Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Cadillac SRX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer where the recall remedy was completed. The contact stated after the repairs were completed, she felt the rear side of the vehicle would sway side to side and she would notice it would be worst in the rain. The contact stated on 8/10/2022 while driving 42 mph, she heard an abnormal noise and noticed the rear driver side of the tire blew out. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she decided to continue driving. The contact stated after parking the vehicle, she noticed the inner part of the rear driver tire belt was showing. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to their residence with the faulty tire. …
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, he lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to drive over 25 MPH, the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact was able to continue driving under 25 MPH to his residence. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the message "Service Rear Axle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear axle was disassembled and it was determined that the rear axle differential seal was leaking. Additionally, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on four occasions where the rear axle failure was repaired. The contact stated that the message "Service Rear Axle" remained displayed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,048. The contact stated that despite paying for a replacement part, the vehicle still has issues.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) and had the recall service completed. Approximately six months after the repair was performed, the contact observed that the two rear wheels appeared misaligned relative to the front wheels. The contact also observed severe inner tread wear on the rear tires. The contact believed that the dealer failed to perform a full wheel alignment during the initial recall repair. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact requested confirmation that the wheel alignment was performed; however, the dealer was unable to provide the confirmation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,401.
The contact's wife owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the adjustable rear toe link of the vehicle was previously replaced with a non-adjustable toe link under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact later noticed that the interior of the brand new rear tires he had purchased were worn. Upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an alignment, the contact was informed that the rear tires could not be aligned as the rear toe link was non-adjustable. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the recall repair was not being completed, it caused the inner sidewalls of the rear tires to wear down prematurely. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure and scheduled an appointment for 2/3/2022. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle was inadvertently pulling to the right, while making a turn, the tires felt like they were dragging, and the front passenger's side fender was making noises while turning. The traction control and another unknown warning light were illuminated intermittently. The dealer was made aware of the recall but informed the contact that the parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns 2009 Ford F-30 Supercab. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced violate shaking without warning when accelerating past 50 mph The contact stated when driving over an object the failure occurs. The contact would have to released his foot off the accelerator in order for the vehicle to resumes back to normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering dapper needed to be replaced in order for the failure not to recur. The vehicle was not repaired the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed on the instrument panel "service rear axle". Additionally, the contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the vehicle was taking to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear differential clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving downhill at approximately 35 mph, there was a loud screeching sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle drove into the opposite lane before stopping on the side of the roadway. Upon inspection, it was determined that the rear passenger's side wheel had detached. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear passenger's side suspension toe link had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,550.
Related recalls
Suspension › Rear
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.
Remedy: 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.
Suspension › Rear
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Rear Toe Link Adjuster Separation
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.
Suspension complaints in other SRX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2012 Cadillac SRX?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the suspension of the 2012 Cadillac SRX, 10% of the model year's 417 complaints. The component named most often is rear › axle › non-powered axle assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Cadillac SRX suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-473 (rear, Jun 24, 2021); NHTSA recall 14V-571 (rear, Sep 19, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Cadillac SRX suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 91,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.