Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Exterior lighting3
- Electronic stability control (esc)3
- Unknown or other3
- Air bags3
- Electrical system3
- Engine2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Equipment1
- Power train1
- Steering1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 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 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara failed the safety check 2.58% of the time — 2% more often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,772 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara cars on Dutch roads are the 2.4 petrol (124 kW, 166 hp), 2.0 petrol (103 kW, 138 hp) and 1.6 petrol (78 kW, 105 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 petrol | 124 kW 166 hp | 230 |
| 2.0 petrol | 103 kW 138 hp | 145 |
| 1.6 petrol | 78 kW 105 hp | 48 |
| 2.4 petrol | 122 kW 164 hp | 37 |
| 3.2 petrol | 171 kW 229 hp | 22 |
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
488 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 13% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €23,344.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde191
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)190
- Band onvoldoende profiel184
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt163
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm109
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht108
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk84
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld78
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,462 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 386 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, 1,993 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 67% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.6% | 18.7% |
| Suspension | 10.4% | 16.4% |
| Brakes | 9.3% | 10.1% |
| Visibility | 5.2% | 6.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.3% | 5.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.3% | 5.4% |
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
113 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 232,000 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
282 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% arrived as used imports, 96% 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 3 variants: combined 11.3–12.3 L/100 km (about 19–21 mpg US), CO₂ 260–283 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Vitara · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.7 | 9.6 | 11.3 |
| Grand Vitara · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.7 | 10.2 | 11.5 |
| Grand Vitara · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 14.0 | 10.2 | 12.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara.
| 2019129 11 Mar 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system not to turn off the airbag when… |
| 2017066 9 Feb 2017 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the gear shift rear shaft could break due to repeated right to left and left to right movement of the shifter lever. If this occurs, the dr… |
| 2013305 17 Sept 2013 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the Occupant Classification System may malfunction, causing the airbag warning lamp to illuminate, and could fail to disable the passenger … |
| 2011041 27 Jan 2011 | Engine On certain vehicles, the tension adjuster pulley for the drive belt, which operates the alternator, water pump, air conditioner compressor and power steering pu… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kizashi and 2006-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles. The front passenger leather seat may shrink due to high humidity and high temperature. As a result, the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor mat may not accurately detect if an adult or child is occupying the seat.
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The gear shift rear shaft on these vehicles may break, preventing the gears from being able to be changed.
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Grand Vitara and 2007-2011 SX4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, over time, the OCS sensor mat installed in the front passenger seat may fail due to repeated flexing of the mat from use of the seat. As a result, during a crash necessitating deployment, the air bag will deploy regardless of whether the front seat occupant is an adult or a child.
SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-CYLINDER ENGINES; MODEL YEAR 2011 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 17, 2010; MODEL YEAR 2010 SUZUKI SX4 PASSENGER VEHICLES; AND 2011 SUZUKI SX4 PASSENGER VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 14, 2010. THE TENSION ADJUSTER PULLEY FOR THE DRIVE BELT THAT OPERATES THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND POWER STEERING PUMP, HAS AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED INTERNAL SPRING THAT CAN BREAK DUE TO REPEATED STRESS. IF THE SPRING BREAKS, THE DRIVE BELT WILL NOT BE ADJUSTED PROPERLY AND CAN SLIP, CAUSING A SQUEAKING NOISE. OR THE DRIVE BELT COULD COME OFF CAUSING THE DRIVER TO INCREASE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THIS CAN ALSO CAUSE THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE INDICATION TO RISE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING, OR CAN CAUSE THE CHARGING LIGHT TO COME ON, WHICH CAN LEAD TO BATTERY DISCHARGE AND ENGINE STALL.
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 2009 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. |
| 10212108 | Service update of cylinder block warranty extension (revision of original notice). Note that actual model name is "Suzuki Kizashi", NHTSA model name reference is misspelled "Suzuki Kazashi". |
| 10160918 | This letter was sent to owners of vehicles included in a warranty extension campaign for a possible cracked cylinder block. The letter provides owners with additional details concerning what is covered. |
| 10159469 | This communication is a revised Service Bulletin concerning an extended warranty for a possible cracked cylinder block. The Service Bulletin was expanded to provide additional details about what is covered under the extended warranty. A revised draft notification letter to be sent to owners is attached to the Service Bulletin. |
| 10154347 | This letter was sent to owners of 2009 Grand Vitara and certain 2010 Grand Vitara and Kizashi vehicles, informing them about a warranty period extension to 20 years (unlimited mileage). The warranty extension relates to cracks that may occur at specific locations of the cylinder block which may result in coolant loss and engine overheating. |
| 10153014 | This Service Bulletin informs Suzuki Service Providers in the mainland U.S. about a customer-satisfaction warranty period extension to 20 years (unlimited mileage) for 2009 Grand Vitara and certain 2010 Grand Vitara and Kizashi vehicles. Cracks may occur at specific locations of the cylinder block which may result in coolant loss and engine overheating. Also included is a letter to be sent to the owners of affected vehicles, informing them of the warranty extension. |
| 10153013 | This communication from Suzuki Motor Corporation announces a customer satisfaction warranty period extension to 20 years (unlimited mileage) for 2009 Grand Vitara and certain 2010 Grand Vitara and Kizashi vehicles. Cracks may occur at specific locations of the cylinder block which may result in coolant leaks. |
| 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. |
| 10054717 | SUZUKI: ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING FROM COOLING JACKET INTO CAMSHAFT HOUSING OF CYLINDER HEAD AND MAY HAVE A CRACK BETWEEN CYLINDER HEAD BOLT AND CASTING PLUG, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. MODEL 2009 GRAND VITARA. *PE |
| 10049899 | SUZUKI: THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND DTC B1318 IS STORED. THIS TYPICALLY CAN RESULT FROM A CHANGE IN LOAD ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. *JS |
| 10044320 | SUZUKI: THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION ASSEMBLY HAS THE SENSOR MAT LOCATED WITHIN AND THE ELECTRIC DISCONNECTION (OPEN) WILL OCCUR DUE TO REPEATED FLEXING, THAT MAY DEVELOP. *PE UPDATED 04/10/2013 *JS |
| 10044319 | SUZUKI: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, WITHIN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION, THE SENSING SENSOR MAT, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT DISCONNECTION MAY HAVE DEVELOPED, DUE TO REPEATED FLEXING. *PE |
| 10044041 | SUZUKI: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 'AIR BAG' WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION. *JS UPDATED 7/25/12. *PE |
| 10044035 | SUZUKI: SERVICE MANUAL UPDATE: TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEY REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION. *JS |
| 10032904 | SUZUKI: COUNTER MEASURE PROCEDURE FOR DTC B1318. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND DTC B1318 IS STORED. THIS TYPICALLY CAN RESULT FROM A CHANGE IN LOAD ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, SUCH AS A PASSENGER SHIFTING THEIR WEIGHT ON AND OFF THE SEAT, OR AN OBJECT (BAG, BRIEFCASE, PET, ETC.) BOUNCING ON THE SEAT WHILE THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING. *PE UPDATED 4/2/13. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Occupant Classification System Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation