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Vehicle safety record

2012 Cadillac SRX Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 417 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac SRX with NHTSA, most often about the lights (234) and the brakes (45). Those complaints describe 32 crashes, 4 fires, 32 injuries and 2 deaths. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in June 2021 for the rear. For comparison, the 2011 has 447 and the 2013 has 393.

NHTSA data checked

DMore problems than a typical SRX year, for its age

#36 most complained-about 2012 vehicle

Complaints
417
Recalls
3
Crashes
32
Fires
4
Injuries
32
Deaths
2

Most common 2012 Cadillac SRX problems

Share of all 417 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2012 Cadillac SRX recalls 3

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Suspension: rear

21V473000380,498 vehicles affected

Do not drive
The problem
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.
The risk
A loose toe link can separate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
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.

Suspension: rear

14V571000290,241 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
Failure of the toe adjuster link could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
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.

Seats: power adjust

14V447000414,333 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
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.
The fix
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.

What owners say

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417 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac SRX

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 17.

Suspension

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) and had the recall service completed. Approximately six months after the repair was performed, the contact observed that the two rear wheels appeared misaligned relative to the front wheels. The contact also observed severe inner tread wear on the rear tires. The contact believed that the dealer failed to perform a full wheel alignment during the initial recall repair. The dealer was notified of...

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the failure, and the contact requested confirmation that the wheel alignment was performed; however, the dealer was unable to provide the confirmation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,401.

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 11771147
Airbags2 injuries2 deaths

A deer rammed my passager side . airbag light was always on saying passenger airbag off . but when it explodes it injured my passenger . all the airbags didn't activate my car shut down after the incident but a few moments after it regenerated there were all types of debris after the extreme loudness of the air bags explosion. I'm still traumatized.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11744662
AirbagsSeats & seat beltsCrash3 injuries

2012 Cadillac SRX was traveling approximately 30mph and t-boned another vehicle at an intersection. Both vehicles were totaled. The airbags in the Cadillac did not deploy and the seatbelt did not lock, causing the driver to be thrust forward into the steering wheel and windshield. Significant head injury. The safety of everyone was at risk, this car was not even road-worthy from the moment it left the floor.

Filed Incident Air bags · Seat beltsNHTSA 11731874
Body, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the vehicle was having a failure with the drains for the sunroof. The contact stated that water was draining directly into the driver's and passenger's side footwells. The contact stated that there was water saturating the carpet. Additionally, after it had rained, the radio intermittently stopped functioning. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer several times, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 152,667.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11729757
Lights

The headlights don't work very well when they are dimmed. To the point that one has to use high beams all the time.

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11725577
Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

there was a sunroof recall on my year of vehicle, with this being a used vehicle the previous owners did not know about the sunroof recall and this is why they sold the vehicle not knowing the issues it caused, so I purchased this vehicle wanting it to be my forever vehicle and still do, i am wanting the sunroof drain issue fixed as this has messed with all of my electronical functions in my vehicle, when it rains or snows the electrical information stops working as it has gotten wet due to the drain shrinkage not...

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being fixed, I cannot drive my vehicle safely when this happens, i have to wait until it dries to drive my vehicle again. Please help me with getting the recall reinstated so i can properly get this issue fixed that the previous owners did not know about and i can keep my vehicle safely driving on the roads.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11699885
Other & unknown1 injury

My car was parked and in the park gear it was left running I went to get in the car to turn it off to stay awhile where I was at I got one leg in the car and reached over to push the button to turn it off and it lurched backwards and rolled over me and almost cut my leg off it kept rolling another good 200 ft or more before it stopped and it was still in the park position I read where there's a recall on the transmission on this car but I was injured very badly in this incident I do not know what happened because the car was in park and should not have rolled when I turned it off but it did and rolled over me and knock me down and cut my legs severely

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11685045
Lights

Headlight assembly gets over heated and makes the low beam lights very dim, not safe or legal to drive at night. I've seen many many complaints for this. Not Safe!

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11683540
Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,530.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11681419
Lights

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the contact became aware that the low-beam headlights had moisture inside the headlight housings. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall; however, the failure progressed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11673724
Electrical systemBrakes

I had Baker Cadillac Dealership to perform the toe-link recall as well as a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection on May 28, 2025. This is for a 2012 Cadillac SRX-3.6 Luxury Collection [VIN: [[redacted]]] that I was going to purchase for my [[redacted]] daughter pending the inspection results. Because Cadillac technicians performed the inspection and nothing major was flagged, I purchased the car for my daughter. That evening, I was driving the car to fill up with gas, and the brakes completely cut out! I talked to a...

