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.
2013-2019 · 7 model years
Cadillac ATS Problems by year
Owners have filed 387 complaints about the Cadillac ATS across 7 model years, and it has 11 recalls. The 2013 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (161), while 2019 has far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain, followed by the electrical system.
- Complaints
- 387
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes
- 21
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 25
- Deaths
- 0
ATS complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common ATS problems
Cadillac ATS recalls 11
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.
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel...
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...
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...
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac ATS and CTS vehicles. The affected vehicles have a bracket between the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the brakes that may fracture during normal brake pedal operation.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and...
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook...
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission...
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model...
Latest ATS complaints
NHTSA: 14V338 Date Issued: 2014-06-18 Transmission shifter cable detach from Transmission. Vehicle will not change gears. Contacted GM 10/22/26 9:52am est spoke with Terran, GM states no details of any repairs, shows inspected 07/15/2014, unable to assist with repairs due to outside of timeframe. My research shows no timeframe or milage limits for this specific recall. GM has done no repairs for this recall.
My 2017 Cadillac ATS had the Electric Power Steering failed and I found a recall for the same year make and model went to the dealer and they said my vin isn't part of that recall but this vehicle has 49K miles and there was no reason it failed. They need to expand the recall.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V329000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted by phone, and the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive.
The vehicle has suffered a severe mechanical failure of the rear differential assembly, rendering it completely undrivable. This mechanical failure is a direct result of a known manufacturer defect documented in General Motors Technical Service Bulletin PIP5898/PIP5898B, regarding misoriented factory side bearing retaining snap rings that block internal oil ports, leading to fluid leaks, severe fluid starvation, and eventual component seizure. The component failure poses an extreme safety hazard to myself and...
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other motorist. When a rear differential suffers catastrophic failure, this is known to cause the rear wheels and tires to lock up completely while driving leading to immediate loss of vehicle control, skidding, and high risk of high speed rear-end or rollover crash. General Motors has acknowledged this defect internally via technical bulletins but has failed to issue a safety recall to protect consumers from the catastrophic locking risk. I am filing this complaint to request that NHTSA open a formal defect investigation into the 2018 Cadillac ATS rear axle assembly.
In August 2026, at approximately 99,639 miles, my 2014 Cadillac ATS was taken to an authorized Cadillac dealership for service. During the inspection, the dealership discovered and diagnosed a leaking right rear axle shaft seal. I was not aware of the leak beforehand and did not receive a warning light or message indicating the condition. The dealership's written repair order states that the right rear axle shaft seal was leaking and that the right rear axle seal was replaced. The repair was completed at my...
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expense. I have the dealership repair order and invoice documenting the diagnosis, mileage, parts replaced, and repair. After the repair, I researched this issue and found other NHTSA consumer complaints involving rear axle/differential seal leakage on 2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles. I also found GM manufacturer communications addressing rear axle leakage on certain Cadillac ATS vehicles. I am reporting this failure so NHTSA has a record of another rear axle seal leak involving a Cadillac ATS and can determine whether this condition may represent a broader defect or safety trend. I do not know the specific underlying cause of the seal failure and am not asserting that it has been established as the same cause as any other reported vehicle. The failed seal was replaced by the dealership. Documentation of the diagnosis and repair is available upon request.
My 2014 Cadillac ATS experienced a transmission shift cable/linkage failure. After driving normally, I pulled into my garage and moved the shifter to Park. The physical shifter was in Park, but the instrument cluster continued to indicate Drive (D). The vehicle would not recognize Park, the shifter became stuck, and the vehicle would not restart because the transmission was still being detected as being in Drive. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Cadillac dealership for diagnosis. The dealership confirmed...
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that the range selector lever cable had detached from the shift shaft. Their written diagnosis states that the plastic retainers securing the cable failed, causing the shifter to show the wrong drive mode. The dealer recommended replacement of the range selector lever cable. I later learned that this vehicle was previously subject to GM Safety Recall 14179 / NHTSA Recall 14V-338 concerning the automatic transmission shift cable. GM records show the recall was completed in 2014 through inspection; I was informed that no replacement part was installed at that time because none was required. I am reporting this because the vehicle has now experienced a shift cable/linkage detachment that appears similar to the failure condition addressed by that recall. This created a safety concern because the physical shifter position did not correspond with the transmission gear indicated/engaged, and the vehicle could not reliably be placed in Park. The vehicle and failed condition have been inspected and documented by an authorized Cadillac dealership. Dealer documentation and video of the diagnosis are available.
Questions about the Cadillac ATS
Which Cadillac ATS years have the most problems?
Which Cadillac ATS years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Cadillac ATS problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the transmission & drivetrain (104), electrical system (77), engine & cooling (75) most often.
How many recalls does the Cadillac ATS have?
NHTSA lists 11 recalls across all Cadillac ATS model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data