2017 Cadillac ATS: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
32 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 32 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 3.56
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Transmission fluid temperature sensor in the 8 speed automatic 8L90 transmission from GM is a known issue. Causes vehicle to shift/jerk erratically especially in stop and go traffic.
Driving home message came up on the dash, saying, power steering problem. Next thing you know, it was extremely hard to turn the wheel left or right.
I have replaced two brand new tires on the back right. I then saw that there was a TSB for the very issue im having with my vehicle. A slow loss of air from the back right tire. The TSB link is https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId11017016 Its a slow.loss of air that eventually ends you up with a blown tire on the side of the road which has happened twice to me now. There is no location on the vehicle for a spare tire coinc…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V086000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, and 2017 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist system may fail. |
| 25V175000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist may fail. |
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 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,700
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.
- Steering12 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System6 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train5 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine3 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags2 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Cadillac ATS years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Cadillac ATS?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (12 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Cadillac ATS a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 32 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Cadillac ATS's most common problem?
12 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Cadillac ATS sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 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 2017 Cadillac ATS cost to run per year?
About $4,697 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,485 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 2017 Cadillac ATS have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Cadillac ATS, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/02/2019. 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 2017 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.
Thin evidence — 32 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 32 NHTSA complaints on record (3.6/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (3.5/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality