2009 Suzuki GRAND VITARA: complaints, problems and recalls

WE OWN A 2009 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. WE HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERS 5 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS. WE ARE TOLD WE NEED TO WATCH HOW WE SIT IN THE SEAT, AND DO NOT RECLINE THE SEAT, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE NO CODES SHOW UP ON THE COMPUTER. THEY STATE THE AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK WITH THE LIGHT ON BUT CAN NOT FIX IT. IT IS INTERMITTENT SOMETIMES STAYS ON. HAS STAYED ON AT THE DEALERS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10294320 at NHTSA ↗

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WOULD NOT GO OFF TOOK CAR TO ELECTRICAL SHOP FOUND OUT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR UNDER FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE ORDERED NEW ONE FROM SUZUKI THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM VEHICLE 09 GRAND VITARA. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10382873 at NHTSA ↗

2009 GRAND VATARI SUZUKI DISCOVERED WHAT APPEARS TO BE DEFECT IN RIGHT REAR AXLE.THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WENT BALD AFTER 15K MILES COMPLAINED TO YOKOHAMA ABOUT TIRES. PURCHASED NEW SET OF DIFFERENT YOKOHAMA'S. WHEN VEHICLE REACHED 45K MILES SECOND SET WENT BALD. AT THAT POINT I NOTICED A ROAR AND VIBRATION COMING FROM RIGHT REAR PURCHASED A THIRD SET OF TIRES AND ROTATED EVERY 3K MILES. THE ROAR GOT WORSE. HAD CAR LIFTED BOTH WHEELS OFF GROUND PLACED CAR IN DRIVE PRESSED ACCELERATOR RAN ODOMETER UP TO 50 MILES PER HOUR WHILE LISTENING AND WATCHIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10403753 at NHTSA ↗

2009 SUZUKI VITARA AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR HAS FAILED UPON 2 YEAR OWNERSHIP. IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY PER SUZUKI DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED, A POPPING SOUND OCCURS AND THE AIR BEGINS TO BLOW HOT AIR. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS WAS THE HIGHBEAM/LOWBEAM LIGHTS BURN OUT WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THEN PULLEY SYSTEM FAILS. THEN THE COMPRESSOR. THIS ALL TAKES WITHIN 2 YEARS. TO REPAIR THE COMPRESSOR, THERE ARE NO "OLD" PARTS AND IT IS ONLY STOCKED WITH THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP. YOU ARE FORCED TO PAY THEIR PRI…

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10413583 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT AND THE ESP OFF WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND INSPECTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,900. UPDATED 8/24/12 *CN

Owner-reported narrative. 12,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10467212 at NHTSA ↗

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 44,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10706498 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY HEADLIGHT BULBS SO MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I HAVE LOST COUNT. NOW I AM BEING TOLD EVEN THOUGH MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE BULB AGAIN, THAT I SHOULD REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES AT A COST OF $240 EACH TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT HEADLIGHT BULBS FOR MANY MODEL YEAR GRAND VITARAS. I THINK SUZUKI SHOULD RECALL THE 2007-2011 GRAND VITARA HEADLIGHTS FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND OVERALL CUSTOMER GOODWILL.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10845720 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN CAR WAS INITIALLY STARTED, AFTER FEW MINUTES OF WARM UP TIME, HEAT WAS ACTIVATED AND NO HEAT WAS DISPERSED. BEGAN DRIVING, DESPITE NO HEAT. WITHIN 1 MILE TRAVELING LESS THAT 15 MPH, THE TEMPARATURE GAGE INCREASED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL, STILL WITHOUT HEAT IN CAR. (PICTURE 1) AS SPEED INCREASED, TEMPERATURE GAGE RAPIDLY FLUCTUATED AND ESP WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON DASH. (PICTURE 2) PULLED OFF HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WARNING LIGHTS, ENGINE FOUND TO BE SMOKING. DIAGNOSED WITH ENGINE CRACK., CRACK SEALED FOR TEMPORARY FUNCTION, …

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10950047 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2011-01-27 (January 27, 2011)

SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-CYLINDER ENGINES; MODEL YEAR 2011 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 17, 2010; MODEL YEAR 2010 SUZUKI SX4 PASSENGER VEHICLES; AND 2011 SUZUKI SX4 PASSENGER VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 14, 2010. THE TENSION ADJUSTER PULLEY FOR THE DRIVE BELT THAT OPERATES THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND POWER STEERING PUMP, HAS AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED INTERNAL SPRING THAT CAN BREAK DUE TO REPEATED STRESS. IF THE SPRING BREAKS, THE DRIVE BELT WILL NOT BE ADJUSTED PROPERLY AND CAN SLIP, CAUSING A SQUEAKING NOISE. OR THE DRIVE BELT COULD COME OFF CAUSING THE DRIVER TO INCREASE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THIS CAN ALSO CAUSE THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE INDICATION TO RISE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING, OR CAN CAUSE THE CHARGING LIGHT TO COME ON, WHICH CAN LEAD TO BATTERY DISCHARGE AND ENGINE STALL.

Consequence: IF THE DRIVE BELT COMES OFF, REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO USE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT, OR THE ENGINE STALLS, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TENSION ADJUSTER PULLEY WITH AN IMPROVED PART. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 16, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-887-697-8985 OR VISIT SUZUKI'S WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.SUZUKIAUTO.COM.

Reported: 2013-09-06 (September 6, 2013)

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Grand Vitara and 2007-2011 SX4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, over time, the OCS sensor mat installed in the front passenger seat may fail due to repeated flexing of the mat from use of the seat. As a result, during a crash necessitating deployment, the air bag will deploy regardless of whether the front seat occupant is an adult or a child.

Consequence: Air bag deployment with a child in the front passenger side seat increases the risk of injury to that child.

Remedy: Suzuki will notify owners and dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion assembly (which includes the OCS sensor mat) free of charge. Sufficient quantities of parts are not currently available to fix all of the affected vehicles. Owners will be notified of the recall in October 2013 and will receive a second notification when parts are available to have their vehicle repaired. The recall began on May 23, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's recall campaign number is VD.

Reported: 2017-02-09 (February 9, 2017)

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The gear shift rear shaft on these vehicles may break, preventing the gears from being able to be changed.

Consequence: If the transmission cannot be shifted, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the gear shift rear shaft, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is VZ.

Reported: 2019-03-07 (March 7, 2019)

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kizashi and 2006-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles. The front passenger leather seat may shrink due to high humidity and high temperature. As a result, the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor mat may not accurately detect if an adult or child is occupying the seat.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment, an incorrect classification may result in the passenger frontal air bag deploying even if there is a child in the front passenger seat, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat bottom cushion, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on May 3, 2019. All second letters notifying owners of the remedy were mailed by April 10, 2020. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's numbers for this recall are 4011 and 4012.