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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

Suspension complaints

41 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2025
Exterior LightingService BrakesSuspension

Braking after hitting a pothole was a nightmare! No warning lights came on to prepare me for anything. Brake pedal went to the floor and would not work properly. Finally after getting my vehicle to stop I pulled over pumped my brakes and seemed to work after 5 tries. Toe link recall was “fixed” well not the case. After 2 recalls…

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Braking after hitting a pothole was a nightmare! No warning lights came on to prepare me for anything. Brake pedal went to the floor and would not work properly. Finally after getting my vehicle to stop I pulled over pumped my brakes and seemed to work after 5 tries. Toe link recall was “fixed” well not the case. After 2 recalls on the toe link I had a nice bill the cost me $1.450.00 after having to pay for this part. Still haven’t been reimbursed. Also headlights are very dim and can’t see at night!! I’ve asked multiple mechanic shops and no one has an answer for me. So have to use my high beams or else I can’t see anything at night . Very unsafe and no one can help me resolve this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11665957

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2024
Suspension

To whom it may concern, I am writing this as a complaint on the rear toe link separation recall that was performed on our 2012 Cadillac SRX. We installed new tires on our SRX in August 2022 (Michelin Defender 235/55 R20) with a mileage of 108,452 just due to this being our sons car and wanted him to be safe on the road. I…

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To whom it may concern, I am writing this as a complaint on the rear toe link separation recall that was performed on our 2012 Cadillac SRX. We installed new tires on our SRX in August 2022 (Michelin Defender 235/55 R20) with a mileage of 108,452 just due to this being our sons car and wanted him to be safe on the road. In December of 2022 we had the recall performed at Lakeside Chevrolet in Rockwall Texas and the mileage was 110,893. Since the recall, we have been through 2 sets of tires on the back of this vehicle in less than 2 years with the outer edge of the tires being worn down to the cords. The car has 119,051 on it now. I am very angry as we tried to have the alignment performed and were told that these links that were installed can not be adjusted and will cost me another $650 to replace and another $130 for the alignment. The vehicle did not have any issues until we had the recall performed. We are now out $1404 for tires and $130 for an alignment that can’t be performed unless the links are replaced with adjustable units. My total to get this taken care of is over $2200 which was created by your recall parts. I would like to have someone reply to this email to let me know what can be done to take care of this situation.

NHTSA ODI #11619003

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2024
SteeringSuspension

There was a recall in this vehicle in 2022 it states the recall has been serviced for toe link, hub bearing, front strut and sway bar link. Well I put my car in the shop and had to replace same parts that had a recall that was serviced already! $1,886.00 it cost me to have these services done again. Well the issue is back and it…

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There was a recall in this vehicle in 2022 it states the recall has been serviced for toe link, hub bearing, front strut and sway bar link. Well I put my car in the shop and had to replace same parts that had a recall that was serviced already! $1,886.00 it cost me to have these services done again. Well the issue is back and it’s affecting the steering of my vehicle. I need to know what the next step is to have this resolved so I can make sure my vehicle is safe to drive

NHTSA ODI #11568280

Mileage unknown · Jan 20, 2024
Suspension

I was driving down a highway and all of the sudden the back end of my car started swerving back and forth. I almost lost control, but managed to get it slowed down without causing an accident. I knew something major was wrong and the dealer I bought the car from was about 5 miles away. I managed to get it there safely, but could…

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I was driving down a highway and all of the sudden the back end of my car started swerving back and forth. I almost lost control, but managed to get it slowed down without causing an accident. I knew something major was wrong and the dealer I bought the car from was about 5 miles away. I managed to get it there safely, but could only do 10-15mph or the swerving was too much and I would have lost control. No warning lights came on and my steering wheel was even crooked. I had no issues prior to this. I always take my car to the dealer for oil changes/tire rotations and they have never found anything wrong. When the tech inspected my car, he determined the toe link broke. They checked for a recall and it said it was fixed in August of 2021. I bought the car in February 2022. I knew nothing about the recall or this issue. The tech said it was repaired with the same 3 piece style setup that the recall was for to begin with. Also, that they fix the recall with one whole piece now. The dealer wouldn't warranty it again since the computer documented it had already been done. I called Cadillac to see if I could get reimbursed, since the same style faulty parts were installed. I was told they couldn't do anything since it was closed and to submit it here.

