2013 Cadillac SRX recalls and problems

The 2013 Cadillac SRX has 5 recalls and 393 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is exterior lighting.

Do not drive warning. NHTSA and the manufacturer advise owners not to drive affected vehicles until the recall repair is done. Affected campaign: 21V473000.

How the 2013 compares

High

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 14 SRX model years — 5th most.

5recalls

393complaints

15crashes

5fires

21injuries

60,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

5 recalls

Suspension

Jun 24, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V473000 · 380,498 vehicles

Do not drive

Problem: 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 & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Suspension

Sep 19, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V571000 · 290,241 vehicles

Problem: 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 & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Power Train

Apr 25, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V212000 · 50,571 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured May 29, 2012, through June 26, 2013, and equipped with 3.6L engines. In the affected vehicles, in certain driving situations, there may be a three to four second lag in acceleration due to the transmission control module (TCM) programming.

Risk: A three to four second lag in acceleration may increase the risk of crash.

Remedy & notes

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. General Motors' number for this recall is 14132.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Wheels

May 16, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V202000 · 18,871 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured January 31, 2012, through March 18, 2013, and equipped with 18 inch wheels. On the affected vehicles, the wheel lug nuts may loosen.

Risk: If the lug nuts loosen, they may fall off or cause the wheel studs to fracture. Either condition would allow the wheel to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the wheel nuts by performing a tire rotation, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13116.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Electrical System

Mar 15, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V097000 · 26,582 vehicles

Problem: 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 & notes

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.

General Motors' number for this recall is 13053.Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Exterior Lighting217

Electrical System52

Unknown or other37

Power Train31

Vehicle Speed Control25

Engine17

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation

PE20019 · opened Nov 6, 2020 · closed Dec 23, 2021 · led to recall 21V473000

Summary

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 rea…

2013 vs. other Cadillac SRX years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2013. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2013 Cadillac SRX have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns covering the 2013 Cadillac SRX, the latest from Jun 24, 2021 (suspension). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Cadillac SRX?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention exterior lighting (217), electrical system (52), unknown or other (37). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.

Is it safe to drive the 2013 Cadillac SRX?

1 recall for this model year carries a "Do Not Drive" advisory. Only vehicles with the recall open are affected — check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.