2000 Suzuki Vitara Engine Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10221852

Incident

Mar 17, 2008

Mileage

130,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10162838

Incident

Jun 6, 2006

Mileage

53,500 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10153075

Incident

Dec 30, 2005

Mileage

94,545 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10095569

Incident

Sep 26, 2004

REAR MAIN SEAL IN THE V-6 ENGINE FAILED AND SPRAYED OIL OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. SMELLED LIKE IT COULD CATCH FIRE WITH THE OIL OPEN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *LA

NHTSA ID

10046802

Incident

Oct 15, 2003

Mileage

62,000 mi

MY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE A 200 SUZUKI VITARA, AND WITHIN THE FIRST MONTHS I NOTICED IT WASN'T SHIFTING JUST RIGHT. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL. RIGHT AWAY ALSO I NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING OIL AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE DEALERSHIP GAVE THE SAME ANSWER. FINALLY AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY WERE FORCED TO TO REALLY DEAL WITH THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR IN THAT NEXT DAY. ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP MY VEHICLE STALLED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN DUE TO THE PROBLEMS THEY WERE NEGLECTING. THE ENDED UP CHANGING THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR 1 MONTH. WHEN I INTIALLY TOOK MY VEHICHLE IN I POINTED OUT A CRACK IN THE WINDSHEILD AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD TAKEN MY VECHILE TO SEVERAL WINDOW REPAIR SHOPS. THE REPAIR SHOPS TOLD ME IT WOULD BE POINTLESS TO GET A NEW WINDSHEILD BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CRACK HAD STARTED FROM THE BODY, BUT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, TO DATE IT'S STILL CRACKED. NOW MY KEY IS CAUGHT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IT WILL GO TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION BUT IT WILL NOT RELEASE MY KEY. EACH NIGHT I HAVE TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY, TO PERSERVE IT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO TELL THEM MY YEAR, MAKE OR MODEL THEY ALREADY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND SAID IT HAPPEND QUITE A BIT. I JUST SUPRISED THIS KIND OF PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN PUT ON RECALL. MAYBE THERE ARE ENOUGH CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME NUMEROUS PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10037262

Incident

Oct 8, 1999

THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE SPRINGS SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING BRAKES TO LOCK WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION, THANK GOD IT WAS NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEED! TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS WITH NO PARTS TOOK TWO MONTHS UNDRIVABLE FOR REPAIR. NEXT FAILURE WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK, DEALER SAYS CAN'T TELL WHERE ITS COMING FROM AS OIL IS EVERYWHERE , CAUSED METAL SHAVINGS IN OIL AND REPORTEDLY NEEDS NEW ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATED THOUGH DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS LESS THAN A QUART OF OIL LEFT IN ENGINE.*AK

NHTSA ID

758793

Incident

Sep 15, 2001

WHEN SITTING IDLE IN OR OUT OF GEAR ENGINE SHAKES LIKE IT IS GOING TO SHUT OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID

735365

Incident

Oct 22, 2000