Total Complaints
47 filings
CADILLAC CTS · model year
47 NHTSA complaints, and 4 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016CADILLACCTS carries 47 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 5/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2016 CTS is electrical system with 10 filings, followed by power train (9) and engine (4). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2016 CTS, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
47 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 |
| POWER TRAIN | 9 |
| ENGINE | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| SUSPENSION | 4 |
| WHEELS | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION | 1 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING | 1 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Cadillac CTS vehicles, equipped with heated front seats. The flexible heating mats in the front seats may be damaged over time, resulting in the seat heaters producing excessive heat.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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.
The contact owns 2016 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V175000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 93,942.
Mileage: 93,942
Message "Shift to Park" even though the car is already in Park, preventing shutting down the car.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the carbon fiber-optic piece on the rear passenger door was fractured. The contact stated the occupant was exiting the rear passenger's door when the occupant was stabbed by the carbon fiber-optic piece. The contact stated that the occupant was stabbed in the back of the right arm. No medical attention was needed. The contact stated that the carbon fiber optic pieces on all four of the door panels and the glove compartment had been replaced several times. The contact stated the glove compartment carbon fiber optic piece was replaced three times. In addition, the contact stated that the carbon fiber optic pieces on each door panel had been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Mileage: 20,000
The passenger side airbag stays illuminated after the vehicle is started and continues to stay on as the vehicle is driven, never going off. General Motors have not issued a recall on this safety problem with the 2016 Cadillac CTS. My [XXX] address [XXX] . My phone number is [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact's relative owns a 2016 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag inflator needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 49,790.
Mileage: 49,790
Center console screen again has stopped working, no access to settings for the car nor any way to correct settings at this point. Many of the settings can be critical to safe driving of the car and have no manual alternative. This is the second screen in 50k miles.
Rear differential failed @ 44,600 miles. Dealer said car was unsafe to drive. Dealer unable to obtain replacement after 30 days. Internet search shows this to be a known issue.
Rear differential failed @ 44,600 miles. Dealer said car was unsafe to drive. Dealer unable to obtain replacement after 30 days. Internet search shows this to be a known issue.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds the rear end of the vehicle lowered. There was an abnormal roaring noise detected from the wheels. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that the failure was due to the run flat tires. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the differential was not properly lubricated; and informed him not to drive the vehicle. The parts to repair the vehicle was on back order. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Mileage: 60,000
Torque converter shudders and jerks abruptly. There’s trouble slowing down at times and it has a difficult time shifting up or shifting down i gears.
I have 2 complaints. #1 The transmission shifts extremely hard in and out of gear 1. This issue a known issue, but GM has no resolution. There is a bulletin. The problem is, my car is no shifting poorly in all gears and causing a serious safety issue at all speeds and gears. It won't go into gear causing safety concerns. I have reported the transmission issue multiple times while under warranty and it is now worse outside of warranty! #2 Adaptive cruise has also been reported multiple times and I have paid to get both front sensors replaced. Only to have the issue continue. The dash will show a car is in the path, but there is a 2-3 second delay before car starts to slow down. Often brakes do not engage and the alarms just go off. I have driven a loaner car of similar years and they do not operate the same. This car is an outlier.
I have 2 complaints. #1 The transmission shifts extremely hard in and out of gear 1. This issue a known issue, but GM has no resolution. There is a bulletin. The problem is, my car is no shifting poorly in all gears and causing a serious safety issue at all speeds and gears. It won't go into gear causing safety concerns. I have reported the transmission issue multiple times while under warranty and it is now worse outside of warranty! #2 Adaptive cruise has also been reported multiple times and I have paid to get both front sensors replaced. Only to have the issue continue. The dash will show a car is in the path, but there is a 2-3 second delay before car starts to slow down. Often brakes do not engage and the alarms just go off. I have driven a loaner car of similar years and they do not operate the same. This car is an outlier.
The component that failed on my vehicle is the rear differential. My safety was put at risk by my vehicle hesitating on the highway where I lost speed and was almost rear ended. At that point I had to pull over onto a shoulder with grass to wait on the side of the highway for a tow. My vehicle has been with the dealer for the past 2 months. No warning lights or signals.
The component that failed was the rear differential. I had to pull over on a grassy area on the merrit parkway which put my safety at risk. The component has been inspected by the dealer. No warning lamps appeared. I heard a whining sound and a grinding noise.
The side detection light in both side mirrors stays on even when the vehicle is turned off. This may cause an accident while driving The problem is confirmed by the dealer No No
The side detection light in both side mirrors stays on even when the vehicle is turned off. This may cause an accident while driving The problem is confirmed by the dealer No No
The side detection light in both side mirrors stays on even when the vehicle is turned off. This may cause an accident while driving The problem is confirmed by the dealer No No
CUE screen is “cracked”. Can no longer see about 1/2 of back up camera screen. Barely missed backing into my neighbors car.
A known issue. “Clutch slow to fill” is a defect of the 8 speed transmission that causes the vehicle to violently buck and surge at low speeds and is dangerous as it makes it unreliable when driving at low speeds since it can randomly lunge forward dangerously. Dealership replaced transmission valve body under warranty and flushed transmission twice but problem remains. Dealership claims it can be fixed with an “update” but tried to charge over $300 for the “update” when it is a defect that should have been fixed under warranty for free or have a recall.
Cracked CUE screen dealership states not covered under warranty and requesting $1700.00 to replace. My 2016 CTS has only 28,500 miles and has always been kept in the garage since I purchased it new in 2016. I truly feel GM should being covering the cost of replacement on this system on a vehicle that had a $64,000 price tag.
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
Rear-View Camera Failure
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2016 CADILLAC CTS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.