2000 Suzuki Vitara Recalls & Complaints

Incident: July 8, 2010 · Filed: August 10, 2010

MY SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER FAIL WHILE HITTING THE BRAKES ON AN OFFRAMP ON MY 2000 SUZUKI VITARA. MY WHOLE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING VERY BADLY. THE PASSENGER NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SHAKING OUT OF CONTROL AND AFTER I INSPECTED IT, I FOUND THAT WHERE THE CONTROL ARM IS MOUNTED TO THE CROSSMEMBER, IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PART FOR THE 2000 CHEVY TRACKER WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME VEHICLE. COULD NOT FIND A RECALL ON THIS PART FOR THE VITARA HOWEVER. I THINK THIS SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED. THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL THIS COMPONENT IS REPLACED AND SOMEONE COULD HAVE ALSO GOTTEN HURT. *TR

Incident: March 17, 2008 · Filed: March 20, 2008

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 3/18/08 AND AS I LEFT THE GAS STATION I HEARD THIS POP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR CUT OFF. LATER AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BELT POPPED. I WAS ALSO NOTIFIED THAT THIS WAS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE WITH THE VEHICLE AND SUZUKI KNEW OF THIS, BUT HAD NO RECALL TO FIX OR CHANGE IT. I HAD NO IDEA OF THIS AND WAS TOLD WHEN BUYING THAT HAVING A CHAIN RATHER THAN A BELT WAS MUCH BETTER FOR YOUR CAR. NOT UNLESS IT POPS AND REPAIRS OF $2000 ARE NEEDED. I AM APPALLED THAT SUZUKI WOULD KNOW OF SUCH A PROBLEM AND IN NO WAY OF FIXING IT. I AM HOPING THAT SUZUKI COVERS THE COST OF THIS REPAIR AND REALIZES THAT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MOST OF THE CHARGE IS LABOR, BECAUSE IT WILL BE 11-13 HOURS TO GET TO THE CHAIN. I AM HOPING TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE LOOK AT THIS AND REALIZES THAT IF SOMEONE INVEST IN YOUR PRODUCT THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T EXPECT IT TO NEVER BREAKDOWN, BUT IF IT DOES AND IT SOMETHING YOU KNEW WAS DEFECTIVE THEN YOU SHOULD HELP TO REPAIR IT. THANK YOU. *TR

Incident: March 28, 2007 · Filed: December 3, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI VITARA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND LOSE STEERING ABILITY. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME ROTTED AT THE POINT WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHED. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT CONTROL ARM DETACHED FROM THE CROSS MEMBER. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CROSS MEMBER AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,300.

Incident: March 4, 2007 · Filed: March 6, 2007

AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DESPITE FRONTAL IMPACT AT ROUGHLY 550 MPH. *JB

Incident: June 6, 2006 · Filed: July 19, 2006

SUZUKI IS AWARE OF LATENT DEFECTS CONCERNING TIMING CHAIN COVER SEALS THAT LEAK OIL AND WILL WORSEN OVER TIME. IT IS DOCUMENTED THAT THE LEAKS OCCUR WITH SUZUKI GRAND VITARAS FROM 1999-2001. MY GRAND VITARA IS ONE OF THOSE CARS WITH THE LATENT DEFECT. I TOOK IT TO A AUTHORIZED SUZUKI MECHANIC AS REQUIRED, BUT THEY NEVER INFORMED ME THAT SUZUKI WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH ON MY PART DID SUZUKI CORPORATION ACKNOWLEDGE THEY KNEW OF THE LATENT DEFECT. I AM ASKING SUZUKI IN ALL FAIRNESS TO COVER THE COST OF THIS REPAIR BASED ON THIS DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE. *NM

Incident: December 30, 2005 · Filed: March 18, 2006

MOTOR BLEW AT 94000 MILES RINGS WORE OUT AND POURED OIL. *JB

Incident: August 1, 2005 · Filed: August 2, 2005

1. VEHICLE TRANSMISSION PUT INTO PARK POSITION. KEY WITHDRAWN. KEY TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK FAULTY 2. PARK POSITION DID NOT HOLD AND VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN HILL CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND PROPERTY. 3. AUTOMOBILE BEING REPAIRED, TRANSMISSION IGNITION KEY INTERFACE BEING INVESTIGATED. *NM

Incident: May 15, 2001 · Filed: April 19, 2005

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY WIFE BROUGHT IT IN TO ROYAL SUZUKI TUCSON,, ARIZONA REPEATEDLY WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER KEPT TELLING HER IT WAS HER FAULT FOR NOT CLOSING GAS CAP TIGHTLY ENOUGH. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AT A CHARGE OF $50 , EXTENDED WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE, EACH TIME. I EVEN BOUGHT A NEW GAS CAP, NO CHANGE. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, THEY TELL US IT THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE TANK NEEDS REPLACING. THERE ARE NO AFTER MARKET PARTS FOR THIS, AND I REFUSE TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PART THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THEREFORE, MY WIFE , LISA SCHRANT, IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THIS MAY HIDE ANY NEW PROBLEMS WHICH MAY OCCUR.*AK

Incident: September 1, 2003 · Filed: January 24, 2005

AFTER PURCHASE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR, IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP AND MOTOR WENT OUT ON THE POWER WINDOWS. NEXT PROBLEM WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK. SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THEN THAT I WOULD HAVE MORE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD. REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIP AT APPROXIMATELY 67,000 MILES. WAS TOLD THAT FRONT AND REAR OIL SEALS WERE REPLACED. NOW AT 77,000 MILES AM BEING TOLD THAT MOTOR NEEDS REPLACEMENT. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. OIL CHANGES WERE MAINTAINED REGULARLY. TIMING CHAINS IN MOTOR HAVE BROKE. STILL OWE ON VEHICLE AND WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AT 72,000 MILES. HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH THE PURCHASE OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I ASKED DEALERSHIP WHY THE OIL SEALS WOULD GO OUT, THEY COULD NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION. HAVE HAD OTHER VEHICLES WITH WAY OVER 100,000 MILES AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE OIL SEALS. *NM

Incident: September 26, 2004 · Filed: October 11, 2004

OWNER OF A 2000 SUZUKI VITARA 2.0L AND CAR IS NOT EVER 4 YEARS OLD YET BUT HAS 74,000 MILES AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER ALREADY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED! NOW THE CAR IS NOT GOING TO PASS SMOG THE FIRST YEAR IT IS REQUIRED TO PASS SMOG FOR REGISTRATION PURPOSES! WHAT KIND OF BULL IS THAT! JUST A WAY FOR CA. EMISSIONS TO GET MORE MONEY! *NM