IllustrationThe low beam headlights are VERY dim, like driving with night light bulbs. Cannot see in dark, MUST drive with high beams on. Apparently there was a class action suit filed and settled on this matter already, but there was a time limit which we were unaware of.
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 reportsThe contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the low-beam headlight bulbs became inoperable without warning. The contact was forced to use the high-beam headlights for the duration of his trip. The headlight bulbs were replaced at the dealer. The contact had initially received a warranty notice …
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the low-beam headlight bulbs became inoperable without warning. The contact was forced to use the high-beam headlights for the duration of his trip. The headlight bulbs were replaced at the dealer. The contact had initially received a warranty notice from the manufacturer about the headlights that informed him that he would be reimbursed for any out of pocket expenses for his headlights. The dealer informed him that they were unable to reimburse him for the repair and referred him to the manufacturer. The manufacturer informed him that they were no longer reimbursing customers for headlight bulb replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Because of the poor design of the headlights on the Cadillac SRX, I was afraid to drive at night because the lights are too dim to see the road ahead. After being pulled over by a police officer for driving with my headlights on bright, I made the financial sacrifice to pay for replacement headlight units. I'm glad I did because…
Read full complaint
Because of the poor design of the headlights on the Cadillac SRX, I was afraid to drive at night because the lights are too dim to see the road ahead. After being pulled over by a police officer for driving with my headlights on bright, I made the financial sacrifice to pay for replacement headlight units. I'm glad I did because it makes a world of difference and I may have saved my life.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that headlights were extremely dim and failed to properly illuminate while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that due to water seeping through the rubber sealant on the headlights, condensation had built up inside the headlight module whic…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that headlights were extremely dim and failed to properly illuminate while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that due to water seeping through the rubber sealant on the headlights, condensation had built up inside the headlight module which had caused the failure. The contact used the hi-beam headlights while driving at night due to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
NOTIFIED BY LETTER 02.24.2020 FROM CADILLAC GM,LLC OF HEADLAMP/HEADLIGHT ISSUES FOR SRXS 2011-2015. THE REPAIRS AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER AS STATED IN THEIR LETTER. I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY $1396.00,COMPLETE A PAPER FORM, & MAIL IT WITH RECEIPTS TO A 3RD PARTY. BECAUSE OF A BACKORDER FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS, MY P…
Read full complaint
NOTIFIED BY LETTER 02.24.2020 FROM CADILLAC GM,LLC OF HEADLAMP/HEADLIGHT ISSUES FOR SRXS 2011-2015. THE REPAIRS AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER AS STATED IN THEIR LETTER. I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY $1396.00,COMPLETE A PAPER FORM, & MAIL IT WITH RECEIPTS TO A 3RD PARTY. BECAUSE OF A BACKORDER FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS, MY PROBLEM WAS NOT REPAIRED UNTIL OCTOBER 2020. AFTER WAITING FROM MID OCTOBER, I FINALLY RECEIVED MY REFUND IN FEBRUARY 2021. THIS ISSUE WAS SAFETY RELATED FOR DIMMING HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT. CUSTOMERS WERE FORCED TO PAY UP FRONT TO FIX THE DANGEROUS ISSUE. GM ALSO HAD A DEADLINE OF MAY 28, 2020 TO SUBMIT DOCS FOR REIMBURSEMENT. THIS WAS EXTENDED ONLY FOR CUSTOMERS WITH PRODUCT BACKORDERS. THE PANDEMIC HIT JUST 1 MONTH AFTER GM ISSUED THIS LETTER. WITH JOB LOSSES,ILLNESSES, & DEATHS, GM DID NOT SEND ANY LETTERS MODIFYING THEIR ISSUE FOR SRXS OR OFFERING ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR THOSE IN FINANCIAL CRISIS DURING COVID-19. SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS PRODUCT ISSUE AND HOW UNPROFESSIONAL & DISLOYAL GM/CADILLAC HAS BEEN TO THEIR SRX OWNERS. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL LETTER AND CHRONOLOGICAL DETAILS OF MY EXPERIENCE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING TO SEE THE ROAD. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CADILLAC OF SIOUX FALLS (101 CAROLYN AVE, SIOUX FALLS, SD 57107, (605) 336-5060) WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE VEHI…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING TO SEE THE ROAD. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CADILLAC OF SIOUX FALLS (101 CAROLYN AVE, SIOUX FALLS, SD 57107, (605) 336-5060) WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE LOW-BEAM LIGHT BULBS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
HEADLIGHT BULBS REPLACED STILL NOT WORKING UNABLE TO SEE WHEN DARK
LOW BEAMS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ROAD, ESPECIALLY BAD IN RAIN AND ON OPEN ROAD OUTSIDE OF CITY.
