IllustrationTransmission is shifting roughley
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
14 reportsI HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS.MY HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM I HAVE REPLACED THE LOW BEAM BULBS 4TIMES. IT'S COST ME 100.00 EVERY TIME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MORE THAN ONCE AND THEY SAID IT NEEDS NEW HEADLIGHTS, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. I CAN'T AFFORD IT. IT'S BECAUSE OF MOISTURE INSIDE THE HEADLIGH…
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I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS.MY HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM I HAVE REPLACED THE LOW BEAM BULBS 4TIMES. IT'S COST ME 100.00 EVERY TIME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MORE THAN ONCE AND THEY SAID IT NEEDS NEW HEADLIGHTS, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. I CAN'T AFFORD IT. IT'S BECAUSE OF MOISTURE INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT GLASS. WELL AFTER COMPLAINING FOR 3 YEARS I FINALLY GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING IT'S NOT A RECALL BUT DUE TO MOISTURE INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THEY WILL REIMBURSE ME UP TO 800.00 FOR GETTING THEM FIXED. AND IT'S FOR 2010-2015 CADILLAC SRX. I'M ON DISABILITY AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEM AND WORRY ABOUT GETTING MY MONEY BACK. I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE AT NIGHT BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE BRIGHT LIGHTS AND I'VE HAD A FENDER BENDER 1TIME AND ALMOST HAD SEVERAL WRECKS BECAUSE THE OTHER CAR COULDN'T SEE ME. I'M IN DANGER EVERY TIME I HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE AT NIGHT. WHY IS IT NOT A RECALL?AND HOW CAN I GET THEM FIXED.? I CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO HELP ME. THEY WOULDN'T FIX THEM EVEN WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY . I NEED HELP VERY BAD.
ACCELERATING IS STALLED. ENGINE IS GOES INTO A PULL AND TUG MODE IN ENGINE. CANT GET IN RPM SPEED IN PEDAL. ENGINE IS HEAVY. BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES STIFFENS AND SLIGHT BRAKE MAKES SRX STOP SUDDENLY. ALL THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE ON HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING IN WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION . ALSO I'VE TAKING THE SRX IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS…
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ACCELERATING IS STALLED. ENGINE IS GOES INTO A PULL AND TUG MODE IN ENGINE. CANT GET IN RPM SPEED IN PEDAL. ENGINE IS HEAVY. BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES STIFFENS AND SLIGHT BRAKE MAKES SRX STOP SUDDENLY. ALL THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE ON HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING IN WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION . ALSO I'VE TAKING THE SRX IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS SEVERAL TIMES. AND NO CODE ARE FOUND TO REPORT ON THE VEHICLE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CAUTIOUSLY APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V212000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 13V097000 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CAUTIOUSLY APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V212000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 13V097000 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S FAILURES WERE SIMILAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE TWO RECALL CAMPAIGNS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
2012 CADILLAC SRX HID HEADLIGHTS HAVE SEEMED TO BURN OUT WITH NO FIRTHER ISSUES. ON HIGH BEAM THE LIGHTS ARE FINE BUT ON REGULAR BEAM AT NIGHT I CANNOT SEE AHEAD OF ME RECENTLY AND IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND CADILLAC SOMESNT SEEM TO BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT ISSUE BUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS. HOWEVER IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AFT…
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2012 CADILLAC SRX HID HEADLIGHTS HAVE SEEMED TO BURN OUT WITH NO FIRTHER ISSUES. ON HIGH BEAM THE LIGHTS ARE FINE BUT ON REGULAR BEAM AT NIGHT I CANNOT SEE AHEAD OF ME RECENTLY AND IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND CADILLAC SOMESNT SEEM TO BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT ISSUE BUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS. HOWEVER IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AFTER SPEAKING WITH OTHER CERTIFIED MECHANICS THAT HID'S DO NOT JUST BURN OUT SO THERE HAS TO BE OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MAKER. ALSO AT INTERIMS AFTER I TRY TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WHICH CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS AND TRY AGAIN. AFTER BRINGING THIS TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COMPUTER TRYING TO KEEP UP AND THIS IS WHAT MAY CREATE THIS ISSUE WHICH IS DEFINITELY POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING AND DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CRASHING HEAD ON INTO THE VEHICLE PARKED IN THE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY CAR DRIVING THAT CAR BACK APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET. MY CAR CONTINUED ON FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 40 FEET AFTER THAT IMPACT BEFORE I BRAKED HARD TO A STOP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE, BUT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC SRX. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE, BUT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.
I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND NEEDED TO CROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC. I GOT TO THE SECOND LANE AND STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE THIRD LANE. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT WAS AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE CAR BEHIND ME NEARLY REAR-END…
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I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND NEEDED TO CROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC. I GOT TO THE SECOND LANE AND STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE THIRD LANE. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT WAS AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE CAR BEHIND ME NEARLY REAR-ENDED ME BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO BRAKE LIGHTS, SINCE I WAS PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR, YET THE CAR BEHAVED AS IF I HAD HIT THE BRAKES. THIS IS THE 3RD NEAR MISS DUE TO THIS HAPPENING. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS OCCASIONALLY FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, BUT IT IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY NOW AND I FEAR AN ACCIDENT IS INEVITABLE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER BUT, SINCE I COULDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN ON DEMAND, THEY TOOK NO ACTION. THEY SAID THERE WERE NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES APPEARING. IN THAT CASE, I DON'T SEE WHAT DIFFERENCE IT MAKES IF I CAN REPRODUCE IT FOR A TECH OR NOT. IF THERE ARE NO CODES APPEARING THEN MY THOROUGH DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT BECAUSE THE TECH IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY FURTHER INFORMATION OTHER THAN EXPERIENCING THE LOSS OF ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THERE ARE OTHERS REPORTING THIS BEHAVIOR ON CADILLACFORUMS.COM, AND THERE WAS EVEN A RECALL FOR THE 2013 SRX FOR THIS BEHAVIOR. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY SINCE I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AS I TRY TO ACCELERATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ENTERING ANOTHER LANE. SOMETIMES THE CAR BUCKS AND JERKS BACK AND FORTH A FEW TIMES, OTHER TIMES IT JUST ACTS LIKE I HIT THE BRAKES AND SLOWS DOWN, BUT EVENTUALLY IT ACCELERATES AND RETURNS TO NORMAL BEHAVIOR. VERY DISCONCERTING. *TR
I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN SPEED WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED AS IF MY VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND MY TRANSFER CASE MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
WHEN BREAKING HAVE A VERY UNUSUAL SMELL COMING FROM THE BREAK. VEHICLE HAS A 2 TO 4 SECOND DELAY WHEN APPLYING THE GAS. THE HATCH BACK WILL OPEN BY ITS SELF AND SOMETIMES CLOSE BY IT SELF. *TR
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.