IllustrationTWICE AFTER RUNNING OVER BUMPS, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BUMP, THE BRAKES NEED TO BE DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE. ALSO, ON OCCASION, CAR TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR.
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
Service Brakes complaints
42 reportsI HAVE A CADILLAC 2012 AND I CAN NOT SEE TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE BLINGING THE ON COMING VEHICLES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. AT UNKNOWN TIME WHEN A APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES MY VEHICLE WONT STOP. I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THAT DON'T WORK. THE PEDAL DROPS TO THE FLOOR. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP A…
Read full complaint
I HAVE A CADILLAC 2012 AND I CAN NOT SEE TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE BLINGING THE ON COMING VEHICLES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. AT UNKNOWN TIME WHEN A APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES MY VEHICLE WONT STOP. I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THAT DON'T WORK. THE PEDAL DROPS TO THE FLOOR. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY STATED THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS HAVE HAPPEN TO ME 3 TIMES AS OF NOW, I PRAY THERE ISN'T A ACCIDENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFAC…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CAUTIOUSLY APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V212000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 13V097000 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICA…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CAUTIOUSLY APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V212000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 13V097000 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S FAILURES WERE SIMILAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE TWO RECALL CAMPAIGNS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
WHEN APPLING BRAKES THE PEDAL SOMETIMES GO TO THE FLOOR. AT DIFFERENT TIMES, WHILE DRIVING & WHILE SITTING STILL. SOMETIMES PEDAL GOING TO FLOOR FASTER THAN OTHER TIMES. I'VE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT MY VIN # IS NOT COVERED IT SAYS. BUT I DO HAVE THE PROBLEM OR ONE SIMILAR
I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO CITY TRAFFIC WHEN THE BRAKES IN MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX FAILED. I ENDED UP REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. WHEN WE PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AS I WAS MAYBE GOING 2 OR 3 MPH. WE EXCHANGE…
Read full complaint
I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO CITY TRAFFIC WHEN THE BRAKES IN MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX FAILED. I ENDED UP REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. WHEN WE PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AS I WAS MAYBE GOING 2 OR 3 MPH. WE EXCHANGED INSURANCE INFORMATION. I NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE OF THE CLAIM AS WELL. I HAD BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER A 2010 CADILLAC SRX WHEN I BOUGHT MINE AND 6 WEEKS AGO SHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH BRAKE FAILURE BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET HER CAR TO STOP. WE TOOK HER CAR TO ST. CLAIRE CADILLAC IN SANTA CLARA AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND NO ERROR CODES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE ON BOARD COMPUTER. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE INCIDENCES OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH CADILLAC SRX MODELS BUT CADILLAC WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS PROBLEM HAS RESULTED IN ANY DEATHS IF SO THE DRIVER MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. CADILLAC NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! NEEDLESS TO SAY I WILL BE SELLING MY SRX AND BUYING A TOYOTA.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL AND TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES THAT …
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL AND TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V571000 (SUSPENSION), BUT WAS STILL HAVING ISSUES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY WITH A SLIGHT SLANT. REAR HATCH WAS OPENED AND WE WERE UNLOADING VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND TURNED OFF. APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, WE WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE REAR. THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING AWAY (TIRES TURNING, NOT A SLIDE). A PERSON IN T…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY WITH A SLIGHT SLANT. REAR HATCH WAS OPENED AND WE WERE UNLOADING VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND TURNED OFF. APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, WE WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE REAR. THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING AWAY (TIRES TURNING, NOT A SLIDE). A PERSON IN THE GROUP WAS ABLE TO CATCH IT AND JUMPED IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND APPLIED THE BRAKE. SERVICE DEPT REPORTS THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. I'M GRATEFUL WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH IT OTHERWISE, SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED WHILE UNLOADING THE REAR OR IT COULD HAVE ROLLED AWAY AND CRASHED WHILE WE WERE IN THE HOUSE. *TR
WHEN BREAKING HAVE A VERY UNUSUAL SMELL COMING FROM THE BREAK. VEHICLE HAS A 2 TO 4 SECOND DELAY WHEN APPLYING THE GAS. THE HATCH BACK WILL OPEN BY ITS SELF AND SOMETIMES CLOSE BY IT SELF. *TR
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.