Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Faulty 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX Headlights
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A class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors in Detroit by three 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 lawsuit 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.
Bloomberg’s report also alleges that some SRX owners are “afraid to drive their cars at night” due to this issue.
The filing indicates GM issued a service bulletin for the 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX headlights, but because the vehicle was never officially recalled for the issue, it did not notify owners or lessees of the problem. It says the automaker didn’t upgrade to better production components once discovering the problem, either, and instead choose to replace the components with new versions of the same ones when they broke.
The issue is believed to affect more than 300,000 examples of the Cadillac SRX. If the suit moves forward, the plaintiffs will be able to pursue GM on behalf of anyone who bought or leased an SRX in the 2010 to 2015 model years.
GM has yet to release an official statement on the class action lawsuit. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked by Bloomberg.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac SRX news and Cadillac news as this story develops in the coming weeks and months.
Source: Bloomberg
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I’m surprised there aren’t class actions for the millions of headlights that get frosty in 5 years. I cannot figure out why manufacturers cannot find a plastic that doesn’t turn totally opaque in 5 to 10 years. I’ve seen cars with near perfect exteriors, but have headlights that barely are able to put light on the road. I know it is possible because there are plenty of turn indicators and fog lights that appear factory clear.
I’ve put clear protection on mine and it helps a lot. But a lot of the problem with these clear lenses is people use harsh chemicals on them while they are exposed to the sun. it ruins the plastic. You really only need a simple cleaner or polish to clean them. No wax or window cleaner is needed.
I’ve installed films like Xpel to cover the surface on my newest cars. Time will tell if this is effective.
In the past I’ve sanded, polished, polished more and used a clear coat. Works for a few years if you do a good job. The regular polishing kits are good for about 6 months max.
I have used Xpel on my last 4 vehicles with great results. No blast issues, no UV issue and no chip issues.
They have a sealant you use and it keeps them clean and protected.
The UV protection on many vehicles kill the lens. GM has mostly been seal issues that the others have also had issues with. It is not just a GM things and most do nothing about them.
I purchased the 2014 model at Dimmit Cadillac in Clearwater, Florida. I never received the letter GM said they sent so I missed the deadline. I took my car for regular maintenance within the window allotted, but the dealership failed to informed me of the problem, even though they knew about it. I am very disappointed with GM and the dealerships who don’t care for the customers. I ended up spending $2,000 to change both headlights. The dealership said they were using a new part, only to find out they put the same part, which is going to cause the same problem. I am disgusted. It is my understanding the lawsuit reached a settlement to send these letters out and the customers would have to fix on their own and submit for reimbursement.. It is also my understanding there were over 60,000 vehicles involved, but very few received the letter. We need to get proactive to force GM to issue a formal recall. This vehicle is useless and the dealerships continue to have these defective vehicles in their used car inventories.
This seems like a cash grab for lawyers. This does affect driver safety, but it is in no way imminent threat — Pain in the ass – Yes, but to me this is similar to having a light bulb burn out, It’s maintenance. If you have a headlight assembly that is retaining moisture – get it fixed or replaced! Its obvious to see the moisture inside a headlamp – Its your car, you are responsible for its maintenance. If it happened before 4 years or 48,000 miles Cadillac would have replaced it for free. This isn’t an issue that just shows up overnight, or over a week, it takes months and years, and I think the owner should have some responsibility of making sure their car is roadworthy. The best situation would be GM offering the part at cost or even free to the customer for a said period of time, and I hope that is how this lawsuit turns out, I don’t believe anyone should be awarded money.
And Yes, the cloudy headlamp lenses are an epidemic as well, especially on Chrysler vehicles, or if someone installs an aftermarket replacement with lower quality plastic that pits easily. I cringe when I see a nice car with cataracts for headlamps. But then there is a whole new industry that popped up to “clean or Restore” foggy headlamps. They might get upset if the lenses never dulled!
