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2013 Cadillac Srx

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Srx years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Cadillac Srx are substantially higher than the model-year median of 192.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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
178,000 miles · Oct 7, 2024
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a three to four seconds lag in acceleration. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V212000 (Power Train). The dealer was notified of the failure and infor…

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The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a three to four seconds lag in acceleration. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V212000 (Power Train). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

NHTSA ODI #11618504

167,000 miles · Jul 10, 2024
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle out of the parking garage, the ABS warning light illuminated, the steering wheel became stiff, and the vehicle was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer who stated that the manufacturer no longer manufactured the part …

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The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle out of the parking garage, the ABS warning light illuminated, the steering wheel became stiff, and the vehicle was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer who stated that the manufacturer no longer manufactured the part needed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the information. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.

NHTSA ODI #11600962

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2024
Service Brakes

There have been many times where while driving that the breaks don’t work properly, you can push the break all the way down and it still work stop.

NHTSA ODI #11593783

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2024
Suspension

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The man…

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The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11592209

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidanceSteering

I purchased the SRX from Massey Cadillac North of Orlando, FL in August 2023. Two weeks ago I received an audio warning and the ABS, Traction Control and Brake warning lights illuminated. The power steering was also compromised and required more effort to control the car. I took the car to Cadillac service and was told GM had di…

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I purchased the SRX from Massey Cadillac North of Orlando, FL in August 2023. Two weeks ago I received an audio warning and the ABS, Traction Control and Brake warning lights illuminated. The power steering was also compromised and required more effort to control the car. I took the car to Cadillac service and was told GM had discontinued the affected computer part and there was nothing they could do to alleviate the problem. They told me to be careful especially in the rain (I live in Florida where we get a lot of rain). I don’t think Cadillac should allow a vehicle with compromised safety features back on the road. I believe this condition could endanger a driver who might find themself in a situation where these safety features might prevent an accident or injury.

NHTSA ODI #11590590

80,000 miles · Apr 15, 2024
Exterior Lighting

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the driver's side headlamp was brighter than the passenger’s side headlamp. The vehicle was taken to the residence and inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The fa…

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The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the driver's side headlamp was brighter than the passenger’s side headlamp. The vehicle was taken to the residence and inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #11583126

Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2024
Exterior Lighting

I cannot see when driving at night. I'm getting cars flashing me to turn my lights on but they are already on. If I drive with my high beams on I'm going to blind other drivers. I just bought the car 2 days ago and called the dealership to take it in. They said there is nothing they can do that it's a common problem. I'm not und…

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I cannot see when driving at night. I'm getting cars flashing me to turn my lights on but they are already on. If I drive with my high beams on I'm going to blind other drivers. I just bought the car 2 days ago and called the dealership to take it in. They said there is nothing they can do that it's a common problem. I'm not understanding why I these cars are on the road if there is nothing that can be done. It's an accident waiting to happen.

NHTSA ODI #11570829

Mileage unknown · Nov 16, 2023
SeatsInjury

Seat heater burn through passenger seat, burning passenger

NHTSA ODI #11555564

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2023
Exterior Lighting

The headlights failed to provide enough light to see the road at night. This, of course, is dangerous when driving on the highway or country roads as we are unable to maintain the speed required on the highway in order to safely navigate the turns in the road, which could also cause a disruption in the traffic flow, possibly cau…

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The headlights failed to provide enough light to see the road at night. This, of course, is dangerous when driving on the highway or country roads as we are unable to maintain the speed required on the highway in order to safely navigate the turns in the road, which could also cause a disruption in the traffic flow, possibly causing an accident if other cars were not expecting a slower vehicle on the road. Not to mention not being able to see any wildlife in the road in enough time to react. The problem, to my knowledge, has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center prior to our purchase of the vehicle. We have discussed the issue with the dealer but the service manager is unable to comment on the matter or any type of solution. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. It first appeared the first night time drive after purchasing the vehicle, used, in 2021. We had discussions with the Dealer's service department and they would not speak to any "known" issue. We performed an on-line research that showed that there was a problem with the lighting system and GM decided to not issue a recall. I believe for a short time there was compensation provided for those that complained, but that time is long gone. These cars are still on the market and without a resolution to fix this issue there can be an accident or even death in an accident.

NHTSA ODI #11550121

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2023
Exterior Lighting

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the low-beam headlights failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. The contact activated the high-beam headlights to be able to see the roadway. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an indepen…

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The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the low-beam headlights failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. The contact activated the high-beam headlights to be able to see the roadway. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11542914

Official recalls

5

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.

14V212000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Apr 25, 2014

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.

13V202000 · Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs

May 16, 2013

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.

13V097000 · Electrical System:software; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Mar 15, 2013

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.