CADILLAC CTS · model year

2016 CADILLAC CTS

47 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 CTS is electrical system with 10 filings, followed by power train (9) and engine (4). 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. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2016 CTS, 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.

47
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
2016 CADILLAC CTS — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2016 CADILLAC CTS. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 5.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 5.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

47 filings

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: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 5/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 5/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
POWER TRAIN9
ENGINE4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
STEERING4
SUSPENSION4
WHEELS2
AIR BAGS2
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SERVICE BRAKES1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION1
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1

Recalls (3)

25V17500020/03/2025

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.

18V59500007/09/2018

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.

19V08600007/02/2019

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.

Recent Complaints

20251208STEERING

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

20250616UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Message "Shift to Park" even though the car is already in Park, preventing shutting down the car.

20250429STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

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

20250301AIR BAGS

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)

20250226AIR BAGS

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

20240829ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

20240103POWER TRAIN

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.

20240103SUSPENSION

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.

20230113SUSPENSION

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

20221003POWER TRAIN

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.

20220623POWER TRAIN

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.

20220623FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

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.

20220612POWER TRAIN

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.

20220422POWER TRAIN

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.

20210929ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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

20210929LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

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

20210929LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

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

20210829ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CUE screen is “cracked”. Can no longer see about 1/2 of back up camera screen. Barely missed backing into my neighbors car.

20210711POWER TRAIN

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.

20210701UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Compare 2016CADILLACCTS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 CADILLAC CTS have?
The 2016 CADILLAC CTS has 47 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 CADILLAC CTS?
The 2016 CADILLAC CTS received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 5/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 5/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 CADILLAC CTS?
Yes, the 2016 CADILLAC CTS has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 CADILLAC CTS?
The most-complained component for the 2016 CADILLAC CTS is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE.
Is the 2016 CADILLAC CTS 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 CTS has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. 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.