Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Cadillac ATS, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 10% |
| Power train | 3 | 10% |
| Steering | 3 | 10% |
| Air bags | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Tires | 2 | 7% |
| Unknown or other | 2 | 7% |
| Service brakes | 2 | 7% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown or other | 1 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac ATS. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V329000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown dealer was contacted. Th
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Fuel and/or combustion problem leading to excessive emissions at unpredictable times. I mean so much smoke suddenly comes out that the driver behind can't see, and it seems the car may be on fire.
NHTSA complaint: Engine
I bought my car from a dealership. Owned it for 2yrs 2mo. 107k miles First issue came up after 3-4 months. Faulty power steering. Took it to service at a dealership they said I would need my wire harness assembly replace
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac ATS equipped with Firestone Tires, Tire Line: Fire Hawk A5V2, Tire Size: 225/45/R18, DOT Number: 17X4F9J46. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH in rain, the vehicle hydroplaned.
NHTSA complaint: Tires
We have owned the 2015 ATS Cadillac since August 31, 2016 . The rear glass is blurry when looking back from the front seat. We replaced the rear view mirror thought that was the problem but didn’t correct. I checked on
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The white pearl paint is chippng off everywhere. It started aat the drivers door directly under the rear view mirror. The underside of the trunk deck lid is completely paint free at this point. There are bubbles erodin
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The CUE SYSTEM not totally working, and panel plastic is all spider web looking. I view this as a very bad problem( it won’t go to settings), no radio, can’t set the clock Not sure on all the problems as I can’t get to
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle hesitated to respond as needed. The brake assi
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2015 Cadillac ATS. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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
Risk: Because the switch is not recessed, the roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed resulting in unintended auto-closure of the roof panel, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: 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-
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac ATS and CTS vehicles. The affected vehicles have a bracket between the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the brakes that may fracture during normal brake pedal operation.
Risk: If the bracket fractures, the driver would not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected bracket, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458
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
Risk: If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: 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
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.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 i
| Reliability raw | 71 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 73 | good |
| Maintenance | 69 | good |
| Depreciation | 72 | good |
| Performance | 68 | good |
| Efficiency | 40 | below average |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and exterior lighting is the most reported area with 3 of them (10%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 71/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 73/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2015 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 71/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.