2013 Cadillac ATS: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
160 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 160 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 12.31
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I was in a vehicle accident on 9-26-25 and was t-boned. The other driver hit me at 35-45 after she blew the stopping, I was hit on the driver side pillar and back driver door. My air bags never deployed and I was trapped inside the car until the fire department was on scene
Vehicle would not steer lost power steering and loud noise. Had the vehicle towed to a mechanic. The mechanic informed me that the bolts for the electronic power steering had corroded causing the electronic steering motor to fall. He told me that it is a problem with these cars and gave me a reference number (N202301950) I called GM and they said it was not a recall it was a service bulletin which I never received an…
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
Recalls: 6 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V558000 | 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, the coil antenna module that powers the rear defogger system may generate excessive heat due to excessive cycling or continuous operation. |
| 14V488000 | Seat Belts:Front | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and passenger lap belt pretensioner cables may not lock in a retracted position, allowing the seat belts… |
| 14V338000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the… |
| 14V446000 | Seats | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high… |
| 13V220000 | Electrical System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. |
| 15V463000 | 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 experience the roof panel closing automatically when the non-recessed switches are pressed and the roof panel is open. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,350
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine48 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train45 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System36 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Steering25 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Service Brakes17 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other17 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Cadillac ATS years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Cadillac ATS?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (48 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Cadillac ATS a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 41/100, computed from 160 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Cadillac ATS's most common problem?
48 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Cadillac ATS sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Cadillac ATS cost to run per year?
About $4,933 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,668 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Cadillac ATS have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Cadillac ATS, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/09/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Cadillac ATS really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 160 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 160 NHTSA complaints on record (12.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (3.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems