Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 21,483 complaints for CADILLAC
Incident date: Sep 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were very dim, making it difficult to see the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlamps assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, there was a grinding noise coming... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and when attempting to make a stop, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The failure occurred consistently. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The last failure consisted while driving 10 MPH in a rear-ended crash where the brake pedal failed to stop the vehicle. The air... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac CT6. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they initially changed the transmission fluid and reprogrammed the transmission module; however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac CT6. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they initially changed the transmission fluid and reprogrammed the transmission module; however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
Update - Original event was the power steering automation system failure which left the vehicle with no power steering system. When car rested over night the system operated properly. Took it to dealer today and they could not find any mechanical failures or wiring failures. A software update for the power steering module was available and they did the software update. Loss of power steering w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The brake light warning light was illuminated. In addition, the brake overheating warning message was displayed. The contact stated that in order to turn the brake light off, he had to use his foot to lift the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised him that it c... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2019
Passenger side low-beam headlight is very dim. Replaced bulb and headlight is still very dim. Reflectivity seem to be almost nil inside the headlamp assembly.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
The power steering suddenly shut down while driving, making steering almost impossible. Luckly I was on a straight part of the road and close to my house. It would have been disastrous if it occurred at high speed. I understand there is a recall to replace software on some 2021 Cadillac vehicles but mine is not in the list. I think my vintage of vehicles needs to be added to the recall list
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
We have had an ongoing problem with our headlights dimming and getting worse and worse. The dealers tell us there's nothing they can do to test the headlight. They can sure tell if they drive it at night. It's so unsafe to drive at night that when we do we must use our high beams and in doing so, oncoming traffic flash their lights at us. It's so bad, I am afraid to drive and night and now won'... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that water leaks into the vehicle from the sunroof causing mold to develop inside the vehicle which caused a respiratory illness to the owner. Also while driving approximately 20 mph the front headlights suddenly shut off causing a visibility problem to the driver who lost control of the vehicle to crashed into a curb. During the crash the d... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that water leaks into the vehicle from the sunroof causing mold to develop inside the vehicle which caused a respiratory illness to the owner. Also while driving approximately 20 mph the front headlights suddenly shut off causing a visibility problem to the driver who lost control of the vehicle to crashed into a curb. During the crash the d... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 17, 2022
I noticed this car has several recalls that were never corrected on my vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the hood inadvertently flew open while driving. The contact drove safely off the highway and securely latched the hood. The contact stated while driving the vehicle to the residence, the hood flew open again. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2019) - ENGINE
Mar 15, 2022
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
Vehicle caught on fire while owner was driving. Owner reported small puff of black smoke prior to fire.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The CUE screen doesn’t work, has spider web on each corner, can’t use hands free phone or navigation, the screen won’t change from the taking your eyes off message while driving.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
-Driver seat would not heat or cool. -When troubleshooting, discovered a melted wire and burnt plug. Could have caused fire. Various others online had the exact issue. There should be a recall. -Not reproduced or confirmed by dealer. The damage is visible, not necessary to take in. -Not inspected, see photos. -No warning lights.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE
(2009) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
Mar 14, 2022
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering with an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of an engine misfire due to a fa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
Vehicle was involved in a accident all front damage and airbags didn’t deploy
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 5, 2020
The contact owns 2007 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, she struck an elk head on. The contact was able to safely pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle suffered damage to the front end, the hood. Additionally the transmission pan was cracked. The contact stated the airbags did not deploy. The contact had the vehicle towed to a collision repair shop.... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal roaring sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact informed the dealer that the vehicle had experienced the fa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
On multiple occasions, when I have had to panic brake, either due to snowy weather conditions or when I had to brake hard while on the highway, the brake pedal loses pressure and I am barely able to stop for some time, thereafter. Later, the pressure returns to normal. I have taken the vehicle to the repair shop on multiple occasions, and the techs have been unable to reproduce the problem. This... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
On multiple occasions, when I have had to panic brake, either due to snowy weather conditions or when I had to brake hard while on the highway, the brake pedal loses pressure and I am barely able to stop for some time, thereafter. Later, the pressure returns to normal. I have taken the vehicle to the repair shop on multiple occasions, and the techs have been unable to reproduce the problem. This... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
2014 Cadillac CTS rear differential with 55,000 miles started to make a wobbling noise going past 10 mph. Went to third party mechanic and was shown metal shavings coming from rear end
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
2014 Cadillac CTS rear differential with 55,000 miles started to make a wobbling noise going past 10 mph. Went to third party mechanic and was shown metal shavings coming from rear end
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
Had the recall corrected at auto gallery Chevrolet in commerce Georgia in December they put new parts on and car wasn’t driving properly I returned it and they put the old parts on then it was driving better than before but It was eating the back tires off went through 2 sets of tires then took it back to dealership and they did alignment when returned it was roaring and still eating tires off t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
