Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags7
- Seats2
- Seat belts1
- Power train1
- Exterior lighting1
- Steering1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Electrical system1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Unknown or other1
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
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 2012 Grand Vitara vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara failed the safety check 2.46% of the time — 2% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 105,708 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
11,268 new Suzuki Grand Vitara cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Germany (3,957), Italy (1,633), the United Kingdom (1,315).
- Average mass
- 1,644 kg
- Average power
- 100 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 66% · Petrol 34%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
42 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 79% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €38,129.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde36
- Band onvoldoende profiel26
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt21
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)18
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld8
- Lichtbeeld dimlicht onjuist7
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage7
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm7
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,036 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 70 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, 1,123 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 73% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| Brakes | 8.8% | 7.7% |
| Suspension | 5.3% | 12.2% |
| Visibility | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| Tyres | 2.8% | 7.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.1% | 0.9% |
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
33 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 214,000 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
314 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% 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
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV AWD | — | 18.5 % |
| 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV RWD | — | 19.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 11.5 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 265 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Vitara · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.7 | 10.2 | 11.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2012 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… |
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.
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 2012 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. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)