2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Electrical Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FAILED AND TURNED OFF, ONE SHORTLY AFTER THE OTHER. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULBS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUZUKI OF GREEN BROOK (101 US-22, GREEN BROOK TOWNSHIP, NJ 08812) WHO STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO NOTICED THAT THE ADAPTER, SOCKETS, AND FUSES WERE ALL BURNED DUE TO A HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT FLOWING INTO THE ASSEMBLIES. THE ADAPTERS, SOCKETS, AND HEAD LAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REPAIR THE UNDERLYING ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST OR ESCALATE THE CASE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10995608

Incident

Dec 15, 2016

Mileage

70,000 mi

BOUGHT THIS IN APRIL 2014 WITH 30K MILES, HAVE REPLACED BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS 4-5 TIMES EACH, ALSO BEAMS ARE LOW VISIBILITY

NHTSA ID

10838754

Incident

Feb 25, 2016

Mileage

59,885 mi

THE HEADLIGHT BULB BURNS OUT EVERY 2 MONTHS AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, AND BULBS BURN OUT EVERY 2 MONTHS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS IN THIS VEHICLE ASIDE FROM MINOR FENDER BENDER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10794438

Incident

Oct 5, 2015

Mileage

240,000 mi

JUST AS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE SAID. MY 2008 GRAND VITARA LOW BEAM H7 STYLE HEADLIGHTS BLOW OUT CONSTANTLY. VERY UNSAFE TO NEARLY CRASH WHEN BOTH BLOW AT THE SAME TIME DRIVING AT NIGHT. VERY UNSAFE DRIVING AND AT ANY GIVEN TIME A HEADLIGHT WILL BLOW OUT. NOT TO MENTION TELLING VARIOUS POLICE OVER AND OVER THE PROBLEM. NOT TO MENTION TICKETS, WARNINGS, AND GENERAL DISDAIN FROM POLICE BECAUSE THEY ASSUME YOUR LYING. I NOW HAVE TO KEEP NITRITE GLOVES AND SPARES IN MY GLOVE BOX AND NOW SHOW THE POLICE. I REPLACE A LOW BEAM BULB ON EITHER SIDE EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS AS A SAFE AND ACCEPTABLE DESIGN ON ANY MOTOR VEHICLE. THIS WOULD NOT PASS AS SAFE ON ANYTHING. WE THE CUSTOMERS NEED THIS FIXED. HAD I KNOWN THIS IN 2008 I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOMETHING ELSE. AS OF NOW I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE IT. I HATE HAVING TO TRY MY BEST TO BE HOME BEFORE DARK BECAUSE A BULB IS OR WILL GO OUT. RECALL THIS DEFECT NOW.... BEFORE SOMEONE DIES FROM A CRASH. WHEN MY LIGHTS BLEW AT THE SAME TIME THAT NIGHT I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND ALMOST WRECKED. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10637400

Incident

Aug 10, 2009

Mileage

13,000 mi

HAVE REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM BULB AT LEAST 7 TIMES AND HAVE CHANGED THE PASSENGER SIDE APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES SO FAR EVEN REPLACED WITH BEST BULB BRANDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10595715

Incident

Jun 1, 2010

Mileage

9,000 mi

HEADLIGHT BULBS NEED TO BE REPLACED ON A REGULAR BASIS (AT LEAST TEN SO FAR) AND THE PLASTIC IN THE BASE IS MELTED (COULD CAUSE A FIRE). *TR

NHTSA ID

10569304

Incident

Nov 13, 2008

Mileage

20,000 mi

I HAVE BEEN REPLACING THE HEADLIGHT BULBS IN MY VEHICLE NEARLY EVERY 6 MONTHS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. LAST YEAR I REPLACED THE RT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY UNIT AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE HOUSING UNIT WAS BURNED AND WOULD NOT SEAT PROPERLY INTO THE ADAPTER. REPLACING THE ADAPTER WAS NOT AN OPTION, SO I INCURRED LABOR AND PARTS EXPENSES. NOW IN THE SHORTER DAYLIGHT FALL SEASON, THE LEFT BULB HAS BLOWN AND THE ADAPTER WAS BEGINNING TO BURN, SO I REPLACED IT. I INSPECTED IT TO CONFIRM THE STATE OF THE UNIT AND IT WAS INDEED, ON ITS WAY TO ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. THERE IS NO WAY, WHEN DRIVING NOR IDLE, TO KNOW THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE IS DECAYING. I HAVE PURCHASED HL7 55WATT BULBS, WHICH ARE THE LOWEST WATTS AVAILABLE. I FEEL UNSAFE DURING INCLIMATE WEATHER, FALL AND WINTER SEASON DRIVING. THIS FREQUENT NEED FOR REPLACEMENT TO AVOID POTENTIAL CRASHES IS OF MAJOR CONCERN TO ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10551757

Incident

Nov 1, 2009

Mileage

9,500 mi

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A STORE PARKING LOT AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR PUT IT IN REVERSE AND THEN IN DRIVE TO EXIT THE PARKING LOT. WHEN ON THE STREET THE CAR WENT ACROSS THE STREET I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS AND IT STALLED. WHEN I MY PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS TO GO FORWARD IT DIDN'T RESPOND. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD THREE TIMES ON ITS OWN AND THEN STOPPED REPEATING THIS AGAIN, BUT NOT A THIRD TIME BECAUSE I SHUT THE CAR OFF. THEN I RESTARTED THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST WITH HAZARDS ON TO MY HOUSE UNDER 10 MPH. O SHUT IT OFF AND CALLED THE AUTO MECHANIC. THE THROTTLE SENSOR WENT. SO MY CAR NOW STAYS AT THE STATION AWAITING A NEW SENSOR WHILE I AM WITHOUT A MEANS TO GET TO WORK. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS I CROSSED THE STREET BECAUSE CARS WERE COMING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10512655

Incident

May 18, 2013

Mileage

68,000 mi

HAD TO CONSTANTLY REPLACE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT 6 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. NOW BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DO NOT WORK, BULBS ARE NOT BLOWN, AND FUSES ARE FINE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT SUZUKI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE UPWARDS OF $1200.00 OUT OF POCKET FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM. I STILL HAVE 2 PAYMENTS TO GO AND I BOUGHT THIS BRAND NEW. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS. THAT'S IF IT HASN'T HAPPENED ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10508193

Incident

Dec 9, 2009

Mileage

20,000 mi

I HAVE JUST ENTERED THE MILEAGE OF THE LAST TIME THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED. MY 2008 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA KEEPS BLOWING THE HEADLAMP BULBS. I HAVE REPLACED IT MORE THAN 10 TIMES WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY ABNORMAL SINCE MOST OF THE CARS USES THE SAME BULB EVEN FOR YEARS. AS I CAN SEE IN INTERNET FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BETWEEN SUZUKI OWNERS AND SUZUKI HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE HELP. *JB

NHTSA ID

10461933

Incident

Jun 14, 2012

Mileage

73,000 mi