2016 Cadillac XTS Owner Complaints
Complaint Summary
The 2016 Cadillac XTS has 25 reported complaints.
- Top issues involve electrical system and unknown or other.
Reliability Score
Reliability Score
Based on 25 complaints
Most Frequent Issues
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7 28%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5 20%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2 8%
SEAT BELTS
2 8%
WHEELS
2 8%
Quick Insights
The top category is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for 28% of all complaints.
Owners have reported issues across 12 distinct vehicle systems.
Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.
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What owners keep reporting on the 2016 Cadillac XTS
The 2016 Cadillac XTS has 25 owner complaints in this dataset. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the most common complaint category, representing about 28% of the reports shown here.
Most common complaint categories
The top complaint groups for the 2016 Cadillac XTS are ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (7), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (5), FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (2).
Are these complaints a serious red flag?
Potentially. 13 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.
What should buyers inspect on a used 2016 Cadillac XTS?
Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.
Detailed Complaint Log
Showing 12 of 12 systems
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7 Reports28% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
CUE RADIO, CLIMATE, NAVIGATION, BLUETOOTH SYSTEM KEEPS FREEZING UP. NOW THE SCREEN HAS BEGUN TO SPIDER CRACK. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMOUNT ALL CADILAC'S MODELS USING THE CUE SYSTEM. IT IS STRANGE THAT THEY HAVEN'T A RECALL AND FIX.
10/12/2018
FOR THE PAST 3-4 WEEKS WHILE DRIVING, THE CUE SYSTEM WILL START TO BEEP, CHANGE PRE-SET RADIO CHANNELS AND THE SCREEN WILL FREEZE UP. THE BEEPING STILL CONTINUES. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF IT IS FINE BUT BEGINS THE SAME SYMPTOMS AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OF DRIVING. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY MADE IT APPEAR THAT THEY HAD LITTLE OR NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEMS. I INFORMED THEM I'VE BEEN IN THE AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE CUE COMPLAINTS. THE CAR WAS KEPT FOR 4 DAYS AND THEN I PICKED IT UP. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH I REPLIED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I DIDN'T THINK SO. (I GUESS MY EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS MEANS NOTHING!). I DROVE AWAY ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OF DRIVING. IT TOOK 2 WEEKS TO OBTAIN ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALER. I ASKED IF THEY HAVE THE PART AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PART WAS A SPECIAL ORDER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH... BUT WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS THAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THE PART HAS TO BE ORDERED FROM A THIRD PARTY. NOT GM. THIS MAY BE THE REASON THERE IS NO RECALL YET. I'M RETURNING THE VEHICLE ON 12/17/2018 AND WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO ADD TO THIS AFTER THE OUTCOME WHICH I WAS TOLD WOULD TAKE ABOUT 4 DAYS.
12/16/2018
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5 Reports20% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY I-5 CAR STARTED JERKING AND DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS. I PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE CAR IT WOULD NOT GO IN GEAR AND MOVED 2-3 MILES AN HOUR AT A TIME. TRIED PUTTING IT IN REVERSE AND WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I WAS NOT FAR FROM DEALERSHIP SO ON THE HIGHWAY WITH FLASHING CAUTION LIGHTS MADE IT TO DEALERSHIP. THE CAR HAS BEEN WITH THE CERTIFIED GM DEALERSHIP FOR 6 WEEKS A 2016 CADILLAC XTS WITH 1400 MILES DEALERSHIP MECHANIC STATES CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. GM HAS YET TO MAKE A DECISION AND WANT TO PUT A REBUILD TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR. THERE HAS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT THAT JEAPORDIZED MY SAFETY AND OTHERS SAFETY ON THE HIGHWAY THAT GM IS NOT WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
7/20/2016
I came out to my car last year in the summer and my screen was shattered in the corner it has gotten worse and not I can not even use the touch screen any longer.
