IllustrationTHE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON OUR 2012 CADILLAC SRX ARE SO DIM THEY ARE UNSAFE AND PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM BEING DRIVEN AT NIGHT UNLESS HIGH BEAMS CAN BE USED. GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS PROVIDED NO FIX, OTHER THAN REPLACING THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WITH THE SAME FAULTY VERSION.
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
Exterior Lighting complaints
233 reportsHEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE CONSISTENT WATER CONDENSATION. HEADLIGHTS ARE ALWAYS VERY DIM AND OFTEN NEED REPLACING. CONDENSATION RECURS EVEN AFTER SERVICING AT CADILLAC AND GM DEALERSHIPS.
APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO I SPOKE WITH MY CADILLAC DEALER REGARDING THE HEAD LIGHTS. THEY CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID THEY WERE FINE. THE LIGHTS ARE SO DIM AT NIGHT THAT IT APPEARS YOU DO NO HAVE LIGHTS ON. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED PUTTING LED LIGHTS IN, THAT DID NOT HELP. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL BULBS AND THAT ALSO DID NOT HELP. T…
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APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO I SPOKE WITH MY CADILLAC DEALER REGARDING THE HEAD LIGHTS. THEY CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID THEY WERE FINE. THE LIGHTS ARE SO DIM AT NIGHT THAT IT APPEARS YOU DO NO HAVE LIGHTS ON. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED PUTTING LED LIGHTS IN, THAT DID NOT HELP. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL BULBS AND THAT ALSO DID NOT HELP. THE LIGHTS ARE SO DIM AT NIGHT THAT I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD OR SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING ON A ROAD WITH NO MARKED LINES. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!! AGAIN TODAY I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER, AND THEY STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM AS TO NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED AFTER DARK. HIGH BEAMS ARE REQUIRED TO SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT THUS BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR RISKING BEING TICKETED. THIS IS DISCUSSED IN NUMEROUS FORUMS. - HTTP://GMAUTHORITY.COM/BLOG/TOPIC/DIM-LOW-BEAM-HEADLIGHTS-ON-SRX/ HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CADILLAC/…
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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM AS TO NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED AFTER DARK. HIGH BEAMS ARE REQUIRED TO SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT THUS BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR RISKING BEING TICKETED. THIS IS DISCUSSED IN NUMEROUS FORUMS. - HTTP://GMAUTHORITY.COM/BLOG/TOPIC/DIM-LOW-BEAM-HEADLIGHTS-ON-SRX/ HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CADILLAC/SRX/2012/LIGHTS/LOW_BEAMS_VERY_DIM.SHTML HTTPS://WWW.CADILLACFORUMS.COM/THREADS/LOW-BEAMS-TOO-DIM.920081/
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO LOW. THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE AT NIGHT. MUCH LESS WHEN IT'S RAINING. I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FORMS ONLINE. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL (SRX)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING/HEAD LAMPS REPLACED: COST 1163.53 I HAD TO REPLACE FACTORY HEADLIGHTS AT THIS HIGH COST DUE NO OTHER WAY TO FIX DIMMED LOW BEAM LIGHTS. I AM REQUESTING A REFUND. CAR DEALER INFORMED ME MY VIN HAS NOT APPEARED ON THE LAWSUIT REIMBURSEMENT. MY LIFE AND OTHERS WERE JUST A WHITE LINE AWAY FROM A MAJOR ACCIDENT …
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EXTERIOR LIGHTING/HEAD LAMPS REPLACED: COST 1163.53 I HAD TO REPLACE FACTORY HEADLIGHTS AT THIS HIGH COST DUE NO OTHER WAY TO FIX DIMMED LOW BEAM LIGHTS. I AM REQUESTING A REFUND. CAR DEALER INFORMED ME MY VIN HAS NOT APPEARED ON THE LAWSUIT REIMBURSEMENT. MY LIFE AND OTHERS WERE JUST A WHITE LINE AWAY FROM A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHILE COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. I NEED HELP IN GETTING A REFUND. MY DATE OF REPAIR WAS 10/25/18 IN ALABAMA. I HAD BEEN A NERVOUS WRECK DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THE CITY WHERE I LIVE AND ON THE COUNTY ROADS NEAR MY HOUSE. HEAVEN HELPED ME WHEN IT RAINED COULD NOT SEE WITH MY LIGHTS