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
What owners actually said
393 reports
82,000 miles · Nov 1, 2019
Exterior LightingSeat Belts
HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GET SO MUCH CONDENSATION THAT THE BULB AND THE CONTROLLER MALFUNCTION AND THE LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON UNTIL THE UNITS DRY OUT EITHER OVER TIME OR ARE MANUALLY REMOVED TO DRY OUT INDOORS. THE DEALER STATES CONDENSATION IS NORMAL AND THE LAWSUIT THAT OFFERED REDRESS WAS ONLY FOR VEHICLES SOLD IN TWO STATES A…
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HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GET SO MUCH CONDENSATION THAT THE BULB AND THE CONTROLLER MALFUNCTION AND THE LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON UNTIL THE UNITS DRY OUT EITHER OVER TIME OR ARE MANUALLY REMOVED TO DRY OUT INDOORS. THE DEALER STATES CONDENSATION IS NORMAL AND THE LAWSUIT THAT OFFERED REDRESS WAS ONLY FOR VEHICLES SOLD IN TWO STATES AND MY STATE IS NOT INCLUDED. THE FIX IS TO REPLACE WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE DESIGNED LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT GETS STUCK AND MUST BE UNBUCKLED IN ORDER TO ADJUST. CURRENTLY THE DRIVERS SEATBELT FUNCTIONS AS DESIGNED WITH NO ISSUE.
NHTSA ODI #11277455
104,000 miles · Oct 26, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE PASSENGER HEADLAMP IN MY 2013 CADILLAC SRX IS COMPLETELY OUT DUE TO CONDENSED MOISTURE BUILD UP CAUSING ITS COMPONENTS TO DEFECT. NOW MY CAR BECOMES VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AND ACCORDING TO PRIOR RECENTS COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S AN ISSUE GM IS CURRENTLY AWARE OF BUT FAILED TO ADDRESS AND IT'S COSTI…
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THE PASSENGER HEADLAMP IN MY 2013 CADILLAC SRX IS COMPLETELY OUT DUE TO CONDENSED MOISTURE BUILD UP CAUSING ITS COMPONENTS TO DEFECT. NOW MY CAR BECOMES VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AND ACCORDING TO PRIOR RECENTS COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S AN ISSUE GM IS CURRENTLY AWARE OF BUT FAILED TO ADDRESS AND IT'S COSTING CONSUMERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT REPLACED, BUT WAS TOLD THE ISSUE ISN'T WITH THE ACTUAL BULB BUT RATHER ITS COMPONENT. HE ALSO SENT ME A LINK OF OTHER ALLEGED OWNERS FACING THE SAME ISSUES AND STILL GM IS DENYING THE ISSUE. I CALLED UP GM AND WAS TOLD THEY'RE NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. NOW I'M STUCK WITH THE CAR AND SO AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT CAUSE IT'S VERY DANGEROUS PUTTING MY LIFE AND OTHERS AT RISK. PLEASE HELP!!!!!
NHTSA ODI #11271258
Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2019
Exterior Lighting
2013 CADILLAC SRX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO SAFETY ISSUE CONCERNING WIDESPREAD MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CAUSES LITTLE TO NO LIGHT TO BE EMITTED FROM HEADLAMP. THE HEADLIGHT CASE ACCUMULATES MOISTURE UNTIL NO LIGHT IS EMITTED. *AS *JS
NHTSA ODI #11270751
132,000 miles · Oct 21, 2019
Exterior Lighting
DIM HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE THE ROAD! MUST USE BRIGHTS AT ALL TIME
NHTSA ODI #11269988
Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2013 CADILLAC SRX ARE SO DIM THAT I CANNOT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. THIS IS AN INHERENT DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE(2010-15) THAT MOST OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. APPARENTLY THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE DEFECTIVE CAUSING MOISTURE TO ENTER THE HEADLIGHTS. REPAIRS ARE AROUND $2,500 AND CADILLAC REFUSES TO REMEDY THE SI…
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THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2013 CADILLAC SRX ARE SO DIM THAT I CANNOT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. THIS IS AN INHERENT DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE(2010-15) THAT MOST OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. APPARENTLY THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE DEFECTIVE CAUSING MOISTURE TO ENTER THE HEADLIGHTS. REPAIRS ARE AROUND $2,500 AND CADILLAC REFUSES TO REMEDY THE SITUATION OR RECALL THE CARS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT WITHOUT USING MY BRIGHTS.
NHTSA ODI #11268749
88,000 miles · Oct 7, 2019
Exterior Lighting
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AFTER DUSK, THE HEADLAMPS ILLUMINATED THE ROADWAY INADEQUATELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLAMPS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. KING O'ROURKE BUICK GMC (756 SMITHTOWN BYPASS #102, SMITHTOWN, NY 11787, (631) 240-0639) WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AFTER DUSK, THE HEADLAMPS ILLUMINATED THE ROADWAY INADEQUATELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLAMPS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. KING O'ROURKE BUICK GMC (756 SMITHTOWN BYPASS #102, SMITHTOWN, NY 11787, (631) 240-0639) WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA RESIDENTS WERE REIMBURSED FOR REPLACING THE HEADLAMPS IN FULL DUE TO LITIGATION; HOWEVER, OTHER STATES DID NOT FARE AS WELL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.
NHTSA ODI #11266843
70,000 miles · Sep 24, 2019
Power Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE ACCELERATED. ALSO, WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, THERE WAS A HARD DOWNSHIFT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
NHTSA ODI #11257698
67,942 miles · Sep 12, 2019
Power Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A DELAY IN ACCELERATING WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ALSO, THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED EXTRA DISTANCE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS N…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A DELAY IN ACCELERATING WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ALSO, THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED EXTRA DISTANCE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,942.
NHTSA ODI #11255012
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2019
Exterior Lighting
HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM FOR LOW BEAMS! I MUST RUN W/ HIGH BEAMS AT ALL TIMES AT NIGHT FOR ANY LIGHT. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE SEALS FOR THE LIGHT ASSEMBLIES LET MOISTURE IN AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR OVER $1200. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO FOR SAFETY.
NHTSA ODI #11254255
Mileage unknown · Sep 2, 2019
Exterior Lighting
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM NIGHT DRIVING IS VERY DANGEROUS. REPLACED BULBS WITH LITTLE OR NO RESULTS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT CADILLAC WILL NOT ADDRESS. THE REFLECTORS IN HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ARE DEFECTIVE.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
2013 Cadillac Srx Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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