Most common 2016 Cadillac CTS problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Cadillac CTS complaints by model year
Best CTS years: 2018, 2019, 2017. Years to avoid: 2006, 2005, 2007, 2003. Compare all years →
2016 Cadillac CTS recalls (4)
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.
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.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What 2016 Cadillac CTS owners say
Electrical 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.
The car caught on fire while driving in nyc at speeds of 10-20 MPH first the car started to smoke in the front hood while turning left on 5th avenue. I got out of the car and the car was on flames. I have a dash camera and iphone footage of the incident. I bought this car from an authorized Cadillac dealership in June 2019 and the car caught on fire on christmas day 2019
Transmission & drivetrain
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.
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.
Engine & cooling
The auto stop/start cannot be safe. I almost got t-boned in my first several hundred miles in a new car with this feature. I was at a complete stop and needed to make a left across traffic. I did not realize the delay would be that great and almost got t-boned turning across traffic. The engine hesitates when you're stopped and moving from the brake to the gas. This fraction of a second has to make a difference...the only thing has to be whether it is significant. When turning left across traffic (t-bone) or turning right into traffic (rear end), a fraction of a second is huge. Even if the driver gets used to this over time, friends and family that drive the car too will likely not be accustomed to this delay. Would like to see comparison of t-bone victims and rear end victims of accidents of people with auto stop/start vs drivers who don't have it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Cadillac CTS. While driving at a low rate of speed or stopping, the vehicle made a clanking sound and jerked with a loud noise. While shifting gears automatically, a loud wind noise could be heard through the door jams of the front driver and passenger side doors. Also, the instrument panel lights would fade in and out without warning, the outside temperature display was incorrect, and a tapping noise could be heard coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac of grand forks (located at 2700 s washington st., grand forks, nd 5820[phone]), but the failures could not be duplicated. The front driver and passenger doors have been repaired several times, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the issues and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
2016 Cadillac CTS engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 21 / 30 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 29 / 24 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl supercharged | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Cadillac CTS a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 CTS rates better than average: 74% fewer complaints than a typical year of the CTS at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Cadillac CTS?
The electrical system — 10 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (9) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2016 Cadillac CTS have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2016 Cadillac CTS, the most recent from May 21, 2026 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Cadillac CTS?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2019 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2005, 2007 and 2003. See the full Cadillac CTS years comparison.
At what mileage do 2016 Cadillac CTS problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 84% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.