There are 23 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Cadillac ATSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the A/c was independently turned off due to engine overheating. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant, but the engine continued overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the stability track and engine warning lights illuminated and started flashing. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 25 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the same independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had misfired over 40,000 times. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 191,000.
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
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light or while slowing to approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine and driver’s assist warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the motive power was reduced and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the power steering failed to function as needed. The contact arrived at her destination and after restarting the vehicle, the power steering functionality returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed that the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
TIMING COVER IS LEAKING OIL FROM THE GASKET WHICH IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ACCORDING TO OTHER 2013 ATS 2.0 OWNERS. AND WHEN IT LEAKS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL LIKE IT DOES THE ENGINE CAN SEIZE UP ON THE HIGHWAY COULD AND CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 47,000 MILES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC ATS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,200.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC ATS. WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, IT SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT IT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES FOR THE VEHICLE TO RETURN TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OAKES AUTO GROUP (1009 US-82, GREENVILLE, MS 38701, (662) 335-2886), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,400.
SEVERAL TIMES WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND SHUT OFF HAVE TO RESTART IT I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT A FEW TIMES THE MAJOR PROBLEM I'D LIKE TO HAVE A LOW IDLE OR SOMETHING I DON'T UNDERSTAND
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC ATS. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED SUDDENLY DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PARADISE CHEVROLET (27360 YNEZ RD, TEMECULA, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OVERHEATING WAS DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER FOR OVERHEATING AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLANT AND OIL WERE LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,664.
ENGINE IDLES ROUGHLY. I HAVE ONLY USED PREMIUM GAS DURING FILLUPS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT USING TOP TIER GAS, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS. HOW CAN AN ENGINE'S FUEL SYSTEM BE THAT SENSITIVE BECAUSE ONE GAS IS MISSING SOME DETERGENTS PER COUNT IN COMPARISON. MY ECM NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMMED TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS. IT SEEMED TO START SHAKING AFTER I GOT IT BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT CORRECTED A RECALL PROBLEM THAT DEALT WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. HOW DO YOU PUSH AN IGNORANT MANAGER TO TAKE CARE OF THIS INSTEAD OF BLAMING IT ON THE GAS?
PISTON FAILURE 2013 ATS REQUIRED MOTOR REPLACEMENT. *TR
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO HER PARENTS HOUSE GOING UP A INCLINE AND THE VEHICLE COULDN'T PULL THE HILL SLOWED DOWN TO APPROX. 20MPH BUMPED AND SHOOK AS IT WENT UP THE HILL. WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AT HER PARENTS HOUSE YOU COULD SMELL SOMETHING LIKE BURNT TRANSMISSION OR SOMETHING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS AND THE 1ST INSTANCE CADILLAC DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER TO THE TRANSMISSION DUMPED ITS PROGRAM AND THEY WENT IN AND REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION BUT IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I WILL BE TAKING IT BACK IN AFTER CHRISTMAS. HYDROPLANING IS ALSO A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THIS CAR ALSO DOESN'T LIKE TO STAY IN A LANE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I FEEL THIS CAR ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND WILL BE LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY TO DEEM IT AS A LEMON. *TR
HELLO NHTSA OFFICER, I'M A CADILLAC 2013 ATS CUSTOMER FROM CHINA. SOMEDAY I FIND SOME CUSTOMERS SAY THIS CAR'S ENGINE LEAKS OIL FROM FORUM. THE DETAIL PLEASE SEE HTTP://CLUB.AUTOHOME.COM.CN//BBS/THREAD-C-3207-29560418-1.HTML I CHECK MY CAR THAT ONLY RUN ABOUT 400KM, IT ALWAYS HAS LEAKING. AND ABOUT 90% CUSTOMERS FROM FORUM HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ALL CARS LEAKS PART IS SAME. OUR 4S CAN'T GIVE THE ENOUGH SUPPORTS AND WE DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. SO PLEASE INVESTIGATE IT AND GIVE FEEDBACK. THANKS A LOT! PS:THESE ATS IMPORT FROM US. BR, ATS CUSTOMER *TR
