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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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.
I had the same situation as you did Judith. It all happened at once. No help at all from the dealer. Their suggestion was for me to have my eyes checked. I traded the 2011 for a 2016 with the HID headlights. I was flabbergasted when they put my 2011 up for sale and did nothing to correct the problem.
I would totally agree with that. If it can be proven that GM acknowledged the headlamps are prematurely failing (say 5 years or less) then yes, they should absolutely be held liable for replacing the headlamp assembly or faulty part wherein from the point forward they were aware it was a problem affecting all SRX’s. I’m guessing the Cadillac’s had HID lights since the complaints seem to be lights quitting on low beam, and it not being so much a “cloudy or foggy” lens. If the low beams are barely coming on it’s likely the high voltage ballast that is failing. Especially if the bulb is replaced and the light does not get brighter. Best scenario is payout from GM if it can be proven they willingly kept procuring and installing parts known to fail.
My entire basis of argument prior to this was from complaints I read about cloudy lenses -which would mean moisture intrusion (which is very common, depending on drain hole location, how often the lights are on to heat up the housings and dry them out, and high pressure car washes). Since this seems to be a Cadillac problem only, not Acadia or Traverse, that leads me to think Cadillac started using HID Zenon Gas lamps in their low beams. Other GM brands don’t get this tech for another 4-5 years. HID lights need tens of thousands of volts to create the white hot arc of light in the bulb. So all HID lights need a ballast, just like fluorescent bulbs. Since the entire lamp housing needs to be replaced at such a high cost, the ballast must be internal to the headlight housing. This probably made the ballasts overheat, and deteriorate faster than normal.
If it hasn’t been suggested already, I would install an aftermarket LED or HID light into the factory light housing. Even aftermarket HID lights can be purchased as cheap as $50 per bulb (that includes the ballast). Any reputable mechanic can make this modification. I’ve added “EBay or Amazon” HID lights in my last three vehicles that didn’t come with them from the factory, and I’ve yet to even have a bulb burn out (7 years in the oldest vehicle, 2015 Silverado). My guess is GM will drag this out to a point it hopes most lose interest, with the argument that headlights are consumables and if they last beyond 4 years of warranty they should not be solely responsible.
I’ve got no skin in this game so it doesn’t matter to me. I just get disappointed by most class action suits that make a fat paycheck for law firms and little to no actual resolution for the consumer in the end.
Cars are engineered so well, and prices gotten so high that people are keeping vehicles for more than twice as long as factory warranties cover -and that’s mostly because they are almost virtually trouble free with fair maintenance. It sucks that ALL auto manufacturers, especially domestic, are nothing more than corporations looking for steady and improving returns. They are slowly and steadily removing options of what we want to buy and replacing them with vehicles that are cheaper to build and cost less to produce. So essentially they are telling us what they are going to build instead of us telling them what we want to buy and own. Soon most daily commute and errand driving will be a subscription model, basically a never ending lease. Great for GM, Ford, Et al., but consumers lose… but I guess culture is changing, and there is significantly less excitement around the auto industry as there was 20 years ago. I blame part of it on the fact that 90% of CUV’s look identical (how does that excite anyone?) and part on the fact that unique cars that are exciting to drive and people “want” to own are now >$75,000.
Really went on a rant there, thanks for hanging on. Best luck to you caddy owners, and keep it in mind if anyone is shopping exclusively for used cars, that luxury brands test out tech first, before it trickles down to volume brands like Chevy. There is always inherent risk in a small failure costing a huge repair bill on a vehicle that may only be 5-6 years old. That’s why the Euro , UK, domestic and most Asian luxury market prices depreciate so fast. It seems like a deal paying $30k for a car that sold for $100k 5 years ago, but you should have knowledge to do your own repairs or be prepared for expensive maintenance.
Cadillac did reimburse many people who paid for this repair (the issue being the dim headlights, but the brights working fine)—myself included. But there was a deadline for applying to get the reimbursement.
There have been a couple class actions about this, which is how, I believe, the reimbursement happened at all.
If anyone has bought a used SRX with this issue from a dealership—especially a Cadillac or GM brand dealership, I’d go back at them about it. There’s no way they didn’t know the issue when they sold you the car, and it feels more than a bit messed up to me that they sold it to you without making the disclosure.
Might even be worth suing them in small claims court, if you’ve a mind to.
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 I can assure you I’ve not driven over two and a half million in miles ,but I have a 2015 Cadillac SRX and it’s the all-wheel drive Powertrain not the front wheel.I have had nothing but trouble and the last and the only thing I haven’t done is change the ECM and the PCM but the ECM is just a little golden connector pieces and getting moisture and sending the electrical system to go home Wild the PCM they’re on backorder with no estimated time of arrival that is not available back order with o eta .it’s relaying wrongly , always has things pop up and when I check the computer but it’s never the same thing that’s the problem .too other than that on the ECM it says that if moisture gets in there it’ll send through to the electrical system go haywire.Hell,since about September of 2020 its had to many parts to mention ATM . how could I get jistice. This is just the beg and I currently owe 26,000.
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.
I have purchased a caddy (used) in 2017, it is a 2012 SRX Suv. I saw the letter stating to bring the vehicle in because of moisture issue. My lens are so full I Drive with hi beams after dusk. The dealer said moisture was not the issue. If I want to replace the lens I have to purchase the entire head lamp which is about $1,600! Are you kidding me? Why can’t we just purchased
The housing!!!! I believe the only way to get people to do the right thing is to bring legal action. They knew these plastics lens are a problem! They should have at least created a two part replacement sold separately. SHAMEFUL.
I brought a 2012srx couple of years ago with 100k on it and last night coming back from an xmas party with it lightly raining I could barely see the road. I get on the Internet and find this is a common problem with 2010 to 2015 srxs.
i have this problem. I dont even want to drive the car. Never buying a cadilac again. I drive my older Lincoln MKS rather than this car. Its not even that great.
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.
Not so every time. We bought our SRX used and the F&I manager wouldn’t even quote me a price on an extended warranty. Be careful when you paint with your “magic, I know all” brush!
Bill
Sounds like you might have purchased the SRX I traded in. I was surprised when the dealer put it on the used lot to resell it. Of course this was the dealer that suggested that I should get my eyes checked.
Peoria Il dealer?
No…..I live in GA…..
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. ?
Well I can assure you I’ve not driven over two and a half million in miles ,but I have a 2015 Cadillac SRX and it’s the all-wheel drive Powertrain not the front wheel.I have had nothing but trouble and the last and the only thing I haven’t done is change the ECM and the PCM but the ECM is just a little golden connector pieces and getting moisture and sending the electrical system to go home Wild the PCM they’re on backorder with no estimated time of arrival that is not available back order with o eta .it’s relaying wrongly , always has things pop up and when I check the computer but it’s never the same thing that’s the problem .too other than that on the ECM it says that if moisture gets in there it’ll send through to the electrical system go haywire.since about September of 2020 .its had to many parts to mention ATM. 72 diagnostic errors Within a year. how could I get on my behalf for pain and suffering and loss of work and for everyone else that is also had the same issues. is just the beginning and I currently owe 26,000.
Cadillac issued a reimbursement program for all 2010-2015 SRX’s with headlight condensation problems. Submit repair receipt by 6/30/2020.
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 the same car, and the same problems with headlights. Cadillac said will reimburse for repairs. Must submit repair invoice by 6/30/2020 . I submitted invoice dated 4/2015 on 3/2020. Got recent mail that I have “insufficient documentation”. This is a scam…they will not pay…th
ey are not selling cars due to Covid 19!
Hi, I received my reimbursement check in August 2020. I originally sent in my repair receipt in April 2020.
You are very lucky. My effort to get reimbursement for repairs are still on-going!
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’m having the same issue with faulty lights, they are so dim. I received a letter but I can’t seem to find it. Could someone please send me information on how I get receive another letter. thank you
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.
This issue has been known by many dealerships since 2010 . Some owners were replacing the bulbs w/ other higher output bulbs . What about the 2016 models ? Your article only mentions 10-15 . And do the B-Zenon headlights effected . Only SRX owners and their dealerships know more about this issue .