2013 Cadillac Ats: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 160 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (23% of complaints); the 2015 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2015
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 160 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I was in a vehicle accident on 9-26-25 and was t-boned. The other driver hit me at 35-45 after she blew the stopping, I was hit on the driver side pillar and back driver door. My air bags never deployed and I was trapped inside the car until the fire department was on scene”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2025
“Car keeps cutting off, when put in neutral, or just cutting on RPM goes up then goes down and cut off, when driving car starts off slow then speed up. put a new fuel pump in the car.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2025
“My Vehicle will shift out of gear but will not move and there is a rattling sound when the gear is tried to be put back in park and rest of gears”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“Found metal shavings in oil after 13 visits to 3 different dealerships. Engine had to be replaced. Under 100,000 mikes with a service contract”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2024
“The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V338000 (Power Train). The contact discovered that the recall was repaired, however, the failure occurred. The contact's husband was parked in the vehicle while shifting into drive, and the gear shifter became stuck in between park and drive. The contact turned the vehicle off; however, the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with automatic transmission control shift cable detachment. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2024
“Took it in 2 weeks ago for an oil changed and they replaced a camshaft solenoid saying that was causing my issues. I had to take it back yesterday and now they're telling me it's a torque converter or a transmission and it's going to cost me $3,500. After reviewing I think have GM has a lot of issues with this component . GM was aware of the situation and never fixed it. As I read through the technical Bulletin due to the cost so they have the consumers pick up the cost.”Owner report · Power Train · Nov 2023
“Greetings! I hope this message finds you in great health and spirits. I am experiencing an issue with the transmission linkage cable on my 2013 Cadillac ATS Luxury. There was a product safety recall issued in 2014 - recall bulletin 14179A. I purchased this vehicle in January 2015. I took it to a local Cadillac dealership and they found that I need a new cable. They stated the issue was repaired in 2014, before I owned the vehicle, and they have refused to fix the issue at no cost to me. If the cable was replaced with the same part that has deemed defective and the recall does not expire, this should be resolved at the manufacturer's expense.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Oct 2023
“The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and attempting to shift into drive, the vehicle failed to shift out of park. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V338000 (Power Train), and the VIN was included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired under the recall by the previous owner of the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2023
“Second time shifter cable failed. Thankfully I was in park and not driving. I had it replaced in 2021 and now 2023 it did the same thing.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2023
“I was in a minor rear end accident. I was the victim. My driver seat felt like it came off the hinges causing me to hit my face and chest on the steering wheel.”Owner report · Seats · Jul 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 9 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS sedan vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to September 2, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the coil antenna module that powers the rear defogger system may generate excessive heat due to excessive cycling or continuous operation.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electronic Climate Control module to remove the automatic rear defogger "on" function, free of charge. The recall began on October 16, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15299.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the transmission.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure the cable is properly seated at the transmission and shifter brackets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early August 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14179.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to June 25, 2015. The affected vehicles may experience the roof panel closing automatically when the non-recessed switches are pressed and the roof panel is open. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."
Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the roof console accessory switch trim plate, free of charge. The recall began on August 19, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15568. Note this recall supersedes 15V-106.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and passenger lap belt pretensioner cables may not lock in a retracted position, allowing the seat belts to extend when pulled upon.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front the driver's and the passenger's lap belt pretensioners, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. GM sent interim notifications on October 7, 2014 and will send a second notification when remedy parts are available. The recall began on November 20, 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14171.
How other years compare
Check your exact Ats by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Cadillac Ats reliable?
NHTSA has 160 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2013 Cadillac Ats. The most complained-about area is engine (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2013 Cadillac Ats problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 38,000 miles or less.
Does the 2013 Cadillac Ats have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.