEXT AVAILABLE LANE AS IT WAS EMPTY, AND WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, IT OVERCOMPENSATED AND VIOLENTLY TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, LEADING TO THE CAR SPINNING OUT ON THE FREEWAY. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL AT THAT POINT, UNTIL IT OVERCOMPENSATED TO THE RIGHT CAUSING ME TO SPIN OUT SOME MORE. THIS LED TO AN ACCIDENT, AND IT WAS A MIRACLE NO ONE WAS KILLED. DURING THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT, THE ROAD WAS IN GOOD SHAPE, VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, THE WEATHER WAS GOOD, IT WAS AROUND 60 DEGREES OUTSIDE, I HAD JUST GOT ON TO THE FREEWAY, AND WAS TRAVELLING AROUND 60 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED (I.E. NO SPEEDING), AND I WAS DRIVING WITH MY LEFT ARM (IT IS A MANUAL, AND MY RIGHT HAND WAS NOT ON THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE TIME) AND DUE TO THE POSITIONING (MY LEFT ARM RESTING ON THE ARMREST), IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH TO HAVE SPUN OUT.

NHTSA ODI 11288691

Sep 12, 2019Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CADILLAC ATS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GARAGE. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR ACHES AND PAINS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CADILLAC OF SANTA FE (505-240-6622, LOCATED AT 4450 CERRILLOS RD, SANTA FE, NM 87507) THE PREVIOUS DAY FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE IT STARTED. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE SAME DEALER AFTER THE CRASH AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN FEATURE IN THE VEHICLE THAT FAILED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE SENIOR ADVISER STATED THAT THE PRODUCT DIVISION WOULD BE NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT CALLED BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,000. *DT CONSUMER TRADED IN THE VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11255000

Jun 13, 2019Engine & cooling1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CADILLAC ATS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE LOUD NOISES AND DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RED NOLAND CADILLAC (719-633-4633, LOCATED AT 990 MOTOR CITY DR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80905) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO ONE AVAILABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO ALPINE BUICK GMC SOUTH (719-301-2573, LOCATED AT 1313 MOTOR CITY DR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80905) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE INSPECTED RIGHT AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE DETACHED AND CAUSED CARBON MONOXIDE TO BLOW INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DEALER THAT WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING AROUND LOOKING FOR DEALERS, THE CONTACT BECAME ILL AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE DOCTOR INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER ILLNESS WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL HAD SHE NOT RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO SEND A TOW TRUCK. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A TOW TRUCK, RATHER SPEAK WITH EITHER OF THE DEALERS TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO LEWIS CHEVROLET CADILLAC OF GARDEN CITY (620-275-7171, LOCATED AT 1903 US-50 BUS, GARDEN CITY, KS 67846) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND STATED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE RETRIEVING OR DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 16,700.

NHTSA ODI 11219748

Dec 25, 2018Electrical systemSeatsFire

ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 22ND I WAS GOING TO A CAR MEET. ON MY WAY TO THE MEET I WAS HAVING SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR. THE RADIO AND MY SEATS WERE ACTING WEIRD. THE RADIO WOULD TURN UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF AND THE HEATED SEATS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. I GOT TO THE MEET AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. ON MY WAY HOME I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND ABOUT A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE I STARTED TO SMELL ELECTRICAL BURNING. I WAS PULLING OVER WHEN SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE WHERE FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. I SLAMMED THE CAR IN PARK AND JUMPED OUT JUST IN TIME AS THE CAR WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND BEDFORD FIRE AND POLICE RESPONDED WITHIN MINUTES. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. I'M JUST HAPPY I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.

NHTSA ODI 11163386

Working with the data? Download all 35 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 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 2016 Cadillac ATS verdict →