NHTSA vehicle safety data

2016 Cadillac CTS Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2016 Cadillac CTS has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 31 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Cadillac dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2016 Cadillac CTS, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2016 Cadillac CTS owner complaints

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Cadillac CTS, describing incidents dated May 15, 2016 to November 24, 2025.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 10 complaints
Power Train 9 complaints
Engine 4 complaints
Steering 4 complaints
Suspension 4 complaints
Unknown or Other 4 complaints

Of the 31 complaints on file, 1 reports a fire; across all 31 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11703838 · Filed December 8, 2025
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…
ODI #11667214 · Filed June 16, 2025
Message "Shift to Park" even though the car is already in Park, preventing shutting down the car.
ODI #11657637 · Filed April 29, 2025
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…

Read all 31 complaints

Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

NHTSA #26V329000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported May 21, 2026 · General Motors, LLC

Potentially affected: 5,014 vehicles

Completion not yet reported (dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N262555870 · Vehicles built June 8, 2015 – April 23, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the front-driver air bag module, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 19, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N262555870. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026.

Loss of Power Steering Assist

NHTSA #25V175000 · Steering — Electric Power Assist System · NHTSA notice

Reported March 20, 2025 · General Motors, LLC

Potentially affected: 934 vehicles

Repair completion: 46.04% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N252497020 · Owners notified April 15, 2025

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025. Owners may contact Cadilac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252497020.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Loss of Power Steering Assist

NHTSA #19V086000 · Steering — Electric Power Assist System · NHTSA notice

Reported February 7, 2019 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 26,772 vehicles

Repair completion: 84.64% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N182182760 · Owners notified June 13, 2019 · Vehicles built July 1, 2016 – May 24, 2017 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. GM' number for this recall is N182182760.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov

Damaged Seat Heaters Can Cause Fire

NHTSA #18V595000 · Seats — Front Assembly — Seat Heater/Cooler · NHTSA notice

Reported September 7, 2018 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 52,867 vehicles

Repair completion: 87.82% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 18286 · Owners notified November 1, 2018 · Vehicles built June 10, 2013 – July 1, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

In cold ambient temperatures, the seat heaters in these vehicles can turn on automatically when the vehicle is remotely started. If a damaged seat heater is turned on while no one is inside the vehicle, the damaged seat heater can overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the body control module, disabling the automatic activation of the heated seat when the vehicle is remotely started, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for the recall is 18286.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2016 Cadillac CTS 4 DR RWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

10% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional) Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

2016 Cadillac CTS 4 DR AWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

10% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional) Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

31 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Cadillac CTS.

Steering

ODI #11703838

Incident: November 24, 2025 · Filed: December 8, 2025

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.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11667214

Incident: June 7, 2025 · Filed: June 16, 2025

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

Structure

ODI #11657637

1 injury

Incident: June 15, 2021 · Filed: April 29, 2025

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.

Air Bags

ODI #11645750

Incident: February 1, 2025 · Filed: March 1, 2025

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)

Air Bags

ODI #11645131

Incident: February 1, 2025 · Filed: February 26, 2025

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.

Electrical System

ODI #11611649

Incident: August 1, 2024 · Filed: August 29, 2024

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.

Suspension; Power Train

ODI #11563267

Incident: December 4, 2023 · Filed: January 3, 2024

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.

Suspension

ODI #11501662

Incident: October 1, 2022 · Filed: January 13, 2023

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.

Power Train

ODI #11487639

Incident: January 31, 2022 · Filed: October 3, 2022

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.

Power Train; Forward Collision Avoidance

ODI #11470625

Incident: June 16, 2022 · Filed: June 23, 2022

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.

Other Cadillac CTS model years

Check your 2016 Cadillac CTS VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Cadillac CTS at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Cadillac VIN