IllustrationAir bag dashboard light is 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
Air Bags complaints
5 reportsThe 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 mileage was unknown.
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 vehicle to crash into another vehicle.…
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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 vehicle to crash into another vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was hit three times and spun onto the median, where the vehicle continued to spin until it hit the fence. The contact stated that her sister was occupying the front passenger's seat at the time of the accident. The air bags failed to deploy. Both the contact and her sister were transported to the hospital by emergency units. The contact stated that she sustained injuries on the left side of her body. The contact sustained severe pain on the left shoulder, left arm, left wrist, lower back, on and the neck down to under the shoulder blade. The contact's sister sustained injuries on the right side of the body. The contact sister sustained severe pain in the head, the ear, the right hip, the lower back, the abdomen, and the neck. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
When driving, I accidentaley hit a curb on the front left rim and the side air bags deployed. There was no damage to vehicle other than hitting the rim. I want to know if there is a recall on this or if there has been any other incidents of this kind. The only deployed air bags were the side ones by the windows The front air bag…
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When driving, I accidentaley hit a curb on the front left rim and the side air bags deployed. There was no damage to vehicle other than hitting the rim. I want to know if there is a recall on this or if there has been any other incidents of this kind. The only deployed air bags were the side ones by the windows The front air bags did not deploy. I need answers to why the car deplyed air bags when it was a curb check and no physical damage to the car? Is there any recalls on this?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CADILLAC ATS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT PLACED A MOBILE PHONE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (HENNESSY CADILLAC LOCATED AT 3377 SATELLITE BLVD, DULUTH, GA 30096; (770) 680-7000) WHO STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A REMEDY…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CADILLAC ATS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT PLACED A MOBILE PHONE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (HENNESSY CADILLAC LOCATED AT 3377 SATELLITE BLVD, DULUTH, GA 30096; (770) 680-7000) WHO STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. UPDATED 08/30/17*LJ
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.