There are 50 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2012 Cadillac SRXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Headlight assembly gets over heated and makes the low beam lights very dim, not safe or legal to drive at night. I've seen many many complaints for this. Not Safe!
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the contact became aware that the low-beam headlights had moisture inside the headlight housings. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall; however, the failure progressed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
My Headlights are so dim, I have to drive with high beams. It is raining in my, short circuited the trunk, will not open and my bearings have to be replaced. Sounds like a truck. Ughhhh, IMy first and last american made car.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, she became aware that the headlamps were extremely dim, affecting nighttime visibility. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that condensation had become trapped in the headlamp housing, resulting in damages to the headlight housing. The contact was informed that the headlamp housings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was unknown.
The headlights are very dim It is like driving your vehicle with a flashlight as the lighting. When you turn on bright lights you can see good but your then endangering drivers going the opposite directions It is very dangerous. If you reserch this issue on the internet it is a well lnown problem. How can people drive their cars like this. I did inquire with GM and they said they did at one time reimburse owners to get headlights replaced but that offer expired Well there are people out there driving these Dangerous cars that were not notified of this. I would invite anyone to drive one of these cars and see how bad it is. It is very urgent that someone look at this problem I have seen where there have been recalls over 10 years old . I am trying to get across how DANGEROUS this cars lights are. Please someone look into this Sincerely Sue Lanford Lance Lanford I dont know if NHTSA can or would get the media to film the lighing on these vehicles.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights were extremely dim. The contact stated while driving in the dark for four hours, the headlights remained dim, and did not provide adequate illumination farther than six feet in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The housing for the drive lights have failed. Replacing the bulbs does not resolve the problem. Cadillac wants to replace the entire unit because the plastic reflector has failed. Lots of Cadillac owners reporting this problem on the internet. Cadillac used an inexpensive plastic part that creates high risk when it fails. This is happening not just to the SRX, but to many GM models. Please see the video... https://youtu.be/i7GKpCgAee0?t=742
Vehicle low beam headlights are extremely dim, so dim that to see property at night, the high beam lights must be used constantly. This blinds oncoming traffic and risks a head on collision. General Motors will not replace the headlight assembly. The low beam headlight assembly interior housing is coated with a shiny reflective plastic material. Over time, the heat from the halogen bulb degrades this plastic coating, burning it off. See this YT video here at the 12:13 mark to have a very good understanding. The man disassembles the housing and shows exactly what the problem is. https://youtu.be/i7GKpCgAee0?t=733
Headlights are very dim and do not provide sufficient lighting at night. This is a known problem with this model and GM has been aware since 2010 that this is an issue. The exterior housing unit fails and allows moisture into the headlight unit and can cause dim lights and shorts. Car is unable to be driven at night without high beams on and this causes distress and blindness to other drivers. The vehicle is available for inspection. This problem has been confirmed by GM in years 2010-2016 and there is a class action suit resulting in recall in California
The front low beam headlights are very dim, due to a leakage defect in the headlight housing. (I have been told that is the reason for the defect by a Cadillac dealership) I feel that it is dangerous for me (I am 78 years old) to drive at night with this situation. There are many other complaints about this same problem as reported on The Cadillac Forum website. I don't know if there has ever been a recall concerning this issue. I purchased the auto in Aug. of 2022. It seems to me that there definitely should be a recall addressing this, with Cadillac making the necessary arrangements to fix the problem. I do not want the new recall part to be the same as the defective part, and have the issue happen again. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Headlights (low beam) are so dim that driving at night is dangerous. Lines on roads are not visible. Problem is not rectified by replacing bulbs. Something else must be the cause, Car is at the dealership getting assessment and estimate. No warning messages appear. Vehicle was inherited from deceased family member.
VIN [XXX] My headlights are so dim, it is dangerous to drive at night even after replacing the bulbs for same reason in last year. Called Cadillac of Dublin. [XXX] tells me there is a reimbursement for the headlight assembly as a part of a lawsuit, but I need to bring in car to be sure that’s the problem. [XXX] checked me in, then called with estimate. Headlight Assembly Repair Diagnostic - $179.50 + $1,450 - $1,500 replacement cost Called GM Recall Department Headlight problem no longer has any reimbursement or recourse. Representative: [XXX] Reimbursements were given until 12/2021 Extended to June 30, 2022, which was a hard cutoff I asked how I was suppose to know. [XXX] says I was notified by a Different Team. He investigated and returned with this answer: Next to impossible to locate where mailed. I did not receive the notice. Handled by 3rd party mailing —- Analytics company 1st letter ~ 2020. [XXX] doesn’t think they will look anything up because the case is over now, but thinks it might be worth a try. He states that GM has no additional recourse for me at this time. Class action lawsuits have been filed against General Motors by plaintiffs who allege that moisture can become trapped in the headlights of the Cadillac SRX crossover, posing a potential safety hazard. According to Bloomberg, the lawsuits claims the headlights found in 2010-2015 model year Cadillac SRX crossovers have weather seals that may erode prematurely. This can allow moisture to enter the headlight casing, which may cause the bulb to either dim or burn out entirely. “Such malfunctions will necessarily result in low visibility at best, which can contribute to injurious, or even fatal, traffic accidents,” the lawsuit says. This is a known problem by GM since 2011. My car is a 2012 and assembly wasn’t redesigned or fixed. I’m bought my car in 2019 and did not receive any notice in the mail. This should be a recall! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The headlights are cloudy and therefore producing less light a safety issue.
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low-beam headlights were extremely dim, causing a visibility hazard to the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the headlight assemblies were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was also contact but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Pulled over by police stating that my lights looked like I was driving around with just my running lights on and that I needed to get them looked at and fixed, gave me a warning to take to dealership to have corrected.
The vehicle lights are dangerously dim. Changing the bulbs hasn’t fixed the problem. The headlights as a whole weren’t sealed properly allowing moisture in.
headlamp replacement... second one i had to do on my SRX. I know it never made it to recall but you were reimbursing owners now your not. i called gm they said they would help me then i get it fixed and he calls back and says no
Very poor visibility. Head lights turn on but the lens is so cloudy it has severely reduced visibility for night driving. I have been calling GM/Cadillac routinely for at least a month but I feel like I’m getting a run around. On 4/4/22 I was told the problem has been resolved and I would be getting a call to set up an appointment to have the lenses replaced. But I still haven’t heard back. The head lights had already been inspected by a Cadillac service dealer on 3/15/22 and GM/Cadillac was made aware of this and has spoken with the Cadillac dealer so I’m not sure what the hold up is. I’ve been calling to find out but my call gets transferred to voice mail. They do not return my calls. I also made them aware that we are planning to be doing lots of night driving in the next couple weeks for a vacation. So there is a need for the lights to be replaced ASAP. The dealer/service told me that it would cost me $3200.oo to replace the lights but I can not afford them. I do not believe this to be wear & tear or cosmetic. It is a safety issue from an inferior product. I have already started this complaint on 3/31/22 and have a reference # 502594. Thank You
Head lamps are to dim to drive vehicle after dark
Both Headlights went out within a week of each other while driving at night
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 25, 2026