IllustrationHED LIGHTS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR PAST MONTHS I HAVE REPLACED LIGHT BULBS OFTEN I'M SCARED TO LOSE LIGHT .HAD LIGHT HAVING WATER MOIST.
2012 Cadillac Srx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Srx years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Cadillac Srx are substantially higher than the model-year median of 192.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Srx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
380–25K
3125–50K
6850–75K
7275–100K
57100–150K
4150K+
270 reports with mileage · 146 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
32 crash reports4 fire reports23 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
233 reportsLOW BEAMS ARE TOO DIM AND HAVE MOISTURE BUILD UP AND HAVE TO USE HIGH BEAMS TO DRIVE SAFLEY AT NIGHT
THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX ARE EXTREMELY DIM AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT OTHER DRIVERS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR. SEE HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2019/CADILLAC-SRX-HEADLIGHT-RECALL-LAWSUIT.SHTML. I CURRENTLY HAVE THE CAR …
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THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX ARE EXTREMELY DIM AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT OTHER DRIVERS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR. SEE HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2019/CADILLAC-SRX-HEADLIGHT-RECALL-LAWSUIT.SHTML. I CURRENTLY HAVE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS QUOTED $1700 TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, WHICH I HAVE RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO PAY SINCE I HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE 2 VEHICLES SO I TRY TO AVOID DRIVING THE CADILLAC SRX AT NIGHT.
I ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT DRIVE MY SRX AT NIGHT THE DIM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM THAT I QUESTION WHETHER THEY ARE EVEN ON IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD NOT ONLY FOR ME AND MY FAMILY BUT ALSO THE OTHERS ON THE ROAD THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY VERY DIM, I THOUGHT THEY WERE BURNED OUT. THE BRIGHTS ARE FINE. THE CARE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AND IT WOULD BE $1400 TO CORRECT THE ISSUE (REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES NEW BULBS WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE).
1. LOW BEAMS HEAD LIGHTS VERY WEAK HAD THE LENS BUFFED AND POLISHED BUT THIS ONLY HELP A LITTLE. HAVING TO USE HIGH BEAMS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON SINGLE AND TWO LANE ROADS. VERY UNSAFE NIGHT DRIVING. 2. REAR TAIL GATE CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY AFTER BEING OPENED FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, THIS ACTION IS SUBJECT TO CAUSE INJURY TO PERS…
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1. LOW BEAMS HEAD LIGHTS VERY WEAK HAD THE LENS BUFFED AND POLISHED BUT THIS ONLY HELP A LITTLE. HAVING TO USE HIGH BEAMS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON SINGLE AND TWO LANE ROADS. VERY UNSAFE NIGHT DRIVING. 2. REAR TAIL GATE CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY AFTER BEING OPENED FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, THIS ACTION IS SUBJECT TO CAUSE INJURY TO PERSONS USING THE REAR GATE TO STORE OR REMOVE ITEMS FROM VEHICLE. BOTH ISSUES OCCUR WHETHER VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. I SEE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THESE SAFETY ISSUES BUT IN MY OPINION THERE SHOULD HAVE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS ON THE BEHALF OF MY DAUGHTER . I ENTERED A DATE BECAUSE THE DIGITAL FORM REQUIRED IT BUT THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, NOT SURE OF THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. THANKS FOR ANY HELP CONCERNING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. (XXXX) REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE DIM SETTING. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD IN THIS MODE. HAVE CHANGED TO BULBS TO THE MOST EXPENSIVE I CAN GET WITH NO BETTER RESULTS. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT HOW DOES THIS GO ON WITHOUT GETTING RECALLED, HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE ISSUE…
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BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE DIM SETTING. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD IN THIS MODE. HAVE CHANGED TO BULBS TO THE MOST EXPENSIVE I CAN GET WITH NO BETTER RESULTS. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT HOW DOES THIS GO ON WITHOUT GETTING RECALLED, HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE ISSUE WITH STABILITY TRACK IS HAS TO BE SET EVERY FEW MONTHS
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY , VERY DIM. HAVE REPLACED BOTH SIDES WITH NEW HALOGEN BULBS . RESULTS NO GOOD. THEN REPLACED WITH HID HEADLAMP SYSTEM. STILL HAVE DIM LIGHT DRIVING PROBLEM. I AM VERY TIRED OF REMOVING THE WHOLE FRONT CLIP TO REPLACE THE BULBS AND SO WAS WONDERING IF GM HAS A RECALL OF ANY SORT ON THE HEADLIGHT …
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LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY , VERY DIM. HAVE REPLACED BOTH SIDES WITH NEW HALOGEN BULBS . RESULTS NO GOOD. THEN REPLACED WITH HID HEADLAMP SYSTEM. STILL HAVE DIM LIGHT DRIVING PROBLEM. I AM VERY TIRED OF REMOVING THE WHOLE FRONT CLIP TO REPLACE THE BULBS AND SO WAS WONDERING IF GM HAS A RECALL OF ANY SORT ON THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM. VERY FRUSTRATING....BEAUTIFUL CAR, BUT YOU CAN'T DRIVE AFTER DUSK!!
