2016 Cadillac ELR

Plug-in hybrid

Subcompact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

100 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns0

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA4

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA32 mpg

2016

The 2016 Cadillac ELR is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid compact car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the ELR, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 4 complaints, most often about the air bags.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
ELR	Plug-in hybrid	FWD	1.4L 4-cyl + 55 and 174kW 3-Phase AC	31	33	32 (55 MPGe blended)	40 mi electric	39	5 h	$2,400
ELR Sport	Plug-in hybrid	FWD	1.4L 4-cyl + 55 and 174kW 3-Phase AC	28	33	30 (50 MPGe blended)	36 mi electric	43	5 h	$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36862, 37131.

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Recalls (0)

Source: NHTSA recall database

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 Cadillac ELR. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

4complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2024: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Air Bags5

Seats1

What owners describe

“The passenger occupancy sensor has failed on my 2016 ELR after 14k miles. The part is no longer available (23504893). I've inquired with General Motors and they said they could not help me. This seems to be a 1year only part used only on the Cadillac ELR. I believe this is an integral part of the Air Bag safety system …”Mar 25, 2026 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

“Initial repair of the vehicle was initiated on 9/12/25 due to a dashboard warning message indicating an air bag system fault. The Cadillac dealership was unable to complete the repair during the initial service visit. The vehicle was returned to the dealership in October 2025 and has remained there since that time. The…”Dec 23, 2025 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

“Vehicle is producing a "Service Airbag" warning message and red airbag light on the instrument cluster at each start. The problem code 'U0170' is found which correlates to 'Lost Communication With Passenger Presence Module'. The dealer advised that the part is discontinued and no longer available. The needed Part Numbe…”Sep 3, 2025 · Air Bags · 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

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

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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