There are 50 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2011 Cadillac SRXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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 night.
I own a 2011 Cadillac SRX and have experienced a serious issue with the headlights. Over time, the headlights became extremely dim, making it difficult and dangerous to drive at night. This was not due to the bulbs themselves, but rather an issue with the headlight housing or design, which many other Cadillac SRX owners have also reported. The visibility is so poor that it creates a major safety concern for myself, my passengers, and others on the road. Despite the widespread nature of this issue and media coverage (including WSOC-TV Channel 9’s investigation), there has been no recall or extended warranty to cover the cost of repairs, which can be significant. I am submitting this complaint in hopes that the NHTSA will investigate and consider opening a recall to address this recurring and dangerous issue with the 2011 SRX headlight system.
The car is extremely unsafe. The headlights are dim no matter how many times they are replaced. I have to drive with high beams on.
After braking hard, skidding or going over a hard bump, brakes go to the floor and do not recover. This has ongoing since I purchased the car in 2012.
The headlights dim and the cars can't be driven at night. It's a well documented issue.
My 2011 SRX has lost brake power 4 times in the past 2 years. I reported to GM as other owners had this complaint. I hit the brakes at low speed when going into a parking lot incline and lose my brake power. The brakes go to the floor and eventually the car stops. Thankfully no other car was near me as the car is hard to stop. I also slammed on my brakes around 25-30 mph as another car was coming head on in my lane. Once the collision was avoided I tried to stop at a red light. Again the brakes went to the floor without stopping the vehicle immediately. My auto mechanic test drove it everywhere to see if he could reproduce the issue, but could not . I contacted GM and they told me to take it to a dealership which I did. They could not find anything but bled the brake lines hoping this was the issue. It was not. I went over an inclined manhole on a side street going about 5-10 miles and afterwards the brakes were very soft. I read in the SRX cadillac forum that others that had the same issue said to try and pump the brakes. I did this and the brake power re- engaged. This is a scary safety issue as I am always wondering if my brakes will stop the car. I only have 80000 miles on this car and keep routine maintenance. I also have an issue with the condensation of the headlights that dims the lighting on the headlights. I had received a letter ( Court Settlement Claim) stating if I had an issue to bring it to a dealership and they would look at it. If it did have this issue the headlight company would pay for some repair. I didn’t go since my headlight issue didn’t start until later . When I contacted the dealership I was told that offer expired along with GM confirming this. It is extremely frustrating and scary to know other owners have the same complaints and GM doesn’t do any safety recalls. These 2 issues are a big safety issue and I pray it never causes an accident.
The headlights are failing at night creating a safety concern. The first time I drove at night the headlights were like not even on. I about hit someone when they approached me and I dimmed my lights. You can see only on brights. Performed Google search to learn many of these, if not all, have faulty headlights. Purchased this vehicle in March 2024, contacted dealer was advised it’s not covered under warranty. Was advised to take it to the GM dealer, they want $1200 each side to fix and what I’ve read this doesn’t fix the faulty headlights either. Help, can’t drive at night at all and I’m disabled and unable to repair.
The headlights on my 2011 Cadillac SRX4 (62,000 miles and garage kept from new until 2 years ago) started to fail in 2022. The passenger side failed in 2022 and had to be replaced at an out of pocket cost of $1,536.98. The driver's side failed on 1/15/2024 and it had to be replaced at an out of pocket cost of $2,046.70. I understand that there was not a recall on this problem but rather a reimbursement program. I was told by the Dealer that that program ended in 2020. I don't understand how a vehicle manufacturer, who has admitted that there was a problem with the sealant on their headlight, can just stop reimbursing owners. The best part is the replacements that I paid $3,583.68 for, still have bad sealant, and will go again eventually. My safety and the safety of other is put at risk because there is no warning light or anything indicate to the driver that your headlight has failed. The problem has been reproduced over and over and the Dealer/GM/Cadillac all have acknowledged the problem exists. My vehicle was inspected by the Cadillac Dealer (Smail Buick, GMC, Cadillac) and that's when I was informed that the reimbursement from Cadillac has ended. Please advise if there is any way to force Cadillac to reimburse these costs.
