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2016 Cadillac CTS

Gas
Midsize Cars
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
61 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA31
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
2019201820172016

The 2016 Cadillac CTS is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CTS Sedan, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 31 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
CTS SedanGasRWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo213025$3,100
CTS SedanGasRWD3.6L 6-cyl202924$2,600
CTS Sedan AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212924$3,250
CTS Sedan AWDGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl192722$2,850
CTS SedanGasRWD3.6L 6-cyl turbo162419$4,100
CTS-VGasRWD6.2L 8-cyl142117$4,550

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36746, 36747, 36580, 36899, 36745, 36748.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Cadillac CTS is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

N262555870
5,014 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskAn inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.FixDealers 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 campaign 26V329000reported May 21, 2026General Motors, LLC
▲high

Steering

N252497020
934 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskA loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 25V175000reported Mar 20, 2025General Motors, LLC
▲high

Steering

N182182760
26,772 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskLoss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.FixGM 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V086000reported Feb 7, 2019General Motors LLC
!critical

Seats

18286
52,867 vehicles
ProblemGeneral 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.RiskIn 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.FixGM 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V595000reported Sep 7, 2018General Motors LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
31complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 5

Most-cited components

Electrical System10
Power Train9
Engine4
Unspecified4
Steering4
Suspension4

What owners describe

“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 rel…”Dec 8, 2025 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“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 o…”Apr 29, 2025 · Structure · NHTSA owner report
“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…”Mar 1, 2025 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
4 DR RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
4 DR RWDnot ratednot rated★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other CTS model years

A

2019 Cadillac CTS

0 recalls · 10 complaints

B

2018 Cadillac CTS

2 recalls · 8 complaints

B

2017 Cadillac CTS

2 recalls · 27 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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