Owners have filed 3,002 complaints on the Cadillac SRX, covering 2004–2016. The system named most often is Exterior Lighting (1,377 reports). Worst years by volume: 2010, 2015, 2011; cleanest: 2009, 2008, 2007. 148 reports describe a crash, 30 a fire, 7 a death. On average the car was 6.3 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Cadillac SRX
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 3,002 SRX complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Exterior Lighting 1,377 Read
We are having issues with the low beam head lamps. They are not safe!! We have contacted the dealer on several occasions for help, only to get a "it's not our problem" response. Gm is surely aware, as a search for help with the issue pops up many complaints and possible class action law suits currently in the works.…
Exterior lighting: the head light low beams on this vehicle are inferior and a safety hazard. They do not illuminate far enough in front of the car and are not bright enough. I have hit several curbs at night just because you just can't see them going around curbs or at intersections with the lights on this SUV.…
There have been ongoing complaints about the headlights on this car. I avoid driving my car at night due to the fact that visibility is compromised. I had a SERIOUS near miss while driving at night. I was driving on a residential street and did not see a bicyclist going the same direction. The bicyclist veered…
Electrical System 298 Read
The contact owns a 2014 cadillac srx. The contact stated that while driving at less than 5 mph and attempting to park, there was smoke and massive flames erupting from underneath the passenger's side hood. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact did not disclose if a police report was filed or not. The…
The headlights have been getting more dim causing safety issues at night forcing me to use the high beams to much and gm tried to force owners to pay to fix $1700 estimate out pocket with the hope & prayer they would reimburse through a third party that has been a nightmare as documented on::…
VEHICLE FIRE & MOLD. My 2013 Cadillac SRX had water leaking in/draining incorrectly from the sunroof, which in return pooled water in the front and rear of my vehicle. This water caused my trunk to COMPLETELY stop operating (water pooled at trunk latch/rusted), as well as water to saturate the electrical components…
Suspension 215 Read
On June 16, 2026, while traveling southbound on Highway 67 in Cedar Hill, Texas, my 2015 Cadillac SRX suffered a sudden, catastrophic tracking failure and crashed into a highway wall (Cedar Hill PD CFS Report 7655). Component Failed & Availability: The rear suspension toe link assembly separated at highway speeds, a…
While traveling on 295 s in ri .. I felt what I thought was a blow-out of my right rear tire. I lost control of the vehicle swaying all over the road losing control of the vehicle. Luckly I went off the road onto the grassy area but was heading toward trees, I managed to turn slightly to only side swipe all the trees…
Was driving down the highway going speed limit of 70 to 75 when my car suddenly lost all control as if I was on a sheet of ice and I traveled uncontrollably across the entire highway lanes into the center median almost into oncoming traffic on the other side before coming to a stop
Power Train 196 Read
Elsie Fletcher MD OAG Consumer Protection Division 301 386 6210 Regarding notice received dated 5/7/2025 of case closing 5/28/205: Requesting reopening of [XXX]. Please find attached requested documentation of "Ourisman" brand GM auto repair facilities "Chevrolet of Bowie" and "Chevrolet of Marlow Heights". These new,…
Incident occurred while contact (c) was backing srx down the approx 40 degree upslope 100' long driveway curved at bottom. Surfaces were dry & it was sunny. C purchased srx new (navigation, driver awareness & driver assist) in late 12/13. C &/or spouse have backed srx down driveway without incident 100 plus times. C &…
The contact leased a 2014 cadillac srx. The contact was concerned that there was a design flaw in the shifting linkage of the vehicle, which could cause the vehicle to idle between the park and reverse gears. The contact stated that the vehicle could also inadvertently shift between park and reverse, which caused the…
Service Brakes 119 Read
I was sitting at a traffic light stationary on a city street with a steep hill. I had my foot on the break waiting for the light to turn green. My breaks started to vibrate and then went out completely and I rolled back into the car behind me
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at 10mph and approaching a stop sign, the contact depressed on the brake pedal but the vehicle did not stop which caused the contact to crash into the rear-end of the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light…
Breaking system seems delayed, applying foot on the pedal to break takes more pressure then usual. Also wheels are constantly squeaking. For over a year I've brought this attention to the dealerships mechanic where I purchased the vehicle and their only imply is that the breaks are ceramic and will do this regardless.…
Steering 112 Read
The contact owned a 2008 cadillac srx. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 60 ' 70 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the passenger's side rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that his wife checked the rear passenger's side window to see if the window was rolled down. The…
I'm writing to you about an incident that took place on may 18, 2019. My husband and I were traveling home in our cadillac srx at about 6:00 pm our car suddenly spun out of control as we heard a bang, throwing us across three lanes listening to cars screeching all around us on the nj turnpike, we then hit into the…
Car veered to the right into the guardrail then loss of control of steering, car spun around twice and landed in opposite guardrail facing traffic with left rear tire facing away from the car. We were driving at the time on a highway
Air Bags 81 Read
-I was traveling south on fm , miles north of miami, tx when a deer ran out in front of me. I struck it front center and onstar immediately called for emergency services. First thing I noticed was one of the air bags deployed and after pulling of the road and coming to a stop, I noticed a fire from the passenger side…
I was in a minor collision. Ran into the back of someone. My airbags didn't deploy and my engine immediately caught on fire and in a few minutes my whole care was on fire and destroyed. There was no known reason how or why the fire started
The contact owns a 2016 cadillac srx. While stationary, the contact's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle. As a result, the vehicle the contact struck hit the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the back and neck, which required medical…
Engine 80 Read
The contact owns a 2011 cadillac srx. The contact stated that the while operating the vehicle, the engine temperature was very hot and smoke was present coming from under the vehicle. The vehicle was turn off and parked. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified…
The contact owns a 2010 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the engine compartment was on fire. No warning lights were illuminated prior…
The contact owns a 2007 cadillac srx. The contact stated that flames were emitting from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000
SRX years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Air Bags | 11 | 1 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 12 | 3 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 16 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 14 | 5 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 27 | 4 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 16 | 1 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 19 | 5 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 6 | 1 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 3 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 3 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 7 | 4 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 12 | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 640 |
| Average complaints per series | 4.7 |
| Worst single series | 32 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.3 years |
A model average of 4.7 hides a worst series at 32. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the SRX?
By complaint volume, 2010, 2015, 2011 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which SRX years are the cleanest?
2009, 2008, 2007 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Cadillac SRX have?
3,002 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2004–2016. Of those, 148 describe a crash and 30 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.