What breaks most · 2004 to 2016 model years
Cadillac SRX problems by year
Owners have filed 1,672 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac SRX across model years 2004 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2010 for exterior lighting complaints, 2011 for exterior lighting complaints and 2004 for stability control complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2008 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2008, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 16722004 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2010321 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10118 fires · 127 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | 15 | 7 | Stability control (38) | |
| 113 | 10 | 3 | Electrical system (20) | |
| 58 | 3 | 3 | Engine (10) | |
| 46 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (11) | |
| 41 | 4 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 25 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (5) | |
| 321 | 16 | 6 | Exterior lighting (159) | |
| 224 | 8 | 7 | Exterior lighting (108) | |
| 195 | 19 | 3 | Exterior lighting (105) | |
| 196 | 9 | 5 | Exterior lighting (102) | |
| 125 | 6 | 2 | Exterior lighting (83) | |
| 108 | 2 | 4 | Exterior lighting (75) | |
| 24 | 4 | 2 | Unknown or other (7) |
What fails on the 2010 Cadillac SRX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 50% |
159 | 5 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
52 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
31 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 9% |
29 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
23 | 4 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 6% |
18 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2010 Cadillac SRX |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
17 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 4% |
12 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
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.
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Moisture, condensation, dim, clouded and improperly illuminate the road on left driver side. The passenger side was replaced before we took ownership. The passenger side has been replace with aftermarket assembly after it was damaged.
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Bought the 2011 srx in 2018. Immediately had to have the entire passenger side headlight assembly replaced because of moisture intrusion. Now 6 months later the same problem has appeared in the drivers side headlight. Visibility at night is badly compromised. Repair is very costly.
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Cadillac srx recall. When driving vechile, the stability system engage come on and causes the vechile to pull to either side. Press ok button and it straightened up.
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 30, 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, 2004 carry the most filings on the Cadillac SRX. The 2010 alone has 321 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 159 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 59,000 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.