What Grand Vitara Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Grand Vitara Generations

The Grand Vitara has 2 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 3rd generation (2006–2013).

  1. 3rd Generation Grand Vitara

    Years
    2006–2013
    Reliability
    12th of 14
    PainRank
    2.47
    Complaints
    46
    Continue Front 3/4 view of a Grand Vitara
  2. 2nd Generation Grand Vitara

    Years
    1999–2005
    Reliability
    6th of 14
    PainRank
    0.55
    Complaints
    8
    Continue

Grand Vitara Key Numbers

  1. 54 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 50 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 16 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Recent Grand Vitara News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Suzuki’s leather seat upholstery is shrinking so badly that it’s putting the squeeze on a very important airbag sensor.

    The extra pressure is causing Occupant Classification System (OCS) failures in the 2010-2013 Kizashi and 2006-2013 Grand Vitara. When the OCS can’t properly detect passengers, airbags end up doing more harm than good. [The automaker blames the shrinkage problem on high heat and humidity.] Strange, I would have guessed it was the cold.(https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2019/suzuki-recalls-kizashi-grand-vitara-shrinking-leather.shtml).…

    keep reading
  2. The 2006 Grand Vitara is being recalled because it can lose power steering due to weakened plastic parts in the pump belt adjuster pulley.

    The tension adjuster pulley for the drive belt that operates the power steering pump and air conditioner compressor has an outer portion that is made of plastic. The automaker found repeated heat stress events can cause the plastic material to deteriorate and pieces of the pulley can break off.

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  3. Suzuki is recalling the 2009-2013 Grand Vitara because people keep breaking their gear shifters.

    The gear shift rear shaft, which connects the shift lever and the manual transmission, can break due repeated right-to-left and left-to-right movement of the shift lever.

    Wait, so the gear shifter is breaking because ... people are shifting gears? Yeah, I'm glad this is a free repair.…

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