2016 Cadillac CTS Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 32%of 31 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 12,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Cadillac CTS, 32% of the 31 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 12,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The car caught on fire while driving in nyc at speeds of 10-20 MPH first the car started to smoke in the front hood while turning left on 5th avenue. I got out of the car and the car was on flames. I have a dash camera and iphone footage of the incident. I bought this car from an authorized Cadillac dealership in june 2019 and the car caught on fire on christmas day 2019”
NHTSA complaint #11307353, filed 2020-02, 43,000 miles“While accelerating from a stop, my vehicle loses all power temporarily. Throttle modulation does not increase RPM. At times the vehicle will jerk forward and back as if power is being put down then stopped abruptly. One time I had this happen, my lights, gauges, power steering, and engine power all went away. It fixed itself after about 15 minutes of trying to figure out what was happening. Very dangerous and scary experience when this happens on the road.”
NHTSA complaint #11385311, filed 2020-12, 48,000 miles“The Cadillac cue display for radio, info, HVAC, nav, etc. Has begun to crack (aka spiderweb cracks) which has no made the touch screen unusable and begun to degrade vehicle ca0pability. The display frequently blinks and makes emits random audio tones both of which are very distracting while driving and causing a safety hazard.”
NHTSA complaint #11353726, filed 2020-09, 23,000 miles“Steering wheel became inoperable while vehicle in motion, vehicle shut down multiple times while driving causing all loss of power to vehicle, accelerator stuck and fuel shut off when going hard on brake did not work requiring snit into neutral, many other issues. Taken to dealer for repair many times in service over 40+ days since november 2016. Not safe to operate. …”
NHTSA complaint #11022147, filed 2017-09, 6,968 miles“I bought the car as new with 6711 miles. Around 12000 miles the vehicle wouldn't start. Roadside assistance had to replace the battery on 3 different occasions from 6-28-17 to 8-19-17. The battery was completely down,no cells, can't be charged. The car was parked each time. Dealer and GM couldn't find the problem. No feedback from them. Dealer kept the car from 8-19-17 until 11-1-17. Still no valid explanation the problem. They said they can't duplicate it.”
NHTSA complaint #11043114, filed 2017-11, 12,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11017595Apr 3, 2025This service bulletin provides information on the proper Reflective High Temperature Heat and/or Insulating Tape to use for certain repairs, such as Wiring Harness Repairs.
- 11017244Mar 31, 2025The intent of this service bulletin is to identify aftermarket ALDL or DLC interface devices as potential sources for causing multiple customer concerns that do not have other…
- 11017207Mar 21, 2025This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414…
- 11017031Mar 12, 2025This service bulletin provides information to diagnose batteries that have set for a long period of time and/or cold weather climates and testing those batteries.
- 11014230Jan 31, 2025This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer.
- 11013069Jan 9, 2025This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2.
- 11012929Jan 7, 2025This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on the requirements for 12V battery testing and warranty replacements.
- 11011805Dec 6, 2024This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number for reflective high temperature heat or insulating tape when repairing wiring harnesses.
- 11009170Oct 25, 2024This Preliminary information communicates additional information on how a LIN bus operates and diagnostic tips when working on a LIN bus.
- 11009156Oct 25, 2024This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester…
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 10% |
| 2018 | 3 | 38% |
| 2017 | 2 | 7% |
| 2016 | 10 | 32% |
| 2015 | 4 | 8% |
| 2014 | 13 | 9% |
| 2013 | 26 | 36% |
| 2012 | 10 | 15% |
| 2011 | 20 | 20% |
| 2010 | 16 | 24% |
| 2009 | 26 | 16% |
| 2008 | 39 | 22% |
| 2007 | 41 | 19% |
| 2006 | 43 | 16% |
| 2005 | 39 | 14% |
| 2004 | 34 | 15% |
| 2003 | 56 | 18% |
Other parts of the 2016 Cadillac CTS
9 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsForward collision avoidance
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsLane departure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 Cadillac CTS
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology