Owners have filed 267 complaints on the Suzuki SX4, covering 2007–2013. The system named most often is Air Bags (144 reports). Worst years by volume: 2008, 2007, 2009; cleanest: 2011, 2013, 2010. 20 reports describe a crash, 7 a fire. On average the car was 4.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Suzuki SX4
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 267 SX4 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Air Bags 144 Read
The contact owns a 2013 suzuki sx4. While making a left turn at 15 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and was diagnosed as a write off. The manufacturer was not notified.…
Takata recall I was in an accident where I rear ended a car that was stopped at a light on a city street, speed limit 25-35, going uphill. Upon impact airbags did not deploy. The front of my car was severely crushed having gone under the SUV. Spare tire on SUV saved my life. I believe that the airbags shoud have…
The contact owns a 2011 suzuki sx4. While proceeding through traffic at approximately 15 mph, the contact had to make a sudden stop to avoid entering the intersection on the red light. A driver entering the intersection failed to stop and crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The passenger…
Steering 29 Read
The contact owns a 2009 suzuki sx4. While driving 20 mph the steering column locked. As a consequence she crashed into a ditch and was taken to the hospital due to her injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. A police report is available. The damage to the vehicle was over $17,000 and was in the process of being…
Ok where do I begin, I have had this car for 5 yrs., and it is a piece of crap. The air conditioner leaks water inside the car, I had it blown out and it didn't help, the power steering pump leaks, I don't have any power steering, the air bag light stays on. I paid 15,000 for this car, I feel its a lemon, but can't…
Power steering not functioning, no fluid leak. No "whining" noise
Electrical System 22 Read
2008 suzuki sx4. Consumer writes in regards to an electrical problem. *tgw the consumer stated he was pulled over by a police office, for inoperative taillights. After an inspection, the police officer discovered the brake lights were not working as well, the only light working was the turn signal lights and the…
I was on a main road going south a man run a stop sign hit me on drivers side door my neck was broken, and back permently messed up , my daughter on passenger side it jam her hip's, the side air bags did not come out only front ones did and the one on the steering wheel shattered as it came out and the switch uner the…
Dashboard airbag warning light comes on and stays on. Dealer reset it twice, still on, meaning airbag is not functional. Dealer wants to start repair by replacing wiring harness in seat, then the airbag module, if that doesn't work. Claims vehicle is out of warranty for this work. I believe it is a safety issue that…
Power Train 15 Read
Started to have a loud squeal come out of the right side of the car. Took it to dealership and they diagnosed as the axle. It has been almost two-months and they have yet to get in an axle since there are none available throughout the world. They said there must be an issue with the axles since there is none available…
Received a recall notice from suzuki. Took it to the dealer for repairs. They said they don't have the repair parts, never had the repair parts and don't know when they might get the repair parts. They said that there is no one to call at suzuki since they have exited the us market
The contact owns a 2013 suzuki sx4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V811000 (power train). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to be repaired for NHTSA campaign number: 14V811000 (power train). The contact stated that there was no failure to the vehicle prior to the recall…
Vehicle Speed Control 9 Read
The contact owns 2010 susuki sx4. While driving 20 mph, he attempted to engage the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated on its own crashing into a wall and a the vehicle in front of him. The vehicle was towed and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact and passanger suffered major injuries…
After coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, I slowly turned the corner to pull into a parking lot when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high speed on the city street. I was unable to stop the vehicle before hitting a parked car. The air bags deployed - minor injuries were sustained and the car was extensively…
While braking to stop at an intersection, the engine surged radically and could not stop vehicle. The car coasted through the intersection before violently jolting to a stop before hitting the curb. The brake pedal was solid as a rock while applying. This happened a second time two days later. Both incidences were…
Engine 6 Read
The contact owns a 2010 suzuki sx4. The contact stated the while driving 25 mph, the vehicle started to shake and smoke from the engine. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer stated that oil had leaked onto the engine. The failure mileage was 30,000
After taking my sx4 into kipo motors for inspection and check for rich fuel and ticking, it passed ny emissions but I was told I needed a $2000 catalytic converter and not to worry about the slight tick. With in 6 months my engine blew up well driving to dinner with my family in the car. Flames shot out of the hood…
The contact owns a 2013 suzuki sx4. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled and the steering wheel seized. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the air compressor needed to…
Engine And Engine Cooling 5 Read
I got an oil change at goss suzuki in madison, tennessee. Approximately 1.5 miles down the road from the dealership. My brakes went out and the car was engulfed in flames underneath. When I got the car stopped finally, the hood burst into flames
The contact owns a 2009 suzuki sx4/convenience (na). The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and a fire ignited under the hood; the entire car burst into flames. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact to call the insurance company. A police report was filed. The failure…
The contact owns a 2010 suzuki sx4. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle began losing power and suddenly stalled. The failure occurred four times. Sometimes the vehicle would restart within an hour or had to be towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact called the…
Structure 5 Read
- - - the problem with this car is a poor and dangerous design feature. There are two (2) roof frame supports on each side at the windshield. One is for the windshield the other is for the small side window and they both come together at the top, and when they do they take up so much space that they totally block the…
Front right passenger door will neither unlock nor open due to faulty "door latch", creating a safety hazard as vehicle egress is impossible under emergency conditions. Suzuki dealer or authorized service center states oem replacement part will take three months to replace once it is ordered, as it needs to be shipped…
Paint is bad clear coat is gone
SX4 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 | 1 | — | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 4 | 2 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 8 | 2 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 1 | 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 | 163 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.6 |
| Worst single series | 7 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.0 years |
A model average of 1.6 hides a worst series at 7. 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 SX4?
By complaint volume, 2008, 2007, 2009 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 SX4 years are the cleanest?
2011, 2013, 2010 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Suzuki SX4 have?
267 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2007–2013. Of those, 20 describe a crash and 7 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.