IN 11/2017 I COMPLAINED TO MY DEALER ABOUT HEAD LIGHT LOW LIGHT PROBLEMS. THEY SAID. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I COMPLAINED AGAIN IN 2018. IN 2019 I COMPLAINED AGAIN, THEY REFERRED ME TO AN AUDIO SHOP TO HAVE THE BULBS REPLACED. THAT DID NOT WORK SO I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMPS DUE TO EXTREME SAFETY ISSUES AND NOT BEING ABLE T…
Read full complaint
IN 11/2017 I COMPLAINED TO MY DEALER ABOUT HEAD LIGHT LOW LIGHT PROBLEMS. THEY SAID. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I COMPLAINED AGAIN IN 2018. IN 2019 I COMPLAINED AGAIN, THEY REFERRED ME TO AN AUDIO SHOP TO HAVE THE BULBS REPLACED. THAT DID NOT WORK SO I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMPS DUE TO EXTREME SAFETY ISSUES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE AT NIGHT. THEN IN FEB. 2020 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CADILLAC THAT THEY KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEY WOULD REIMBURSE OR REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS THAT ARE AFFECTED. I SENT IN ALL PAPERWORK FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND WAS DENIED ANY REIMBURSEMENT. THEY SIGHTED MULTIPLE EXCLUSIONS (I HAD TO ORDER THE HEADLAMPS OFF OF AMAZON BECAUSE MY DEALERSHIP SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE THEM). CADILLAC NEVER SPECIFIED WHAT TYPE OF PAPERWORK AND SPECIFICS, THEY SAID TO SEND IN ANY PAPERWORK RELATED TO THE REPAIR OF THE LIGHTS, WHICH I DID! THIS ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS WAS AN EXTREME DANGER. ANYTIME I HAD SOMEONE IN MY CAR AT NIGHT THEY ASKED IF MY HEADLIGHTS WERE ON AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY WERE. CADILLAC INITIALLY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND NOW THEY ARE GIVING ME THE ''RUN AROUND' WITH MULTIPLE EXCUSES AS TO WHY THEY WILL NOT REIMBURSE THE REPAIR I HAD TO MAKE FOR THEIR ACKNOWLEDGED SAFETY ISSUE.
HORRIBLE VISABILITY, PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND GIVEN A WARNING TICKET, SAYING MY IT LOOKS LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH MY RUNNING LIGHTS, CAN NOT DRIVE AFTER DARK NOW UNTIL PROBLEM IS CORRECTED, HOW DO YOU CORRECT SOMETHING THAT IS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY AND FOR GM TO REFUSE TO HAVE A RECALL OR OFFER THEM TO BE REPLACED KNOWING THE…
Read full complaint
HORRIBLE VISABILITY, PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND GIVEN A WARNING TICKET, SAYING MY IT LOOKS LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH MY RUNNING LIGHTS, CAN NOT DRIVE AFTER DARK NOW UNTIL PROBLEM IS CORRECTED, HOW DO YOU CORRECT SOMETHING THAT IS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY AND FOR GM TO REFUSE TO HAVE A RECALL OR OFFER THEM TO BE REPLACED KNOWING THERE IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM IS RIDICOULOUS AND THE SAFETY BOARD SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS OUT HERE!!!
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.