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2016 Cadillac ATS

Gas
Compact Cars
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
71 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA32
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA26 mpg
2019201820172016

The 2016 Cadillac ATS is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the ATS, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 32 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
ATSGasRWD2.5L 4-cyl223226$2,400
ATSGasRWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223125$3,100
ATS AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223025$3,100
ATSGasRWD3.6L 6-cyl202924$2,600
ATSGasRWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202823$3,350
ATS AWDGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl192722$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36818, 36733, 36563, 36735, 36734, 36889.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Cadillac ATS is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

N262555870
5,014 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskAn inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 26V329000reported May 21, 2026General Motors, LLC
!critical

Visibility

15299
96,145 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskIf the coil antenna generates excessive heat, there is an increased risk of a fire.FixGM 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.
NHTSA campaign 15V558000reported Sep 3, 2015General Motors LLC
●moderate

Visibility

15568
63,665 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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."RiskBecause 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.FixGM 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.
NHTSA campaign 15V463000reported Jul 24, 2015General Motors LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
32complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Power Train10
Electrical System6
Air Bags5
Wheels4
Steering4
Engine3

What owners describe

“NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V558000 Rear Defogger Coil Antenna Module may Overheat If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, not sure what is happening but car does seem to overheat off and on especially when radio is turned on”Jun 17, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“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!!”May 3, 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“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 paid $4,000 out of po…”Nov 24, 2025 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
4 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other ATS model years

A

2019 Cadillac ATS

0 recalls · 2 complaints

C

2018 Cadillac ATS

2 recalls · 21 complaints

B

2017 Cadillac ATS

2 recalls · 32 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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