- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- —
- combined
Open recalls on record
4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Cadillac CTS
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 31
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 18V595000high
Safety restraint issue
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.
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 19V086000high
Steering issue
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.
Consequence
Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 25V175000high
Steering issue
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.
Consequence
A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 26V329000high
Airbag system issue
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.
Consequence
An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Cadillac CTS.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.1%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2016 Cadillac CTS 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.1% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.
The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.
Consumer complaints
31 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 31
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE12
- ELECTRICAL5
- STEERING3
- OTHER3
- AIR BAGS2
Notable Issues
31 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Cadillac CTS, newest first.
- Recall
An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Unknown
- Drive type
- Unknown
- Engine
- 0L 0-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Unknown
- Seats
- 0
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.