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
36,000 miles · Jun 26, 2019
Exterior Lighting
SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR USED WITH 36K MILES ON IT THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME PROGRESSIVELY DIMMER, TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. CADILLAC WANTS 1200 TO FIX THEM, AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS …
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SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR USED WITH 36K MILES ON IT THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME PROGRESSIVELY DIMMER, TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. CADILLAC WANTS 1200 TO FIX THEM, AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ON THEIR VEHICLES.
NHTSA ODI #11222818
80,000 miles · Jun 12, 2019
Visibility
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF LEAKED EVERY TIME IT RAINED. THE INCIDENT CAUSED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VINCE WHIBBS BUICK GMC CADILLAC (5651 PENSACOLA BLVD, PENSACOLA, FL 32505, 850-610-1851) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRAIN HOSE SHOULD…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF LEAKED EVERY TIME IT RAINED. THE INCIDENT CAUSED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VINCE WHIBBS BUICK GMC CADILLAC (5651 PENSACOLA BLVD, PENSACOLA, FL 32505, 850-610-1851) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRAIN HOSE SHOULD BE CHECKED TWICE A YEAR FOR A WATER TEST TO PREVENT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
NHTSA ODI #11219581
Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2019
Visibility/wiper
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM THAT VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IS VERY LOW AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. NEW REPLACED PARTS RESULT IN SAME PROBLEM WITHIN FEW MONTHS AND CUSTOMER HAS TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENTS. PAYING FOR IT SINCE AUG 2018 AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.
NHTSA ODI #11217533
Mileage unknown · May 22, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2013 CADILLAC SRX ARE TOO DIM TO DRIVE VEHICHLE AT NIGHT . THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY GM. I HAVE REPLACED BULBS BUT DID NOT HELP.
NHTSA ODI #11209212
108,000 miles · May 21, 2019
Exterior Lighting
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR. WE LOVE IT, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS. WE LIVE IN A VERY RURAL AREA, SO THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS OF ANY KIND IN OUR AREA. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM WERE VERY NICE AND REPLACED THE BULBS IN THE CAR AND IT DID NOT MAKE ONE BIT OF DIFFERENCE. THE LOW BEAMS AR…
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WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR. WE LOVE IT, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS. WE LIVE IN A VERY RURAL AREA, SO THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS OF ANY KIND IN OUR AREA. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM WERE VERY NICE AND REPLACED THE BULBS IN THE CAR AND IT DID NOT MAKE ONE BIT OF DIFFERENCE. THE LOW BEAMS ARE SO BAD THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE AT NIGHT, AT ALL. MY HUSBAND ALMOST HIT A TREE THE OTHER NIGHT BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SEE IT. THERE IS ALREADY A LAWSUIT WITH GM OVER THE HEADLAMP ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA FOR THE 2011-2015 SRX. WHILE GM IS CONCERNED WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS OR SO THEY SAY, THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY ASSISTANCE WITH FIXING THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THERE IS NO ACTIVE RECALL. TO ME THAT SAYS, "WE ARE NOT GOING TO SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON RECALLS, WE WOULD RATHER PAYOUT ON WRONGFUL DEATH SUITS". WHICH IS CLEAR BY THE CLASS ACTION SUIT IN CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA. MY QUESTION IS "HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED OVER THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS"?
NHTSA ODI #11208943
Mileage unknown · May 17, 2019
Exterior Lighting
LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. I HAVE PULLED OVER TO LOOK AT THE HEAD LIGHTS TO SEE IF THEY WERE EVEN WORKING. I CANNOT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT AS I CANNOT SEE. IF I MUST DRIVE IT, I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC CONTINUALLY FLASH THEIR BRIGHTS AT ME. THIS VEHICLE IS SUPER DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. NO HE…
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LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. I HAVE PULLED OVER TO LOOK AT THE HEAD LIGHTS TO SEE IF THEY WERE EVEN WORKING. I CANNOT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT AS I CANNOT SEE. IF I MUST DRIVE IT, I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC CONTINUALLY FLASH THEIR BRIGHTS AT ME. THIS VEHICLE IS SUPER DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. NO HELP FROM CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. I FIRST NOTICED THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
NHTSA ODI #11208321
30,000 miles · May 15, 2019
Exterior Lighting
HEADLIGHTS EXTERIOR HOUSING UNITS WEAR OUT OR DETERIORATE ALLOWING MOISTURE TO ACCUMULATE AND CONDENSE FROM THE AIR THAT FLOWS THROUGH THEIR VENTS.I CANT SEE AT NIGHT AND ITS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
NHTSA ODI #11207923
74,420 miles · May 9, 2019
Exterior Lighting
2013 CADILLAC SRX HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM.
NHTSA ODI #11206535
75,000 miles · Apr 30, 2019
Exterior Lighting
I HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL WRECKS DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THIS VEHICLE. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THE ROADWAYS. DRIVING WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN SEE. EVEN AFTER APPLYING THE SUGGESTED FIXES FROM CADILLAC, YOU CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. I HAVE INCLUDED THE MOST RECENT DATE OF A NEA…
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I HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL WRECKS DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THIS VEHICLE. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THE ROADWAYS. DRIVING WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN SEE. EVEN AFTER APPLYING THE SUGGESTED FIXES FROM CADILLAC, YOU CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. I HAVE INCLUDED THE MOST RECENT DATE OF A NEAR WRECK DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY.
NHTSA ODI #11204753
74,000 miles · Apr 30, 2019
Exterior Lighting
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE BRIGHTLY. THE CONTACT CALLED ORR CADILLAC OF FORT SMITH (LOCATED AT 6500 AUTOPARK DR, FORT SMITH, AR 72903, (479) 310-0948) AND WAS INFORMED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE BRIGHTLY. THE CONTACT CALLED ORR CADILLAC OF FORT SMITH (LOCATED AT 6500 AUTOPARK DR, FORT SMITH, AR 72903, (479) 310-0948) AND WAS INFORMED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
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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