HEADLIGHTS WHEN ON DIM ARE SOOOO DIM THAT I HAVE TROUBLE SEEING THE HIGHWAY... CALLED CADILLAC DEALER... INSTRUCTED TO CALL CADILLAC PEOPLE... SAID HE HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND TO CALL CADILLAC TO GET ON A FORMAL COMPLAINT LIST TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR EXPENSE, BUT I HAVE TO FIRST PAY FOR DIAGNOSTI…
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HEADLIGHTS WHEN ON DIM ARE SOOOO DIM THAT I HAVE TROUBLE SEEING THE HIGHWAY... CALLED CADILLAC DEALER... INSTRUCTED TO CALL CADILLAC PEOPLE... SAID HE HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND TO CALL CADILLAC TO GET ON A FORMAL COMPLAINT LIST TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR EXPENSE, BUT I HAVE TO FIRST PAY FOR DIAGNOSTICS... $125...I PURCHASED THIS CAR BECAUSE IT HAD LOW MILES AND IT WAS A LITTLE ABOVE MY PRICE RANGE AS I AM A DISABLED GRANDMOTHER AND HAVE TO DRIVE 50 MILES ONE WAY EVERY WEEK TO PICK UP MY GRAND DAUGHTER FOR WEEKEND VISITS... I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MAY AND HAVE HAD NO ISSUES TILL NOW BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN LIGHT OUTSIDE WHEN I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR... WELL NOW IT IS GETTING DARKER EARLIER AND I ALMOST HAD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SEEING THE HIGHWAY IN CERTAIN PLACES... I DECIDED TO GOOGLE THE ISSUE AND SEE THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME ISSUE... SOME WERE EVEN PULLED BY THE LAW AND NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY FURTHER... I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR WHOMEVER IS IN CHARGE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY CAN ALLOW THIS TO NOT BE TAKEN CARE OF BY CADILLAC OR GM... I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY...BUYING NEW HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE...ITS LIKE THE DIM LIGHTS ARE NOT WIRED CORRECTLY OR ITS GROUNDING OUT...PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY HAD THE WHOLE LIGHT SYSTEM REPLACED ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM... I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR SUCH AN EXPENSE NOR SHOULD I BE REQUIRED TO... CADILLAC SHOULD BE ASHAMED...I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST CADILLAC FOR THIS VERY REASON... IS THERE NOT ANYTHING YALL CAN DO? SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON A VEHICLE THAT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE AFTER 5...
LOW BEAM LIGHTS ARE TOO LOW TO DRIVE VEHICLE SAFELY, HIGH BEAMS OK, THIS IS A KNOWN COMPLAINT TO GM BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT
Official recalls
321V473000 · Suspension:rear
Jun 24, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles. The rear suspension toe link adjuster may not have been tightened properly, which could result in a loose toe link.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loose toe link can separate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised to not drive their vehicle if they experience certain Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) warnings or other issues, such as unusual steering behavior, while driving. Please see the Part 573 report for the full list of warnings. Dealers will replace the adjustable toe link with a non-adjustable one, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed August 6, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2021. Cadillac and Saab customers may direct questions to Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N212340980.
