IllustrationNHTSA 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 turned on
2016 Cadillac Ats
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Cadillac Ats do not stand out strongly from 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
Limited mileage data: 16 of 32 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
Power Train complaints
10 reportsOn 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!!
When driving at around 40-50mph you can feel that the car has a shudder vibration. Took the car into Cadillac where they are informing me that it is the torque converter that needs replacement. No warning lights. If not fixed can lead to transmission failure.
I’ve only had this vehicle for about 2 years now. I purchased it off of Carvana and had 30 days I could’ve returned the vehicle if there was issues. When I first got it, I noticed the vehicles gas pedal would shutter a tad while going up a hill or at a higher speed like on the highway. It would also jolt a little while taking of…
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I’ve only had this vehicle for about 2 years now. I purchased it off of Carvana and had 30 days I could’ve returned the vehicle if there was issues. When I first got it, I noticed the vehicles gas pedal would shutter a tad while going up a hill or at a higher speed like on the highway. It would also jolt a little while taking off but when I took it to the dealership they were saying everything is normal and I believed everything was fine since there was no lights on the dash, it was my first time ever buying a car myself, and I had no reason not to trust them. The vehicle is now at a little less than 85,000 miles and I can’t drive it because of how bad it’s jerking, I did a little more research and come to find out this is a huge issue with GMs vehicles transmissions within that years range however my vehicle in particular isn’t on that list. The CTS and i believe even a few ATS Vs were on there but mine is doing the same exact behaviors as they’re describing. If there’s any way you guys can help me out it would honestly be a blessing
Transmission drags. When stopping the car jerks bad and sometimes proceeds to accelerate. When at a stop auto start has a hard jerk I reported this problem to Cadillac dealership when I first got the car. They claim they couldn't find an issue. The touch pad goes out frequently.
WHILE ARRIVING AT STOP LIGHTS THE CADDILLAC ROUGHLY SHIFTS DOWN JOLTING THE WHOLE VEHICLE. AROUND 1500 RPMS WHETHER ITS SITTING OR JUST PASSING 1500 RPMS THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHUTTERS AND VIBRATES AGGRESIVELY UNTIL AROUND 2000 RPM. RPMS JUMP UP AND DOWN BETWEEN 1000 AND 3000 RPMS
AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE ENTIRE CAR IS VIBRATING. ENGINE RPM IS BETWEEN 1000 AND 1500. RESPONSE IS UNPREDICTABLE. THE CAR MAY SPEED UP OR ATTEMPT TO STALL. VERY DANGEROUS ENTERING HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC SITUATIONS OR ACCELERATING IN LOCAL TRAFFIC.
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 VE…
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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
TAKEN MULTIPLE TIMES TO DEALER FOR TRANSMISSION ISSUES. GM HAS REPLACED IT AT 17475 MILES. MORE TRIPS FOR ISSUES WITH NEW TRANSMISSION. IMPROPER SHIFTING, HARD DOWN SHIFTING, HOLDING RPM GEAR LONGER THAN NORMAL.
VEHICLE TENDS TO DO A HARD DOWN SHIFT WHEN IT'S AROUND 10-15 MPH AND IT WILL FEEL LIKE SOMEONE HIT YOUR CAR FROM BEHIND. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP 10-15 MPH VEHICLE WILL STALL SOMETIMES.
Official recalls
326V329000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
May 21, 2026
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
15V558000 · 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.
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.