Had the recall corrected at auto gallery Chevrolet in commerce Georgia in December they put new parts on and car wasn’t driving properly I returned it and they put the old parts on then it was driving better than before but It was eating the back tires off went through 2 sets of tires then took it back to dealership and they did alignment when returned it was roaring and still eating tires off t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
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.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at night, the headlights were extremely dim, causing a visibility hazard. The contact stated that the illumination was inadequate for nighttime driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and she was informed that the repair would be an out of pocket expense. The contact stated that the manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Foggy headlights cannot see… reported by multiple srx owners.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Foggy headlights cannot see… reported by multiple srx owners.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Foggy headlights cannot see… reported by multiple srx owners.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2022
The contact owned a 2011 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45-50 MPH, another vehicle rear-ended his vehicle, causing his vehicle to crash into a concrete barrier. No air bags were deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a broken nose from hitting the steering wheel upon impact and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. A police report was filed. The v... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 31, 2021
I purchased a Cadillac CTS 3.6, Performance Model, in late 2015 with Pirelli 245/40 R18 Pzero Run Flats as OEM tires. I replaced those tires with the exact same Pzero tires in February, 2019, after 35,250 miles on the OEM tires. I never had a problem with the OEM tires, and expected a similar driving experience and performance from the replacement Pzeros. To my surprise, the experience from t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
Driving and heard loud pop and shudder. Heavy vibration at highway speeds making vehicle unsafe to drive and vehicle also shuddered and acted like it was going to die when turning. Took to dealer and dealer discovered broken engine mounts. This is a known issue from GM. TSB 17-NA-166. GM certified service refused once to look at the engine mounts while vehicle was under warranty and had me ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Mar 7, 2022
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V036000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Lane Departure warning and the Blind Spot warnings failed to engage. The contact stated that the Lane Departure seat vibration in the driver’s side seat failed to alert the driver. Additionally, the Blind Spot warning failed to illuminate in the side-view mirrors. The contact had not taken the vehicle t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the recall repair was completed. The contact stated the next day, the stability traction control warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The contact notified the local dealer of the failure. The contact associ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
Airbag module fail on passenger seat
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
The headlights are so dim I can't see at night without putting my bright lights on. The dealership is aware of the problem, they say there was a rebate given not a recall. I was told it would still cost me over $600 in addition to the $1600 the manufacturer was giving as a rebate. The problem with that was the letter I received stated the headlight would frost over due to moisture. Since my headli... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but was firm. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that she would be placed on a waiting list. The manufacturer was not contacted. The f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
When turning to the right the vehicle sometimes will completely shut off in the turn. This is an intermittent issue, but when it happens it shocks you. When the vehicle does this it drives you into on coming traffic. You have to stop the vehicle, put it in park to restart, once this is done you have to go through a reset mode shown on dash.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
When turning to the right the vehicle sometimes will completely shut off in the turn. This is an intermittent issue, but when it happens it shocks you. When the vehicle does this it drives you into on coming traffic. You have to stop the vehicle, put it in park to restart, once this is done you have to go through a reset mode shown on dash.
CADILLAC
SRX
(2014) - EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT
Feb 28, 2022
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated the center information screen was cracked. The contact was unable to see the system status. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had gotten worse. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The co... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
Headlights problems with this 2015 Cadillac SRX that only has 56k miles. I had just bought this car and on the way home from the dealership I had to use my high beams to see anything on my hour trip. The low beam lights are so low you can not even tell that they are on at all. How did this pass inspection? This could cause an accident. It is not safe driving at night. I was given no information ab... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
For approx. the past 6 months, the radio has been cutting out several times during my daily commute. On occasion, a message would appear saying Stabilitrack is off. Saturday, it cut out and stayed off for more than 30 minutes and did it several more times. Everytime the radio cuts out, the door locks started locking and unlocking on their own, the air conditioning, cooled front seats, and def... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
For approx. the past 6 months, the radio has been cutting out several times during my daily commute. On occasion, a message would appear saying Stabilitrack is off. Saturday, it cut out and stayed off for more than 30 minutes and did it several more times. Everytime the radio cuts out, the door locks started locking and unlocking on their own, the air conditioning, cooled front seats, and def... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
For approx. the past 6 months, the radio has been cutting out several times during my daily commute. On occasion, a message would appear saying Stabilitrack is off. Saturday, it cut out and stayed off for more than 30 minutes and did it several more times. Everytime the radio cuts out, the door locks started locking and unlocking on their own, the air conditioning, cooled front seats, and def... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
2012 CADILLAC SRX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SUSPENSION TOE LINK SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO REIMBURSE THE COST OF REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE COMPLETED REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
2013 CADILLAC ESCALADE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER HAVING THE AIRBAG RECALL COMPLETED, THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE AIRBAG FAILURE TIMING WAS A COINCIDENCE AND REQUESTED AN INSPECTION/REPAIR FEE.