The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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 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.
The worst 2012 Cadillac SRX problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Lights234
- Brakes45
- Suspension42
- Electrical32
- Body19
- Steering18
- Airbags15
- Engine15
- Acceleration14
- Transmission11
- Visibility11
- Driver assistance10
- Wheels7
- Seat belts4
- Seats4
- Fuel system3
- Tires2
- Locks1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Cadillac SRX
Headlights 234Brake failure 12No deployment 7Water leak 7ABS 6Grinding brakes 5Stalling 5
Recalls 3
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 21V473000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 14V571000 · Recall details
Seats: front assembly: power adjust
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 14V447000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2012 Cadillac SRX
Defect investigations
Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation
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. the federal safety agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found in a separate document attached to this closing resume.
PE20019
Technical service bulletins for the 2012 Cadillac SRX 1,616
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size...
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- Provide info on that parts restriction ending for the rear diff clutch control 19435910
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of...
2012 Cadillac SRX crash test ratings
Government 5-star crash tests. Higher is safer. Each row is a body style and drivetrain that was tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac SRX SUV AWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Cadillac SRX SUV FWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
2012 Cadillac SRX fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 23 | 18 |
What 2012 Cadillac SRX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
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.
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.
The headlights don’t work very well when they are dimmed. To the point that one has to use high beams all the time.
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 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.
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
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!
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.
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.
Compare the 2012 Cadillac SRX
Other model years
Questions about the 2012 Cadillac SRX
Is the 2012 Cadillac SRX reliable?
Owners have filed 417 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac SRX, 1.9 times a typical SRX model year.
What is the 2012 Cadillac SRX year score?
The 2012 Cadillac SRX scores 48 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Cadillac SRX: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Cadillac SRX?
Lights, with 234 complaints, typically around 76,000 miles. Next is brakes (45).
How many recalls does the 2012 Cadillac SRX have?
3 recalls, covering suspension and seats.
Is the 2012 Cadillac SRX safe in a crash?
In government crash tests the 2012 Cadillac SRX scored 5 out of 5 stars overall, depending on body style and drivetrain (2 versions tested).
What year does the Cadillac SRX have the most lights problems?
The Cadillac SRX model years with the most lights complaints are 2015 (302 complaints), 2014 (266 complaints) and 2012 (234 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2012 Cadillac SRX get?
Official estimates for the 2012 Cadillac SRX range from 18 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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