NHTSA ODI #11566688

123,000 miles · Jul 7, 2023
Power TrainSuspension

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed on the instrument panel “service rear axle”. Additionally, the contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the vehicle was taking to the dealer w…

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The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed on the instrument panel “service rear axle”. Additionally, the contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the vehicle was taking to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear differential clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ODI #11530842

Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2023
SteeringSuspensionWheels

In Nov 2021 we had the recommended recall repairs done at a Cadillac dealership which replaced the rear toe links with a non-adjustable bar. 2 months later we installed new tires at Big O Tires but they were unable to perform a rear alignment due to the stationary toe bar. We went back to the Cadillac dealership days later but w…

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In Nov 2021 we had the recommended recall repairs done at a Cadillac dealership which replaced the rear toe links with a non-adjustable bar. 2 months later we installed new tires at Big O Tires but they were unable to perform a rear alignment due to the stationary toe bar. We went back to the Cadillac dealership days later but were assured the alignment was fine. Just over one year later (approx 15K miles driven) we have significant wear on our inner tires. Last week we had Big O run an ExpressAlign report and the rear tires have severe negative values. The value even with the toe bar should be +0.020. I contacted Hunter Machine Alignment and they confirmed our concerns. They said Cadillac solve this problem immediately. At this time Cadillac is only agreeing to inspecting the installation of the recall repair however this does not resolve the safety concerns with this vehicle. Why would a stationary bar be installed if the customer would not be able to get their wheels properly aligned? This recall repair seem to have increased the safety and reliability of this vehicle further. From CR Reports https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/general-motors-recalls-suvs-for-rear-suspension-problem-a8620817999/ According to GM, certain SRX and 9-4X SUVs were recalled in 2014 (NHTSA No. 14V571) because part of the rear suspension called a toe link hadn’t been properly tightened during the assembly process. After that initial recall, the company received further reports that some toe links were still loose, and it revised the procedures outlined in the initial recall. In 2020 GM continued to receive field reports about suspension-related issues. These included traction control, electronic stability control (called Stabilitrak by GM), or "service rear axle" warnings, malfunctioning taillights, swaying or wandering at highway speeds, uneven rear tire wear, or loud clunking noises over bumps. NHTSA’s campaign number is 21V473. The initial recall number was 14V571.

NHTSA ODI #11511351

58,048 miles · Sep 14, 2022
Suspension

The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the message "Service Rear Axle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear axle was disassembled and it was determined that the rear axle differential seal was leaking. Additionally, the vehicle was repaired under NHTS…

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The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the message "Service Rear Axle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear axle was disassembled and it was determined that the rear axle differential seal was leaking. Additionally, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on four occasions where the rear axle failure was repaired. The contact stated that the message "Service Rear Axle" remained displayed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,048. The contact stated that despite paying for a replacement part, the vehicle still has issues.

NHTSA ODI #11484509

109,000 miles · Aug 16, 2022
Suspension

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer where the recall remedy was completed. The contact stated after the repairs were completed, she felt the rear side of the vehicle would sway side to side and she…

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The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer where the recall remedy was completed. The contact stated after the repairs were completed, she felt the rear side of the vehicle would sway side to side and she would notice it would be worst in the rain. The contact stated on 8/10/2022 while driving 42 mph, she heard an abnormal noise and noticed the rear driver side of the tire blew out. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she decided to continue driving. The contact stated after parking the vehicle, she noticed the inner part of the rear driver tire belt was showing. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to their residence with the faulty tire. The contact took the vehicle to a tire shop and was informed they were unable to align the vehicle while replacing the rear driver-side tire. The tire shop informed this was the cause of the tire blowing out. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

NHTSA ODI #11479500

Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 2022
Suspension

2012 CADILLAC SRX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO SERVICE REAR AXLE SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED THE SERVICE REAR AXLE MESSAGE. THE REAR AXLE FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE 212340980 FOR THE REAR AXLE AND SUBMITTED A REIMBUSEMENT CLAIM. THE CLAIM WAS DENIED TWICE. THE M…

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2012 CADILLAC SRX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO SERVICE REAR AXLE SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED THE SERVICE REAR AXLE MESSAGE. THE REAR AXLE FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE 212340980 FOR THE REAR AXLE AND SUBMITTED A REIMBUSEMENT CLAIM. THE CLAIM WAS DENIED TWICE. THE MANUFACTURER'S DENIAL LETTER STATED THE REPAIR PERFORMED WAS NOT THE REPAIR COVERED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT WHY THE REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM WAS DENIED.

NHTSA ODI #11466912

79,000 miles · Apr 21, 2022
Suspension

The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the adjustable rear toe link of the vehicle was previously replaced with a non-adjustable toe link under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact later noticed that the interior of the brand new rear tires he had purchased were worn. Upon taki…

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The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the adjustable rear toe link of the vehicle was previously replaced with a non-adjustable toe link under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact later noticed that the interior of the brand new rear tires he had purchased were worn. Upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an alignment, the contact was informed that the rear tires could not be aligned as the rear toe link was non-adjustable. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI #11461702

Official recalls

3

21V473000 · 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

1

PE20019 · 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.