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friend who knows more about cars than I do, told me the brakes cutting out was likely a result of the recall repair needing to reset to the proper values. I didn't think too much of it after that until 5 days ago when I was on [[redacted]] driving at 70 mph, the brakes completely cut out again. The road was wet and they cut out as I was exiting off an interstate overpass onto a ramp which circles back toward the direction I was coming from that ultimately feeds onto the road underneath the exit. I fishtailed side to side the entire length of that ramp that has no barriers at a lethal speed which could've killed me! If my daughter would've been driving, the outcome would've likely been fatal! I contacted the dealership who performed the recall installation and the Multi Point Inspection and told them everything that happened. I wanted answers as to why this wasn't caught during inspection, what exactly caused that to happen twice in less than 10 days, and what needs to be fixed to prevent this from ever happening again. I paid Firestone to perform a comprehensive test on ABS and they could not replicate the issue, so they couldn't do anything to fix it as everything appeared to be fine. No system lights came on or anything. I have since learned that this is far from an isolated issue; in fact, this is quite a scary pattern with the 2012 SRX 3.6. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · Service brakesNHTSA 11666108
SuspensionLightsBrakes

Braking after hitting a pothole was a nightmare! No warning lights came on to prepare me for anything. Brake pedal went to the floor and would not work properly. Finally after getting my vehicle to stop I pulled over pumped my brakes and seemed to work after 5 tries. Toe link recall was "fixed" well not the case. After 2 recalls on the toe link I had a nice bill the cost me $1.450.00 after having to pay for this part. Still haven't been reimbursed. Also headlights are very dim and can't see at night!! I've asked multiple mechanic shops and no one has an answer for me. So have to use my high beams or else I can't see anything at night . Very unsafe and no one can help me resolve this issue.

Filed Incident Suspension · Exterior lighting · Service brakesNHTSA 11665957
Electrical system

My 2012 Cadillac SRX gets water into the back of the car when it rains. There is a module in the back which when it gets wet shuts off all the electrical components in the car. The rain enters the car and gets trapped in the wheel well and all through the other components in the rear of the car. I have had this happen before and repairs cost up to 1000.00. General Motors needs to be accountable and a recall needs to be issued.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11655702
Brakes

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the system was reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed brake master cylinder. The contact was informed that...

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the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 11652641
Other & unknown2 injuries

Recently the liftgate has closed unexpectedly several times while items were being unloaded/loaded from the rear of the vehicle. This caused the user to be struck by the liftgate. Someone smaller or weaker, such as a child could potentially be trapped and injured since the blockage detect function apparently fails at the same time. It has also opened on it's own while the operator was away from the vehicle and out of range of the key fob. Apparently, this is a common issue with the panoramic roof in many Cadillac...

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models leaking water into the rear storage area of the vehicle. The control module becomes immersed in water and begins to perform unreliably, eventually failing complete as it becomes more wet. No warning tones or lamps are activated

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11651581
Lights

Low Beam Headlamps are very dim-hard to drive at night because of low visibility

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11649306
AirbagsSeats & seat beltsCrash

A deer hit the driver side of my car. The air bag had a smell but did not deflate. The seatbelts kinda detached from the driver's seat and both front seatbelts are locked very tight. This happened 1/3/25. About three months ago while driving, the driver seat went into the lowest level position. When I put it back where I could drive it, it did it again. I had to keep putting it in place till I got home. It hasn't done that again yet. Please send me any recalls so I can get them fixed. Thank you

Filed Incident Air bags · Seat belts · SeatsNHTSA 11638843
Body, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the rubber tubing around the sunroof was allowing water to leak into the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was inspected but not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rubber tubing had shrunk and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 110,000.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11633383
LightsVisibility & wipers

The headlights are very dim It is like driving your vehicle with a flashlight as the lighting. When you turn on bright lights you can see good but your then endangering drivers going the opposite directions It is very dangerous. If you reserch this issue on the internet it is a well lnown problem. How can people drive their cars like this. I did inquire with GM and they said they did at one time reimburse owners to get headlights replaced but that offer expired Well there are people out there driving these...

