1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, A FUEL ODOR EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 01V146000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 04V427000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED TO DUE THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FROM 45 TO 55 MILES PER HOUR WILL LOSE COMPLETE POWER DROPPING FROM 45 OR 55 TO 10 OR 15 MPH VERY RAPIDLY WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF ACCELERATION OR VEHICLE TILL IT REACHES THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE LEAVING YOU IN A VERY DANGEROUS POSITION IF YOU ARE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO PULL OFF LEAVING YOU THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING IN A COLLISION WITH FASTER APPROACHING VEHICLES FROM THE REAR THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH FROM A REAR END COLLISION AND APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AND THE DEALERS HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM FROM JULY OF 2012 TO THE CURRENT DATE OF 2/4/2013. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, SHE WOULD HEAR A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. ALSO WHEN SHE MADE TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

CONSUMER EXPRESSES DISCONTENT REGARDING RECALL FROM SUZUKI CORPORATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER STATING IT WAS THE SECOND NOTICE, BUT HE NEVER RECEIVED THE FIRST NOTICE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE REPAIRS WOULD NEED TO BE PERFORMED BY TRAINED MECHANIC WHICH WAS 80 MILES AWAY.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKE ADJUSTMENT PIN IN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS LOOSE. THE SPRING THAT HELD THE WHEEL IN PLACE FAILED, WHICH ALLOWED IT TO MOVE FREELY INSIDE THE BRAKE DRUM. THE SPRING FLIPPED UP AND CAUSED THE BRAKE SHOE, DRUM, AND BRAKING KIT TO FAIL. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, AAMCO INSPECTED THE REAR AND FRONT BRAKES AND STATED THAT THEY WERE 50% WORN. THE CONTACT PLACED THE WHEEL BACK ON THE VEHICLE AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY SIX BLOCKS WHEN HE HEARD THE NOISE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO AAMCO BECAUSE THE GRINDING NOISE BECAME VERY LOUD. AAMCO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE INSPECTION. THE CONTACT CALLED SUZUKI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE TO FIND OUT IF THE FAILURE WAS COMMON. SUZUKI STATED THAT NO ONE COULD TALK TO THEIR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT UNLESS THEY WERE A DEALER. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE SUZUKI DEALER SO THAT THEY COULD CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 31,734.

WHEN I BRAKE MY CAR PULLS TO ONE SIDE AND LOSES CONTROL. IT IS LIKE IT IS ON ICE AND ONE TIME IT SPUN AROUND, EVEN THOUGHT I WAS GOING SLOW. MY CAR IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM MODULE TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE INOPERATIVE. UPDATED 06/19/06. *JB

VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LOSES COMPLETE ENGINE POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND VEHICLE SPEED RAPIDLY DROPS TO UNDER 10 MPH. ENGINE RUNS VERY ROUGH AND THERE IS NO RESPONSE WHEN DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MUST IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER (IF POSSIBLE) AS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, ENGINE OPERATION RETURNS TO NORMAL BUT POWER LOSS WILL USUALLY REOCCUR ANYTIME AS QUICKLY AS WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES OR AS LONG AS A DAY OR TWO. ENGINE POWER LOSS MAY LAST AS LITTLE AS A MINUTE OR TWO OR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING THERE NO LONGER BEING A SUZUKI DEALER IN HIS AREA AND CAN NOT GET RECALL WORK DONE. *TS *THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT SUZUKI COULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE 120 MILES IN ORDER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *SC

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 04V427000L FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM PRESSURE REGULATOR FIRST IN 2004. WHEN CALLING THE DEALER SHE LEFT A MESSAGE ON THEIR ANSWERING MACHINE, AND THEY DID NOT CALL HER BACK. SHE RECEIVED A SECOND RECALL NOTICE . AGAIN, SHE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE DEALER'S ANSWERING MACHINE AND NO ONE HAS CALLED HER BACK. WHEN TRYING TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER SHE WAS UNABLE TO GET THROUGH THEIR PHONE SYSTEM. *AK