Owners have filed 489 complaints on the Suzuki Grand Vitara, covering 1999–2013. The system named most often is Air Bags (87 reports). Worst years by volume: 2006, 1999, 2000; cleanest: 2013, 2004, 2011. 55 reports describe a crash, 9 a fire. On average the car was 4.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Suzuki Grand Vitara
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 489 Grand Vitara complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Air Bags 87 Read
On september 12 2016 aproximately at 2:00am my wife was impacted on the drivers side door waiting for the green light. The vehicle was at a stanstill when a jeep late 90s model hit her full force on the drivers side door, luckily the fortification of the bar inside the door that goes across took the blunt of the…
The contact owns a 2008 suzuki grand vitara. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph when he crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the contact sustained injuries to the back. A police report was filed. The vehicle sustained severe front end damage and was towed to a collision…
The contact owns a 2008 suzuki grand vitara. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, she crashed into the rear of another vehicle but the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and the contact sustained whiplash and minor bruising. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The manufacturer was not made…
Fuel System 49 Read
The contact owns a 2006 suzuki grand vitara. The contact was driving 15 mph when blue smoke emitted from the exhaust, along with the smell of fuel. The check engine and eg warning lights illumnated on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer stated that a failure in…
While driving fuel line broke causing vehicle to leak
Consumer received notification for recall 01V146000/ fuel pipe: fuel hose. However, dealership has informed consumer that component needed to correct defect was not available from manufacturer. Please provide any additional information / attachments
Electrical System 46 Read
- the contact stated that her 2006 suzuki grand vitara, has had several safety issues since she's purchased the vehicle last year. The first problem was her air bag sensor; she stated that when there is someone sitting on the passenger front side the air bag sensor constantly turns on and off. She has stated that…
8/14/03 - 2003 suzuki grand vitara, [xxx], purchased at suzuki of des moines, po box 13377, des moines ia 50310, 515-270-5800. 1/13/04 - received recall letter regarding accelerator cable casing cap. 1/17/04 - had car repaired. 9/9/04 - headlights on at end of day when leaving work and battery dead. Jump-started car…
The contact owns a 2013 suzuki grand vitara. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated approximately five months ago. The contact drove the vehicle to suzuki del caribe in carolina, puerto rico where it was diagnosed that the sensor on the passenger side seat was faulty and needed replacement.…
Exterior Lighting 45 Read
Since 2012 I have purchased this SUV its giving me trouble related to low beam light. I have replaced this light for at least 5 times. Many people on different website have registered the same problem and are having same kind of problem. Please help us to get a permanent solution to this issue
I was leaving to go to work at 9:45 pm and heading up my street when my lights quit working. I was not able to go to work due to no working lights and had to call out of work. This is not ok I have a little one and work responsibilities. Its a 2010 vehicle at 36941 mles there is absolutely no reason my lights should…
My driver side light keeps blowing thru low beam h7 headlamp bulbs. They seem to fry every 6 to 10 months
Vehicle Speed Control 40 Read
My wife had just filled the truck up at sheetz..I went to pull it up and as soon as I put it in gear it took off...went about 70 feet into a parked car and brick wall..brakes were either ineffective or not working..my wife had a similar event the day before but it was brief and we did not pay attention to it..…
My wife had just filled the truck up at sheetz..I went to pull it up and as soon as I put it in gear it took off...went about 70 feet into a parked car and brick wall..brakes were either ineffective or not working..my wife had a similar event the day before but it was brief and we did not pay attention to it..…
( corrected report ) my wife had just filled the truck up at sheetz..I went to pull it up and as soon as I put it in gear it took off...went about 70 feet into a parked car and brick wall..brakes were either ineffective or not working..my wife had a similar event the day before but it was brief and we did not pay…
Power Train 33 Read
2002 suzuki vitara with transmission failure. Consumer states that the vehicle will go into reverse with no help from the driver and other times it will lock up and not go into reverse. She also states that it has caused damage to personal property. *kb the consumer stated when the third incident occurred, the vehicle…
Got a letter about a recall on the trans. Shifter shaft. It said parts are now available so I called my local service provider at 828-485-0002 -this was 6 1/2 weeks ago and was told they didn't have the parts yet and would call me when they got them. They say they still don't have them? Are they stalling or just not…
I see there is a recall on the 2013 suzuki grand viatara for "power train recall". However, when I put my VIN in the system, it says it can't pull it up. I am entering the VIN correctly. What do I do next?
Engine And Engine Cooling 32 Read
Forty-nine days after purchasing the car it burst into flames from under the hood only moments after my wife had exited the car in her parking lot at a school. The car became a total loss as the fire reached the driver's compartment. Two nearby cars belonging to workmates were also damaged with melted tail lights and…
Nothing but problems and a nightmare to own.. Dealer not sypathetic. No safety defect mentioned
Vehicle caught fire 5 mintues after consumer parked it, vehicle burned to the ground, dealer stated it was not there problem and suzuki stated that the consumer needed to file this with his insurance, possible engine failure
Steering 32 Read
2006 suzuki grand vitara 6,500 miles steering column. Brought to dealer for steering column being loose. Told us they did not know why it got loose but they tightened up. Thought problem was fixed. About two months later while driving steering column collapsed onto lap causing driver to lose control of car
The contact owns a 2001 suzuki grand vitara. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and pulling out of the driveway, the steering wheel became very hard to turn and the vehicle almost turned over when the brake was applied. The contact also stated that the vehicle proceeded to accelerate while the…
While driving in bad weather, snow/rain at 20 mph the vehicle started to fishtail. Consumer lost control and vehicle turned on its side. After vehicle was upright again, consumer wanted to drive vehicle to dealer. Steering was pulling toleft/ steering came loose from wheels. Vehicle towed to dealer. *ak
Grand Vitara years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Air Bags,fuel/propulsion System | — | — | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 3 | — | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 15 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2002 | Air Bags,seat Belts | 5 | 2 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 7 | — | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | 5 | 2 | |
| 1999 | Air Bags | 14 | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 297 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.6 |
| Worst single series | 10 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.0 years |
A model average of 1.6 hides a worst series at 10. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Grand Vitara?
By complaint volume, 2006, 1999, 2000 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Grand Vitara years are the cleanest?
2013, 2004, 2011 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Suzuki Grand Vitara have?
489 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1999–2013. Of those, 55 describe a crash and 9 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.