2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara Owner Complaints

I WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT OF USPS READY TO LEAVE. I HAD GOTTEN THERE ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE. CAR GAVE ME NO INDICATION OF ANY MALFUNCTION ON WAY THERE. I TURNED CAR ON AND SHIFTED TO REVERSE;LET GO OF EMERGENCY BREAK WHEN CAR JOLTED IN REVERSE ACROSS TO OTHER SIDE OF PARKING . IT JUMPED THE CEMENT MOLDING ON FLOOR BANGED AGAINST IRON RAILING KNOCKING IT DOWN. AS SOON AS I FELT THE JOLT I PULLED BACK ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK AND NOTHING HAPPENED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE BUT I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS ON THIS MATTER?

NHTSA ID

10957304

Incident

Feb 23, 2017

Mileage

180,810 mi

THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY PERFORMING IN VERY ODD MANNERS SUCH AS STALLING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS (LIGHTS, STEREO, ETC) TURNING OFF AND ON RANDOMLY, REDUCING SPEED IGNORING ACCELERATOR POSITION AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS. SEVERAL VISITS TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT ONE POINT WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FLOOR WAS SOAKING WET AND WE HAD NOT HAD RAIN FOR MANY DAYS. AFTER DOING MY OWN INVESTIGATING I FOUND THAT THE DRAIN PAN FOR THE A/C CONDENSER IS LOCATED INSIDE THE CAR BEHIND THE STEREO JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE GLOVE BOX. THE DRAIN PAN HAS A HOSE THAT ROUTES THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND DRAINS ONTO THE GROUND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THIS DRAIN HOSE BECAME CLOGGED AND AS A RESULT ALL OF THE WATER FROM THE A/C CONDENSATION WAS OVERFLOWING AND DRAINING DIRECTLY ONTO THE ECU AND THEN ONTO THE PASSENGER FLOOR. THIS WATER WAS CAUSING THE ECU TO MISBEHAVE WHICH WAS CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION BUT BY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC THE WATER HAD DRIED AND THE CAR WAS BEHAVING PROPERLY. ONCE THE DRAIN HOSE WAS CLEARED THERE WERE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. AFTER CHECKING ON SOME SUZUKI FORUMS I FOUND A COUPLE OTHERS THAT HAD THE SAME SITUATION ARISE. IT'S A FIX THAT TAKES LESS THAN A HALF HOUR AND REQUIRES NO PARTS BUT NOT ONE THAT MECHANICS KNOW ABOUT AND CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE COMPUTER ACTING UNPREDICTABLY AND FREQUENTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY.

NHTSA ID

10809846

Incident

Jun 12, 2014

Mileage

170,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS MISSING A LUG NUT ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF BOLT AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST. ONE YEAR LATER THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT REAR TIRE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF THE TIRE; HOWEVER, A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LUG NUT HAD NOT SHEERED OFF OF THE BOLT AND BILLED THE CONTACT $60.00 TO REPAIR THE TIRE . THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,594.

NHTSA ID

10283299

Incident

Sep 11, 2008

Mileage

23,000 mi

2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WITH REPLACEMENT OF MULTIPLE SAFETY CONCERNS. CONSUMER STATES THAT A SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, THE SHIFT CABLES AND NUMEROUS SEALS. SHE STATED THEY FINALLY HAD TO PUT IN A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. *KB AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BEGAN HEARING A ROAR FROM THE TRANSMISSION AFTER REACHING 50 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER SHIFT CABLE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED,THE AC COMPRESSOR WOULD COME ON EVERY FEW SECONDS AND THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS A HORRIBLE WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 12-15 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10208365

Incident

Nov 1, 2007

MY 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR GETTING STUCK DOWN. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE THIS YEAR (07). I WAS LUCKY BOTH TIMES AS IT HAPPENED BEFORE I HAD GOTTEN ONTO THE HIGHWAY. AND NO ONE WAS HURT EITHER TIME.I LOOKED UP SUZUKI RECALLS ONLINE AND FOUND A RECALL FOR MY MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED SUZUKI AND A LOCAL SUZUKI DEALER, I WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LISTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIED SINCE 2004 FROM ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THEIR ACCELERATOR STICKING? HOW MANY DEATHS OR PERMANENT INJURIES WILL IT TAKE TO CONVINCE SUZUKI THAT THIS PROBLEM IS FAR MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THEY THOUGHT???

NHTSA ID

10187370

Incident

Feb 1, 2007

Mileage

48,000 mi

DT: CONSUMER NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AT ABOUT 6,000 MILES. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER WOULD NOT FIX THEM UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER SAID THAT BRAKES WENT FROM TEN MILLIMETERS TO FOUR MILLIMETERS. ACCUSED CONSUMER OF RIDING BRAKES. CONSUMER SAID SHE DIDN'T RIDE THE BRAKES. SHE GOT VEHICLE WITH 325 MILES ON IT, AND VEHICLE DID NOT SEEM TO ACCELERATE AT THE RATE IT SHOULD. CONSUMER BELIEVED BRAKES WERE SOMEHOW ENGAGED AND HOLD IT BACK. C VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON DEC. 6, 2004. THIS HURT THE WARRANTY. BROOME CADILAC IN MISSOURI STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BRAKE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10125380

Incident

Apr 15, 2005

Mileage

6,000 mi

VEHICLE LOST POWER COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE WHILE DRIVING, FRONTAL COLLISION NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *BF THE VEHICLE HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH A TREE. THIS WAS A RECURRENT PROBLEM. *SC

NHTSA ID

10109550

Incident

Jan 1, 2005

WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE RESIDENCE. IN JANUARY 2004 VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL FOR THE THROTTLE CABLE. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10064603

Incident

Mar 19, 2004

Mileage

3,000 mi