Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara problems

Owners filed 8 complaints about the 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara with NHTSA between Apr 2004 and Feb 2017. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (3).

Complaints
8
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Vehicle speed control3
  2. Electrical system2
  3. Wheels1
  4. Power train1
  5. Structure1
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic1
  7. Air bags1
  8. Other / unknown1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20041
20052
20060
20072
20080
20091
20100
20110
20120
20130
20140
20151
20160
20171

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Vehicle speed control

3 reports1 crash1 related recall
“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?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 27, 2017Vehicle speed controlODI 10957304

Electrical system

2 reports
“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.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 12, 2015Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 10809846

Wheels

1 report
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS MISSING A LUG NUT ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF BOLT AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST. ONE YEAR LATER THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT REAR TIRE LUG NUT SHEERED OFF OF THE TIRE; HOWEVER, A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LUG NUT HAD NOT SHEERED OFF OF THE BOLT AND BILLED THE CONTACT $60.00 TO REPAIR THE TIRE . THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,594.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 8, 2009WheelsODI 10283299

Power train

1 report
“2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WITH REPLACEMENT OF MULTIPLE SAFETY CONCERNS. CONSUMER STATES THAT A SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, THE SHIFT CABLES AND NUMEROUS SEALS. SHE STATED THEY FINALLY HAD TO PUT IN A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. *KB AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BEGAN HEARING A ROAR FROM THE TRANSMISSION AFTER REACHING 50 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER SHIFT CABLE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED,THE AC COMPRESSOR WOULD COME ON EVERY FEW SECONDS AND THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS A HORRIBLE WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 12-15 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 7, 2007Power train, Structure, Electrical systemODI 10208365

Structure

1 report

Service brakes, hydraulic

1 report1 crash1 related recall
“DT: CONSUMER NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AT ABOUT 6,000 MILES. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER WOULD NOT FIX THEM UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER SAID THAT BRAKES WENT FROM TEN MILLIMETERS TO FOUR MILLIMETERS. ACCUSED CONSUMER OF RIDING BRAKES. CONSUMER SAID SHE DIDN'T RIDE THE BRAKES. SHE GOT VEHICLE WITH 325 MILES ON IT, AND VEHICLE DID NOT SEEM TO ACCELERATE AT THE RATE IT SHOULD. CONSUMER BELIEVED BRAKES WERE SOMEHOW ENGAGED AND HOLD IT BACK. C VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON DEC. 6, 2004. THIS HURT THE WARRANTY. BROOME CADILAC IN MISSOURI STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BRAKE PROBLEM.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 15, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 10125380
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.