2004 Suzuki GRAND VITARA: complaints, problems and recalls

WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE RESIDENCE. IN JANUARY 2004 VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL FOR THE THROTTLE CABLE. *AK *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064603 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE LOST POWER COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE WHILE DRIVING, FRONTAL COLLISION NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *BF THE VEHICLE HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH A TREE. THIS WAS A RECURRENT PROBLEM. *SC

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10109550 at NHTSA ↗

DT: CONSUMER NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AT ABOUT 6,000 MILES. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER WOULD NOT FIX THEM UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER SAID THAT BRAKES WENT FROM TEN MILLIMETERS TO FOUR MILLIMETERS. ACCUSED CONSUMER OF RIDING BRAKES. CONSUMER SAID SHE DIDN'T RIDE THE BRAKES. SHE GOT VEHICLE WITH 325 MILES ON IT, AND VEHICLE DID NOT SEEM TO ACCELERATE AT THE RATE IT SHOULD. CONSUMER BELIEVED BRAKES WERE SOMEHOW ENGAGED AND HOLD IT BACK. C VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON DEC. 6, 2004. THIS HURT THE WARRANTY. BROOME CADILA…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10125380 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR GETTING STUCK DOWN. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE THIS YEAR (07). I WAS LUCKY BOTH TIMES AS IT HAPPENED BEFORE I HAD GOTTEN ONTO THE HIGHWAY. AND NO ONE WAS HURT EITHER TIME.I LOOKED UP SUZUKI RECALLS ONLINE AND FOUND A RECALL FOR MY MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED SUZUKI AND A LOCAL SUZUKI DEALER, I WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LISTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIED SINCE 2004 FROM ACCIDE…

Owner-reported narrative. 48,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10187370 at NHTSA ↗

2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WITH REPLACEMENT OF MULTIPLE SAFETY CONCERNS. CONSUMER STATES THAT A SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, THE SHIFT CABLES AND NUMEROUS SEALS. SHE STATED THEY FINALLY HAD TO PUT IN A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. *KB AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BEGAN HEARING A ROAR FROM THE TRANSMISSION AFTER REACHING 50 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER SHIFT CABLE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED,THE AC COMPRESSOR WOULD COME ON EVERY FEW SECONDS AND THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED O…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10208365 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS MISSING A LUG NUT ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF BOLT AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST. ONE YEAR LATER THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT REAR TIRE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF THE TIRE; HOWEVER, A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LUG NUT HAD NOT SHEERED OFF OF THE BOLT AND BILLED THE CONTACT $60.00 TO REPAIR THE TIRE . THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYI…

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10283299 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY PERFORMING IN VERY ODD MANNERS SUCH AS STALLING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS (LIGHTS, STEREO, ETC) TURNING OFF AND ON RANDOMLY, REDUCING SPEED IGNORING ACCELERATOR POSITION AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS. SEVERAL VISITS TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT ONE POINT WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FLOOR WAS SOAKING WET AND WE HAD NOT HAD RAIN FOR MANY DAYS. AFTER DOING MY OWN INVESTIGATING I FOUND THAT THE DRAIN PAN FOR …

Owner-reported narrative. 170,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10809846 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT OF USPS READY TO LEAVE. I HAD GOTTEN THERE ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE. CAR GAVE ME NO INDICATION OF ANY MALFUNCTION ON WAY THERE. I TURNED CAR ON AND SHIFTED TO REVERSE;LET GO OF EMERGENCY BREAK WHEN CAR JOLTED IN REVERSE ACROSS TO OTHER SIDE OF PARKING . IT JUMPED THE CEMENT MOLDING ON FLOOR BANGED AGAINST IRON RAILING KNOCKING IT DOWN. AS SOON AS I FELT THE JOLT I PULLED BACK ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK AND NOTHING HAPPENED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE BUT I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWN…

Owner-reported narrative. 180,810 miles reported. Look up ODI 10957304 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2003-12-05 (December 5, 2003)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE CASING CAP THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE FIREWALL CAN CRACK DUE TO EXTENDED EXPOSURE TO FORCES FROM THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND INSUFFICIENT LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF THE PLASTIC CASING CAP. IF THE CASING CAP BECOMES CRACKED, MOVEMENT OF THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE THROUGH THE CAP CAN CAUSE THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE TO BECOME FRAYED.

Consequence: IF THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE BECOMES FRAYED, IT CAN STICK DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. IN THE CASE WHERE AN ACCELERATOR CABLE STICKS, THE DRIVER COULD HAVE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING VEHICLE SPEED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE, WHICH INCLUDES THE PLASTIC CASING CAP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JANUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-800-934-0934.

Reported: 2005-10-05 (October 5, 2005)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 16-INCH WHEELS, THE FRONT BRAKE DISCS MAY BREAK UNDER SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR IN CONDITIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS ON EXTREMELY STEEP PAVED DOWN-SLOPES WHILE CONTINUOUSLY APPLYING THE BRAKES.

Consequence: THE FRONT BRAKES MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE AND THE VEHICLE MAY PULL TO ONE SIDE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE DISCS ON THESE VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2005. THESE VEHICLES ARE LOCATED ON ST. THOMAS ISLAND (VIRGIN ISLANDS). OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUZUKI DEL CARIBE AT 787-622-0600.