SO I HAD TO KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC TO USE OTHER CARS LIGHTS. FRIGHTENING! DOES ANY ONE CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF US WHO ARE DRIVING THESE CADILLAC'S? LIKE OTHERS I EXPERIENCED THE SAME TERROR. WHEN A I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD SEVERAL WARRANTIES DOES NOT COVER THE DIM LIGHTS. OWNERS HAVE TO PAY AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. A LAWSUIT WAS WON IN APRIL AFFECTING THESE SUVS AND OWNERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO FILE. MY VIN IS NOT ON YGE LIST. THEY TOLD ME TO KEEP CHECKING AND TO FILE WITH NHTSA. MY MOST FRIGHTENING NIGHT WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE BESIDES 18 WHEELERS. I COULD NOT SEE AFTER THEY PASSED ON BY AND OTHER TRUCKS WERE APPROACHING ME. SCARED TO DEATH BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO STAY IN MY LANE. 50 MILES WAS TOO LONG TO ENDURE THIS HEADACHE AND I HAVE HYPERTENSION ...BAD COMBINATION. THE LIGHT HAD BEEN GOING DIM FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS SO I THOUGHT I COULD JUST HI AND REPLACE THE BULBS, OH BUT NO THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A HIGH COST SO I CHARGED IT ON MY CREDIT CARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP ILLUMINATION WAS INADEQUATE TO DRIVE SAFELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ONLY PROJECTED BETWEEN 12-15 FEET AHEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KEN BATCHELOR CADILLAC (LOCATED AT 11001 I-10, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78230, (210) 690-070…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP ILLUMINATION WAS INADEQUATE TO DRIVE SAFELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ONLY PROJECTED BETWEEN 12-15 FEET AHEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KEN BATCHELOR CADILLAC (LOCATED AT 11001 I-10, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78230, (210) 690-0700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH HEADLAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1,800. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE FOR SAFE NAVIGATION AT NIGHT. I NOTICED THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND CHECKED FOR ANY RECALL NOTICES. I FOUND THAT FLORIDA AND ONE OTHER STATE HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS DEFECT AND ISSUED A RECALL FOR REPAIRS TO BE PAID BY GM. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE HEAD…
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LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE FOR SAFE NAVIGATION AT NIGHT. I NOTICED THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND CHECKED FOR ANY RECALL NOTICES. I FOUND THAT FLORIDA AND ONE OTHER STATE HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS DEFECT AND ISSUED A RECALL FOR REPAIRS TO BE PAID BY GM. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE UNSAFE! PLEASE CONSULT WITH GM AND ISSUE A RECALL ON CADILLAC SRX HEADLIGHTS.
HEADLAMPS ON LOW ARE SO DIM IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE RUN OFF THE ROAD NUMEROUS TIMES
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX GO DIM. EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. ALREADY REPLACED ONCE THROUGH DEALER DURING WARRANTY PERIOD. HAD TO LATER REPLACE THE PASSENGER LIGHT AGAIN CAUSE IT WENT OUT. NOW BOTH LIGHTS ARE ALMOST "O" VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. GM DID NOT SEND ME A RECALL LETTER ALERTING ME ABOUT THE DE…
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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2012 CADILLAC SRX GO DIM. EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. ALREADY REPLACED ONCE THROUGH DEALER DURING WARRANTY PERIOD. HAD TO LATER REPLACE THE PASSENGER LIGHT AGAIN CAUSE IT WENT OUT. NOW BOTH LIGHTS ARE ALMOST "O" VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. GM DID NOT SEND ME A RECALL LETTER ALERTING ME ABOUT THE DEFECT. IT WAS FOUND TO BE A DEFECT OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL FROM 2010 - 2015. YET, GM HAS KEPT IT QUIET. GM NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS SINCE IT HAS KNOWN ABOUT IT AND DID NOT RECALL IT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECT WHICH IS NO FAULT OF MY OWN AND IT IS A DANGEROUS HAZARD ON THE ROAD FOR ME AND OTHERS WHEN A VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT LIGHTING VISIBILITY.
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.