2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA Complaints

MY WIFE HAD JUST FILLED THE TRUCK UP AT SHEETZ..I WENT TO PULL IT UP AND AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN GEAR IT TOOK OFF...WENT ABOUT 70 FEET INTO A PARKED CAR AND BRICK WALL..BRAKES WERE EITHER INEFFECTIVE OR NOT WORKING..MY WIFE HAD A SIMILAR EVENT THE DAY BEFORE BUT IT WAS BRIEF AND WE DID NOT PAY ATTENTION TO IT.. THROTTLE WAS STUCK WIDE OPEN !! I WAS NOT INJURED AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO STEER AWAY FROM THE STREET RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!! I FOUND NO RECALLS OF THIS VEHICLE ON THE INTERNET AND NO SIMILAR REPORTS..BUT IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY KILLED SOMEONE OR BEEN KILLED..ACCIDENT IS REPORTED WITH WEST HILLS POLICE JOHNSTOWN PA .. *TR

MY WIFE HAD JUST FILLED THE TRUCK UP AT SHEETZ..I WENT TO PULL IT UP AND AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN GEAR IT TOOK OFF...WENT ABOUT 70 FEET INTO A PARKED CAR AND BRICK WALL..BRAKES WERE EITHER INEFFECTIVE OR NOT WORKING..MY WIFE HAD A SIMILAR EVENT THE DAY BEFORE BUT IT WAS BRIEF AND WE DID NOT PAY ATTENTION TO IT.. THROTTLE WAS STUCK WIDE OPEN !! I WAS NOT INJURED AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO STEER AWAY FROM THE STEER RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!! I FOUND NO RECALLS OF THIS VEHICLE ON THE INTERNET AND NO SIMILAR REPORTS..BUT IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY KILLED SOMEONE OR BEEN KILLED..ACCIDENT IS REPORTED WITH WEST HILLS POLICE JOHNSTOWN PA .. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHEN SHE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE HESITATING. SHE WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE AFTER REPEATED BRAKING ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE WHEELS WERE MISALIGNED. FOUR NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED WHICH INCLUDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE FAILURE RESURFACED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,251.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. WHILE PERFORMING AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE TENSIONER PULLEY WAS CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE AND REPLACED THE TENSIONER PULLEYS FROM PLASTIC TO METAL ON ALL MODELS AFTER 2006. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE THEY WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

MY 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA HAS A BROKEN POWER STEERING TENSIONER PULLEY. THE REASON IS THAT THE MANY 2006 MODELS OF THE GRAND VITARA USED A METAL PULLEY WRAPPED WITH A PIECE OF PLASTIC AROUND IT. THE PLASTIC HAS CRACKED, AND ACCORDING TO SUZUKI, IT IS NOT FREE TO REPLACE IT. SINCE 2007, SUZUKI HAS STARTED USING A ALL-SOLID METAL TENSIONER PULLEY AFTER REALIZING THAT PLASTIC TENDS TO BREAK MORE OFTEN. ACCORDING TO SUZUKI, A BROKEN TENSIONER PULLEY WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THIS COULD CAUSE MAJOR ACCIDENTS WHEN POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. HAVING REALIZED THIS DESIGN FLAW, SUZUKI IS STILL NOT WILLING TO REPLACE THE PLASTIC-COVERED TENSIONER PULLEY FOR FREE, ASKING ME FOR $200 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN WHERE I AM NOT AT FAULT. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE TECHNICIAN IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD'VE DONE TO PREVENT IT, AND HE SAID NO. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES IF LEFT IN IT'S CURRENT STATE. I FEEL LIKE THIS TYPE OF DESIGN FLAW SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SUZUKI TO CORRECT, AND NOT THE CONSUMER. *TR

STARTED MY CAR AND THERE WAS A LOUD ODD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AFTER A LITTLE INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING TENSIONER (WHICH ON EARLY 06 MODELS SUCH AS MINE WAS MADE FROM PLASTIC) HAD CRACKED CAUSING A LOUD NOISE AS WELL AS AN END TO MY POWER STEERING. THE CAR IS WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO FIX IT AS IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THIS SAME ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE EARLY MODEL 06 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA OWNERS. SUZUKI FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH LATER 06 MODELS AND ON NEWER MODELS BY CHANGING THE TENSION PULLEY FROM PLASTIC TO STEEL. *TR

