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2016 Cadillac Ats Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

45 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.71 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical15V558000

Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System

If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, there is an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious15V463000

Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly

Because the switch is not recessed, the roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed resulting in unintended auto-closure of the roof panel, raises the risk of personal injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Serious26V329000

Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

45 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
0Fires
6Injuries
0Deaths

Across 45 complaints. Severity Index 0.71.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train10 · 22%Electrical System6 · 13%Air Bags5 · 11%Wheels4 · 9%Steering4 · 9%Engine3 · 7%Unknown Or Other2 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control2 · 4%
  1. Power Train — 10 reports
  2. Electrical System — 6 reports
  3. Air Bags — 5 reports
  4. Wheels — 4 reports
  5. Steering — 4 reports
  6. Engine — 3 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 2 reports
  8. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  9. Service Brakes — 2 reports
  10. Visibility/Wiper — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2013 (6) · 2014 (4) · 2015 (4) · 2016 · 2017 (2) · 2018 (2) · 2019

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.