IllustrationHEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM AND CAN'T SEE AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES LIGHTS JUST GO OFF.
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
What owners actually said
416 reportsI BOUGHT A 2012 CADILLAC SRX ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS ONLY MY VEHICLE BUT AFTER READING DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE THAT CADILLAC NEEDS TO ADDRESS ASAP! I CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT TURNING ON HIGH BEAMS WHICH CREATES ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE …
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I BOUGHT A 2012 CADILLAC SRX ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS ONLY MY VEHICLE BUT AFTER READING DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE THAT CADILLAC NEEDS TO ADDRESS ASAP! I CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT TURNING ON HIGH BEAMS WHICH CREATES ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I AM NOT ELDERLY OR SOMEONE WITH VISION PROBLEMS AND WHEN I CANNOT SEE THE WHITE LINES JUST A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF ME, IT IS RIDICULOUS! I HOPE CADILLAC REALIZES THE LIABILITY OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT IF SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SEE, THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THERE ARE FAR TO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THEM TO IGNORE THIS! I AM STUCK NOW WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS USELESS IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE IT WHEN YOU WANT! THE MOMENT I CAN GET ENOUGH PAID OFF, I WILL BE SELLING IT AND NEVER BUYING ANOTHER CADILLAC PRODUCT.
MY FRONT HEADLIGHT ARE A HAZARD. I'VE HAD THE BULBS CHANGED MULTIPLE TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO GM, AND THEY AREN'T TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHT SEALS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.
I PURCHASED MY 2012 IN 2016. RECENTLY MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE STARTED TO DIM. IT BECOMES VERY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT TO THE POINT THAT IT ALMOST LOOKS AS IF I DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS ON IT ALL. MOST OF THE TIME I HAVE TO CUT MY HIGH BEAMS ON WHICH CREATES A PROBLEM FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
WHEN LIGHTS ARE PLACED ON DIM YOU CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. VERY DIM AND UNSAFE.
WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON LOW OR DIM YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE ANYTHING OR ANYONE AND THEY CAN NOT SEE YOU WE HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL WRECKS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO BOTH THE DEALERSHIPS IN HUNTSVILLE TX WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND ALSO THE ONE IN CONROE TX AND BOTH HAVE TOLD ME THE KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLE…
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WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON LOW OR DIM YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE ANYTHING OR ANYONE AND THEY CAN NOT SEE YOU WE HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL WRECKS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO BOTH THE DEALERSHIPS IN HUNTSVILLE TX WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND ALSO THE ONE IN CONROE TX AND BOTH HAVE TOLD ME THE KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE KNOW ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THAT SEVERAL LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED IN STATE COURTS IN CA AND FL
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM AND VIRTUALLY USELESS AT NIGHT. I CHANGED THE BULBS WITH NEW ONES AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS.
GM KNOWN DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS FOR ALL 2010-2015 SRX THAT HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY DIM OVER TIME AND SO NOW HAVE TO DRIVE ONLY WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS AT NIGHT AT ALL TIMES. GM DEALER TOLD BY GM TO ROUTINELY PASS THE EXTREMELY DIM LIGHTS AS WITHIN SPECS TO ESCAPE WARRANTY PERIOD, EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHTS ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO DIM UNTIL FINALLY…
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GM KNOWN DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS FOR ALL 2010-2015 SRX THAT HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY DIM OVER TIME AND SO NOW HAVE TO DRIVE ONLY WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS AT NIGHT AT ALL TIMES. GM DEALER TOLD BY GM TO ROUTINELY PASS THE EXTREMELY DIM LIGHTS AS WITHIN SPECS TO ESCAPE WARRANTY PERIOD, EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHTS ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO DIM UNTIL FINALLY BECOME TOTALLY DARK ON LOW BEAM AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES BUT OFFERS NO WAY TO FIX. GM OFFERS NO METHOD TO FIX EXCEPT TO INSTALL NEW HEADLIGHTS FOR A $2,000 TEMPORARY MEASURE THAT REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR, WHILE ALSO ADMITTING THAT ISSUE IS CERTAIN TO RE-OCCUR. HEADLIGHT BULBS ARE ALREADY REPLACED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. GM DENIED TO REPAIR OR COME UP WITH AN IMPROVEMENT AND SAYS NOTHING FURTHER WILL BE DISCUSSED WITHOUT A RECALL.
2012 CADILLAC SRX HAS DIM FRONT HEADLIGHTS. VERY DANGEROUS. HAVE TO DRIVE WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS ON, ALSO VERY DANGEROUS. NEED RESOLUTION OF SOME SORT FROM CADILLAC.
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…
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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.
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.