2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Complaint Log

I PURCHASED A SUZUKI GRAND VITARA IN JULY OF 2006. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, 4 WEEKS AT THE MOST, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER FAULKNER SUZUKI (HARRISBURG, PA) AND TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AN OXYGEN SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THEY CHANGED THE SENSORS. BUT THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEREAFTER, APPROXIMATELY EVERY 4 TO 8 WEEKS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON - TO WHICH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FAULKNER RESPONDED BY CHANGING THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND REPLACING THE ASSOCIATED COMPUTER. ALSO OF NOTE, THEIR WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WHEELS ON THE CAR (WHICH IMPAIRED STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS) TO WHICH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED WITH HAVING ME PURCHASE NEW TIRES - THE CAR WAS 8 MONTHS OLD AT THIS POINT (THIS DID NOT FULLY RESOLVE THAT PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH IT DID IMPROVE SOMEWHAT). DURING ALL THIS, THE CAR WAS EMITTING A SMOKE SMELL/EXHAUST INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS (I WAS TOLD THAT THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DETECT THE SMOKE SMELL/EXHAUST). WITH ALL OF THIS IN MIND, I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE BUSINESSES PRACTICES OF SUZUKI. WHEN THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR BEGAN, I ASKED TO HAVE MY TRADE IN VEHICLE RETURNED TO ME OR TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE (AS I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THE CAR I PURCHASED) NEITHER REQUEST WAS HONORED. I HAD NOT EXPECTED TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH A NEW CAR, NO ONE DOES. SO WHEN A PROBLEM AROSE, MY EXPECTATION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY RESOLVED, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. OVERALL, IN MY OPINION, THIS MATTER WAS POORLY HANDLED - IT TOOK OVER A YEAR AND LEGAL INVOLVEMENT BEFORE SUZUKI WOULD BUYBACK THEIR FAULTY VEHICLE. AS A CONSUMER, I FEEL THAT THIS COMPANY SHOWED LITTLE CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY, TIME, OR MONEY. I IMPLORE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AND WORK TO ENSURE THAT ANY FUTURE SUZUKI CUSTOMERS RECEIVE BETTER SERVICE AND A BETTER (SAFE) PRODUCT. *TR

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES ON MY VEHICLE FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS AND ALL SUZUKI WILL SAY IS IT IS AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM AND A WEAR PROBLEM AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. I HAVE SPENT MORE MONEY ON TIRES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS FOR THIS VEHICLE THAN I CAN AFFORD. AND MY TIRES KEEP GOING BALD WITHIN 12K MILES OR LESS AND I HAVE PUT THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL BLOGS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT SUZUKI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND NOT THE TIRES. HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT TAKE TO ROTATE TIRES AND GET ALIGNMENTS ON A NORMAL WORKING VEHICLE IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TIRES WEARING OUT TO BALD AND THREADBARE BEFORE A 3K MILE ROTATION IS DONE ON THEM. VEHICLE ALSO SKIDS ON WET ROADS AND ALIGNMENTS KEEP GOING OUT ON VEHICLE AND CANNOT BE ADJUSTED ANY MORE. ALSO IF VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS BRAKES SQUEAL WHEN FIRST STARTING TO DRIVE VEHICLE. MECHANICS SAID BRAKES ARE FINE BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND HELP US FOLKS THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING TIRES EVERY TIME WE TURN AROUND. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BULBS IN THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY FELL; SHE HAD TO PUT THE BULB BACK IN MANUALLY. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD CHECK THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED HER THAT THE HEADLIGHT SOCKETS HAD MELTED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE SOCKETS WHICH MELTED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SOCKETS WOULD CONTINUE TO MELT EVEN IF SHE REPLACED THEM AGAIN. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, SHE WAS OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AS THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000. UPDATED 12/21/10*BF UPDATED 12/29/10

WEARS TIRES OUT WITHIN INSTALLING WITHIN 8 MONTHS. VIBRATES VERY BAD AN HAS DONE THIS SINCE I BOUGHT VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2006.

SUBMISSION FOR DEFECTIVE 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 4X4. *TS THE CONSUMER NOTICED A SERIOUS VIBRATION IN THE DRIVE TRAIN AT 65 MPH. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. THE DEALER TOOK A DRIVE SHAFT FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE AND INSTALLED IN THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE. NOW THE VIBRATION IS OCCURRING AT 45 MPH AS WELL AS 65 MPH. THE DEALER HAS TRIED 3 TIMES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE REASON WHY HE NOW HAS 2 PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF ONE IS BECAUSE THE MECHANICS STARTED CHANGING PARTS WITHOUT TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND CHANGED THE WRONG PART. THE VEHICLE HAS MORE THAN ONE DRIVE SHAFT ALONG WITH UNIVERSAL JOINTS AND TRANSFER CASE. *JB

DRIVE SHAFT AND AXLE (EXTREME VIBRATION) POSSIBLE FAILURE. SUZUKI CAR COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS BEFORE. 2006 GRAND VITARA BROUGHT NEW ON 6-17-06. *NM

THIS HAPPENED DAY AFTER WE BOUGHT VEHICLE. VALVE TAPPING COMING FROM MOTOR AT IDLE. RATTLING NOISE FROM ENGINE AT 50 MPH. PASSENGER HEATED SEAT WORKS 10% OF THE TIME. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP GAVE BACK IN ONE HOUR. THE HELP TICKET STATES NEED TO ORDER PART TO HEAT SEAT AND THEY NEED TO CALL TECH SUPPORT TO RESOLVE TAPPING. I TOOK SUV TWO WEEKS AGO I CALL EVERY OTHER DAY. THEY SAY THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR TECH SUPPORT AND THEY WANT TO FIX BOTH PROBLEMS AT ONCE. ARE THEY WAITING UNTIL THE MOTOR HAS SERIOUS DAMAGE BEFORE MOVING ON TO FIX IT? *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES PRODUCED A LOUD SCRUBBING AND SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN TRAVELING 45 MPH. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER MORE THAN THREE TIMES TO HAVE THE FAILURE REPAIRED, BUT IT RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE ,AND IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE, VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,491. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS ONLY SHINE 50 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO OPERATE. *AK

DRIVER SIDE INTAKE MANIFOLD BUTTERFLY VALVE CAME LOOSE AND THE SCREWS WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE. RECENTLY THE BUTTERFLY ITSELF GOT STUCK AND LEANED OUT AND RUINED MY O2 SENSOR AND IDLE AIR CONTROLLER