Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control12
- Electrical system8
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Structure2
- Exterior lighting1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara failed the safety check 2.02% of the time — 4% less often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 130,017 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (94 kW, 126 hp), 1.6 petrol (69 kW, 93 hp) and 2.5 petrol (116 kW, 156 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 94 kW 126 hp | 344 |
| 1.6 petrol | 69 kW 93 hp | 71 |
| 2.5 petrol | 116 kW 156 hp | 57 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
478 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 3% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde240
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af203
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen196
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht98
- Band onvoldoende profiel98
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk93
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld91
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)89
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
988 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,634 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,633 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 58% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Body, chassis, structure | 17.9% | 9.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.4% | 21.6% |
| Suspension | 15.6% | 16.4% |
| Brakes | 11.0% | 13.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.8% | 7.4% |
| Visibility | 6.6% | 7.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
37 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 294,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
315 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 97% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 12.8–13.6 L/100 km (about 17–18 mpg US), CO₂ 294–313 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Vitara 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 13.8 | 11.4 | 12.8 |
| Grand Vitara 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 14.5 | 12.5 | 13.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara.
| 2004313 31 Aug 2004 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, under ambient temperatures below -25 degrees Celsius, moisture can freeze in the fuel pressure regulator. As a result, fuel system pressur… |
| 2003320 8 Dec 2003 | Other On certain vehicles, the accelerator cable casing cap that is attached to the firewall can crack due to extended exposure to forces from the accelerator cable a… |
| 2003155 16 Jun 2003 | Other On certain vehicles, the windshield may not be properly secured to the vehicle body due to insufficient adhesion between paint applied during the second-stage p… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 16-INCH WHEELS, THE FRONT BRAKE DISCS MAY BREAK UNDER SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR IN CONDITIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS ON EXTREMELY STEEP PAVED DOWN-SLOPES WHILE CONTINUOUSLY APPLYING THE BRAKES.
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.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE CASING CAP THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE FIREWALL CAN CRACK DUE TO EXTENDED EXPOSURE TO FORCES FROM THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND INSUFFICIENT LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF THE PLASTIC CASING CAP. IF THE CASING CAP BECOMES CRACKED, MOVEMENT OF THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE THROUGH THE CAP CAN CAUSE THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE TO BECOME FRAYED.
CERTAIN PASSENGER (111 MY 2002 ESTEEM, 777 MY 2002 AERIO, 2,368 MY 2003 AERIO) AND SPORT UTILITY (324 MY 2002 GRAND VITARA, 274 MY 2003 GRAND VITARA, 684 MY 2002 GRAND VITARA XL-7, AND 781 MY 2003 GRAND VITARA XL-7) VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 212, 'WINDSHIELD MOUNTING." THE WINDSHIELD MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SECURED TO THE VEHICLE BODY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ADHESION BETWEEN THE PAINT APPLIED DURING THE SECOND-STAGE PAINTING PROCESS AND THE PAINT APPLIED DURING FINAL-STAGE PAINTING.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Suzuki told its dealers about the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10216558 | Reminder of the importance to conduct safety inspections for rust damage to suspension and related parts that could be caused by road salt or other chemicals applied to the roadway. |
| 10152052 | This Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki automobile distributors in the U.S., explaining the importance of proper inspection and maintenance of suspension lower arm ball joints to prevent the ball stud from becoming separated from the suspension lower arm. |
| 10019614 | EXHAUST NOISE CAN BE HEARD FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. *TT |
| 10018528 | ECM REPROGRAMMING FOR POOR COLD START. *TT |
| 10017455 | MODIFICATION OF MAIN BEARING OIL CLEARANCE AND THE BEARING SELECTION PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 10016425 | SERVICE MANUAL UPDATE, A/C WIRING DIAGRAM CORRECTION GRAND VITARA SQ625W/XL-7 JA627 *SC |
| 10015910 | MODIFICATION OF MAIN BEARING OIL CLEARANCE AND THE BEARING SELECTION PROCEDURE. 1999-2005 SUZUKI VITARA SQ420/SQ625L, GRAND VITARA SQ625W, AND XL-7 JA627 *SC |
| 10007522 | OIL LEAKING FROM LEFT FRONT OF ENGINE. *TT |
| 10002996 | REPLACING POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE BECAUSE 100 AMP FUSE IS OPEN. THE 100 AMP MAIN FUSE IS NOW AVAILABLE. *TT |
| 10001713 | SEAT HEATER INSPECTION TABLE - SERVICE MANUAL UPDATE. *TT |
| 10001707 | OIL WEEPAGE/SEEPAGE FROM LEFT FRONT OF ENGINE. *TT |
| 10001698 | OIL LEVEL READS AT LOW MARK ON OIL LEVEL DIP STICK. 1999 - 2003 VITARA/GRAND VITARA/XL-7. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)