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: [XXX]] that I was going to purchase for my [XXX] 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 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 [XXX] 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)
2012 Cadillac SRX brakes problems
45 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 82,000. 7 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 45
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 82,000
- crashes
- 7
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Foundation components: master cylinder1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Cadillac SRX brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Cadillac SRX brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2012 Cadillac SRX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to come into a complete stop, the contact drove over a bump in the roadway and the brakes made an abnormal grinding sound and the brake pedal went to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was a stopping distance delay, which caused the vehicle to stop after the stop sign. The contact stated that she pumped the brake pedal and was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 5 MPH from a complete stop, the vehicle in front of her stopped abruptly. The contact stated that the vehicle hit a bump while she quickly depressed the brake pedal, and the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to rear-end the other vehicle. The contact stated that it was a fender-bender. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving 45 MPH; however, the roadway was not bumpy. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased, and the dealer performed a brake inspection; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the brake pads and rotors were replaced, and the brake calipers were inspected; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the brakes were replaced for routine services at a local dealer. The contact then stated that while driving at an unknown speed, she drove over a pothole and while attempt to stop the vehicle, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the brake failure reoccurred after driving over potholes and then depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the brake failure. The independent mechanic informed the contact that replacing the front brake pedals could possibly help with the brake failure. The front brake pedals were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who was also unable to retrieve a fault code or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The headlights are so dim it’s a very bad safety issue. I’ve replaced them 3 times , still same problem. Everybody I have talked to has the same problem with theirs. Something has got to be done. I’m going to call the head of Cadillac if it doesn’t get resolved. My guesses keep blowing and it’s also wearing the tires out to quick
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but was firm. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that she would be placed on a waiting list. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
So while driving the stabilizer light came on and it swerved when I went to hit my brakes to stop the car because I was heading across a bridge the brake somehow lost power and I pushed and it didn’t do anything by the time I got the pressure to come back I guess after pushing a few times it was too late and I rear ended another vehicle and completed pushed in the entire front on my truck. This is the second time the light came on but the first time it swerved and then the brakes going out shouldn’t have happened because I got the brakes replaced earlier this year
Questions about the 2012 Cadillac SRX brakes
Does the 2012 Cadillac SRX have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 45 complaints about the brakes of the 2012 Cadillac SRX, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 Cadillac SRX brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 82,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Cadillac SRX brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Cadillac SRX have bad brakes?
The Cadillac SRX model years with the most brakes complaints are 2012 (45 complaints), 2011 (40 complaints) and 2004 (29 complaints).
Other 2012 Cadillac SRX problems
Lights 234Suspension 42Electrical 32Body 19Steering 18Airbags 15Engine 15Acceleration 14Transmission 11Visibility 11Driver assistance 10Wheels 7Seat belts 4Seats 4Fuel system 3Tires 2Locks 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2012 Cadillac SRX?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history