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Engine & cooling

Cadillac ATS Engine problems by year

75 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Cadillac ATS's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Engine complaints by model year

YearEngine complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
20191000
20181000
20173000
20165010
20151000
201415000
201349100

Latest ATS engine complaints

2015 Cadillac ATSEngine & coolingFuel system

Fuel and/or combustion problem leading to excessive emissions at unpredictable times. I mean so much smoke suddenly comes out that the driver behind can't see, and it seems the car may be on fire.

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11733655
2013 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

Found metal shavings in oil after 13 visits to 3 different dealerships. Engine had to be replaced. Under 100,000 mikes with a service contract

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11664360
2017 Cadillac ATSSteeringEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle became difficult to maneuver, with the service power steering message displayed. In addition, the contact stated there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle functioned...

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normally. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Incident Steering · EngineNHTSA 11647373
2013 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the A/c was independently turned off due to engine overheating. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant, but the engine continued overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While...

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driving at an undisclosed speed, the stability track and engine warning lights illuminated and started flashing. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 25 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the same independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had misfired over 40,000 times. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 191,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11645927
2013 Cadillac ATSElectrical systemBrakesEngine & cooling

I'm writing here to state that the Cadillac with this VIN [[redacted]] IS A FRAUDULENT SALE my husband and I have experienced. The car show no damages on CarFax but when we took the car to a certified Cadillac dealership they said they were shocked we could even drive it. The catalytic Converter is completely missing along with several other computer systems issues. The car jumps up and down when you drive it, feels like horseback riding more than a car ride. Cadillac denied working on the car and advised us not...

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to drive it at all Every single warning light that could be on the dash/odometer lit up approx 5mins of being on the highway. Throw the car in the junkyard where it belongs! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakes · EngineNHTSA 11644330
2016 Cadillac ATSTransmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

Transmission drags. When stopping the car jerks bad and sometimes proceeds to accelerate. When at a stop auto start has a hard jerk I reported this problem to Cadillac dealership when I first got the car. They claim they couldn't find an issue. The touch pad goes out frequently.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11575697
2014 Cadillac ATSTransmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

My engine RPM would randomly lock to 4000 rpms while driving, i could rev the car or apply the brakes but it will sit their until it decides to respond. This has happened a few times and mostly down hill and flats. Difficult to replicate. Cooling system has been a plague at around 80k miles i've had to replace a clamp at the back near the water outlet flange which i was quoted $2000 for just the labor alone as the engine would need to be removed.And the water pump failed at around 82000 miles. Also plagued with P06DE "Engine Oil Pressure Control Circuit Stuck On" error code a few times now.

Filed Incident Power train · EngineNHTSA 11575648
2017 Cadillac ATSElectrical systemAirbagsEngine & cooling

My air bag light randomly appeared and has been on for at about year now the dealership wants me to pay a ridiculous amount of money for all of these safety hazards including to fix my "airbag sensor" when I have never used the airbags. I am the one and only owner of the car which I purchased directly from the Ed Morse bayview Cadillac dealership. Faulty airbags and or sensors are a huge safety hazard. I need to know my airbags are working correctly as well as the sensors not only for my safety but as well as my...

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child. My car has recently been diagnosed with serious transmission problems which include a vibration at 50 mph shuddering erratically and frequently to the point it is scary to drive. the transmission going out could cause me to get into an accident or be stuck in the road and put into danger which is another safety hazard. Lastly, The electric CUE screen is supposed to be used for safety for many reasons which include hands-free directions when you are lost and can use gps without having to use your phone while driving. You need the CUE screen to be able to access the radio for alerts and warnings. You need the CUE screen to able to use your phone hands-free to prevent accidents. The CUE screen is defective. The screens they use cannot withstand the heat and they sell you the car knowing the screens don't last and will crack and no longer have the touch screen ability to control or use any of the features for our safety.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Air bags · EngineNHTSA 11566405
2013 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light or while slowing to approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine and driver's assist warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the motive power was reduced and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the power steering failed to function as needed. The contact arrived at her destination and after restarting the...

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vehicle, the power steering functionality returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed that the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11472813
2013 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 cadillac ats. The contact stated that the vehicle had a faulty catalytic converter. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was informed of failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was outside of the warranty period. The failure mileage was approximately 103,200.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11390690
2016 Cadillac ATSTransmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

While arriving at stop lights the caddillac roughly shifts down jolting the whole vehicle. Around 1500 rpms whether its sitting or just passing 1500 rpms the whole vehicle shutters and vibrates aggresively until around 2000 rpm. Rpms jump up and down between 1000 and 3000 rpms

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11383582
2013 Cadillac ATSAcceleration & cruise controlDriver assistanceEngine & cooling

When I was driving on the highway my car started to move like it was going to quit on me, I get my car serviced frequently and have replaced the sparkplugs and coil, changed all the gaskets, and I almost got into an accident because the stabilititrack light came on and car did not want to work as it should. This is the second time this has happened.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Electronic stability control (ESC) · EngineNHTSA 11339389
2016 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

There was a shudder to the vehicle while in motion and it lurches forward like it skips gears when going from reverse into drive and often from increase speed

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11337876
2019 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

The engine stopped itself when I was at a complete stop at a traffic signal. After a few minutes I was able to start the engine again. It did this three times in the space of an hour. Always at a complete stop.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11337683
2013 Cadillac ATSEngine & cooling

Timing cover is leaking oil from the gasket which is a very common problem according to other 2013 ats 2.0 Owners. And when it leaks a massive amount of oil like it does the engine can seize up on the highway could and can result in an accident. The car only has 47,000 miles. *Tr

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11330474

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

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