8/30/2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2 Reports8% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
ON 2/31/16 I DROVE MY NEW VEHICLE FROM MY HOME TO THE GROCERY STORE APPROX.2.5 MILES AWAY,AS I WAS PARKING MY VEHICLE IN THE H/C SPOT ,A GOOD "SAMARITAN" TAPPED ON MY WINDOW & INFORMED ME THAT MY NEW VEHICLE WAS LEAKING GAS,HE CALLED 911 TO HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CLEAN UP THE GAS SPILL,I CALLED TRIPLE AAA TO DELIVER MY NEW VEHICLE TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP IN DELRAY BEACH FLA,THEY REPAIRED THE GAS LINE IN A FEW WEEKS,HOWEVER ON 3/6/16,I WAS DRIVING TO MY SUNDAY MASS @ OUR CHURCH IN TEQUESTA FLA.WHEN THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVEWAY@ THE CHURCH PARKING AREA AGAIN A PARISHIONER(A GOOD SAMARITAN) SIGNALED ME TO STOP BECAUSE GAS WAS LEAKING FROM BELOW MY VEHICLE,I CALLED GM ROAD SERVICE TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE & DELIVER IT TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP IN DELRAY BEACH FLA.THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR/WORK ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL I AGREED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR COSTS,THEY CLAIM THAT A N ANIMAL HAD CHEWED THRU THE PLASTIC GAS LINE CAUSING THE LEAK & INSISTING THAT I CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO FILE A CLAIM I HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS THAT GM HAS USED SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS ON ONE OF THE MUST IMPORTANT PARTS ON THIS NEW VEHICLE I COULD HAVE HAD A FIRE OR BLOWN UP IN MY NEW VEHICLE I MUST TO TRAVEL BACK TO MY HOME IN RHODE ISLAND IN JUNE & I FEAR FOR MY LIFE GM DOESN'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM, MR.S
3/24/2016
when You fill up the car. gas leaks to the ground. I culd smell the fumes coming out of my home heater vents in My bedroom. I went to the garage and the fumes were very strong. I open both garage doors a nd the man door. then worried about a explosion,Gas water heater is in the garaaage. But I got into the car and drove it out to the driveway! I bought the used car from Cathedral city Lexus dealer. 5-9-2023. the filled up the car for Me and I smelled gas. I just assumed that the spilled some...5-19-2023 I filled it up again at Costco, and that night I smelled thee fumes.I took the car to the shop a they said it had to be replaced. We are now waiting for the new Gas tank to arrive. Aut shop Claims it can't be repaired. I can and will bring the old gas tank Home....for You inspection.
6/25/2023
SEAT BELTS
2 Reports8% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
MY 2016 XTS CADILLAC WAS INVOLVED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT MONDAY, FEB.6 IN HARPER COUNTY, KANSAS. IT SUSTAINED APPROX. $20K DAMAGE, INCLUDING LOCKED SEAT BELTS, WHICH WERE IN USE AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE BODY REPAIR SHOP SINCE NOON ON THAT DAY, FEB. 6 AND AT PRESENT TIME IT IS AT THE SECOND REPAIR SHOP (CADILLAC DEALER) AWAITING SEAT BELT REPAIRS. THEY CLAIM THAT THE PARTS ARE EITHER "UNAVAILABLE, OUT OF STOCK, OBSOLETE, OR DISCONTINUED." AND THIS IS FOR A 2016 VEHICLE WHICH HAS 6,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE SERVICE FROM GENERAL MOTOR COMPANY TO NOT PROVIDE SEAT RESTRAINTS ON A CADILLAC THIS NEW....AND WHICH IS STILL BEING SOLD AT DEALERS TODAY. SURELY THERE IS SOME WAY TO FORCE GENERAL MOTORS/CADILLAC TO SUPPLY SEAT RESTRAINTS FOR THEIR VEHICLES AFTER THIS SHORT A TIME FROM MANUFACTURING. THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PROVIDE, REPLACE, OR REPAIR THE DAMAGED SEAT RESTRAINTS; I AM READY TO GET MY CAR....AFTER 8 WEEKS NOW OF BEING IN THE SHOP AND BEING WITHOUT A VEHICLE......AND BEGIN DRIVING IT WITHOUT SEAT BELTS. SURELY THERE ARE SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT A COMPANY AS IN GENERAL MOTORS WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY BY.