I went with a relative who purchased a new GM vehicle recently and it had moisture inside the headlight assembly right from the start–before it had 20 miles on it. The dealership replaced it the next day. I agree with your statement about GM replacing them though. Sadly, the ones that win in a lawsuit are generally the lawyers. Maybe after enough lawsuits GM will behave (ha!).
This may be your experience – but that is not everyone’s experience. Mine began failing about 4 months ago – out of warranty. When I looked online for resolution – I found this is not an uncommon problem for these cars and for many who had the problem repaired – the problem returned. The entire headlamp assembly must be replaced at a costs into the $1000s. As a SRX owner that is having this problem, I can very much assure you it is most definitely a safety problem in that anything outside of a clear night – I could not see to drive. I even put in fog lights (at a cost of over a thousand) to attempt to make my driving safer. I did not see any sense in replacing the headlamp assemblys only to have them fail again. I’d be happy to have GM fix this. Let me know when they begin to acknowledge the problem. I just got off the phone with my local dealership, who claims to have no knowledge of any such issue.
My Issues is not foggy or frosty light covers. It is the light assembly that is faulty. I have replace with new bulbs, but does not fix the problem. The brights are fine but dims are so low you can’t see. And it did happen IN ONE DAY. One night I could see just fine and the next night they were totally too dim to see if the lights were even on at all. An yes this happened when the car was almost 5 years old and no warranty, but still should not have happened. GM knew about this problem in 2011 and continued to use the same faulty light.
Your comments are idiotic I own a 2014 Cadillac SRX I’ve driven over two and a half million miles in my lifetime professionally and recreationally this is the worst headlight system for illumination I’ve ever seen in my life I have to constantly drive my high beams on AT NIGHT ALL OF THE TIME. The low beams don’t Luminate enough to see the road in front of you. I’ve changed over an LED bulb and that does nothing it’s a flaw in the design of the headlight assembly with the little lens cover that has a design flaw and allows moisture into the lens area and like a cataract in your eye you can’t see nothing it’s completely cloudy & blurry . GM refuses to recall this I don’t understand why the NTSB has not recalled this GM product. This is o e of the most unsafe cars that I have ever driven in my life.
Well you like to chime in with your opinion BUT clearly NOT FROM EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM! “It’s maintenance”….REALLY???
However, I DO have experience with this ongoing defect that GM Cadillac continually tries to ovoid responsibility for. I’m sure, if you had to pay out the hundreds of dollars that I have, from continually taking my Cadillac SRX back to the dealership for water and moisture in the covers!! (a top of the line vehicle I spent thousands for!) YOU WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A MUCH DIFFERENT OPINION!
How many times should I have to take my Cadillac into the dealership for this same issue, before you would consider this IS NOT REGULAR MAINTENANCE??
You can actually see the condensation and water pooled at the bottoms!!
Since when is it considered “regular maintenance” to have to bring your car in every 6 months to have the front end taken apart, headlights dried out, sealant, bulb changes, etc. knowing I’ll have to do it again next season!!
Also, for you to suggest “It is in no way an imminent threat”????
I suggest you try driving your vehicle at night, with ONLY USING THE FLASHLIGHT ON YOUR KEYCHAIN!!
THEN you can chime in with your EXPERIENCED OPINION!
***Your thumbs down rating clearly agrees with me***
Maybe Barra can properly fix all these SRX headlights with all the profits being generated from the grossly over priced pickup trucks and CUV’s like the new Blazer. Or she can you know take a Million less of salary and use it to try and give customers a better experience that paid a lot of money for their vehicles.
I just bought a 2011 srx with 95,ooo miles when my wife drives to work in the morning she can’t see unless she turns on the hi beams, I was wondering if other people had the same issue.
Yes, I have the same issue in the 2014 I recently purchased. Cadillac refuses to do anything about it. Searching for a class action against them right now. It is a HUGE safety concern and should be a recall.
This is ridiculous, this should not be a lawsuit period!!! If they crack and its after the warranty then put on your big boy pants and have them replaced!
Why are people these days so dam cheap? They think a manufacturer is supposed to build something and warranty it for decades. If it breaks under warranty then make GM fix it but once warranty is over GM should not have to deal with this anymore.