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Dangerous cars that were not notified of this. I would invite anyone to drive one of these cars and see how bad it is. It is very urgent that someone look at this problem I have seen where there have been recalls over 10 years old . I am trying to get across how DANGEROUS this cars lights are. Please someone look into this Sincerely Sue Lanford Lance Lanford I dont know if NHTSA can or would get the media to film the lighing on these vehicles.

Filed Incident Exterior lighting · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11620682
Suspension

To whom it may concern, I am writing this as a complaint on the rear toe link separation recall that was performed on our 2012 Cadillac SRX. We installed new tires on our SRX in August 2022 (Michelin Defender 235/55 R20) with a mileage of 108,452 just due to this being our sons car and wanted him to be safe on the road. In December of 2022 we had the recall performed at Lakeside Chevrolet in Rockwall Texas and the mileage was 110,893. Since the recall, we have been through 2 sets of tires on the back...

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of this vehicle in less than 2 years with the outer edge of the tires being worn down to the cords. The car has 119,051 on it now. I am very angry as we tried to have the alignment performed and were told that these links that were installed can not be adjusted and will cost me another $650 to replace and another $130 for the alignment. The vehicle did not have any issues until we had the recall performed. We are now out $1404 for tires and $130 for an alignment that can't be performed unless the links are replaced with adjustable units. My total to get this taken care of is over $2200 which was created by your recall parts. I would like to have someone reply to this email to let me know what can be done to take care of this situation.

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 11619003
Brakes

While driving the pedal will go all the way to the floor and suddenly your break line will be full of air.The car's hard to stop. This is the second time it's happened. Really scary, almost in an accident.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11609074
Airbags

My side air bags deployed for no apparent reason.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11601774
LightsBrakes

My Headlights are so dim, I have to drive with high beams. It is raining in my, short circuited the trunk, will not open and my bearings have to be replaced. Sounds like a truck. Ughhhh, IMy first and last american made car.

Filed Incident Exterior lighting · Unknown or other · Service brakesNHTSA 11594716
Engine & cooling

Car completely quit running while driving. Almost hit a car with no control of my vehicle.Took it to mechanic, they said engine was locked up, they say this is very common with any srx from 2008 to 2014. Got another opinion. Said the same thing. Many blogs on this. Now this cost me around $8000 to get fixed. If so many has the same problem. Why is this not fixed or recalled.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11594524
Wheels & tires

I rec'd a litter dated 12/15/23 from Sentury Tire regarding a recall on these tires. I called them on 1/16/24 and was told to submit an online form and tire pics which I did. I was to hear back within 24-48 hours and did not. I called them again on 1/22/24 and after several mins, was told to submit another online form and tire pics which I did. I rec'd an email from them on 1/24/24 indicating they rec'd my form but need me to submit tire pics again. By 1/29/24 I still had not heard from Sentury Tire and called them...

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again. My name and phone number was taken and I was told it would be escalated. Also on 1/29/24 I sent follow up emails on 2/1/24 and 2/5/24 requesting to be contacted. I rec'd an email response on 2/6/24 indicating one tire is part of the recall (1TB6JP15C1723) and one is not (1TB6JP15C1923). The other two tires only have 1TB6JP15C stamped on them-the last 4 digits are not on the last 2 tires. The 2/6/24 email to me also stated "I will have a representative contact you to assist you further and get your tire replaced." I have not been contacted since then and have sent follow up emails on 2/7/24 and 2/12/24. I have not received any email or phone contact at all.

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 11573033

Cadillac SRX: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20161692111LightsC
20154434123LightsD
20143902162LightsD
20133935155LightsD
20124173324LightsD
20114477171LightsD
20104746215LightsD
200927020AirbagsA
200847061Transmission & drivetrainA
All SRX years

2012 Cadillac SRX vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2012 Cadillac SRX

Does the 2012 Cadillac SRX have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Cadillac SRX: rear (June 2021); rear (September 2014); power adjust (July 2014). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Cadillac SRX?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the lights (234), brakes (45), suspension (42).

How many complaints has the 2012 Cadillac SRX had?

417 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 25, 2012 and the latest on October 14, 2026. Of these, 32 describe a crash and 4 a fire, and together they report 32 injuries and 2 deaths.

Is the 2012 Cadillac SRX a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 25 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Cadillac SRX year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Cadillac SRX years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2012 Cadillac SRX has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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