2013 Cadillac SRX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other SRX years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 393 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac SRX. That ranks 5th out of 14 SRX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (217 complaints, 55%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 5 fires, 21 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 393owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 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 | 217 | 55% | 65,000 | “low beam” (30%) | $1,850 |
| Electrical System problems | 52 | 13% | 55,000 | “touch screen” (13%) | $1,950 |
| Unknown or Other | 37 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 31 | 8% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 6% | 9,200 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 4% | 22,750 | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 4% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 13 | 3% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 3% | 39,971 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 2% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 2% | 25,095 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 2% | 3,261 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 1% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 1% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | 25,250 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 24,664 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 59,518 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 112,178 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 167,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Cadillac SRX recalls (5)
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.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Fix: 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.
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:software; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Valentine day a car side swiped me on the 91 freeway my car went out of control but I was able to get control of the vehicle driver side got banged up from the back bumper all the way to the driver side front fender.
The exterior lighting does not light up as warranted. It is impossible to see at night due to the lack of lighting from the headlights. The problem was confirmed with the dealership, however I was told to replace the bulbs which I had done. Replacing the bulbs did not fix the issue so I went back…
I was driving and had to hard brake as to not hit a young driver who wasn't paying attention to his driving. The brake pedal went all the way to the floor. There were no warning lights on. I got the car checked out by our local mechanic AND a certified Cadillac dealer. We had a new master cylinder…
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway, limiting the driverâs vision while driving. The contact stated that the passengerâs side headlight was inoperable, and the driverâs side headlight…
My father gave me his 2013 Cadillac SRX and I have noticed the headlights have dimmed significantly over the past few months. I replaced the lamps, but the same issue still exists. I spoke with my local Cadillac dealership and they told me of the known issue with the headlights. I did some research…
Other Cadillac SRX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 SRX | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 SRX | 168 | 2 |
| 2015 SRX | 442 | 4 |
| 2014 SRX | 390 | 2 |
| 2013 | 393 | 5 |
| 2012 SRX | 416 | 3 |
| 2011 SRX | 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.
Similar Cadillac models
Embed this 2013 Cadillac SRX badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Cadillac SRX?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 217 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Cadillac SRX?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 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 2013 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.