2013 Cadillac ATS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Cadillac ATS has 255 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (19% of all complaints), specifically: rough idle when in drive and stopped at light (always), i did bring it in for service for the rough idle and dealership stated nothing showed up on computer so they were unable to correct problem. *tr.

12 crash reports 8 injuries

255

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

49 complaints

19%

• ROUGH IDLE WHEN IN DRIVE AND STOPPED AT LIGHT (ALWAYS), I DID BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE ROUGH IDLE AND DEALERSHIP STATED NOTHING SHOWED UP ON COMPUTER SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *TR
• 2.5 LITER ENGINE AT STOP ENGINE SHAKES FOR NO REASON. AS USUAL TAKE TO DEALER AND CAN'T FIND ISSUE WITHOUT A CODE. NOW AT 2572 MILES STILL SHAKES AND DEALER SAYS THAT ALL ATS DO THIS SO LIVE WITH IT. I SAY THAT THIS ATS BY GM. NEEDS TO TAKE THESE ISSUES SERIOUSLY AS THIS WILL HURT THE SALES OF A
• RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“ROUGH IDLE WHEN IN DRIVE AND STOPPED AT LIGHT (ALWAYS), I DID BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE ROUGH IDLE AND DEALERSHIP STATED NOTHING SHOWED UP ON COMPUTER SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

46 complaints

18%

• RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY
• I HAVE THE 2013 ATS 2.0 TURBO AND I HAD A FEW ISSUES WITH IT.THE FIRST IS STEERING,SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE POWER FAILURE, ITS THE ONLY NEW CAR I OWNED WHEN THE CAR IS OFF THE WHEEL TURNS COMPLETELY.ALSO PULLS TO RIGHT.OTHER ISSUE I GET BANGING NOISE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE,AND A FEW TIMES SOUNDED LIKE TRAN
• VEHICLE QUIETLY STALLS AND HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY BASICALLY JUST SAY IT IS DESIGNED TO STALL IN CERTAIN INSTANCES WHICH I BELIEVE IS JUST NONSENSE AND UNSAFE. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

36 complaints

14%

• RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY
• VEHICLE STALLED QUIETLY WHEN COMING TO STOP WITH VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND/OR CLUTCH DEPRESSED. I SAY QUIETLY BECAUSE I DID NOT HEAR OR FEEL IT SHUT OFF. (DIFFERENT FROM STALLING VEHICLE DUE TO IMPROPER FOOT WORK ON THE CLUTCH) WHEN I WENT TO TURN LEFT I REALIZED IT WAS DEAD. VEHICLE DID RESTART IMM
• VEHICLE TURNS OFF WHEN IN NEUTRAL APPROACHING TO STOP. THIS IS NOT FROM IMPROPER FOOT WORK ON THE CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE IS IN NEUTRAL. IT HAS HAPPENED OVER 13 TIMES SINCE VEHICLE PURCHASED ON 7/26/2013 (FIRST INCIDENT ON DATE OF PURCHASE). THE VEHICLE WILL TURN ON IMMEDIATELY AFTER. IT HAS BEEN T

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

25 complaints

10%

• WHEN TAKING A CORNER THE CAR APPEARED TO OVER STEER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ME SO I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO CORRECT IT AND IT FELT SLUGGISH FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. ALMOST INSTANTLY AFTER THAT A WARNING CAME UP ON THE DASH THAT INDICATED SOMETHING LIKE "SERVICE POWER STEERING, PLEASE DRIVE
• WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. MESSAGE IN THE DIC INDICATED "SERVICE POWER STEERING, DRIVE WITH CARE". UPON RESTART OF ENGINE THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. DEALER SAW C0545 STEERING WHEEL TORQUE SENSOR FAULT, DEALER NOTES INDICATE THAT THE CONNECTOR WA
• I HAVE THE 2013 ATS 2.0 TURBO AND I HAD A FEW ISSUES WITH IT.THE FIRST IS STEERING,SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE POWER FAILURE, ITS THE ONLY NEW CAR I OWNED WHEN THE CAR IS OFF THE WHEEL TURNS COMPLETELY.ALSO PULLS TO RIGHT.OTHER ISSUE I GET BANGING NOISE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE,AND A FEW TIMES SOUNDED LIKE TRAN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHEN TAKING A CORNER THE CAR APPEARED TO OVER STEER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ME SO I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO CORRECT IT AND IT FELT SLUGGISH FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. ALMOST INSTANTLY AFTER THAT A WARNING CAME UP ON THE DASH THAT INDICATED SOMETHING LIKE "SERVICE POWER STEERING, PLEASE DRIVE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

22 complaints

• ON FEBRUARY 22ND AND 27TH 2014, WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SLAMMED THE BRAKES ON THEN RELEASED. I THOUGHT THE SYSTEM HAD MISS-READ THE SHADOW OF AN OVERPASS AS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING IN SIGHT WHEN THE BRAKES LOCKED, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES P
• THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ACTIVATED WHILE AT FREEWAY SPEED, HOWEVER THERE WERE NO CARS OR OBSTRUCTIONS AHEAD OF MY CAR. THE BRAKES WERE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED, THE COLLISION WARNING APPEARED ON THE HUD, AND THE CAR RAPIDLY DECELERATED. HAD THERE BEEN A VEHICLE BEHIND ME, THERE WOULD CERTAINLY HA
• SINCE JUNE 2013, THE CADILLAC ATS HAS BEEN MAKING A VIBRATION FEELING. THE VIBRATION IS UNKNOWN, IT HAS BEEN TO SERVICE TWICE. FIRST I WAS SUGGESTED TO TRY A DIFFERENT GAS (PREMIUM GAS). THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR, SO I SWITCHED BACK TO REGULAR GAS. THEN RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ABOUT THE TRANSM

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“ON FEBRUARY 22ND AND 27TH 2014, WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SLAMMED THE BRAKES ON THEN RELEASED. I THOUGHT THE SYSTEM HAD MISS-READ THE SHADOW OF AN OVERPASS AS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING IN SIGHT WHEN THE BRAKES LOCKED, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES P”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 255 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: ROUGH IDLE WHEN IN DRIVE AND STOPPED AT LIGHT (ALWAYS), I DID BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE ROUGH IDLE AND DEALERSHIP STATED NOTHING SHOWED UP ON COMPUTER SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: RIGHT TURN FROM STOP ONTO MAJOR 6-LANE HIGHWAY; NO POWER TO ENGINE AFTER ENGAGEMENT OF ACCELERATOR; ACTED AS THOUGH NOT IN-DRIVE GEAR; TACHOMETER REVED PAST 6K; FOOT OFF OF PEDAL; TRANSMISSION ENGAGED; VERY SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION; EVASIVE ACTION BY OTHER DRIVERS FOLLOWING; NO REPLICATION BY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: WHEN TAKING A CORNER THE CAR APPEARED TO OVER STEER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ME SO I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO CORRECT IT AND IT FELT SLUGGISH FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. ALMOST INSTANTLY AFTER THAT A WARNING CAME UP ON THE DASH THAT INDICATED SOMETHING LIKE "SERVICE POWER STEERING, PLEASE DRIVE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)