WHILE ABOUT TO TURN LEFT, AFTER PULLING OUT THE CAR ENGINE STALLED, AND SHUT DOWN LEAVING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY WHILE BEING APPROACHED BY ONCOMING CARS. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED UP AGAIN AFTERWARDS. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DECELERATING THE CAR FROM 70 MPH TO A COMPLETE STOP. JUST PRIOR TO MAKING A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL, AND AGAIN TURNED OFF. THIS TIME JUST AFTER MAKING A STOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE CADILLAC DEALER. THEY ARE CURRENTLY CHECKING INTO THE ISSUE AND ALLEGE THIS IS NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I HOPE THEY FIND THE PROBLEM. HISTORICALLY THE DEALER HAS REPROGRAMMED THE ECM. THE CAR HAS RECEIVED ALL OF ITS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP NAMED WILLIAMSON CADILLAC IN SOUTH, FLORIDA. THE CAR HAS HAD ROUGH IDLE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED, AND I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL, AND NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT EACH TIME THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. MOREOVER, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE MOTOR MOUNTS ARE LIQUID MOTOR MOUNTS, AND THAT THE SHAKING IS AS A RESULT OF THE VIBRATION THAT OCCURS JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR, BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE. THE ROUGH IDLE OCCURS ALL THE TIME, AND NOW IT HAS PROGRESSED TO COMPLETE ENGINE STALLING WHILE TURNING OR DECELERATION. THE CAR IN QUESTION HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ALSO IT ALSO JERKED AFTER IT WAS PLACED INTO GEAR DURING THE MOST RECENT SITUATION / COMPLAINT. *TR
I OWN A 2013 CADILLAC ATS 2.0T WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION (6MT). MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN. LAST TIME WAS AT ABOUT 30MPH WHILE I WAS COMING UP TO A LIGHT AND IT IS SCARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE AROUND YOU START BEEPING AND YELLING. WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE TURNED OFF THEN ON AGAIN, SO IT ISN'T A QUICK THING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I WENT ONLINE AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE VIDEOS AND COMPLAINTS OF THE VERY ISSUE. GM KNOWS THIS IS HAPPENING AND THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS JUST AS BAD AS THE IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE, AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT (I ALMOST DID A FEW TIMES). I HAVE A CASE OPEN WITH GM AND I WANT MY MONEY BACK FOR THIS CAR. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN THE YEAR THAT I'VE HAD IT. *TR
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED LOSING SPEED AND IT WOULD NOT LET ME ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER. ONCE I GOT TO THE SHOULDER THE CAR IDLED FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND DRIVE ABOUT ANOTHER MILE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WE WERE ABOUT 1 MILE FROM A GM CAR DEALERSHIP AND WE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT IT STALLED 3 TIMES ON THE WAY (ONCE ON A 2 LANE BRIDGE). THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULDN'T WORK ON CADILLACS, SO WE HAD IT TOWED TO A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP (THE CAR DIED AGAIN WHILE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS TRYING TO LOAD IT). THEY HAVE DRIVEN IT OVER 200 MILES AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY DID A COMPUTER UPDATE AND ARE RETURNING THE CAR TO ME AND SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT CONFIDENT THE UPDATE WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT THROW ANY WARNING LIGHTS AND THE DEALER SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY CODES. WE WERE DOING 70 DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND IF THERE HADN'T BEEN A PLACE TO PULL OVER, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BY AN 18 WHEELER. THIS IS NOT A MANUAL TRANSMISSION (I'VE SEEN REPORTS OF MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS STALLING). THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *TR
WHEN COASTING TO COME TO A STOP THE VEHICLE ENGINE WILL STALL. THE VEHICLE EITHER DOESN'T ATTEMPT TO IDLE AT ALL ONCE THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN DEPRESSED, OR IT SEEMS TO GET TO A LOWER RPM THAN NORMAL (<500RPM) AND THEN THE ENGINE JUST SHUTS OFF, VERY ABRUPTLY. *TR
I HAVE A 2013 ATS 6 SPEED . A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER I GOT IT WILL STALL WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A COMPLETE STOP. IT STOPPED FOR ABOUT A MONTH THEN IT CONTINUED AGAIN. IT WOULD HAPPEN AS OFTEN AS TWICE A WEEK TO A COUPLE TIMES A MONTH. MY CAR NOW HAS OVER 3K MILES AND IT STILL HAPPENS. I NOTICED I HAS NOT BEEN AS FREQUENT AS PREVIOUS MONTHS BUT IT STILL HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE. *TR
2.5 LITER ENGINE ON MY 2013 CADILLAC ATS SHAKES WHILE SITTING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. GM UPDATED THE SOFTWARE THREE TIMES ON A RECALL BUT NOW ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE SHAKING IN NORMAL AND THEY CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR
CAR IDLES BADLY MAY COME CLOSE TO STALLING AT TIMES. IT SHUTTERS AT WARM UP IN COLD WEATHER. WHAT IS SAD IS GM WELL AWARE AND WILL NOT FIX IT. I AM STUCK WITH IT ACCORDING TO DEALERS I HAVE VISITED. *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 REALLY COOL CAR. IS THERE SOMEONE THAT CAN GET THE CEO OF CADILLACS ATTENTION THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO PAID OVER 35K. WHEN I HAVE BRAND NEW KIA THAT HAS A 4 CYCL ENGINE WITH NO ISSUES. COME ON GM. LETS GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED I HAVE ALREADY FILE A COMPLAINT TO GM. BUT NO RESPONSE PER USUAL. NO WONDER WE BY NON AMERICAN CARS.I HAVE WAITED 13 YEARS TO GET A NEW CAR AND I THOUGHT I GIVE THE ATS A TRY. WHAT ASHAME THAT SUCH A COOL CAR THAT THIS ENGINE RUINS THE GREAT FEELING TO OWN A AMERICAN CAR. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US. O BY THE WAY THE DEALER IS HILL CADILLAC IN NEWTOWN. EDGEMONT PA. ANY OTHER ATS CUSTOMERS HAVE SAME ISSUES. I SEE ON CADILLAC FORUM THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF FRUSTRATION ABOUT LACK OF A FIX. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 23 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026