The 2016 Cadillac Cts has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 84,698 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. 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…
STEERING25V1750002025-03-20934 affected
Defect
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
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.
STEERING19V0860002019-02-0726,772 affected
Defect
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
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.
SEATS18V5950002018-09-0752,867 affected
Defect
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
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…
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
1fires
POWER TRAIN
9
ENGINE
4
STEERING
4
SUSPENSION
4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
4
AIR BAGS
2
WHEELS
2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
1fires
Total complaints47
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns 2016 cadillac cts. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not…”
“Message "shift to park" even though the car is already in park, preventing shutting down the car.”
“The contact's relative owns a 2016 cadillac cts. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 mph, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag inflator needed to be replaced.…”
“The passenger side airbag stays illuminated after the vehicle is started and continues to stay on as the vehicle is driven, never going off. General motors have not issued a recall on this safety problem with the 2016 cadillac cts. My [xxx] address [xxx] . My phone number is [xxx] . Information…”
“Center console screen again has stopped working, no access to settings for the car nor any way to correct settings at this point. Many of the settings can be critical to safe driving of the car and have no manual alternative. This is the second screen in 50k miles.”
“Rear differential failed @ 44,600 miles. Dealer said car was unsafe to drive. Dealer unable to obtain replacement after 30 days. Internet search shows this to be a known issue.”
“Rear differential failed @ 44,600 miles. Dealer said car was unsafe to drive. Dealer unable to obtain replacement after 30 days. Internet search shows this to be a known issue.”
“The contact owns a 2016 cadillac cts. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds the rear end of the vehicle lowered. There was an abnormal roaring noise detected from the wheels. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed 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 Cts as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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