There are 7 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitarain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A WHEEL BEARING AFTER HAVING A MECHANIC LIFT THE CAR I NOTICED THE CROSSMEMBER FOR THE TRANSMISSION HANGING, AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE CROSSMEMBER SEEM THERE WERE NO DRAIN HOLES FOR WATER TO EXIT THE MOUNT. AND MAYBE DEFECTIVE METAL USED TO PRODUCE THE PART CAUSED PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE PART LUCKILY I FOUND THE PROBLEM AS THIS PART IS SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND KEEP THE ALIGNMENT OF THE ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION , TO DRIVE SHAFTS, TO THE REAR END , TRANSFER CASE DRIVE LINE TO THE FRONT WHEELS. A TOTAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE DRIVE SHAFTS TO BREAK POSSIBLY CATAPULTING THE CAR, NOT TO MENTION THE ACCELERATED WARE AND TEAR ON ALL PARTS THAT ARE ENGINEERED TO HIGH TOLERANCES TO LINE UP. THIS 4X4 VEHICLE HAS 79, THOUSAND HIGHWAY MILES, NO OFF ROADING . *TR
MY EX-HUSBAND BEFORE GIVING MY DAUGHTER THE USE OF HIS 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA TOOK IT INTO MARKETPLACE CHRYSLER - SUZUKI, INC IN ROCHESTER, NY ON 6/23/2010 TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AND FOR THEM TO TAKE CARE OF ANY RECALLS ON THE CAR THAT HAD NOT BEEN DONE YET. WELL ONE THEY DID WAS "SB SHIFTER INTERLOCK" REPLACED PER RECALL IS STATED ON THE RECEIPT. WELL ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 8TH 2010 AROUND 10PM SHE WAS MOVING THE SUZUKI GRAND VITARA IN THE DRIVEWAY UP CLOSER TO THE HOUSE AND THE SHIFTER MOVED OUT OF PARK INTO DRIVE WITHOUT HER HAVING HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE... IT WAS COOLER OUT AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FAST ALSO. WELL THE 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WENT THROUGH THE CLOSED GARAGE DOOR. MY GARAGE DOOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE DAMAGES TO THE SUZUKI HAVE BEEN FIXED ALL PAID FOR BY MY EX-HUSBANDS GEICO AUTO POLICY. THE DAY THE CAR WAS PICKED UP FROM BEING REPAIRED WE TOOK IT STRAIGHT BACK TO MARKETPLACE CHRYSLER-SUZUKI AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE VEHICLE BUT ONCE A RECALL IS DONE THEY CAN'T REDO IT AND HAVE IT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THEY DID EVALUATE THE VEHICLE AND STATED ON THE REPAIR INVOICE "CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WILL COME OUT OF PARK WHEN OFF OR RUNNING" "TECH FOUND THAT THE SHIFT SWITCH WAS FAILING. REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH NEW. TEST." I WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THIS. *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
PALANCA DE CAMBIO. *TR
2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WITH RECALL ON TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL WAS FOR TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. DEALER TRIED A COMPUTER UPGRADE FOR THE TRANSMISSION WHICH DID NOT WORK. *KB UPDATED 05/15/08. *JB
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
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026