The 2016 Cadillac Ats has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 163,935 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS26V3290002026-05-214,125 affected
Defect
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
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…
VISIBILITY15V5580002015-09-0396,145 affected
Defect
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
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.
VISIBILITY15V4630002015-07-2463,665 affected
Defect
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…
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.
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN
10
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
6
AIR BAGS
5
1crashes2injuries
STEERING
4
1crashes1injuries
WHEELS
4
ENGINE
3
SERVICE BRAKES
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2
1crashes1injuries
VISIBILITY/WIPER
2
Total complaints45
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Air bag dashboard light is on”
“On 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!!”
“My 2016 cadillac ats coupe has a serious repeating safety defect. The vehicle violently shakes, vibrates, and becomes unstable while driving. This happened twice. Both times the rear bolts came out except one. Both mechanics who inspected it said they have never seen this before. The first time, I…”
“My 2016 cadillac ats coupe has a serious repeating safety defect. The vehicle violently shakes, vibrates, and becomes unstable while driving. This happened twice. Both times the rear bolts came out except one. Both mechanics who inspected it said they have never seen this before. The first time, I…”
“My 2016 cadillac ats coupe has a serious repeating safety defect. The vehicle violently shakes, vibrates, and becomes unstable while driving. This happened twice. Both times the rear bolts came out except one. Both mechanics who inspected it said they have never seen this before. The first time, I…”
“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.”
“The contact owns a 2016 cadillac ats. The contact stated that the message "service air bag" was displayed, and the passenger's side seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure…”
“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…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Cadillac Ats as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.