2011 Cadillac SRX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other SRX years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 447 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Cadillac SRX. That ranks 2nd out of 14 SRX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (198 complaints, 44%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 1 fire, 21 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 447owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Cadillac SRX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 198 | 44% | 80,000 | “low beam” (18%) | $1,850 |
| Suspension problems | 63 | 14% | 105,500 | “service rear axle” (16%) | — |
| Electrical System | 40 | 9% | 62,765 | — | — |
| Power Train | 36 | 8% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 35 | 8% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 32 | 7% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 26 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 25 | 6% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 17 | 4% | 85,732 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 15 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 3% | 73,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 13 | 3% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 2% | 96,020 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 77,866 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 1% | 19,008 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 1% | 98,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 58,699 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 0% | 20,900 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | 109,171 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 121,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 147,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 53,867 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 1,209 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 37,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Cadillac SRX recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:rearDo 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:rear
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.
Fix: 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.
Seats:front assembly:power adjust
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 cadillac srx vehicles manufactured from october 26, 2008, through june 23, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 114, âtheft protection.â these vehicles may have a transmission shift cable that was improperly installed and may come out of the transmission bracket.
Risk: The driver may be unable to shift the transmission out of gear, resulting in no motion or the shifter may inaccurately indicate that the transmission is in park when it is not, allowing the vehicle to roll away and cause a possible crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will ensure that the transmission shift cable is properly routed and seated in the transmission cable bracket. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during january 2012. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac srx passenger vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no 208, "occupant crash protection." the airbags are programmed to turn off the right side roof-rail airbag if the passenger sensing system determines that the right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
Risk: The right rear occupant may not be protected and suffer injuries in certain frontal and side crashes.
Fix: Gm dealers will reprogram the sensing and diagnostic module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about june 17, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com .
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:windshield:electrical heating element
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 buick lacrosse and cadillac srx vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems". On these vehicles, the software in the electronic climate control (ecc) module may disable the ability to adjust the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (hvac) system settings. If this happens, the driver will not be able to control the heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle.
Risk: If this condition affects the defrost system when it is required, it may decrease the driver's visibility, and could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ecc module free of charge. The safety recall began on march 11, 2011. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac srx, chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain vehicles. The driver and /or front passenger safety belt buckle anchor may fracture and separate near the seat attachment in a vehicle crash.
Risk: The safety belt system may not restrain the occupant(s) as designed and could increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will modify the passenger and/or the driver safety belt buckles as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before january 18, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation (PE20019) — opened Nov 6, 2020, closed Dec 23, 2021, led to recall 21V473000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Experiencing repeated inner wear on rear tires only after N212340980 Safety Recall - Rear Toe Link Separation was performed. New set of Michelan Cross Climate 2 tires installed two months prior to recall. Approximately 17,000 miles after recall, rear tires presented severe inner wear with cords…
I received a flyer that my Cadillac was included in the urgent Rear Toe Link Safety Recall, so I took it to the local Cadillac dealership in Ridgeland, MS. My 2011 Cadillac SRX had the same warnings on my dashboard that were included in the flyer that I received. The warning lights and message were…
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.
Transmission cable and roll away not right gear
The headlight low beam illumination is extremely dangerous for driving at night. Very poor illumination distance and very poor overall lighting. Can barely even see pedestrians walking if on the side or crossing the road, VERY DANGEROUS!! Have to turn on high-beams when possible just to see at…
Other Cadillac SRX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 SRX | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 SRX | 168 | 2 |
| 2015 SRX | 442 | 4 |
| 2014 SRX | 390 | 2 |
| 2013 SRX | 393 | 5 |
| 2012 SRX | 416 | 3 |
| 2011 | 447 | 7 |
| 2010 SRX | 474 | 6 |
| 2009 SRX | 27 | 0 |
| 2008 SRX | 47 | 0 |
| 2007 SRX | 52 | 1 |
| 2006 SRX | 68 | 3 |
| 2005 SRX | 122 | 3 |
| 2004 SRX | 216 | 7 |
See all Cadillac SRX problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Cadillac SRX?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, suspension, electrical system problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 198 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Cadillac SRX?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 Cadillac SRX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other SRX model years, the 2011 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.