ON 3/20/2009 APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PACIFIC TIME-MY 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO COMPLETE BREAKDOWNS WITHIN TWO AND 1/2 MONTHS. IN THE PREVIOUS REPAIR FROM THE PROBLEM DATED JANUARY 3RD 2009, [PREVIOUS ODI NUMBER 10258356], IT WAS FOUND THAT A TWO PART GEAR WHICH DRIVES THE CAM BROKE RESULTING IN BENT VALVES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE, AND THUS REPLACED.(THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY IT BROKE) A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED AS WELL. THE HEADS WENT TO A MACHINE SHOP FOR WORK TO BE DONE. ON MARCH 20TH AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 P.M PACIFIC TIME, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM DINNER, AND UPON GOING UP A SHORT GRADUAL HILL, THE VEHICLE MADE A 'RATTLING' SOUND LIKE A CHAIN SLIPPING IN A GEAR. THE SOUND LASTED APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AND THE ENGINE DIED IN NEARLY THE SAME MOMENT AS THE SOUND. I TURNED OFF THE KEY- I THEN TURNED KEY BACK TO ACCESSORIES TO SEE WHICH LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON. THE ENGINE, OIL AND BATTERY LIGHTS STAYED ON. I DID NOT TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP. (3/21/09) 38800 APPROX. MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS VEHICLE DIED THREE WEEKS TO THE DAY FROM THE GETTING IT BACK FROM THE FIRST REPAIR. *TR

SAT 1/3/09: 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA DIED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON MTN LOOP HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE SIMPLY DIED-NO WARNING-SPEEDOMETER FELL TO ZERO. ENGINE LIGHT AND TRANSMISSION LIGHTS CAME ON AFTER TRYING TO RESTART ENGINE. RESTARTED VEHICLE AND DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO GET IT OFF OF THE ROAD. COULD NOT START IT LATER. HAD IT TOWED. 1ST REPAIR SHOP FOUND SPARK PLUGS GUMMED-REMOVED THE VALVE COVER. "REQUIRES REPLACEMENT GASKETS AND OTHER PARTS-IT APPEARS THE KEY FOR THE TIMING "CHAIN" BROKE AND CAME OFF-NEED TO DISMANTLE MORE OF THE ENGINE." THEY DID. THE DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE BENT VALVES AND THE BROKEN 2-PIECE GEAR". THEY DISCUSSED REBUILD VERSUS ENGINE REPLACEMENT BEING POTENTIALLY A LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION. FOUND OUT THAT POWER TRAIN STILL UNDER WARRANTY. UNDER WARRANTY WERE REQUIRED TO SEND TO A DEALER SHOP. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER SHOP-THEIR DIAGNOSIS-APPARENT PROBLEM IS TWO GEARS THAT WORK TO DRIVE THE CAM SEPARATED AFTER ONE GEAR BROKE. LEFT VALVES ARE BENT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. MACHINE SHOP WORK IS REQUIRED ON CYLINDER HEAD. SUZUKI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER: CASE # 2-181089136-2-PIECE GEAR HAD A DISTINCTIVE CRACK. "THE ". ENGINE HEAD WAS SENT FOR MACHINE SHOP WORK IS BACK-2/10 WORK CANNOT START UNTIL 2/16 OR LATER. THEY HAVE SAID THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE LOWER ENGINE. DO NOT KNOW ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF BROKEN PARTS. VEHICLE STILL AT SHOP. IT HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE SINCE 1/3/2009. *TR

ON FEBRUARY ,1ST, 2009 , THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION KNUCKLE BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 GOING EAST NEAR VIDOR, TEXAS. WHILE GOING ~ 60 M/HR. LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND IT WAS SPINNING ON THE FREEWAY(2 LANES , CONSTRUCTION ZONE).THE CAR ALSO HAD SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO LEFT FRONT AND REAR RIGHT BUMPER DUE TO RUBBING AGAINST THE FREEWAY DIVIDER. ALL 4 TIRES WERE INTACT, NO BLOW OUTS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SUZUKI DEALER IN HOUSTON (DMONTROND SUZUKI 281-872-0934). MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTER DECIDED TO TOTAL THE CAR ON 2/6/09. I CONTACTED SUZUKI CORPORATION AT 800-934-0934 TALKED TO ORLANDO. ORLANDO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY CAR AND ALL HE CAN DO IS TO GET INFORMATION AND GIVE ME A CASE NUMBER, I GAVE HIM THE SAME DETAILS IN THIS LETTER AND THE CASE NUMBER HE GAVE ME IS 2-183409403. I DID NOT HEAR FROM SUZUKI SINCE I FILED THE COMPLAIN ON 2/6/09. *TR

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT ON THIS CAR. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 SETS OF BACK TIRES IN LESS THAN 36,000 MILES. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM... BUT JUST SOMETHING I SHOULD EXPECT WITH THE GRAND VITARA. HE ADVISED THAT THEY DO KNOW THAT THE CAR IS EATING UP BACK TIRES AT A VERY QUICK RATE, BUT THAT SINCE THEY KNOW THIS, THEY NOW EXPECT IT AND THEREFORE IT IS NOT AN ISSUE. I AM NOW REPLACING MY SECOND SET OF TIRES AFTER ONLY 15,000 MILES (MY FIRST SET WAS REPLACED AT 19000). THEY ARE COMPLETELY BARE AND UNSAFE. I AM APPALLED THAT INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE FOR THE SAFETY OF IT'S CUSTOMERS (AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD), THAT INSTEAD SUZUKI IS JUST ADVISING ME TO "DEAL WITH IT". I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT MY TIRES PROPERLY FILLED, CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ETC. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS CAR THAT IT IS MAKING THESE TIRES GO BALD SO QUICKLY. *TR