14V571000 · Suspension:rear
Sep 19, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured April 14, 2009, to September 1, 2014, and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles manufactured February 1, 2011, to September 13, 2011. On the affected vehicles, the jam nut in the rear suspension toe adjuster link may not be torqued to the proper specification. A loose toe adjuster link can cause the vehicle to sway or wander at highway speeds. A loose toe adjuster link may lead to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the toe adjuster link will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure of the toe adjuster link could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the torque of the left and right rear toe link adjuster lock nuts, and replace the parts if there is evidence of damage or a loose link, free of charge. The The recall began November 11, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14457.
14V447000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Jul 23, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE20019 · Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation
Opened Nov 6, 2020 · Closed Dec 23, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension; Suspension:rear
On November 06, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-019) to assess the remedy and scope of General Motors (GM) recall 14V-571. ODI had received a total of 9 complaints with allegations of rear toe links separating while the vehicle was in motion. There were 4 complainants indicating that the remedy for recall 14V-571 had been performed on their vehicle. The other 5 complaints were outside the original recall scope but exhibited the same failure mode as addressed by recall 14V-571 and reported uncontrolled swaying while driving.ODI's review focused on all 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles that experienced a rear toe link failure while the vehicle was in motion under various driving conditions. The failures were the same or similar to those addressed by the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. The remedy for recall 14V-571 was to inspect the rear toe link adjusters and replace them if necessary as well as tighten both jam nuts to a manufacturer specified torque. The remedy can be reversed when the vehicle gets a rear alignment adjustment and the jam nuts are not properly re-torqued to the manufacturer's specification. ODI's data review confirmed a high toe link failure rate in vehicles that either had and had not received the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. On June 24, 2021, GM filed a defect information report recalling all 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the rear toe link adjuster while driving. The remedy replaces adjustable toe links with non-adjustable toe links. The recall (21V-473) includes vehicles that were remedied under 14V-571. In view of the recall action being taken by GM, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov.The ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found in a separate document attached to this closing resume.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Suspension
On November 06, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-019) to assess the remedy and scope of General Motors (GM) recall 14V-571. ODI had received a total of 9 complaints with allegations of rear toe links separating while the vehicle was in motion. There were 4 complainants indicating that the remedy for recall 14V-571 had been performed on their vehicle. The other 5 complaints were outside the original recall scope but exhibited the same failure mode as addressed by recall 14V-571 and reported uncontrolled swaying while driving.ODI's review focused on all 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles that experienced a rear toe link failure while the vehicle was in motion under various driving conditions. The failures were the same or similar to those addressed by the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. The remedy for recall 14V-571 was to inspect the rear toe link adjusters and replace them if necessary as well as tighten both jam nuts to a manufacturer specified torque. The remedy can be reversed when the vehicle gets a rear alignment adjustment and the jam nuts are not properly re-torqued to the manufacturer's specification. ODI's data review confirmed a high toe link failure rate in vehicles that either had and had not received the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. On June 24, 2021, GM filed a defect information report recalling all 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the rear toe link adjuster while driving. The remedy replaces adjustable toe links with non-adjustable toe links. The recall (21V-473) includes vehicles that were remedied under 14V-571. In view of the recall action being taken by GM, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov.The ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found in a separate document attached to this closing resume.
Suspension:rear
On November 06, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-019) to assess the remedy and scope of General Motors (GM) recall 14V-571. ODI had received a total of 9 complaints with allegations of rear toe links separating while the vehicle was in motion. There were 4 complainants indicating that the remedy for recall 14V-571 had been performed on their vehicle. The other 5 complaints were outside the original recall scope but exhibited the same failure mode as addressed by recall 14V-571 and reported uncontrolled swaying while driving.ODI's review focused on all 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles that experienced a rear toe link failure while the vehicle was in motion under various driving conditions. The failures were the same or similar to those addressed by the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. The remedy for recall 14V-571 was to inspect the rear toe link adjusters and replace them if necessary as well as tighten both jam nuts to a manufacturer specified torque. The remedy can be reversed when the vehicle gets a rear alignment adjustment and the jam nuts are not properly re-torqued to the manufacturer's specification. ODI's data review confirmed a high toe link failure rate in vehicles that either had and had not received the remedy associated with recall 14V-571. On June 24, 2021, GM filed a defect information report recalling all 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the rear toe link adjuster while driving. The remedy replaces adjustable toe links with non-adjustable toe links. The recall (21V-473) includes vehicles that were remedied under 14V-571. In view of the recall action being taken by GM, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov.The ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found in a separate document attached to this closing resume.