1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, A FUEL ODOR EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 01V146000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 04V427000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED TO DUE THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FROM 45 TO 55 MILES PER HOUR WILL LOSE COMPLETE POWER DROPPING FROM 45 OR 55 TO 10 OR 15 MPH VERY RAPIDLY WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF ACCELERATION OR VEHICLE TILL IT REACHES THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE LEAVING YOU IN A VERY DANGEROUS POSITION IF YOU ARE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO PULL OFF LEAVING YOU THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING IN A COLLISION WITH FASTER APPROACHING VEHICLES FROM THE REAR THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH FROM A REAR END COLLISION AND APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AND THE DEALERS HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM FROM JULY OF 2012 TO THE CURRENT DATE OF 2/4/2013. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, SHE WOULD HEAR A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. ALSO WHEN SHE MADE TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKE ADJUSTMENT PIN IN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS LOOSE. THE SPRING THAT HELD THE WHEEL IN PLACE FAILED, WHICH ALLOWED IT TO MOVE FREELY INSIDE THE BRAKE DRUM. THE SPRING FLIPPED UP AND CAUSED THE BRAKE SHOE, DRUM, AND BRAKING KIT TO FAIL. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, AAMCO INSPECTED THE REAR AND FRONT BRAKES AND STATED THAT THEY WERE 50% WORN. THE CONTACT PLACED THE WHEEL BACK ON THE VEHICLE AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY SIX BLOCKS WHEN HE HEARD THE NOISE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO AAMCO BECAUSE THE GRINDING NOISE BECAME VERY LOUD. AAMCO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE INSPECTION. THE CONTACT CALLED SUZUKI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE TO FIND OUT IF THE FAILURE WAS COMMON. SUZUKI STATED THAT NO ONE COULD TALK TO THEIR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT UNLESS THEY WERE A DEALER. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE SUZUKI DEALER SO THAT THEY COULD CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 31,734.

VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LOSES COMPLETE ENGINE POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND VEHICLE SPEED RAPIDLY DROPS TO UNDER 10 MPH. ENGINE RUNS VERY ROUGH AND THERE IS NO RESPONSE WHEN DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MUST IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER (IF POSSIBLE) AS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, ENGINE OPERATION RETURNS TO NORMAL BUT POWER LOSS WILL USUALLY REOCCUR ANYTIME AS QUICKLY AS WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES OR AS LONG AS A DAY OR TWO. ENGINE POWER LOSS MAY LAST AS LITTLE AS A MINUTE OR TWO OR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *JB