4/3/2017
CPSC: MY 2016 XTS CADILLAC WAS INVOLVED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT MONDAY, FEB.6 IN HARPER COUNTY, KANSAS. IT SUSTAINED APPROX. $20K DAMAGE, INCLUDING LOCKED SEAT BELTS. *BF UPDATED 04/21/2017*JS
4/17/2017
WHEELS
2 Reports8% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
20-inch aluminum alloys wheels are all bent. I purchased this vehicle from a dealer near Lansing, Michigan. Upon test driving there were 2 wheels low on air. The dealer inspected the wheels and assured me they were fine. Once I got home I took the car to a local dealer who confirmed that all 4 rims were bent. This was also confirmed by the local tire shop. 4 rims for the vehicle were almost $[XXX], which also had a 3-4 month back order. The dealer and tire shop confirmed that bent 20â rims are a major problem for GM and aftermarket wheels were the only option if I did not want to wait months. I contacted the previous owner of the vehicle (they left their registration under the car seat) and they confirmed they had the same issue. The previous owner was told It was tires, and after purchasing 4 new tires (The same model as came from the factory) the problem persisted. Rather than purchase e new rims on top of the $1500 in tires, the previous owner chose to trade the vehicle. This rim problem is quite common and NOT limited to Corvettes, GM should replace these wheels for no charge. GM engineers and tests these vehicles and rim IN MICHIGAN. Perhaps they should drive and test on the roads the rest of the state has to drive on, not just the freshly paved road of the GM Proving Grounds. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
9/3/2021
I was forced onto the shoulder of the interstate by a vehicle that came into my lane. As I went onto the shoulder, I hit a pothole (there were several), and it split my factory rim in half, damaging my tire, also. It took me several days to find a reasonably priced replacement factory wheel as I could not afford $900 to replace one wheel that should have been able to withstand a pothole on the side of the road. I had to pay $215 for a wheel from a company in Wisconsin that had to ship it to me. and it is a used wheel that has a lot of curb rash, damages to it, so who knows how long it will withstand daily driving. I had to buy a new tire for $115 and wait for that to be shipped so I could pick up. Then I had to pay to have the tire put on the wheel and balanced. This also left me on the side of the road for four hours waiting for a tow truck which was very dangerous. Which my insurance only paid partial because of the distance that I was to my home. They charged me an additional $40 on top of what my car insurance paid them. All of this caused a lot of anxiety being on the side of an interstate waiting for a tow truck because my whole rim split in half. And the stress of figuring out how to pay for it all to be repaired so I could stop borrowing a car just to get to and from work. I called the dealership that I purchased the vehicle from Cable Dahmer Cadillac of Kansas City and the person in the parts department basically told me it wasn't anyone's fault and he didn't have any information on how I could file a claim with Cadillac/GM directly before coming here to file a claim. I also filed a claim with the state of Missouri so they are aware the shoulder/road on the interstate in that location needs repaired so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
6/28/2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
WATER IS ENTERING THE TRUNK WHERE THE SPARE TIRE IS LOCATED. IT HAPPENS WHEN IT RAIN AND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WASHED. I CANNOT DETERMINE WHERE THE WATER IS ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE TRUNK FLOOR DOES NOT GET WET. ONLY GET WET IN THE SPARE TIRE AREA UNDER THE TRUNK FLOOR
10/1/2019
TIRES:SIDEWALL
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac XTS equipped with Vogue Tires, Tire Line: Signature V, Tire Size: 245/40/R20, DOT Number: (Unknown). While driving 35 MPH, the rear passengerâs side tire experienced a blowout. The contact stated that prior to the failure, a mechanic informed her that all four of the tires appeared to have splits in the sidewalls of each of the tires. The contact believed that it was the cause of the tire failure. The vehicle was left on the side of the road and the contact was picked up. The tire was not replaced. The tire failure mileage was unknown. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The VIN was not available.
9/20/2021
ENGINE
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
When turning to the right the vehicle sometimes will completely shut off in the turn. This is an intermittent issue, but when it happens it shocks you. When the vehicle does this it drives you into on coming traffic. You have to stop the vehicle, put it in park to restart, once this is done you have to go through a reset mode shown on dash.
2/28/2022
POWER TRAIN
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Catalytic converter cracked creating exhaust leak into engine compartment. The converter has been replaced 3 times in 75,000 miles for this defect. The latest replacement has now failed and is leaking exhaust necessitating a fourth replacement. Replacements to date: 1) March 12, 2016 2) March 8, 2019 3) March 21, 2021 4) July 25, 2022, not yet replaced
7/31/2022
AIR BAGS
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the seat belt was the cause of the air bag warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who stated that the system needed to be reset. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
12/14/2023
SUSPENSION
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Stabilitrak light comes on that also causes the engine light to come on. The vehicle self-accelerate while in park and did again when in drive. Can not tell you how fast the Rpm accelerated due to panic that the vehicle was self-accelerating but it didnât last long. Really quick and it went back to normal idling. Vehicle is scheduled for inspection today 1/20/25 at Classic Cadillac Atlanta. No warnings were given, lights(stabiltrak) just came on. Also the suspension rides very low. It feels like there are no shocks either front or rear.
1/20/2025
STEERING
1 Report4% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Stabilitrak light comes on that also causes the engine light to come on. The vehicle self-accelerate while in park and did again when in drive. Can not tell you how fast the Rpm accelerated due to panic that the vehicle was self-accelerating but it didnât last long. Really quick and it went back to normal idling. Vehicle is scheduled for inspection today 1/20/25 at Classic Cadillac Atlanta. No warnings were given, lights(stabiltrak) just came on. Also the suspension rides very low. It feels like there are no shocks either front or rear.
1/20/2025
Data and Methodology
Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.
What are the most common owner complaints for the 2016 Cadillac XTS?
Are complaints about the 2016 Cadillac XTS a serious warning sign?
How should buyers use complaint data for the 2016 Cadillac XTS?
Are complaints about the 2016 Cadillac XTS severe?
Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.
Cadillac XTS: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?
Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.
- Complaint entries
- 25
- Top-topic view
- 5 grouped topics shown
- Primary source
- NHTSA ODI owner complaint records
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