CSR

Cadillac · NHTSA safety record

2013 Cadillac SRX

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

393

Complaints

15

Crashes

5

Fires

21

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2013 Cadillac SRX have filed 393 safety complaints with NHTSA between July 2013 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 217 of them (55%). The typical failure was reported at 60,000 miles, the median across the 242 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

SUSPENSION:REAR

21V473000 · June 24, 2021

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
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 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.

General Motors, LLC · up to 380,498 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

14V571000 · September 19, 2014

The defect
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 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 290,241 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

14V212000 · April 25, 2014

The defect
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.
The risk
A three to four second lag in acceleration may increase the risk of crash.
The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 50,571 vehicles across all model years covered

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

13V202000 · May 16, 2013

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 18,871 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

13V097000 · March 15, 2013

The defect
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.
The risk
If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 26,582 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation

PE20019

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened November 6, 2020 · closed December 23, 2021 · led to recall 21V473000

the 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.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 393.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 217 55%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 52 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 37 9%
POWER TRAIN 31 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 25 6%
ENGINE 17 4%
SUSPENSION 16 4%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 13 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 11 3%
SEATS 9 2%
STRUCTURE 9 2%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 77.

2013 2019 2026
2013 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

10 injured · crash · 8,700 miles

I WAS DRIVING ON I-90 IN ILLINOIS WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND STRUCK A VEHICLE AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE SYSTEM, I WENT TO RIZZA CADILLAC AND THE RECALL WAS ALLEGED TO BE PERFORMED ON 25 MARCH 2013, BUT THE VEHICLE DID EXACTLY WHAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE REPAIRED ON THE RECALL AND THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 13053. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10531788. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 60,000 miles

HEAD ON COLLISION AT 40 MPH ON A CITY STREET. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT MOVED FORWARD. RESULTING IN ER VISIT AND HEAD LACERATION AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

NHTSA complaint 11352287. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

2 injured · crash

Valentine day a car side swiped me on the 91 freeway my car went out of control but I was able to get control of the vehicle driver side got banged up from the back bumper all the way to the driver side front fender.

NHTSA complaint 11745817. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

1 injured · fire · 53,232 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC SRX. WHEN THE SEAT WARMER WAS ACTIVATED, THE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BURN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER BACK, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,232.

NHTSA complaint 11163876. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The exterior lighting does not light up as warranted. It is impossible to see at night due to the lack of lighting from the headlights. The problem was confirmed with the dealership, however I was told to replace the bulbs which I had done. Replacing the bulbs did not fix the issue so I went back to the dealership and told them again. I was told I would have to replace the entire headlight unit in order for the exterior lights to work properly and that I would have to pay for it. It is extremely dangerous to myself and others if I’m driving at nite and I cannot see anything. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure of the headlights.

NHTSA complaint 11739637. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving and had to hard brake as to not hit a young driver who wasn't paying attention to his driving. The brake pedal went all the way to the floor. There were no warning lights on. I got the car checked out by our local mechanic AND a certified Cadillac dealer. We had a new master cylinder and O ring installed in October. Our mechanic found there is a special bulletin on 18 different vehicles with the same issue. And my Cadillac is on that list. I don't understand how this problem CAN'T be a total recall and just a special bulletin. My safety was totally at risk as the brake system was not working properly. Now with that being the Chevy/Cadillac dealership found that there is a

NHTSA complaint 11713063, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

105,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway, limiting the driver’s vision while driving. The contact stated that the passenger’s side headlight was inoperable, and the driver’s side headlight was very dim. Due to the failure, the contact was forced to use the high-beam headlights while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there was a Class Action Lawsuit on similar vehicles for

NHTSA complaint 11712074, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My father gave me his 2013 Cadillac SRX and I have noticed the headlights have dimmed significantly over the past few months. I replaced the lamps, but the same issue still exists. I spoke with my local Cadillac dealership and they told me of the known issue with the headlights. I did some research and see there was a class action lawsuit against Cadillac, but it does not seem to apply to vehicles registered in Wisconsin. I will need to correct this problem as driving at night has now become very difficult. If you have history of this issue with other drivers, any insight or direction would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF

NHTSA complaint 11710185, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Vehicle Headlamps fail to project adequate light to see the road. Several hundred dollars have been invested in attempting to fix this, resulting in zero noticeable help.

NHTSA complaint 11697680. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Cadillac SRX

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2016 168 2 3
2015 442 4
2014 389 2
2012 416 3 2
2011 446 7
2010 474 6

Other 2013 Cadillac models

Every Cadillac on this site — 91 vehicles, 198 recall campaigns and 4 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst