2008 Suzuki SX4: complaints, problems and recalls

MULTIPLE TIMES THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HARD TO START. IT CRANKS FOR A WHILE BUT DOES NOT START ON THE FIRST TRY. ON THE SECOND IT CRANKS FOR A WHILE AND JUST BARELY STARTS. ONE TIME IT STARTED ON THE THIRD TRY. IT SEEMS LIKE THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT PRIMING THE LINES IN TIME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 490 miles reported. Look up ODI 10224372 at NHTSA ↗

WE PURCHASED A 2008 SUZUKI SX 4 THIS PAST SUMMER, I LOVE MY CAR AND THIS IS MY FIRST NEW VEHICLE. HOWEVER, MY COMPLAINT IS: WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR, RAIN WATER HITS THE UPHOLSTERY AND IT LEAVES SPOTS, WHICH THIS IS VERY DISHEARTENING AND DISPLEASING TO THE EYES. I FEEL THAT WE HAVE GIVEN A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLE AND ALSO TRYING TO CONSERVE GASOLINE. THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF THE SPOTS IS TO SHAMPOO THE MATERIAL. WHICH I HAVE HAD TO PURCHASE A SHAMPOOER. AND THEN WHEN IT RAINS AGAIN YOU ARE IN THE SAME BOAT OF HAVING TO CLEAN IT ! THE DEA…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10255964 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR DOESN'T START WHEN I TURN THE KEY, IF ITS TOO HOT OUT OR COLD OUT. IT TAKES 30 MINUTES OF TURNING THE KEY OVER BEFORE THE CAR WILL START. I HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP 4 OR 5 TIMES NOW, AND THEY PUT A DOWNWARD TAIL PIPE ON IT, BUT STILL HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10265306 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SX4 CROSSOVER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR VIBRATE WHEN DRIVING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RESURFACED. ALSO THE FRONT TIRES AND THE DRIVER-SIDE BRAKES HAVE PREMATURELY FAILED . THE DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10290020 at NHTSA ↗

SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY CAR I TOLD THE DEALER THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WAS SAYING IT WAS OFF OCCASIONALLY, EVEN WHEN PEOPLE WERE SITTING IN IT. THEY TOLD ME THE PERSON MUST BE "SITTING IN THE SEAT WRONG." I ASKED THEM ABOUT IT AGAIN A WEEK AGO AND THEY SAID "THEY MUST BE SITTING IN THE SEAT WRONG." I SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW THE PERSON IS SITTING, IT STILL COMES ON. THEN THEY TOLD ME IT DEPENDS ON THE WEIGHT OF THE PERSON SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I SAID IT WAS HAPPENING WITH SOMEONE 150 POUNDS AND 250 POUNDS. …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10316125 at NHTSA ↗

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND 30-40 MILES PER HOUR IN WRECK, CAR WAS TOTALED BY INSURANCE COMPANY, 2008 SUZUKI SX-4, 28000 MILES ON CAR.

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10321850 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE STARTED TICKING WHILE DRIVING. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES, THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY AND NEVER RESTARTED. AFTER DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A FAILED ROD BEARING. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FAILURE WAS BASED ON A LACK OF LUBRICATION, AND THEREFORE THE WARRANTY CLAIM WAS DENIED. AFTER AN ARBITRATOR REVIEWED THE CASE, IT WAS FOUND TO BE COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, SITTING THAT THE ENGINE WAS USING AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL BETWEEN CHANGES, AND WAS THEREFORE STARVING THE BEARINGS OF OIL D…

Owner-reported narrative. 45,443 miles reported. Look up ODI 10329881 at NHTSA ↗

I HAD THE SUZUKI SX4 SEDAN FOR 5 MONTHS AND THE WINDSHIELD WASHER APPEARED TO QUIT WORKING - WOULD NOT SPRAY - HOWEVER AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A POOL OF WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID FLOWING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. I TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE IS A PLASTIC CONNECTOR THAT WAS BROKEN. THEY REPLACED IT WITH A BRASS FITTING AND ALL IS WELL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10330341 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2010-09-01 (September 1, 2010)

SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 SX4, 2010 GRAND VITARA, AND 2009 THROUGH 2010 EQUATOR VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750, 760, AND 765 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Consequence: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: SUZUKI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR SUZUKI AT 1-887-697-8985. OWNERS MAY ALSO VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.

Reported: 2010-10-19 (October 19, 2010)

SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 SX4 HATCHBACK AND MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 SX4 HATCHBACK AND SEDAN PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE THREE SCREWS THAT SECURE EACH OF THE OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS TO THE MIRROR BASE CAN COME LOOSE DUE TO VIBRATION.

Consequence: IF A REAR VIEW MIRROR FALLS OFF THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER WILL HAVE REDUCED VISIBILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BASE SCREWS ON BOTH OUTER REAR VIEW MIRRORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2010. 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.