Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 | 2% | 11,000 miles |
| 2015 | 11 | 2% | 49,000 miles |
| 2014 | 6 | 2% | 18,000 miles |
| 2013 | 17 | 4% | 27,000 miles |
| 2012 | 15 | 4% | 32,000 miles |
| 2011 | 28 | 6% | 85,000 miles |
| 2010 | 60 | 13% | 90,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 15% | 69,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 11% | 85,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 15% | 130,000 miles |
| 2006 | 18 | 26% | 86,000 miles |
| 2005 | 30 | 25% | 92,000 miles |
| 2004 | 35 | 16% | 53,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On Sept 26 2021 I was driving my car when I noticed it began jumpy and would hesitate at high speeds then when coming to a stop. After coming to a stop my car seemed it was stalling out while sitting at the stop light. Proceeded to go and my car didn't want to go into 1st-3rd gears. I just got this car 5 months ago It is very concerning when I need to make a sudden acceleration and cannot. I am highly concerned my car has a recall that never was issued to fix this dangerous problem.
My car was in line for a car wash at val ward Cadillac parking lot. My electronic brake was on. The brake light on the dashboard indicated this. The car was in drive but stationary for approx two minutes. The car suddenly surged forward. I thought my car was hit in the back. I didn't understand why the car surged forward. My car hit the car in front of me. After the accident, the cars were separated by val ward personnel. They had to release my electronic brake in order to move my car. Per Cadillac, if electronic brake is engaged, it will release when gas pedal pressure is applied. My feet were on the floor of car when surge occurred. I did not touch the gas pedal. Conveniently, the accident occurred right in front of the val ward Cadillac body shop office. As far as I know the car was not towed, but pushed into repair shop. I will never use that electronic brake again. …
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the infotainment screen was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic replaced the front catalytic converter. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the infotainment screen was replaced. The contact stated that the independent mechanic had previously replaced the rear catalytic converter. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,089.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon inspection, the contact noticed a piece from the engine had fallen out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the idler pulley bolt replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was giving off excessive heat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted and informed her that the vehicle was performing normally. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
Vehicle has dangerous and life threatening transmission problem that has cause me to lose control of my vehicle. Problem with jerking and cutting off started approximately in 2022 with 2 visits to shop for repair. In May 2023 until 2024, vehicle has been in repair shop for repairing including replacing transmission with a rebuilt transmission. Repair shop said vehicle is still u nsafe and may need to replace tranmission computer . Repairs has already caused me almost $20,000.
My car had been stalling, or "jerking" when a accelerating for a week or so before the following incident, but due to the shelter in place ordinance, l put off taking it to a mechanic. However, my car finally shut off at a stop light, causing a distracted driver to nearly rear end me. A friendly driver assisted me with pushing it (traveling north on mannheim rd in hillside) to an amoco station. I called OnStar initially to get it towed, but since my father is a retired mechanic, l called him. He was able to start it and drove it to their home just a couple miles from that location. He checked with a fellow/working mechanic and he thought the problem was a air flow sensor. That part was replaced a couple days later. I drove the car to run several errands and as l was leaving the grocery store on st. Charles rd in berkeley, headed east, the same thing happened. …
Takata recall about 2 weeks ago, I notice while driving that I'm loosing the acceleration. The front gausr of RPM is not consistent. We can feel the engine is having trouble going forwrd evry time I punch in the gas pedal. My passanger and I can feel the acceleration bit chocking. So, I brought it some mechanics & they says possible time chain problem. They diagnose the car and here some of the code came out. P0011, p0014, p0016, p0018, p0021. At first, they thought of changing the camshaft sensors and crankshaft sensors maybe it would resolve the problem but it didn't. They suggest to call the Cadillac dealer possible for recalls. I drive my car daily to work, from merced to lathrop, that's about 120 miles back and fort. I used to drive my car from merced to frement from the past 4years everyday but I got tranfer to lathrop about 2 years now.
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
General motors is recalling certain model year 2010 Cadillac srx equipped with a 2.8l v6 engine. If low octane (regular) fuel is used in the vehicle instead of the required high octane (premium) fuel as stated in the owner manual and on the fuel filler door, the combination of regular fuel usage and aggressive driving maneuvers…
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before June 11, 2010.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cadillac SRX years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (60), 2004 (35), 2005 (30), 2011 (28) and 2006 (18) model years. Engine complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Cadillac SRX engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 10V-223 (engine and engine cooling, May 25, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Cadillac SRX engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles; 35% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (13 mentions), followed by the exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (4).
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.