I bought the car as new with 6711 miles. Around 12000 miles the vehicle wouldn't start. Roadside assistance had to replace the battery on 3 different occasions from 6-28-17 to 8-19-17. The battery was completely down,no cells, can't be charged. The car was parked each time. Dealer and gm couldn't find the problem. No feedback from them. Dealer kept the car from 8-19-17 until 11-1-17.…
2016 Cadillac CTS electrical problems
severe 6 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
6
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
1fire
When does it fail?
Of the 6 electrical complaints filed for the 2016 Cadillac CTS, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 19% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 4 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 8 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 5 most recent
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 Cadillac cue display for radio, info, HVAC, nav, etc. Has begun to crack (aka spiderweb cracks) which has no made the touch screen unusable and begun to degrade vehicle ca0pability. The display frequently blinks and makes emits random audio tones both of which are very distracting while driving and causing a safety hazard.
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.
CUE screen is “cracked”. Can no longer see about 1/2 of back up camera screen. Barely missed backing into my neighbors car.
Had electrical trouble with your 2016 Cadillac CTS?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2016 Cadillac CTS?
It's a meaningful issue. 6 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 6 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 26,000 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/Cadillac/CTS.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.