IllustrationSeat heater burn through passenger seat, burning passenger
2013 Cadillac Srx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Srx years
Owner complaints for the 2013 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
460–25K
3825–50K
7850–75K
5575–100K
21100–150K
4150K+
242 reports with mileage · 151 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 217 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Seats complaints
9 reportsThe contact’s customer owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while the valet driver was driving, the front driver’s side seat inadvertently retracted back along the track bracket without warning. As a result, the contact stated that the valet driver was trapped in the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failu…
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The contact’s customer owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while the valet driver was driving, the front driver’s side seat inadvertently retracted back along the track bracket without warning. As a result, the contact stated that the valet driver was trapped in the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V804000 (Seats). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was unavailable.
VEHICLE FIRE & MOLD. My 2013 Cadillac SRX had water leaking in/draining incorrectly from the sunroof, which in return pooled water in the front and rear of my vehicle. This water caused my trunk to COMPLETELY stop operating (water pooled at trunk latch/rusted), as well as water to saturate the electrical components near the fron…
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VEHICLE FIRE & MOLD. My 2013 Cadillac SRX had water leaking in/draining incorrectly from the sunroof, which in return pooled water in the front and rear of my vehicle. This water caused my trunk to COMPLETELY stop operating (water pooled at trunk latch/rusted), as well as water to saturate the electrical components near the front of my car and a FIRE TO ITNITE WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE! Fire truck responded, pooled water found, mold also found because of previously unknown pooled water, and insurance totaled vehicle. SO SCARY! SO DISAPOINTED! THIS LEAKING WATER ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED ON MANY FORUMS FOR THE SAME CADILLAC MAKE AND MODEL AND IT THREATENED MY LIFE. The sun roof draining tubes MUST BE RECALLED. I’m now out of a vehicle because of it and just grateful I was able to exit my vehicle as it filled with smoke.
HEAD ON COLLISION AT 40 MPH ON A CITY STREET. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT MOVED FORWARD. RESULTING IN ER VISIT AND HEAD LACERATION AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
I WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF A PUBLIC GYM AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00AM, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2018. I STARTED MY CAR AND TURNED ON MY SEAT WARMER AS I WAS LEAVING THE GYM. WITHIN 30-45 SECONDS, I FELT A HOT SPOT BURNING MY LOWER BACK AREA. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER, AND I STARTED TO SMELL BURNT RUBBER. THE BURNED AREA…
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I WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF A PUBLIC GYM AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00AM, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2018. I STARTED MY CAR AND TURNED ON MY SEAT WARMER AS I WAS LEAVING THE GYM. WITHIN 30-45 SECONDS, I FELT A HOT SPOT BURNING MY LOWER BACK AREA. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER, AND I STARTED TO SMELL BURNT RUBBER. THE BURNED AREA OF ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DIME WAS BURNED INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS CAUSED TWO CIGARETTE SIZED HOLES TO BURN INTO MY JACKET THAT I WAS WEARING AS WELL. CADILLAC WAS CONTACTED (CASE #[XXX]) AND THEY WERE NOT FORTHCOMING IN INFORMING ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS ISSUE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC EVENT IF I HAD NOT BEEN THERE TO TURN OFF THE SEAT WARMER. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE OTHER CADILLAC SRX 2013 OWNERS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHEN THE SEAT WARMER WAS ACTIVATED, THE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BURN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER BACK, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHEN THE SEAT WARMER WAS ACTIVATED, THE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BURN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER BACK, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,232.
THE HEATED SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT AND HAD TO PUT WATER ON IT TO GET IT OUT. IT WAS ON THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE BACK WHILE I WAS SITTING IN IT IN A PARKING LOT AND LUCKY I WAS NOT DRIVING OR IT MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS IT WAS BURNING A HOLE THROUGH MY COAT AS WELL.
THE SEAT WARMER IN MY VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED A FIRE IN MY DRIVER'S SEAT. I WAS NOT DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME. I USED THE AUTO START FEATURE TO TURN ON THE CAR SO I COULD CLEAR THE SNOW FROM MY CAR. WHEN I GOT IN MY VEHICLE, I SAT DOWN AND COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO REALIZE THAT IT WAS MY…
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THE SEAT WARMER IN MY VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED A FIRE IN MY DRIVER'S SEAT. I WAS NOT DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME. I USED THE AUTO START FEATURE TO TURN ON THE CAR SO I COULD CLEAR THE SNOW FROM MY CAR. WHEN I GOT IN MY VEHICLE, I SAT DOWN AND COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO REALIZE THAT IT WAS MY SEAT THAT WAS ON FIRE.I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BY PATTING THE FLAMES WITH MY GLOVED HANDS BEFORE THE FIRE GOT OUT OF CONTROL. I NOTIFIED MY LOCAL CADILLAC DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE OFFICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. GENERAL MOTORS HAS CONCLUDED THAT THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGES NOR WILL THEY ISSUE A RECALL OR WARNING TO OTHER CONSUMERS OF THIS DEFECT. SINCE THIS HAPPENED TO ME I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE OTHER VICTIMS OF THE SAME ISSUE. IN INDIANA, ANOTHER FAMILY HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM AND LIKE ME CADILLAC GENERAL MOTORS IS NOT TAKING ANY ACCOUNTABILITY. I BELIEVE THAT CONSUMERS ARE AT RISK AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE MADE AWARE OF THIS RISK AND SHOULD CADILLAC ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALLOWING THESE TRAGIC SITUATIONS TO CONTINUE TO OCCUR. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED. SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY.
POWER DRIVER SIDE SEAT WILL STICK AND WILL NOT LOWER. MEMORY SYSTEM FOR POWER SEATS FAULTY. *TR
Official recalls
521V473000 · 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.
14V212000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Apr 25, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured May 29, 2012, through June 26, 2013, and equipped with 3.6L engines. In the affected vehicles, in certain driving situations, there may be a three to four second lag in acceleration due to the transmission control module (TCM) programming.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A three to four second lag in acceleration may increase the risk of crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. General Motors' number for this recall is 14132.
13V202000 · Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
May 16, 2013
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured January 31, 2012, through March 18, 2013, and equipped with 18 inch wheels. On the affected vehicles, the wheel lug nuts may loosen.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the lug nuts loosen, they may fall off or cause the wheel studs to fracture. Either condition would allow the wheel to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the wheel nuts by performing a tire rotation, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13116.
13V097000 · Electrical System:software; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Mar 15, 2013
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured between May 29, 2012, through February 18, 2013 for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." A software problem may cause the transmission to inadvertently shift to Sport mode removing any transmission-related engine braking effect.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2013. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. Buick owners may call 1-866-694-6546.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Electrical System:software
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured between May 29, 2012, through February 18, 2013 for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." A software problem may cause the transmission to inadvertently shift to Sport mode removing any transmission-related engine braking effect.
Consequence: If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2013. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. Buick owners may call 1-866-694-6546.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured between May 29, 2012, through February 18, 2013 for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." A software problem may cause the transmission to inadvertently shift to Sport mode removing any transmission-related engine braking effect.
Consequence: If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2013. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. Buick owners may call 1-866-694-6546.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured between May 29, 2012, through February 18, 2013 for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." A software problem may cause the transmission to inadvertently shift to Sport mode removing any transmission-related engine braking effect.
Consequence: If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2013. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. Buick owners may call 1-866-694-6546.
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.