2012 Cadillac SRX reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 416 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Cadillac SRX over 15 years — 11 per year. That is more complaints per year than most SRX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 6. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Rear and Power adjuster.

Complaints

416

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Exterior lighting (233 of 416), then Service brakes (42) and Suspension (41). Those filings include 32 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 23 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2013

The 2013 SRX has 393 complaints, 15 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Cadillac SRX. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall suspension, rear 2021-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V473000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall suspension, rear 2014-09-19 · NHTSA campaign 14V571000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2014-07-23 · NHTSA campaign 14V447000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

Complaints by component (416 total)

Exterior lighting

233

Service brakes

Suspension

Electrical system

Structure

Steering

Air bags

Engine

Speed control

Powertrain

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Wheels

Seat belts

Seats

Fuel and propulsion system

Hydraulic brakes

Back-over prevention

Equipment

Tires

Interior lighting

Latches, locks, and linkages

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"A deer rammed my passager side . airbag light was always on saying passenger airbag off . but when it explodes it injured my passenger . all the airbags didn't activate my car shut down after the incident but a few…"
Air bags · filed 2026-06-17
"2012 Cadillac SRX was traveling approximately 30mph and t-boned another vehicle at an intersection. Both vehicles were totaled. The airbags in the Cadillac did not deploy and the seatbelt did not lock, causing the…"
Air bags, Seat belts · filed 2026-04-17
"The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the vehicle was having a failure with the drains for the sunroof. The contact stated that water was draining directly into the driver's and passenger’s side…"
Structure · filed 2026-04-07
"The headlights don’t work very well when they are dimmed. To the point that one has to use high beams all the time."
Exterior lighting · filed 2026-03-19
"there was a sunroof recall on my year of vehicle, with this being a used vehicle the previous owners did not know about the sunroof recall and this is why they sold the vehicle not knowing the issues it caused, so I…"
Electrical system, Visibility and wipers · filed 2025-11-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Cadillac SRX SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2012 Cadillac SRX SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
SRX two-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	24	19 MPG	$3400
SRX all-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	23	18 MPG	$3600

Specs and fitment

Second generation, 2012–2016

Body styles SUV

Oil dexos1 SAE 5W-30 (0W-30 allowed below −29 °C / −20 °F) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/65R18, 235/55R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 14V-571 covers certain 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX vehicles (and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X in the same campaign). The jam nut in the rear suspension toe adjuster link may not be torqued to specification. A loose toe adjuster link can cause sway or wander at highway speeds and may lead to thread damage and eventual failure, which can cause an abrupt alignment change and loss of control. Remedy: dealers inspect torque of the left and right rear toe link adjuster lock nuts and replace parts if damaged or loose, free of charge. NHTSA safety recall 21V-473 later covers certain 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles for a rear suspension toe link adjuster that may not have been tightened properly, which could result in a loose toe link that can separate and cause loss of vehicle control. Remedy: dealers replace the adjustable toe link with a non-adjustable link as described in the campaign. When NHTSA lists multiple nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared.

Compare

Next year 2013 Cadillac SRX See every Cadillac SRX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Cadillac SRX reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Cadillac SRX?

Is the 2012 Cadillac SRX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 SRX has 393 complaints, 15 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Cadillac SRX been recalled?

The 2012 Cadillac SRX has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Cadillac SRX?

Owners have filed 416 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac SRX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Cadillac SRX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Cadillac SRX is 18.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a 2014 Cadillac SRX take?

The 2014 US owner's manual calls for dexos1 SAE 5W-30 (about 6.0 qt with filter); SAE 0W-30 may be used in extreme cold below −29 °C.

What generation is the 2015 Cadillac SRX?

Second generation (2012-2016) for the US years this site tracks.

What tire sizes does a Cadillac SRX use?

Common US sizes include 235/65R18 and 235/55R20 depending on trim.