What breaks most · 2004 to 2019 model years
Cadillac SRX problems by year
Owners have filed 3,261 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac SRX across model years 2004 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2010 for exterior lighting complaints, 2011 for exterior lighting complaints and 2015 for exterior lighting complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2008 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2008, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 32612004 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2010474 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 16431 fires · 182 injuries · 5 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 66kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 43Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | 16 | 7 | Stability control (43) | |
| 122 | 10 | 3 | Electrical system (22) | |
| 68 | 3 | 3 | Engine (13) | |
| 52 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (12) | |
| 47 | 6 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (11) | |
| 27 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (5) | |
| 474 | 21 | 6 | Exterior lighting (225) | |
| 446 | 17 | 7 | Exterior lighting (198) | |
| 416 | 32 | 3 | Exterior lighting (233) | |
| 393 | 15 | 5 | Exterior lighting (217) | |
| 389 | 16 | 2 | Exterior lighting (266) | |
| 442 | 12 | 4 | Exterior lighting (302) | |
| 168 | 11 | 2 | Exterior lighting (98) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) |
What fails on the 2010 Cadillac SRX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 47% |
225 | 6 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 15% |
69 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
52 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 10% |
47 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
46 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
29 | 1 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
24 | 4 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
20 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The headlights are very dim and I cannot drive this vehicle at night due to safety. This problem comes back after replacement of headlight assembly.
-
The low beam headlights are useless for night driving. The operator is required to run high beam during any night time or low light operation. This creates a safety issue for both the operator and any incoming vehicles.
-
the headlights are so dim that the car is not usable at night. I was told by the Cadillac dealership that this is a known problem with GM/Cadillac. The low beam gets so hot that it turns the reflectivity of the chrome to gray. The fix is to replace both right and left headlight assembly.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Cadillac SRX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2011, 2015 carry the most filings on the Cadillac SRX. The 2010 alone has 474 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Cadillac SRX problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 225 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Cadillac SRX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Cadillac SRX complaints that include mileage is about 66,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.