2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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?

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.

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.

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.

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