Cadillac Ats Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 380 NHTSA complaints, the Cadillac Ats years to avoid are 2013 and 2014 — the worst logged up to 4.4× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by drivetrain failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 160 | 113 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2014 | 102 | 56 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2015 | 28 | 16 | 4 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 35 | 23 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2017 | 32 | 21 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2018 | 21 | 11 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Cadillac Ats. Full methodology.
Common Cadillac Ats problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Cadillac Ats are drivetrain, transmission, engine. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Rear differential failure
· Cadillac Ats 2013–2018Corroborated by 12 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 84 drivetrain complaints across 2013–2018, typically 55,000–132,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,500–$1,800.
Transmission shifter cable failure or detachment
· Cadillac Ats 2013–2014Corroborated by 16 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 73 transmission complaints across 2013–2014, typically 42,180–150,000 miles.
Engine stalling without warning
· Cadillac Ats 2013–2019Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 69 engine complaints across 2013–2019.
Why these years stand out
2013 Cadillac Ats: 160 owner complaints on federal record, 113 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Ats.
2014 Cadillac Ats: 102 owner complaints on federal record, 56 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Ats.
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FAQ
What years of the Cadillac Ats should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Cadillac Ats years to avoid are 2013 and 2014 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by drivetrain issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Cadillac Ats?
No single Cadillac Ats year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Cadillac Ats verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Cadillac Ats's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Cadillac Ats before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Cadillac Ats reliable?
The Cadillac Ats's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 380 NHTSA owner complaints, 2013 and 2014 rate "avoid" — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Cadillac Ats?
The most-reported problem area for the Cadillac Ats is drivetrain, followed by transmission and engine. Confirmed failures include rear differential failure, transmission shifter cable failure or detachment, engine stalling without warning. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Cadillac Ats across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Cadillac Ats, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.