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
50,000 miles · Jan 26, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM. I CALLED A CADILLAC DEALER AND THEY RECOGNIZED AND ADMITTED IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO REPAIR IT. THEY SAID THEY TRIED REPLACING THE BULBS AND OTHER SRX'S BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND/OR IN INCLEMENT WEA…
Read full complaint
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM. I CALLED A CADILLAC DEALER AND THEY RECOGNIZED AND ADMITTED IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO REPAIR IT. THEY SAID THEY TRIED REPLACING THE BULBS AND OTHER SRX'S BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND/OR IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON. THE CAR CANNOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN AT NIGHT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND RECOMMEND A SOLUTION. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFFECTING THE SAFETY DRIVERS AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I THINK IT IS APPALLING THAT GM/CADILLAC CANNOT PROVIDE A FIX FOR THIS.
NHTSA ODI #11172285
Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2019
Exterior LightingUnknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper
HEADLIGHTS ARE HAZY CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING WHILE DRIVING DURING THE NIGHT. THIS COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. POPPING NOISE ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHILE CAR IS RUNNING DEALERSHIP SAYS IT WAS A LOOSE AXEL NUT. THE DEALERSHIP TRIED REPAIRING IT TWICE, STILL THE SAME.
NHTSA ODI #11171542
84,000 miles · Jan 22, 2019
Exterior Lighting
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM. I REPLACED WITH LED BULBS AND NOTHING CHANGED.
NHTSA ODI #11171311
Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS ON THE CADILLAC SRX 2013 BARELY SHOWS UP AS LIT. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY LIGHTS ON AT ALL. MAKES FOR A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
NHTSA ODI #11170458
53,000 miles · Jan 15, 2019
Exterior Lighting
DRIVING AT NIGHT IS A NIGHTMARE, ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN. EVERY NIGHT I HAVE FOUND MYSELF STRUGGLING TO SEE THE ROAD. I HAVE TO COUNT ON THE REAR LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. RURAL ROADS ARE THE WORSE. I HAVE A CADILLAC BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY AND WELL CRAFTED ENGINEERING, BUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. WHY …
Read full complaint
DRIVING AT NIGHT IS A NIGHTMARE, ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN. EVERY NIGHT I HAVE FOUND MYSELF STRUGGLING TO SEE THE ROAD. I HAVE TO COUNT ON THE REAR LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. RURAL ROADS ARE THE WORSE. I HAVE A CADILLAC BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY AND WELL CRAFTED ENGINEERING, BUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL???
NHTSA ODI #11170192
112,000 miles · Jan 14, 2019
Exterior Lighting
LIGHTING ASSEMBLY IS COMPLETELY OUT ON VEHICLE. I CAN ONLY DRIVE WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS ON. I HAVE WENT OFF THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES,DUE TO LIGHTING. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CHECKS FROM CADILLAC AND WAS TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE LIGHTING ASSEMBLY, BUT IS A WASTE BECAUSE IT WILL GO OUT AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
NHTSA ODI #11170003
44,000 miles · Jan 14, 2019
Exterior Lighting
HEADLIGHTS TOO DIM. DEALER SAYS FILAMENT IS GONE/MELTED AND LIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR $1527.53. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
NHTSA ODI #11169908
Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE LIGHTS ON THIS CAR HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE! FIRST WE THOUGHT THE LIGHTS NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. DEALERSHIP TOLD US THEY ARE ADJUSTED PERFECTLY. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT! I WILL KILL SOMEONE OR MYSELF! CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AGAIN & WAS TOLD THEY COULD MEET US HALFWAY FOR REPLACEMENT. CADILLAC IS VER…
Read full complaint
THE LIGHTS ON THIS CAR HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE! FIRST WE THOUGHT THE LIGHTS NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. DEALERSHIP TOLD US THEY ARE ADJUSTED PERFECTLY. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT! I WILL KILL SOMEONE OR MYSELF! CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AGAIN & WAS TOLD THEY COULD MEET US HALFWAY FOR REPLACEMENT. CADILLAC IS VERY AWARE OF THIS. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM & KNOW OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I TELL EVERYONE NOT TO PURCHASE A CADILLAC BECAUSE THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR FLAWS. I WANT TO INCLUDE MY NAME SO THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND HAS TO BURY ME FROM GETTING KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT HE WILL HAVE PROOF THAT THE COMPLAINT WAS MADE TO OUR GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS NUMEROUS TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT IS GOING TO TAKE THE DEATH OF ONE OR MORE PERSONS AND AN OUTRAGEOUS NEGLIGENT LAWSUIT FOR GM TO GET ON BOARD WITH THIS PROBLEM. I'VE EVEN MADE A FILE FOR MY HUSBAND TO ACCESS TO GIVE TO ATTORNEY UPON MY DEATH. THANK YOU GM, AT LEAST MY HUSBAND WILL BE ABLE TO BUY A NEW FORD! SINCERELY, [XXX] CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM RON TAYLOR CADILLAC IN HOUSTON,TX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CW *TR
NHTSA ODI #11166688
Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2019
Electrical System
THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM TO A POINT WHERE IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT BRIGHT OR HIGH BEAMS ON. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVING ON DARK OR DIMLY LIT ROADS AT NIGHT. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE PROBLEM WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS NO SOLUTION AND THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.…
Read full complaint
THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM TO A POINT WHERE IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT BRIGHT OR HIGH BEAMS ON. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVING ON DARK OR DIMLY LIT ROADS AT NIGHT. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE PROBLEM WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS NO SOLUTION AND THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. WHEN THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE WAS CALLED, NO ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN AFTER REPEATED PROMISES THAT SOME ONE WOULD RETURN OUR CALL. WE WERE FINALLY TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $135. MY COMMENT WAS, WHY WOULD I PAY FOR A DIAGNOSIS WHEN I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT CANNOT BE FIXED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I SUPPOSE IT IS CHEAPER FOR GM TO SETTLE DEATH CLAIMS THAN ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI #11166398
29,000 miles · Jan 5, 2019
Exterior Lighting
I BOUGHT A USED CADILLAC. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS I NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT SEE AT NIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY EYESIGHT. I LATER BOUGHT A HD LIGHT BULB FOR $200 AND HAD IT INSTALLED FOR ANOTHER $250(YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE BUMPER TO REPLACE THE BULBS ON THIS CAR). YET THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND DANGEROUS. I J…
Read full complaint
I BOUGHT A USED CADILLAC. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS I NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT SEE AT NIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY EYESIGHT. I LATER BOUGHT A HD LIGHT BULB FOR $200 AND HAD IT INSTALLED FOR ANOTHER $250(YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE BUMPER TO REPLACE THE BULBS ON THIS CAR). YET THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND DANGEROUS. I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE DEALER AND HE WANTED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE LIGHT ASSEMBLY OR GO GET AFTER MARKET ASSEMBLY. ON A HUNCH I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND SAW THAT THIS WAS A RAMPANT PROBLEM WITH SRX'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
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
Illustration