← New search

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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
Clear category filter
158,000 miles · Jan 29, 2019
Exterior Lighting

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY COLLECTS MOISTURE WHICH CAUSES HEADLIGHT BULB TO BECOME INOPERABLE. HAD THE BULB REPAIRED LAST YEAR AND NOW THE ASSEMBLY IS FULL OF MOISTURE AND BULB IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. CAN NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT DUE TO VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER VEHICLES NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE VEHICLE AT N…

Read full complaint

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY COLLECTS MOISTURE WHICH CAUSES HEADLIGHT BULB TO BECOME INOPERABLE. HAD THE BULB REPAIRED LAST YEAR AND NOW THE ASSEMBLY IS FULL OF MOISTURE AND BULB IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. CAN NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT DUE TO VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER VEHICLES NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI #11172781

85,000 miles · Jan 23, 2019
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS HAVE DIMMED OUT. THE HALOGEN BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE LIGHTS ARE STILL DIM.

NHTSA ODI #11171730

60,000 miles · Jan 19, 2019
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM. CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE AFTER DARK WITHOUT BRIGHT LIGHTS. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AFTER DARK. GM DOESN'T HAVE A RECOMMENDED REPAIR THAT DOESN'T COST THE AUTO OWNER THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

NHTSA ODI #11170915

48,000 miles · Jan 14, 2019
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM CAN'T SEE ARE FORCED TO USE HI BEAMS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. NO DIFFERENCE.

NHTSA ODI #11169944

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2019
Exterior Lighting

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT. THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO DIM HEADLIGHTS. WHEN I DRIVE AT NIGHT I MUST HAVE THE LIGHTS ON BRIGHT. I LIVE IN A AREA WITH A VERY HEAVY POPULATION OF DEER, ON TWO OCCASIONS I HAVE VERY NARROWLY MISSED THE DEER RUNNING OUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I HAD THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACE…

Read full complaint

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT. THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO DIM HEADLIGHTS. WHEN I DRIVE AT NIGHT I MUST HAVE THE LIGHTS ON BRIGHT. I LIVE IN A AREA WITH A VERY HEAVY POPULATION OF DEER, ON TWO OCCASIONS I HAVE VERY NARROWLY MISSED THE DEER RUNNING OUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I HAD THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED AND IT HAS NOT HELPED. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS CONDENSATION IN THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ALL THE REPORTS I HAVE READ SAY THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST AFTER THE ASSEMBLY IS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY USE THE SAME DEFECTIVE ASSEMBLY. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE. IF THEY DON'T REPLACE AND CORRECT THIS VERY BAD PROBLEM I WILL NEVER INVEST IN ANOTHER CADILLAC.

NHTSA ODI #11169927

96,000 miles · Jan 14, 2019
Exterior Lighting

EXTERIOR LIGHTS ON DIM ARE NOT GOOD. HARD TO SEE. HAD NEW BULBS LIKE WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE CAR PUT IN AND THEY TOO WENT DIM. ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND GM SAID NO. THIS IS LEAVING MY VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE AT NIGHT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GM DOES NOT HAVE A PERMANANT FIX FOR THIS AVAILABLE. THEY SHOULD REPLACE THESE…

Read full complaint

EXTERIOR LIGHTS ON DIM ARE NOT GOOD. HARD TO SEE. HAD NEW BULBS LIKE WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE CAR PUT IN AND THEY TOO WENT DIM. ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND GM SAID NO. THIS IS LEAVING MY VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE AT NIGHT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GM DOES NOT HAVE A PERMANANT FIX FOR THIS AVAILABLE. THEY SHOULD REPLACE THESE BAD LIGHTS. HIGH BEAMS ARE FINE IT'S JUST THE DIM LIGHTS, I COULD GET A TICKET FOR DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON ALL THE TIME SO I CAN SEE SO I JUST DRIVE ANOTHER CAR AT NIGHT. THEY WERE FINE UNTIL 5 MONTHS AGO.

NHTSA ODI #11169831

82,000 miles · Jan 12, 2019
Exterior Lighting

DIM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. CADILLAC SAYS NO RECALL. HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. CADILLAC SAYS WATER IS GETTING IN LIGHTS CAUSING THE LIGHT TO GO FAULTY. CALIFIRNIA LAWSUIT WAS WON BUT FOR CALIFORNIA ONLY TO GET THEM FIXED. THIS IS MY SPOUSES VEHICLE AND I AM IN FEAR OF HER AND MY CHILD'S SAFETY. YOU CAN…

Read full complaint

DIM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. CADILLAC SAYS NO RECALL. HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. CADILLAC SAYS WATER IS GETTING IN LIGHTS CAUSING THE LIGHT TO GO FAULTY. CALIFIRNIA LAWSUIT WAS WON BUT FOR CALIFORNIA ONLY TO GET THEM FIXED. THIS IS MY SPOUSES VEHICLE AND I AM IN FEAR OF HER AND MY CHILD'S SAFETY. YOU CANNOT SEE WITH THE DIM HEADLIGHTS ON AT NIGHT PERIOD. THE LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN RAINING OR BEING FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE OTHER VEHICLES LIGHTS CAST MY CARS SHADOW IN THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE CAUSING MORE DANGER SEEING. I AM AMAZED AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND I HOPE AND PRAY NO ONE HAS LOST THEIR LIFE OVER THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP GETTING THESE VEHICLES REPAIRED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES OR LOSES ANOTHER LIFE OVER THIS ISSUE. THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER. WE HAVE TO ALMOST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHEN MEETING ANOTHER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11166643

82,000 miles · Jan 11, 2019
Exterior LightingService Brakes

I HAVE A CADILLAC 2012 AND I CAN NOT SEE TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE BLINGING THE ON COMING VEHICLES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. AT UNKNOWN TIME WHEN A APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES MY VEHICLE WONT STOP. I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THAT DON'T WORK. THE PEDAL DROPS TO THE FLOOR. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP A…

Read full complaint

I HAVE A CADILLAC 2012 AND I CAN NOT SEE TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE BLINGING THE ON COMING VEHICLES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. AT UNKNOWN TIME WHEN A APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES MY VEHICLE WONT STOP. I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THAT DON'T WORK. THE PEDAL DROPS TO THE FLOOR. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY STATED THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS HAVE HAPPEN TO ME 3 TIMES AS OF NOW, I PRAY THERE ISN'T A ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI #11166583

90,000 miles · Jan 10, 2019
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM. CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE AFTER DARK WITHOUT BRIGHT LIGHTS. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AFTER DARK. GM DOESN'T HAVE A RECOMMENDED REPAIR THAT DOESN'T COST THE AUTO OWNER THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

NHTSA ODI #11166277

83,000 miles · Jan 9, 2019
Exterior Lighting

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11166139

Official recalls

3

21V473000 · 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

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.