2013 Cadillac Srx problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (189) · Vehicle Speed Control (24) · Power Train (21)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Cadillac Srx model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
242 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Suspension:rear 2021-06-24 · campaign 21V473000 · 380,498 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
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.
Risk: A loose toe link can separate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 q
Suspension:rear 2014-09-19 · campaign 14V571000 · 290,241 vehicles
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 eve
Risk: Failure of the toe adjuster link could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 2014-04-25 · campaign 14V212000 · 50,571 vehicles
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.
Risk: A three to four second lag in acceleration may increase the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Wheels:lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs 2013-05-16 · campaign 13V202000 · 18,871 vehicles
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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System:software 2013-03-15 · campaign 13V097000 · 26,582 vehicles
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
Risk: If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (2,006)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-08 · PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 2,006 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-22 · Wheels · 💥 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.…”
2026-05-22 · 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 …”
2026-01-24 · 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 …”
2026-01-20 · Exterior Lighting · 105,000 mi“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…”
2026-01-11 · 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…”
2025-11-05 · 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.…”
2025-10-26 · Steering“while driving steering becomes unresponsive for a few seconds then returns to normal…”
2025-10-13 · Exterior Lighting“left front headlight is so dim i cannot drive my car in the dark. i have spent money replacing the bulbs, cleaning the lenses through professional shop(s) and still goes dim and unsafe. after researching this i see this is a ongoing problem with this vehicle. i am now having to spend over $1,000 to replace the entire headlight assembly and i do…”
2025-08-04 · Electrical System“the contact owns a 2013 cadillac srx. the contact stated that there were web-like cracks that had developed inside the infotainment screen, causing difficulty in accessing various electrical functions needed to safely operate the vehicle. due to the failure, the a/c unit, defroster, backup camera, and other functions were inaccessible on the screen…”
2025-06-09 · Engine“i am having transmission problems. my transmission accelerates late.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.