KnownCarProblems2011 Cadillac Srx Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 447 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Cadillac Srx, most often about the lights (44% of complaints, typically around 80,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Srx model year since 2000 and has 7 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2011 Cadillac Srx problems
Lights
198 complaints · 44%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
Suv low beam lights don't illuminate the roadway. Driving from florida to maryland, I was unable to see the roadway markings unless they had reflective strips. Rainy weather makes it impossible to see at all. Oncoming headlights make staying on the roadway nearly impossible. This defect causes the driver to use high…
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. The contact stated that the headlamps failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (bill black chevrolet, Cadillac at 601 e. Bessemer avenue, greensboro, nc 27405) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was condensation in the headlamps. The…
Suspension
63 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 105,500 miles. Parts named most often: rear.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. While driving 30 MPH, the rear axle warning light illuminated. The contact was able to reset the rear axle light, but the issue recurred. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000. Updated 09/29/16 the…
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shuddering with the "service stability trak" message on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or…
Electrical
40 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 63,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, wiring.
On 8-13-18 we had heavy rain and next day the lift gate would not operate. Car under extended warranty, but dealer said not covered because drain tube to panoramic roof is the problem, and they crack causing leak. Only front drains were recalled, not rear, and the leaking tubes allowed water into lift gate module and…
There is water all over the floor of my 2011 Cadillac Srx luxury edition and its from the sunroof. The water got into my electrical and now my trunk won't open and the floors won't dry. The vehicle was parked.
Brakes
40 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 68,500 miles. Parts named most often: antilock, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
My 2011 Cadillac on feb 8 @016 went put in park and went to get out of it jump in reverse I fell got try put in park in steal it went in to drive pull with car in car wash and I got pen between the door and car frame. Plus in car wash it crush me went the arm of car wash pen me between the arm on car wash and my door…
Brakes goes to the floor when driving. Could not stop.had to pump brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of me. Has happened more than once when driving on the street. Hit a bump in the road, brakes went to the floor. This concern has been reported to Cadillac gm. Researched issue and other owners have the same…
Transmission
36 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 42,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly.
I have been having issues with the acceleration of my Srx, this problem mostly occurs when I am almost at a complete stop then I accelerate and nothing, it almost makes me think the vehicle has died. I can also feel a mild clunk when letting my foot off the accelerator. I have had the car in the shop and was told I…
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v595000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure…
Other or unspecified
32 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles.
My 2011 Cadillac on feb 8 @016 went put in park and went to get out of it jump in reverse I fell got try put in park in steal it went in to drive pull with car in car wash and I got pen between the door and car frame. Plus in car wash it crush me went the arm of car wash pen me between the arm on car wash and my door…
There is water all over the floor of my 2011 Cadillac Srx luxury edition and its from the sunroof. The water got into my electrical and now my trunk won't open and the floors won't dry. The vehicle was parked.
Engine
28 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 82,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure occurred randomly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the mass flow sensor failed and needed to be…
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Srx. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 20 MPH. The vehicle stability engine and engine power reduce warning indicators illuminated. The issue recurred several times while the contact was driving the vehicle to the dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle…
Body and structure
26 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Last year , just after my warranty was over, I noticed a pant bubbling(rust ) on the edge of the hood. Dealer wanted $200 to fix it. My car is 6 years old (60000 miles ) now and is spotless otherwise. I am very disappointed with rust showing up.
On several occasions, the hatchback liftgate opened by itself. Then it would not open at all which doesn't allow any access to the rear cargo area where flat tire repair gear is located. I then determined that the expensive electrical liftgate mechanism became submerged in water from sunroof drain tubes that fail to…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Cadillac Srx recalls
Suspension: rear
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.
Full defect 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.
Suspension: rear
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.
Full defect 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.
Seats: power adjust
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.
Full defect 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.
Transmission: automatic transmission
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: side/window
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 .
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: electrical heating element
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: buckle assembly
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Rear toe link adjuster separation
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 vehicl
Questions about the 2011 Cadillac Srx
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Cadillac Srx?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: lights (198 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); suspension (63 complaints, typically around 105,500 miles); electrical (40 complaints, typically around 63,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Cadillac Srx have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 24, 2021 (suspension). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Cadillac Srx?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Srx model year since 2000, with 447 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.