The vehicle was purchased approximately one month before this incident and was represented as inspected. While driving on the highway at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly exploded near the exhaust area. The engine then began smoking and caught fire. The brakes did not work, and the doors locked, preventing the driver from pulling over normally. The driver had to jump out of the moving vehicle while it was on fire in order to save her life and the lives of her daughter. The exact cause is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle is available for inspection. This incident poses a serious safety risk.
Cadillac SRX fire or smoke problems
24 of the 3,266 owner complaints about the Cadillac SRX describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 24
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical mileage
- 53,232
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20161
- 20154
- 20141
- 20134
- 20122
- 20104
- 20091
- 20081
- 20071
- 20061
- 20052
- 20042
Often reported together
Power steering loss 1Check engine light 1Brake failure 1Ball joint 1No deployment 1Adaptive cruise 1
What owners say
My vehicle caught fire while driving it. There was no warning…no engine lights on, no smoking engine. The fire seemed to start behind the dashboard of the passenger side. Less than 5 minutes and the car was completely engulfed in flames. My insurance company said there was too much damage to tell me what caused the fire.
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 to the fire. The vehicle was occupied during the fire; however, no injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not necessary. The contact stated that a Police and Fire Department report was filed. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.
Tl* 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 window was not down. Several seconds later, there was a loud noise and the driver loss control of the steering wheel and the vehicle started spinning out of control. The driver attempted to regain control of the steering wheel while the vehicle was heading towards the guardrail. The vehicle crashed into the guardrail and spun out into the roadway. The contact stated that the air bags deployed. Another driver that witnessed the crash removed the driver from the crashed vehicle. The driver was placed in the vehicle of the other driver. There was smoke coming from the crashed vehicle. The driver sustained a dislocated vertebrae, hip and neck injuries which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to dutton cadillac of riverside located at 8201 auto dr #101, riverside, ca 92504, (951)842-2566 to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the passenger's side rear tie rod bolt fractured, causing the wheel to turn inwards at a 90 degree angle. The vehicle was released to the insurance company. The insurnce company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The insurance investigator stated that the failure was not caused by a mechanic failure. The contact was informed that his wife was at fault for the crash. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Bought my cadillac 2015 srx last april 2019, is has been thru one winter. Just a few months back noticed a burn in the seat back down at the bend while cleaning the car. Took my car to quantrell of lexington, ky dealer and they will not cover the replacement and stated they called the manufacturer and they will not cover the replacement. I was told it was a seat warmer malfunction. It is a miracle that my car did not catch on fire. The cts models were recalled for this very reason, but the will not recall the srx's. I have seen many complaints online for the srx. I should not have to pay to replace my seat and seat warmer when this is a vehicle safety issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 cadillac srx. The contact stated that after turning on the vehicle and waiting a moment to drive, there was smoke and noticed that there were flames coming from her front drivers seat which was when she jumped from her seat as her pants caught fire. The contact sustained burns to her glutes. There was no medical attention sought. The contact stated the vehicle was towed to a dealer (michael cadillac located at 5787 n blackstone ave, fresno, ca 93710 (559) 431-6008) where it was pending to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
The bulletin #pic5692d needs to be a recall -with the gm brake pedal not releasing -fire hazzard to brakes and wheels from dragging -1 tire caught on fire- brake light stay on melting the circuit board at the brake lights -an other fire hazzard
The car caught on fire while driving on the highway. The car was destroyed. Engineering report states cause as defective fuel pressure sensor on the fuel feed pipe. Report uploaded. The car only had 27,000 miles and was still under warranty.
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.
The heated seat caught on fire and burned a hole through the leather seat and had to put water on it to get it out. It was on the lower right side of the back while I was sitting in it in a parking lot and lucky I was not driving or it may have caused an accident as it was burning a hole through my coat as well.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
- Risk
- If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.
Recall number 14V394000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
- 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.
Recall number 13V097000 · Recall details
Questions about the Cadillac SRX fire or smoke
Which Cadillac SRX years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (4 complaints), 2013 (4 complaints) and 2015 (4 complaints).
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