Maybe its because we live in a complain about anything and everything society nowdays!!! I dont know but it needs to stop, take some responsibility for your purchases.
These lawyers should be ashamed of themselves! And it’s a waste of the courts time!!!
Well’ well, well. It appears Brian can’t see the forest for the trees. I work in the automotive repair field and this is very definetly a safety issue. If you want to shell out $1600 for a fix on a car with barely over 100K on it, go ahead. Cadillac went cheap and now are actually trying to run from the issue. I got a letter but it had no start or end dates for the repair and it also said my vehicle MAY be affected. Let us know which dealership you work in and we’ll have the work done elsewhere.
Did the letter have a explanation of what a extended warranty is and why people like yourself should have one?
All of these problems go away with a extended warranty. Bumper to bumper.
Cheap people dont want or feel that they should have to buy one. They just complain until GM caves in.
Brian,
Not all issues go away with an extended warranty. This one doesn’t. I have a Cadillac extended warranty on my 2011 SRX, which just developed this light issue, as someone said, literally overnight. And the extended warranty doesn’t cover it.
As for why people are upset about this issue?
We’re used to replacing certain things that fall under “usual” wear and tear. Headlamp assemblies aren’t one of those things. How many people do you know who have had to have their headlamp assemblies replaced… ever? This isn’t “usual.”
AND, since Cadillac has known about this issue for years and refused to fix it, or even fix it on any of the newer SRX’s (until 2016) once they knew about it, it feels like an even bigger issue and reason for upset.
To my knowledge, they’ve now settled two class-action suits about this issue. You think they would have done a recall to prevent more, if not just to do the right thing (ha!).
Not sure what warranty you have but I have a bumper to bumper warranty that covers all repairs. Next time try getting a better warranty.
I have a 2012 SRX and have replaced the bulbs due to being very dim. It did not help one bit. The power supply for the light is the problem. And yes one light has moisture but only one, and yet both headlights are very dim. After researching the issue i found its the power supply.
This actually is a major safety issue as the projector lights themselves are being “burned out” due to the moisture leak. Replacing a bulb doesn’t fix the issue, and neither does reconditioning the casings. I know because I have tried both. I ended up replacing the entire light casings on both sides. Shortly thereafter I got a letter in the mail from Cadillac, not issuing a recall, but rather asking me to sign a paper releasing them from any liability and offering to replace any replacement costs I had incurred. The letter also offered replacement on lights if I hadn’t done it yet (full reimbursement). I was actually impressed Cadillac reached out. I was already familiar with a lawsuit in California but when I asked my local cadillac dealership about it they didn’t know anything. I figured the lawsuit is what prompted them to send the letter of reimbursement.
You wouldn’t understand unless you experienced it. The high beam bulbs aren’t affected by the leak, just the projector lights, which are your main lights (low beams)… but they literally go “blind”. They turn a milky blue color and won’t project the lights no matter if you have HIDs or LEDs.
Jina, can you provide me with the copy of your letter. GM alleges they sent a letter to me, but I never received it. I have the same problem, yet they said I missed the deadline of June 2, 2019 and are not covering the repair.
It amazes me that you cant comprehend the concept of a manufacturers warranty.
they never sent me a letter either did you get it resolved because I currently have ZERO visibility at night and they dont want to change it for me
Same. I have a 2015 SRX, and this just happened overnight. I replaced the bulbs as well (extremely poor design for bulb replacement). This did not fix the issue.
I currently own a Cadillac srx and I’m experiencing the same issue with the water damage to the head light I replaced it the first time but the same issue has happened again I would like to know what can be done with this issue that I keep experiencing with the truck
GM must be using the same supplier that Honda uses. Their headlights lately are terrible. $1500 LED headlights that fail every other year.
I have a 2010 Cadillac SRX and i have the same problem . The driver headlight is so dim and i avoid driving at nite unless i use my high beams. The cover is always moist looking from the condensation. I’ve searched to figure out how to change the headlight and you either havr to take the bumper off or remove parts from under the hood. Im looking into trading in my vehicle.
