Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Suzuki Vitara submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHILE DRIVING 35 MP ENGINE LOCKED UP. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT IT WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK....*AK
FROM DAY ONE, THE BELT ON THE CAR MADE A CHIRPING NOISE. THE CAR HAD GONE BACK TO THE DEALER ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS-AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE BELT HAS BEEN CHANGED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT THE NOISE CONTINUES. WHEN IT RAINS, IT GETS A VERY LOUD SQUEAKY NOISE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DELAER AT LEAST TWICE, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE SENSOR, BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS FINE. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON OCCASSIONALLY OFF AND ON. I HAD CONSISTENT OIL CHANGES AND SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE DONE, BUT LAST WEEK, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STARTING FLASHING. COME TO FIND OUT, THE #3 CYLINDER GOING INTO THE ENGINE WAS GONE. I WAS TOLD THIS HAD TO BE AND ON-GOING PROBLEM-IT DID NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. EVIDENTLY, THERE WAS A PROBLEM EXACTLY ALL THE TIMES THE LIGHT CAME ON. AS A RESULT, I HAD TO PAY OVER $2000 TO GET THE CAR FIXED. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION IN THE SYSTEM. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE HAD BEEN PURCHASED MORE THAN 30 DAYS AGO & IT ALREADY HAS STALLED A COUPLE OF TIMES. ALSO, GEAR SHIFT SHAKES REAL BADLY, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON. DEALER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK
ENGINE OIL PAN CRACKED CAUSING AN OIL LEAKED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE, SUCH AS EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE FAILURE, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHENEVER VEHICLE IS STARTED, IT WOULD STALL OUT. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON UNTIL THE CLUTCH WAS PUSHED. FINALLY, ALL THE LIGHTS WOULD FAIL TO COME ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE THE ELECTRICAL WIRES CHECKED. *AK
BUMPY/VIBRATION FELT AT 35+ MPH, SMOOTHS OUT TO SOME DEGREE ABOVE 45 UNTIL YOU REACH 60+. VIBRATION ABOVE 60 FEELS AS IF YOU MAY NOT HAVE STEERING CONTROL. A/C CONTROL LEVER DOES NOT OPEN/CLOSE COMPLETELY. A/C FROZE UNDER DASH ON PASSENGER SIDE, WOULD NOT COOL, WATER DISCHARGED INTO FLOOR BOARD. DOES NOT ADEQUATELY COOL INTERIOR IN DIRECT SUN WITH TEMPTS. ABOVE 85. GEAR SHIFTER SOMETIMES (SPORADIC) JAMS - PROBLEM APPEARS TO DEAL WITH 2ND GEAR (SOMETIMES 1ST TO 2ND OR 3RD TO 2ND). WHEN IT JAMS IT FEELS AS IF SOMETHING IS HITTING RUBBER (NO NOISE) AND YOU HAVE TO FORCE SHIFTER INTO PLACE. I HAVE HAD TO STOP AND RELEASE AND REPRESS CLUTCH AND MOVE SHIFTER AROUND ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL. IT DOES HAPPEN SPORADICALLY, CAN MOST OFTEN BE FORCED INTO GEAR AT THIS TIME, SERVICE DEPT. CAN'T FIND ANYTHING. AFTER FOUR TRIPS TO SERVICE DEPT. 2 TIRES REPLACED (FLAT SPOTS), ROTATION, SPIN BALANCE, AND ALIGNMENT HAVE BEEN CHECKED. VIBRATION STILL RECURRING PROBLEM. VEHICLE ALSO PULLS TO THE RIGHT. REPLACED CONTROL SWITCH AND LEVER AFTER FREEZE UP OF A/C. REPLACED A RESISTOR AFTER 2ND EPOSIDE OF WATER IN FLOOR. STILL DOES NOT COOL PROPERLY.( DOT NUMBER: )
PASSENGER'S FRONT SIDE BOUNCES, CAUSING TIRE DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED MOTOR MOUNTS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .