Total Complaints
4 filings
CADILLAC ATS-V · model year
2016 CADILLAC ATS-V
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016CADILLACATS-V carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 5/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 ATS-V is power train with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and seats (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2016 ATS-V, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated
· Front: Not Rated/5
· Side: 5/5
· Rollover: 5/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190502ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO AVOID A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. GOT A FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND STABLITRACK LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY GOT P0300 CODE. HAD TO REPLACE THE PISTON AND RINGS. ONLY 70250 MILES AND GM WOULD NOT COMPLETELY COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, I HAD TO PAY $1000.
Mileage: 70,250
20181225FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 22ND I WAS GOING TO A CAR MEET. ON MY WAY TO THE MEET I WAS HAVING SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR. THE RADIO AND MY SEATS WERE ACTING WEIRD. THE RADIO WOULD TURN UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF AND THE HEATED SEATS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. I GOT TO THE MEET AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. ON MY WAY HOME I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND ABOUT A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE I STARTED TO SMELL ELECTRICAL BURNING. I WAS PULLING OVER WHEN SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE WHERE FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. I SLAMMED THE CAR IN PARK AND JUMPED OUT JUST IN TIME AS THE CAR WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND BEDFORD FIRE AND POLICE RESPONDED WITHIN MINUTES. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. I'M JUST HAPPY I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
Mileage: 24,000
20181225FireSEATS
ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 22ND I WAS GOING TO A CAR MEET. ON MY WAY TO THE MEET I WAS HAVING SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR. THE RADIO AND MY SEATS WERE ACTING WEIRD. THE RADIO WOULD TURN UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF AND THE HEATED SEATS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. I GOT TO THE MEET AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. ON MY WAY HOME I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND ABOUT A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE I STARTED TO SMELL ELECTRICAL BURNING. I WAS PULLING OVER WHEN SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE WHERE FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. I SLAMMED THE CAR IN PARK AND JUMPED OUT JUST IN TIME AS THE CAR WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND BEDFORD FIRE AND POLICE RESPONDED WITHIN MINUTES. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. I'M JUST HAPPY I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
Mileage: 24,000
20181024POWER TRAIN
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SLOWLY OR IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGH BETWEEN THE LOWER GEARS ON UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS AND WILL HOLD A GEAR HANGING WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE OR ACCELERATE AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RAPIDLY LUNGE FORWARD AND CAUSE A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT AS IT BECOMES HARD TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES SUDDENLY
Mileage: 25,000
Compare 2016CADILLACATS-V to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-View Camera Failure
PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
EQ11001EQClosed
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V have?▼
The 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V?▼
The 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V?▼
The most-complained component for the 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SEATS.
Is the 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 CADILLAC ATS-V has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.