2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 Problems

ONE DAY, I STARTED MY CAR, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE CLOCK/TEMP WAS FLASHING, IT HASN'T GONE AWAY. I AM UNABLE TO FIX THE CLOCK, AND WHEN I WENT TO THE MECHANIC TO FIX THE AIRBAG PROBLEM, HE CALLED OUR LOCAL SUZUKI DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS, AND WOULD COST ME OVER $3500 JUST FOR THE PARTS. I'VE SEEN OTHER SITES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ON ONE FORUM I SAW THAT SOME SUZUKI DEALERSHIPS WERE OFFERING TO RESET THE SENSOR MODULE FOR FREE, BUT I WASN'T OFFERED THAT HERE (HAWAII). I SPENT MOST OF MY DAY TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WERE RECALLS, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY. AT THIS POINT, BEING THAT THE CAR IS ALREADY 12 YEARS OLD, HAVING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WILL COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. I AM UNABLE TO GET A SAFETY CHECK, AND AM UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE NOW. I FEEL THAT SUZUKI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST SEEING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS.

THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES IN 2009 BUT DISAPPEARED THEN RETURNED IN 2013. THE CLOCK/TEMP WOULD FLASH AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON. AT TIMES WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, TURN IT OFF, THEN RESTART AND ATTACH THE PASSENGER SEATBELT ONLY AFTER THE INITIAL PASSENGER SEATBELT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FLASHING WOULD STOP. HOWEVER THE INCIDENTS HAVE BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND NOW THE CLOCK/TEMP CONTINUES TO FLASH, THE PASSENGER SEATBELT LIGHT STAYS ON AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO TURN IT OFF. CALLED THE DEALER WHO SAYS THE FRONT SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO CODES WHEN CONNECTED TO THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER SUZUKI OWNERS WE FOUND THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM AND APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURE YET THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS. *TR

"AIRBAG" LIGHT ON AND CLOCK/TEMP DISPLAY FLASHES. THIS SYMPTOM WAS REPORTED TO SUZUKI MOTORS USA AS A SAFETY CONCERN SOON AFTER THE VEHICLE BEGAN SELLING BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. SUZUKI MOTORS USA ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND MADE AVAILABLE A NEW "ADJUSTER SET FRONT RIGHT" FOR REPLACEMENT. SUZUKI MOTORS WILL NOT REPLACE THE BAD COMPONENT, IT IS REQUIRING CUSTOMERS TO PAY THE 1HR LABOR + $1500 PART COST FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE PAST THE FACTORY WARRANTY (36 MONTHS, 100K MILES). THE COST TO CORRECT THE SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD BE PAID SUZUKI MOTORS USA. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 SUZUKI XL MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR 3 YR AND KNOW ONE CAN TELL ME WHY , MY CLOCK FLASHING AND DON'T KEEP TIME. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY. WHEN CRACKING UP ENGINE IT SOUND LIKE IT IS GOING TO EXPLORE AND SOMETHING IT WILL START TO SMOKE. *TR

"AIRBAG" LIGHT ON AND CLOCK/TEMP DISPLAY FLASHES. THIS SYMPTOM WAS REPORTED TO SUZUKI MOTORS USA AS A SAFETY CONCERN SOON AFTER THE VEHICLE BEGAN SELLING BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. SUZUKI MOTORS USA ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND MADE AVAILABLE A NEW "ADJUSTER SET FRONT RIGHT" FOR REPLACEMENT. SUZUKI MOTORS WILL NOT REPLACE THE BAD COMPONENT, IT IS REQUIRING CUSTOMERS TO PAY THE 1HR LABOR + $1500 PART COST FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE PAST THE FACTORY WARRANTY (36 MONTHS, 100K MILES). THE COST TO CORRECT THE SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD BE PAID SUZUKI MOTORS USA. *TR

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL HAS EMBEDDED LED LIGHTS, NO REPLACEABLE BULBS...FORCES ENTIRE CLUSTER REPLACEMENT FROM UNSALVAGEABLE OR USED/SALVAGED VEHICLES WITH NO GUARANTEE OF TRUE INTERNAL CONDITION TEMPORARILY OR LONG-TERM, LEADING TO MANY SAFETY & DYSFUNCTION ISSUES, INCLUDING "RIGGED" COMPONENTS SUCH AS FALSE MILEAGE, ETC. MY XL7 ODOMETER/TRIP METER BLACKED OUT AT 130K MILES, SHOULD LAST LIFETIME OF VEHICLE. SUZUKI NO LONGER MANUFACTURING THE CLUSTERS, TOO COST-PROHIBITIVE FOR OWNERS IF THEY WERE STILL MAKING THEM. MANY, MANY OWNERS ON FORUMS & ONLINE SITES COMPLAINING OF THIS ISSUE AND SEEKING HELP OR PARTS FROM OTHERS. I'VE PERSONALLY READ HUNDREDS. SUZUKI NEEDS TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY SO OWNERS CAN BE SAFE DRIVING & ASSURED OF NO DYSFUNCTION, AND PROTECTED FROM FURTHER DAMAGE RELATED TO MILEAGE TAMPERING, INCLUDING HIDDEN AND EXCESSIVELY AGED ENGINE/PARTS.

THE AIR CONDITIONER WENT OUT ON OUR 2004 SUZUKI XL-7. THIS OCCURRED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AT AROUND 60,000 MI. THE COMPRESSOR WAS BAD, $1500! NOW IT IS GOING AGAIN! I TALKED WITH A GUY AT THE REPAIR SHOP, ANOTHER XL-7 CUSTOMER, WHO SAID HE GETS ABOUT 10,000 MILES PER COMPRESSOR ON HIS, HE WAS IN FOR #4. I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM AT THE LEAST, AND A SCAM AT WORST CASE. *TR

WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION, IT WOULD DOWN SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR ON ITS OWN. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR SUZUKI XL7 2004, THE PASSENGER DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, BEGAN TO SHOW SOME SMOKE. SUDDENLY, FLAMES STARTED TO COME OUT FROM THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH WATER. WHEN THE PANAL WAS REMOVED, APPARENTLY THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THE WIRING SYSTEM. THE FIRE DAMAGED THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON, THE PANEL AND THE WIRING UP TO OUR KNOWLEDGE AND AFTER JUST A VISUAL INSPECTION. MY DAUGHTER SUFFERED AN ASMA ATTACK THAT EVENING DUE TO SMOKE INHALATION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I HAD EXCEEDED MY WARRANTY PERIOD OF 3/36,000. THEY ALSO CALLED THE CENTRAL OFFICES TO VERIFY IF THE SITUATION HAD BEEN REPORTED BY ANOTHER CONSUMER IN WHICH THEY RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST REPORT REGARDING THIS EVENT. CURRENTLY MY VEHICLE IS 3 YRS 4 MONTHS OLD WITH APROX. 44, 600 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT CHECKED, AND I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD MAKE A CLAIM TO MY INSURANCE IN ORDER TO HAVE IT REVISED AND FIXED. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *NM