IllustrationMY NEW CADILLAC WITH ONLY 6700 MILES ON IT HAD TO HAVE A BRAND NEW ENGINE PUT IT BECAUSE OF BAD PISTONS. THIS IS A VERY COMMON THING FOR CADILLAC ATS MODELS. IF YOU GO ON THE CADILLAC FORUMS WEBSITE, YOU WILL SEE MANY OTHER CADILLAC OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.
2014 Cadillac Ats
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Ats years
Owner complaints for the 2014 Cadillac Ats are substantially higher than the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ats years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
350–25K
1225–50K
1550–75K
675–100K
5100–150K
3150K+
76 reports with mileage · 28 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports
Engine complaints
14 reportsTHERE HAS BEEN 2 OCCASIONS MY BRAND NEW CAR HAS STALLED AND LOST POWER. BOTH TIMES THE CAR HAS SAT FOR OVER AN HOUR. WHEN I GET INTO VEHICLE IT STARTS UP AND I TAKE OFF. WITHIN A MINUTE THE VEHICLE IS STALLING AND FAILS TO ACCELERATE. EACH TIME I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO CADILLAC AND THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT DID NOT REGIST…
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THERE HAS BEEN 2 OCCASIONS MY BRAND NEW CAR HAS STALLED AND LOST POWER. BOTH TIMES THE CAR HAS SAT FOR OVER AN HOUR. WHEN I GET INTO VEHICLE IT STARTS UP AND I TAKE OFF. WITHIN A MINUTE THE VEHICLE IS STALLING AND FAILS TO ACCELERATE. EACH TIME I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO CADILLAC AND THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT DID NOT REGISTER IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM NOR DOES A TEST DRIVE DISCOVER PROBLEM. THE REAL CONCERN IS IF I'M CROSSING AN INTERSECTION AND THE VEHICLE STALLS AND I'M IN AN ACCIDENT. I DON'T WANT TO BE A STATISTIC WAITING FOR GM TO FIND THIS PROBLEM. *TR
THE "CHECK ENGINE" INDICATOR CAME ON, SOON THEREAFTER, "STABILITRAK" AND "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" INDICATORS CAME ON. TEN MINUTES LATER, THE CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 10-15 MINUTES, THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT STILL ON. CAR WAS REPAIRED AT A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. SERVICE REPR…
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THE "CHECK ENGINE" INDICATOR CAME ON, SOON THEREAFTER, "STABILITRAK" AND "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" INDICATORS CAME ON. TEN MINUTES LATER, THE CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 10-15 MINUTES, THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT STILL ON. CAR WAS REPAIRED AT A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO SOLDER SOME WIRES/TERMINALS BEHIND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL FENDER LINER. A SERVICE BULLETIN (PIE0291B) IDENTIFIED THIS PROBLEM. THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM AROSE IN MID-FEBRUARY. THE REMEDY AT THAT TIME WAS TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. HOPEFULLY, THIS NEW REMEDY WILL WORK NOW THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO ASSIST WITH THE DIAGNOSIS. *TT
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS A TOTAL SHUT DOWN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE EMERGENCY BLINKERS COULD NOT BE ENGAGED, THE CAR COULD NOT BE SHIFTED. THE CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE SHOP, THE DEALER ADVISED ME THE ENGINE FAILED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS PUT INTO THE CAR BY …
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WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS A TOTAL SHUT DOWN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE EMERGENCY BLINKERS COULD NOT BE ENGAGED, THE CAR COULD NOT BE SHIFTED. THE CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE SHOP, THE DEALER ADVISED ME THE ENGINE FAILED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS PUT INTO THE CAR BY THE DEALER. WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR TWO MONTHS. *TR
Official recalls
415V558000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
Sep 3, 2015
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, there is an increased risk of a fire.
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.
15V463000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Jul 24, 2015
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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Because the switch is not recessed, the roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed resulting in unintended auto-closure of the roof panel, increasing the risk of personal injury.
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.
14V446000 · Seats
Jul 23, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.
14V338000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jun 19, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the transmission.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the transmission shift cable detaches while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure the cable is properly seated at the transmission and shifter brackets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early August 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14179.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.