2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA Complaints

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL HAS EMBEDDED LED LIGHTS, NO REPLACEABLE BULBS...FORCES ENTIRE CLUSTER REPLACEMENT FROM UNSALVAGEABLE OR USED/SALVAGED VEHICLES WITH NO GUARANTEE OF TRUE INTERNAL CONDITION TEMPORARILY OR LONG-TERM, LEADING TO MANY SAFETY & DYSFUNCTION ISSUES, INCLUDING "RIGGED" COMPONENTS SUCH AS FALSE MILEAGE, ETC. MY XL7 ODOMETER/TRIP METER BLACKED OUT AT 130K MILES, SHOULD LAST LIFETIME OF VEHICLE. SUZUKI NO LONGER MANUFACTURING THE CLUSTERS, TOO COST-PROHIBITIVE FOR OWNERS IF THEY WERE STILL MAKING THEM. MANY, MANY OWNERS ON FORUMS & ONLINE SITES COMPLAINING OF THIS ISSUE AND SEEKING HELP OR PARTS FROM OTHERS. I'VE PERSONALLY READ HUNDREDS. SUZUKI NEEDS TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY SO OWNERS CAN BE SAFE DRIVING & ASSURED OF NO DYSFUNCTION, AND PROTECTED FROM FURTHER DAMAGE RELATED TO MILEAGE TAMPERING, INCLUDING HIDDEN AND EXCESSIVELY AGED ENGINE/PARTS.

I WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT OF USPS READY TO LEAVE. I HAD GOTTEN THERE ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE. CAR GAVE ME NO INDICATION OF ANY MALFUNCTION ON WAY THERE. I TURNED CAR ON AND SHIFTED TO REVERSE;LET GO OF EMERGENCY BREAK WHEN CAR JOLTED IN REVERSE ACROSS TO OTHER SIDE OF PARKING . IT JUMPED THE CEMENT MOLDING ON FLOOR BANGED AGAINST IRON RAILING KNOCKING IT DOWN. AS SOON AS I FELT THE JOLT I PULLED BACK ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK AND NOTHING HAPPENED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE BUT I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS ON THIS MATTER?

ONE DAY, I STARTED MY CAR, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE CLOCK/TEMP WAS FLASHING, IT HASN'T GONE AWAY. I AM UNABLE TO FIX THE CLOCK, AND WHEN I WENT TO THE MECHANIC TO FIX THE AIRBAG PROBLEM, HE CALLED OUR LOCAL SUZUKI DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS, AND WOULD COST ME OVER $3500 JUST FOR THE PARTS. I'VE SEEN OTHER SITES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ON ONE FORUM I SAW THAT SOME SUZUKI DEALERSHIPS WERE OFFERING TO RESET THE SENSOR MODULE FOR FREE, BUT I WASN'T OFFERED THAT HERE (HAWAII). I SPENT MOST OF MY DAY TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WERE RECALLS, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY. AT THIS POINT, BEING THAT THE CAR IS ALREADY 12 YEARS OLD, HAVING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WILL COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. I AM UNABLE TO GET A SAFETY CHECK, AND AM UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE NOW. I FEEL THAT SUZUKI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST SEEING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS.

THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY PERFORMING IN VERY ODD MANNERS SUCH AS STALLING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS (LIGHTS, STEREO, ETC) TURNING OFF AND ON RANDOMLY, REDUCING SPEED IGNORING ACCELERATOR POSITION AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS. SEVERAL VISITS TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT ONE POINT WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FLOOR WAS SOAKING WET AND WE HAD NOT HAD RAIN FOR MANY DAYS. AFTER DOING MY OWN INVESTIGATING I FOUND THAT THE DRAIN PAN FOR THE A/C CONDENSER IS LOCATED INSIDE THE CAR BEHIND THE STEREO JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE GLOVE BOX. THE DRAIN PAN HAS A HOSE THAT ROUTES THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND DRAINS ONTO THE GROUND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THIS DRAIN HOSE BECAME CLOGGED AND AS A RESULT ALL OF THE WATER FROM THE A/C CONDENSATION WAS OVERFLOWING AND DRAINING DIRECTLY ONTO THE ECU AND THEN ONTO THE PASSENGER FLOOR. THIS WATER WAS CAUSING THE ECU TO MISBEHAVE WHICH WAS CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION BUT BY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC THE WATER HAD DRIED AND THE CAR WAS BEHAVING PROPERLY. ONCE THE DRAIN HOSE WAS CLEARED THERE WERE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. AFTER CHECKING ON SOME SUZUKI FORUMS I FOUND A COUPLE OTHERS THAT HAD THE SAME SITUATION ARISE. IT'S A FIX THAT TAKES LESS THAN A HALF HOUR AND REQUIRES NO PARTS BUT NOT ONE THAT MECHANICS KNOW ABOUT AND CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE COMPUTER ACTING UNPREDICTABLY AND FREQUENTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY.

THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES IN 2009 BUT DISAPPEARED THEN RETURNED IN 2013. THE CLOCK/TEMP WOULD FLASH AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON. AT TIMES WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, TURN IT OFF, THEN RESTART AND ATTACH THE PASSENGER SEATBELT ONLY AFTER THE INITIAL PASSENGER SEATBELT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FLASHING WOULD STOP. HOWEVER THE INCIDENTS HAVE BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND NOW THE CLOCK/TEMP CONTINUES TO FLASH, THE PASSENGER SEATBELT LIGHT STAYS ON AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO TURN IT OFF. CALLED THE DEALER WHO SAYS THE FRONT SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO CODES WHEN CONNECTED TO THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER SUZUKI OWNERS WE FOUND THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM AND APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURE YET THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS. *TR

THE AIR BAG DASH LITE CAME ON, WHEN TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL LIKE THIS AND THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR, THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT? IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHY NOT A RECALL? THE COST T REPLACE THE SEAT OVER $2000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA XL-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT, WHO WAS A MECHANIC, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR AND THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. *TR

WE GOT INTO OUR CAR AT THE AIRPORT AFTER A FRIEND DROVE MY CAR OVER & PICKED US UP. THE CAR WAS RUNNING WHEN WE GOT IN. AS SOON AS MY HUSBAND SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE CLOCK STARTED FLASHING & AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON & STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WANT TO CHARGE $110 TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE & APPROX. $2000 TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT IF DIAGNOSIS SHOWS THE SEAT MALFUNCTIONED. THEY TOLD ME IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THIS DOES NOT SOUND SAFE! SUZUKI SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENING ON THIS YEAR & MODEL OF SUZUKI. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, IT IS NOT A COSMETIC PROBLEM WITH THE TRUCK. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON HAD AUTO TO SUZUKI DEALER 3 TIME. LIGHT STILL ON THEY CHANGED CONTROL MODEL, SEAT SENSOR. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS NEVER WRECKED OR ANY DAMAGE TO IT. THEY ARE ORDERING A CLOCK SPRING WHICH I THINK IS WHOLE AIR BAG SYSTEM, I HAVE PAID 3200.00 DOLLARS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT THAT IS STILL ON. *TR

"AIRBAG" LIGHT ON AND CLOCK/TEMP DISPLAY FLASHES. THIS SYMPTOM WAS REPORTED TO SUZUKI MOTORS USA AS A SAFETY CONCERN SOON AFTER THE VEHICLE BEGAN SELLING BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. SUZUKI MOTORS USA ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND MADE AVAILABLE A NEW "ADJUSTER SET FRONT RIGHT" FOR REPLACEMENT. SUZUKI MOTORS WILL NOT REPLACE THE BAD COMPONENT, IT IS REQUIRING CUSTOMERS TO PAY THE 1HR LABOR + $1500 PART COST FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE PAST THE FACTORY WARRANTY (36 MONTHS, 100K MILES). THE COST TO CORRECT THE SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD BE PAID SUZUKI MOTORS USA. *TR