US vehicle recalls and complaint patterns, explained

Suzuki Vitara recall history and complaint patterns

Comprehensive recall and complaint data for the Suzuki Vitara, sourced from official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records.

Last updated: (NHTSA data snapshot)

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At a Glance

Total Recalls 5
Total Complaints 148
Years Covered 1999–2004

Stats focus on model years from 1960 onwards. Earlier years appear in the detailed table below where data exists.

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Get plain-language explanations of recalls and complaints for the Suzuki Vitara. Powered by AI, backed by NHTSA data.

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Important: This assistant provides context from aggregated NHTSA data. Always check your specific VIN on NHTSA.gov for vehicle-specific recall information.

Key Takeaways

A quick scan of where recalls and complaints concentrate for the Suzuki Vitara, based on aggregated NHTSA counts and campaign metadata.

Recall Themes

Instead of listing long campaign narratives, this groups recall campaigns into a few recurring areas. Each theme links back to official notices as evidence.

Brakes

1 campaign · Years: 1999

These campaigns relate to braking system components that can affect stopping performance or warning behavior.

Official notices (evidence):

Electrical

1 campaign · Years: 1999

These campaigns relate to wiring or electrical components that can cause warning lights, loss of function, or fire risk in some cases.

Official notices (evidence):

Fuel and emissions

1 campaign · Years: 2004

These campaigns relate to fuel delivery or emissions components where leaks or failures can raise safety risk.

Official notices (evidence):

Seats and restraints

1 campaign · Years: 1999

These campaigns relate to seats, belts, airbags restraint integration, or child restraint anchoring components.

Official notices (evidence):

Steering and suspension

1 campaign · Years: 1999

These campaigns relate to steering or suspension components that can affect vehicle control or stability.

Official notices (evidence):

Most Reported Issues

Across all model years, the most frequently reported areas for the Suzuki Vitara in NHTSA complaint data are Suspension:front, Suspension, Engine and engine cooling:engine.

Jump to Model Year

Year-by-Year Overview

Each row shows how often this model appears in NHTSA recalls and consumer complaints for a given model year. These are counts of campaigns and complaints, not risk predictions.

Model Year Recalls Complaints Details
2004 1 1 Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Engine and engine cooling.
2003 0 1 Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Structure:body.
2002 0 1 Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Suspension.
2001 0 40 Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Engine and engine cooling:engine, Suspension:front, Engine and engine cooling.
2000 0 42 Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Power train:automatic transmission, Suspension:front, Air bags:frontal.
1999 4 63 Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Suspension, Suspension:front, Engine and engine cooling:engine.

What to Do Next

Check Your VIN on NHTSA.gov

Recall Evidence by Year

A compact evidence view of recall campaigns that include this model. The default text is an original summary line, with official notice text available on demand.

Most common areas involved: Fuel system , Steering and Equipment

Show recall evidence by year

2004

  • Fuel system, gasoline: Safety recall involving the fuel system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
    View official NHTSA notice (04V427000) →
    Show official notice text
    Summary: On certain passenger vehicles, under ambient temperatures below -25 degrees celsius, moisture can freeze in the fuel pressure regulator. As a result, fuel system pressure may increase at the time of engine start up, causing fuel loss at the fuel pipe/fuel hose connection.

1999

  • Steering: Steering wheel/handle bar: Safety recall involving the steering area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
    View official NHTSA notice (98V324002) →
    Show official notice text
    Summary: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The coupling that connects the steering column shaft to the intermediate steering shaft is cracked. This could allow the steering shafts to separate.
  • Equipment: Radio/tape deck/cd etc.: Safety recall involving the equipment area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
    View official NHTSA notice (99V154000) →
    Show official notice text
    Summary: Vehicle description: 2-door passenger vehicles. During port installation of rear stereo speakers, the vehicles wiring harness could have been pinched between the rear stereo speaker and speaker retaining plate.
  • Seat belts: Anchorage: Safety recall involving the seat belts area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
    View official NHTSA notice (99V155000) →
    Show official notice text
    Summary: Vehicle description: 2-door passenger vehicles. During port installation of rear stereo speakers, the front seat belt lower anchor bolts were removed to facilitate the rear speaker installation and may not have been torqued to specification after installation of the speakers.
  • Exterior lighting: Switch: Safety recall involving the exterior lighting area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
    View official NHTSA notice (99V273002) →
    Show official notice text
    Summary: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have an inoperative brake lamp-actuating switch. If the brake lamp-actuating switch does not function properly when the brake pedal is depressed, the brake lights may be inoperative. On vehicles equipped with automatic transaxle, a f

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Explore recall and complaint data for other Suzuki models.

⚠️ Important Safety Information

Recall Explained provides independent analysis of official NHTSA data. This site does not replace the official NHTSA VIN lookup and should not be treated as legal or safety advice for your specific vehicle.

For any safety concerns: Always check your VIN on the official NHTSA site and contact an authorized dealer.

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