I NEVER GOT A RECALL ON THE LIGHT REPAIR. HAS MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHT. YOU CAN NOT SEE AT NIGHT. LIGHTS ARE VERY LOW LIGHTING. IT IS A SAFETY RISK. GOING TO CHURCH AT NIGHT IS IMPOSSIBLE. YOU CANNOT SEE OUT AHEAD. TRYING TO WATCH FOR DEER. I GOT ONE LIGHT FIXED FEW YEARS AGO. I CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER. IS THERE A RECALL. THE PICTURE LOADED IS WHAT LIGHT LOOKS LIKE ON DRIVERS SIDE. I PRAY THEY STAND BEHIND THE LIGHT. THANK YOU FOR CARING
Both headlights are filled with condensation which makes driving the car not too good at night getting concerned that they might go out at night due to a short or something cuz of the water
It is clear that it's a manufacturing problem with the seals for the headlights in this vehicle. There are many of the same complaints concerning visibility and water log inside the headlamps. I am having this same issue. Because of the water log inside of the headlamps, this could cause electrical damage. The seals in these headlamps aren't sealing correctly and water from rain is flooding the inside of my headlamps, especially the driver's side. A recall should be given for these faulty headlamps. 2011 Cadillac SRX - FWD
I have had my vehicle about a month I have a 2011 Cadillac SRX I have had it in the shop at least 3 weeks since I had it due to the headlights being out or damaged by water they have worked out about $6,000 on my vehicle to have the bulbs burner ballast and igniter replaced and replaced my passenger side lens but they did not replace the driver side and it accumulates a lot of water all the time if it's a pretty day it's still keeps water inside I think the cover needs to be replaced due to water getting into the headlight or any type of moisture I've been seeing that this is been an ongoing problem with these vehicles I feel like if I just bought the vehicle I should not be responsible for replacing the lens on the driver side because it is a safety issue and it's more dim than the other side I think these should be recalled
Over time the headlight casings have moisture inside. Also, the plastic covering to the headlights is no longer clear but is cloudy. Driving at night I am forced to put on the high beams to brighten up the road ahead of me. Memphis Cadillac dealership said there is a history of this problem. They will not work on the car because of this. Is there a recall? Please let me know. Thank you.
It’s one problem but it’s a big problem and for the life of me it seems as if I can’t get through to someone. My headlights are so dim that I can’t drive at night it’s already know that this is a manufacturer problem I know its known that it is. Listen I’m a disabled veteran on a fixed income I need help with this problem can you help me?
Headlights are leaking and allowing moisture to enter into the headlight assembly. In turn, this is causing headlights to rust and fail early. Additionally, they fail without warning, thus potentially leaving the driver in the dark. Very serious safety issue. Dealer contacted and stated they were, at one time, reimbursing car owners, however they are not doing so now. Cadillac states that since my car was purchased in Florida, they would have taken care of the issue, but they are no longer doing reimbursing customers for repairs needed to make the car safe to drive.
Rear brake lights remains on while moving and when the car is parked.
Condensation on both headlights
My headlights are so dim i cannot use my car at night. It started a while ago I have replaced the lights but they become dim and the moisture in the headlights is terrible it is so dangerous to drive my car at night i cannot move it once it is dark. I have searched and found that this is an ongoing issue not only in my 2011 model but all Cadillac and is a known issue that Cadillac refuses to take responsibility for. I received a letter during the high of COVID stating they would reimbursement if you had gotten it fixed but i got the letter in May and time to get the repair and the reimbursement had passed. live in NY and everything was shut down for quiet sometime so perhaps the letter was sent internationally at that time so i couldn't take advantage of the offer. My understanding is that it will be around $1600.00 to repair the headlights which i feel i should not have to bear after paying so much money for my car this is a manufacturer defect and they should bear the responsibility to correct and fix my car. I purchased my vehicle and paid 48K which wasn't cheap I should not have to pay additional out of pocket due to their poor workmanship and parts.
My headlight assembly have been taking in water for about a year. Last year I had to replace the ballast on one side. Last week we had a lot of rain and while driving home both of my headlights went out. I’ve looked up the problem online and found out I’m not alone. Cadillac did send me a notice last year about a settlement they made for similar issue but the notice they sent me stated it was for models with halogen bulbs. My vehicle has HID. I have called several dealerships and was told the part cost about $1400.00 each. I want to replace both sides. They say they don’t have both available. My guess is there’s a shortage because everyone has this problem. Cadillac should have been made responsible for selling this garbage. This is a safety and consumer problem. How can I drive my vehicle if I can’t even replace the part ?
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH at night, the headlights were extremely dim, the contact was unable to see more than approximately 8-feet ahead of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026