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2016 Cadillac Cts

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Cadillac Cts do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 19 of 31 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

31 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2022
Power Train

The component that failed on my vehicle is the rear differential. My safety was put at risk by my vehicle hesitating on the highway where I lost speed and was almost rear ended. At that point I had to pull over onto a shoulder with grass to wait on the side of the highway for a tow. My vehicle has been with the dealer for the pa…

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The component that failed on my vehicle is the rear differential. My safety was put at risk by my vehicle hesitating on the highway where I lost speed and was almost rear ended. At that point I had to pull over onto a shoulder with grass to wait on the side of the highway for a tow. My vehicle has been with the dealer for the past 2 months. No warning lights or signals.

NHTSA ODI #11468827

Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2022
Power Train

The component that failed was the rear differential. I had to pull over on a grassy area on the merrit parkway which put my safety at risk. The component has been inspected by the dealer. No warning lamps appeared. I heard a whining sound and a grinding noise.

NHTSA ODI #11461848

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2021
Electrical SystemLane Departure

The side detection light in both side mirrors stays on even when the vehicle is turned off. This may cause an accident while driving The problem is confirmed by the dealer No No

NHTSA ODI #11434935

Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2021
Electrical System

CUE screen is “cracked”. Can no longer see about 1/2 of back up camera screen. Barely missed backing into my neighbors car.

NHTSA ODI #11430899

Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2021
Power Train

A known issue. “Clutch slow to fill” is a defect of the 8 speed transmission that causes the vehicle to violently buck and surge at low speeds and is dangerous as it makes it unreliable when driving at low speeds since it can randomly lunge forward dangerously. Dealership replaced transmission valve body under warranty and flush…

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A known issue. “Clutch slow to fill” is a defect of the 8 speed transmission that causes the vehicle to violently buck and surge at low speeds and is dangerous as it makes it unreliable when driving at low speeds since it can randomly lunge forward dangerously. Dealership replaced transmission valve body under warranty and flushed transmission twice but problem remains. Dealership claims it can be fixed with an “update” but tried to charge over $300 for the “update” when it is a defect that should have been fixed under warranty for free or have a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11424320

Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Cracked CUE screen dealership states not covered under warranty and requesting $1700.00 to replace. My 2016 CTS has only 28,500 miles and has always been kept in the garage since I purchased it new in 2016. I truly feel GM should being covering the cost of replacement on this system on a vehicle that had a $64,000 price tag.

NHTSA ODI #11423114

48,000 miles · Dec 28, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, MY VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER TEMPORARILY. THROTTLE MODULATION DOES NOT INCREASE RPM. AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WILL JERK FORWARD AND BACK AS IF POWER IS BEING PUT DOWN THEN STOPPED ABRUPTLY. ONE TIME I HAD THIS HAPPEN, MY LIGHTS, GAUGES, POWER STEERING, AND ENGINE POWER ALL WENT AWAY. IT FIXED ITSELF AFT…

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WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, MY VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER TEMPORARILY. THROTTLE MODULATION DOES NOT INCREASE RPM. AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WILL JERK FORWARD AND BACK AS IF POWER IS BEING PUT DOWN THEN STOPPED ABRUPTLY. ONE TIME I HAD THIS HAPPEN, MY LIGHTS, GAUGES, POWER STEERING, AND ENGINE POWER ALL WENT AWAY. IT FIXED ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY EXPERIENCE WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #11385311

30,000 miles · Nov 7, 2020
Power Train

WHEN I ACCELERATED THE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT GOT STUCK AND CONTINUED TO REV WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND FELT LIKE I WAS NOT MOVING. RPM CONTINUED TO GO UP BUT NO POWER. OTHER TIMES A VIG BUMP IS FELT WHEN I TAKE FOOT OFF GAS FOR A KOMENT AND WHEN I PLACE IT BACK ON TO ACCELERATE THE BIG BUMP IS FELT. HAVE TAKEN IT T…

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WHEN I ACCELERATED THE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT GOT STUCK AND CONTINUED TO REV WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND FELT LIKE I WAS NOT MOVING. RPM CONTINUED TO GO UP BUT NO POWER. OTHER TIMES A VIG BUMP IS FELT WHEN I TAKE FOOT OFF GAS FOR A KOMENT AND WHEN I PLACE IT BACK ON TO ACCELERATE THE BIG BUMP IS FELT. HAVE TAKEN IT TO CADILLAC SEVICE TWICE AND BOTH TIMES TRANSMISSION WAS REPROGRAMMED BUT IT DID NOT DIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11373601

23,000 miles · Sep 8, 2020
Electrical System

THE CADILLAC CUE DISPLAY FOR RADIO, INFO, HVAC, NAV, ETC. HAS BEGUN TO CRACK (AKA SPIDERWEB CRACKS) WHICH HAS NO MADE THE TOUCH SCREEN UNUSABLE AND BEGUN TO DEGRADE VEHICLE CA0PABILITY. THE DISPLAY FREQUENTLY BLINKS AND MAKES EMITS RANDOM AUDIO TONES BOTH OF WHICH ARE VERY DISTRACTING WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ODI #11353726

48,000 miles · Jul 3, 2020
Unknown Or OtherWheels

AT 45MPH THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SHUDDERS. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. I'VE CHECKED IT ON VERY SMOOTH ROADS TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T THE CONDITON OF THE ROAD CAUSING THE SHUDDER. SOMETIMES, WHEN THE CAR SHIFTS, IT SHIFTS VERY HARD AS IF BEING BUMPED IN THE REAR. I HAD IT CHECKED AND I'M TOLD IT MAY BE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE BUT …

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AT 45MPH THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SHUDDERS. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. I'VE CHECKED IT ON VERY SMOOTH ROADS TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T THE CONDITON OF THE ROAD CAUSING THE SHUDDER. SOMETIMES, WHEN THE CAR SHIFTS, IT SHIFTS VERY HARD AS IF BEING BUMPED IN THE REAR. I HAD IT CHECKED AND I'M TOLD IT MAY BE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE BUT NOT SURE. THE ORIGINAL TIRES ARE ON THE CAR AND AT 48 THOUSAND MILES THEY HAVE WORN EVEN. I'VE HAD THE FRONT END CHECKED FOR ALIGNMENT AND THE FRONT WHEELS BALANCED. THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11337345

Official recalls

4

26V329000 · 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.

25V175000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 20, 2025

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

19V086000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 7, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

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.

18V595000 · Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/cooler

Sep 7, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Cadillac CTS vehicles, equipped with heated front seats. The flexible heating mats in the front seats may be damaged over time, resulting in the seat heaters producing excessive heat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In cold ambient temperatures, the seat heaters in these vehicles can turn on automatically when the vehicle is remotely started. If a damaged seat heater is turned on while no one is inside the vehicle, the damaged seat heater can overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the body control module, disabling the automatic activation of the heated seat when the vehicle is remotely started, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for the recall is 18286.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.