Cadillac ATS reliability by year
6 recalls and 378 owner complaints across 7 model years. Best year to buy: 2018. Year to avoid: 2016.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 7 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the ATS aggregated across 7 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Cadillac ATS?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2018 Cadillac ATS scores 8.6/10 — the strongest in the 2013–2019 range. 21 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Cadillac ATS year should I avoid?
The 2016 Cadillac ATS scores 7.4/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 33 owner complaints with NHTSA, 3 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2016 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Cadillac ATS should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2014 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 25 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 41,000–89,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2018, 2017, 2015, 2016, 2013. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Cadillac ATS are tracked?
7 model years (2013 through 2019) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 6 recalls and 378 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Cadillac ATS?
powertrain is the most-reported category — 89 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $2,500.