I own a 2010 Cadillac SRX and have had lights replaced and they are still dim. I can’t see at night . So for all the negative comments unless you own one you wouldn’t understand. That’s a GM problem not the consumers they should have never used those lenses .
About time I own a 2011 SRX and I already bought over 500$ in bulbs and probably the same for the install since gm made it to where u have to remove bumper to do so, will definitely keep up with story for any recalls
2010 Cadillac SRX owner, the base model low beams are dangerously dim! Drive one then have your say
I have a 2011 Cadillac SRX. I experienced moisture in the headlight casing on the Passengers side headlight at 50,000 miles and had that replaced at the dealership. The Drivers side was checked and i was told it was good. Not being aware of problems experienced by other owners i went on their word and opted to not have it replaced. The problem i am presently having is the Drivers side headlight casing retains moisture, and the low beam bulb is dim and has a cloudy appearance compared to the same bulb on the passengers side of the car. From inside the car looking out at night you see the light beam pattern from the Passengers side but very little from the Drivers side. I have to use the High Beams to provide enough light to see properly, but that causes problems with oncoming traffic it blinds them until they pass and that is not safe for me or my family.
I have a 2011 Cadillac SRX that I purchased used from CarMax in 2014. I’m a night worker so not having Headlights at night was a serious issue for me . I couldn’t go anywhere in my SRX at night and had to drive my husband’s vehicle to get to work. I recently had to pay $3,000.00 to replace both headlights. After saving for quite some time. I want my money back from Cadillac.
You dont deserve your money back!!! Where do these people come from!!! You purchased a vehicle that was almost 10 years old, clearly out of the warranty period.
(And I am assuming you didnt buy a extended bumper to bumper warranty)
How in the hell do you think you deserve your money back? This part failed after the warranty expired!!! Do you not understand this? Or are you like many others to cheap to understand that this cost is the responsibility of the buyer not the manufacturer.
At what point is a buyer supposed to be responsible for the repairs of a car? 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years.
Nobody complains about this when they buy a TV, washer, Dryer, dishwasher, stove, if the unit stops working after the warranty expires it’s the buyers responsibility to fix it or replace it. So why are cars any different?
And people wonder why cars and trucks cost so much now days, its lawsuits like this that force manufacturers to charge more to pay for these unnecessary repairs on cars they have no business repairing.
You’re wrong. No other vehicle I am aware of has this problem. I have had vehicles 15 years old that didn’t have this kind of problem. It’s a literally defective light and cadillac is recognizing it which is why they have sent out a letter offering to replace headlights for the SRX. It’s actually a problem with the supplier of that specific headlight. They are faulty. Cadillac has stepped up to make it right and whether prompted by a lawsuit or not, they should.
My above comment explains it better. ?
We have a 2010 Cadillac SRX SUV, the same thing happened to our car, it was very expensive to repair. We’re very unhappy with this problem. I was told Cadillac wouldn’t do a recall because it was too expensive for GM to fix them all. I want to be a part of this class action lawsuit.
I have a 2014 srx Cadillac with the same issue! I cant see at night with the headlights if it’s dark and totally forget driving at night in the rain! Please Cadillac fix this issue so we can drive at night again..Thanks!
Please let me kno how to be part of that lawsuit. They should have fixed every SRX! Shame on you GM
[email protected] Ty
No GM should not have to the buyer should have to be responsible for the repairs
I have the same issue with my 2012 Cadillac SRX can’t see at night. Very expensive to fix , I want to be part of class action lawsuit.
Yes, I have the same issue in the 2014 I recently purchased. Cadillac refuses to do anything about it. Searching for a class action against them right now. It is a HUGE safety concern and should be a recall.
I own a 2011 Cadillac SRX, There is moisture in both headlights, and one of them is burned out. I spoke with someone at GM and was told that there was no recall and that there was nothing they could do. I also was told that there was no factory defect. Please let me know how to get in on that class action suit. Thank you.