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Model file · CadillacUpdated · 17 sources

Selling a Cadillac SRX that's done

Exterior lighting is the top complaint on every SRX built from 2010 to 2016. NHTSA's complaint file held 3,261 owner complaints on the SRX by October 10, 2026, and 1,401 of them name exterior lighting. Suspension and electrical complaints follow far behind.

A silver first-generation Cadillac SRX crossover parked by a curb, seen from the front and driver's side
Photo: Bull-Doser · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Complaints to NHTSA, 2004-2016
3,261
Year with the most complaints
2010 (474)
Component named most
Exterior lighting (1,401)
Recall campaigns
24
Generations
2004-2009 and 2010-2016
Built in
Lansing, Mich. (1st gen); Ramos Arizpe, Mexico (2nd gen)
Replaced by
Cadillac XT5

If your SRX has reached the point where the repair list beats the car, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Two SRXs, built six years apart

The SRX ran from the 2004 to the 2016 model year in two very different forms. Wikipedia says the first was built in Lansing, Michigan, on the same Sigma platform as the CTS and STS. The second came from Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, and shared its platform with the Saab 9-4X.

GenerationModel yearsEngines and transmissionsComplaints to NHTSA
First2004-20093.6 LY7 V6; 5-speed 5L40-E or 5L50, or 6-speed 6L50 automatic532
Second2010-20162.8 turbo V6 (2010 only), 3.0 LF1 V6 (the only engine for 2011), 3.6 LFX V6 (from 2012); 6-speed 6T70 or Aisin AF40 automatic2,729

Each recall's vehicle total below spans its entire campaign. Several also took in other GM models, so a total is not a count of SRXs.

2004-2009: brakes, a shifter and a busy first year

The 2004 has 216 complaints and seven recall campaigns, a number only the 2011 matches. Electronic stability control is its most-named component, with 33 complaints. Recall 04V151 says the ABS on all-wheel-drive cars could briefly cut the driver off from the regular brakes, for up to 1.25 seconds. Recall 08V527 is the SRX's own: GM recalled 17,301 2004 SRXs because the shift lever could move out of Park with the ignition off. Other 2004 campaigns covered lower control arm washers made of the wrong material (04V273) and an air bag module that could fire the front or roof side air bags (05V024).

After 2004 the complaints drop fast: 122, 68, 52, 47, then 27 on the 2009. Recall 06V125 covered a rear toe link on the 2005 that could separate because of a bad weld, and 07V589 replaced rear axle pinion seals on 2005-2007 cars.

The redesign brought the complaint count up from 27 to 474 in one model year. Exterior lighting leads every year of this generation, peaking at 279 complaints on the 2015.

The 2010 also had the turbocharged 2.8. Wikipedia says GM found that regular fuel and hard driving could damage the engine inside, recalled about 550 2010 SRXs in May 2010, and dropped the engine after that year.

Suspension makes the top three for the 2011 (48), 2012 (31), 2015 (25) and 2016 (12). Two recalls fit that pattern. Recall 14V571 had dealers check the rear toe link adjuster lock nuts on 2010-2015 SRXs; its 290,241 vehicles include 2011-2012 Saab 9-4Xs. Recall 21V473 came back to the same part in 2021 for 2010-2016 SRXs, with a do-not-drive warning if certain warning lights or symptoms appear. That campaign counts 380,498 vehicles, Saabs included.

Transmission recalls cluster here too: 11V595 checked the shift cable routing on 2010-2011 cars, and 13V097 and 14V212 reprogrammed the transmission control module on the 2013. Recall 13V202 dealt with lug nuts that could loosen on 2013 SRXs with 18-inch wheels.

SRX complaints and recalls by model year

Counts come from the complaint records NHTSA held on October 10, 2026. Owners of a late SRX have simply had fewer years to report problems. Recall figures show how many campaigns name that year, and a single SRX campaign often names several, so a column total would double count.

Model yearComplaintsMost-named componentRecall campaigns
2004216Electronic stability control (33)7
2005122Electrical system (17)3
2006-2009194Varies; none above 10 in a year3, 1, 0, 0
2010474Exterior lighting (187)6
2011446Exterior lighting (182)7
2012416Exterior lighting (211)3
2013393Exterior lighting (204)5
2014390Exterior lighting (246)2
2015442Exterior lighting (279)4
2016168Exterior lighting (92)2

Is the SRX worth fixing?

Compare the shop's quote with what a working SRX of your year and mileage sells for. An estimate that nearly matches it points toward selling as is. Before you decide:

  1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. On a 2010-2016, ask a Cadillac dealer whether 14V571 and 21V473 were done. Don't drive it if 21V473's warnings apply.
  2. Shifting trouble on a 2010-2011 or 2013? Ask whether the transmission recalls listed above were completed. The bad transmission guide covers the rest.
  3. A hurt 2.8 turbo on a 2010? See blown engine before you pay for a rebuild.
  4. Quote higher than the car is worth? Repairs cost more than it is worth walks through that choice.

Selling an SRX whole

  1. Gather the VIN and mileage, plus the engine size and drive type. The EPA lists SRX 2WD and SRX AWD versions.
  2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where your SRX is parked and if its wheels spin freely. A rear toe link problem can leave a wheel out of line, so mention it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Don't strip it. Wheels, converter and lights stay on, and anything already missing should be mentioned.
  5. When we collect the SRX: just have its title and your photo ID. Check after you sell for plates and insurance.

No title? See selling with no title. Comparing Cadillacs? Look at the Escalade, CTS and STS, or every Cadillac we cover.

Questions people ask

Which SRX model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
As of October 10, 2026, NHTSA lists 474 complaints for the 2010 SRX, the most of any year. Next come the 2011 (446), 2015 (442) and 2012 (416). The first generation has far fewer: the 2009 has 27. Exterior lighting tops each SRX year from 2010 through 2016.
What is the SRX rear toe link recall?
Recall 21V473 covers 2010-2016 SRXs and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4Xs. The rear suspension toe link adjuster may not have been tightened properly, which can leave a loose toe link. Owners are told not to drive if certain warning lights come on or other signs appear. The 380,498 vehicles in that campaign include the Saab. An earlier campaign, 14V571, covered 2010-2015 SRXs for the same lock nuts. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
My 2010 SRX has the 2.8 turbo. Is that engine known for trouble?
Wikipedia says GM recalled about 550 2010 SRXs with the turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 in May 2010, because regular gas and hard driving could cause internal engine damage. GM dropped that engine after the 2010 model year. If yours is already hurt, the blown engine guide explains how to weigh a repair.
Will you buy an SRX that won't start or won't move?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and there is free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us what it does or doesn't do, whether it rolls, and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Cadillac SRX, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 04V151: ABS on all-wheel-drive models, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 04V273: lower control arm ball stud washers, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 05V024: sensing and diagnostic module, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 06V125: rear toe link weld, 2005 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 07V589: rear axle pinion seal, 2005-2007 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 08V527: shift lever out of Park, 2004 SRX nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 11V595: transmission shift cable, 2010-2011 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 13V097: transmission control module, 2013 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 13V202: wheel lug nuts, 2013 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 14V212: transmission control module, 2013 3.6L nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 14V394: ignition keys, 2004-2006 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 14V571: rear toe link lock nuts, 2010-2015 nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 21V473: rear toe link adjuster, 2010-2016 nhtsa.gov
  16. EPA fuel economy data (model years and versions) fueleconomy.gov
  17. Wikipedia: Cadillac SRX (generations, engines, plants, 2.8 turbo recall) en.wikipedia.org