The Lane Check

Cars › Cadillac › ATS › 2015

2015 Cadillac ATS problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
7 of 23 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2015 Cadillac ATS. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 69% of the 1,789 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 6 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 24%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026
Share this car

Looking at a specific ATS?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.

Check a VIN

Does the 2015 Cadillac ATS have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 7 of 23 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Cadillac ATS concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2014 scores 45% and the 2016 scores 50%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
7
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
29
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
1 crashes · 1 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING6 · 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 · 21%
POWER TRAIN5 · 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4 · 14%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4 · 14%
SERVICE BRAKES3 · 10%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
no data
2013
57%
82 of 160
2014
45%
43 of 104
2015
30%
7 of 29
2016
50%
15 of 35
2017
27%
8 of 33
2018
too few complaints
2019
too few complaints
2020
no data
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN10/08/2015CRASH1 INJURED
FIRST IN LINE WHILE STOPPED AT A LEFT-TURN LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. LIGHT TURNED GREEN, BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. MID-WAY THROUGH THE TURN, HEARD A "POP", LOST STEERING CONTROL, AND THE REAR END SPUN CAR INTO THE CURB. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A 4-WHEEL-DRIVE CAR. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, THE NOSE OF THE CAR WAS RESTING ON T…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM04/24/2026
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PRO06/13/2024
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 it to find out.

Three of 7 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on the 2015 Cadillac ATS (4)

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
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 experienc…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
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…
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
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…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2015 Cadillac ATS

Questions people ask about the 2015 Cadillac ATS

Does the 2015 Cadillac ATS have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 7 of 23 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Cadillac ATS concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 Cadillac ATS?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2015 Cadillac ATS. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Cadillac ATS years are better?

Among the Cadillac ATS years we track, the 2017 (27%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2015 (30%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2015 Cadillac ATS?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2015 Cadillac ATS shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.