← New search

2000 Suzuki Vitara

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Vitara years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 9 of 35 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

What owners actually said

35 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2004
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE BRAKES ON MY 2000 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. THEY WERE REPLACED IN JUNE OF 2003 3 TIMES WITHIN 2 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY SQUEAK AND MAKE GRINDING NOISES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY SERVICE PEOPLE THAT THEY CONTACTED SUZUKI DIRECTLY AND WERE TOLD TO PUT ON SPECIAL NO SQUEAK BRAKES SO THEY DID---THEY …

Read full complaint

THE BRAKES ON MY 2000 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. THEY WERE REPLACED IN JUNE OF 2003 3 TIMES WITHIN 2 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY SQUEAK AND MAKE GRINDING NOISES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY SERVICE PEOPLE THAT THEY CONTACTED SUZUKI DIRECTLY AND WERE TOLD TO PUT ON SPECIAL NO SQUEAK BRAKES SO THEY DID---THEY STILL SQUEAK AND SOMETIMES GRIND. I HAVE HAD THE SERVICE PEOPLE CHECK THEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN WE REPLACED THE FIRST SET OF BRAKES--THE BRAKES WERE WORN REALLY STRANGE. ONE PAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE ON THE BOTTOM HALF AND REALLY THICK ON THE TOP HALF. I THOUGHT I KEPT THEM BUT AM NOT SURE. THEY HAVE NOT FAILED ME BUT I AM NOT SURE THAT THEY WON'T SOMETIME IF I HAVE TO PUT THEM ON QUICKLY. I HAVE HEARD OTHER GRAND VITARA'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM--HAVE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF OWNERS AND THEY ARE JUST AS FRUSTRATED AS I AM. I ALSO HAD THE SAME IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AS ANOTHER PERSON HERE. I HAD TO HAVE MY SWITCH REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO AND NOW IT IS DOING THE SAME THING. I AGREE WITH THAT PERSON--IF I HAD NOT HAD IT DONE UNDER WARRANTY--IT WOULD HAVE COST 360.00 TO FIX. I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE 360.00 THIS TIME WHEN IT GOES OUT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO SUZUKI'S MANUFACTURING OF THESE CARS. I ALSO HAD MY CONDENSER GO OUT ON ME IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. THAT IS A PART THAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY SO SELDOM GO OUT. MY CAR HAS 95000 MILES ON IT AND ALREADY I HAVE PUT LOTS OF MONEY INTO IT!!! PLEASE HELP ME OUT AND DO SOME INVESTIGATION ON THESE CARS. THANKS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10074968

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2004
Air BagsCrash

WHILE DRIVING 30-40 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE, AND VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN INTO A 15 FEET EMBANKMENT. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10059196

62,000 miles · Nov 12, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

REAR MAIN SEAL IN THE V-6 ENGINE FAILED AND SPRAYED OIL OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. SMELLED LIKE IT COULD CATCH FIRE WITH THE OIL OPEN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10046802

Mileage unknown · Sep 4, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

MY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE A 200 SUZUKI VITARA, AND WITHIN THE FIRST MONTHS I NOTICED IT WASN'T SHIFTING JUST RIGHT. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL. RIGHT AWAY ALSO I NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING OIL AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE DEALERSHIP GAVE THE SAME ANSWER. FINALLY A…

Read full complaint

MY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE A 200 SUZUKI VITARA, AND WITHIN THE FIRST MONTHS I NOTICED IT WASN'T SHIFTING JUST RIGHT. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL. RIGHT AWAY ALSO I NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING OIL AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE DEALERSHIP GAVE THE SAME ANSWER. FINALLY AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY WERE FORCED TO TO REALLY DEAL WITH THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR IN THAT NEXT DAY. ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP MY VEHICLE STALLED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN DUE TO THE PROBLEMS THEY WERE NEGLECTING. THE ENDED UP CHANGING THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR 1 MONTH. WHEN I INTIALLY TOOK MY VEHICHLE IN I POINTED OUT A CRACK IN THE WINDSHEILD AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD TAKEN MY VECHILE TO SEVERAL WINDOW REPAIR SHOPS. THE REPAIR SHOPS TOLD ME IT WOULD BE POINTLESS TO GET A NEW WINDSHEILD BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CRACK HAD STARTED FROM THE BODY, BUT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, TO DATE IT'S STILL CRACKED. NOW MY KEY IS CAUGHT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IT WILL GO TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION BUT IT WILL NOT RELEASE MY KEY. EACH NIGHT I HAVE TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY, TO PERSERVE IT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO TELL THEM MY YEAR, MAKE OR MODEL THEY ALREADY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND SAID IT HAPPEND QUITE A BIT. I JUST SUPRISED THIS KIND OF PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN PUT ON RECALL. MAYBE THERE ARE ENOUGH CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME NUMEROUS PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10037262

1 miles · Aug 6, 2003
EquipmentService Brakes, Hydraulic

DEFECTS AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER DAMAGE BEHIND FAN ASSEMBLY. FAILURE OF CONDENSER IN LOCATION CONSISTENT WITH OTHER FAILURES BY OTHER OWNERS. PULL TO RIGHT WHILE DRIVING EVEN AFTER ALIGHNMENT, SIMILAR TO OTHER OWNER COMPLAINTS. VIBRATION WHILE BRAKING AND PREMATURE WEAR, SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER OWNERS. ITEMS SHOULD BE RECAL…

Read full complaint

DEFECTS AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER DAMAGE BEHIND FAN ASSEMBLY. FAILURE OF CONDENSER IN LOCATION CONSISTENT WITH OTHER FAILURES BY OTHER OWNERS. PULL TO RIGHT WHILE DRIVING EVEN AFTER ALIGHNMENT, SIMILAR TO OTHER OWNER COMPLAINTS. VIBRATION WHILE BRAKING AND PREMATURE WEAR, SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER OWNERS. ITEMS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10030953

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2002
Equipment

CONDENSER FINS BEHIND ELECTRIC FAN ARE BENT/SMASHED; FAN BLADES APPEAR NOT TO HAVE CONTACTED FIN AREA; NO FRONT END DAMAGE; FINS OUTSIDE FAN AREA APPEAR IN NEW CONDITION; ONE OTHER VEHICLE AT DEALER CHECKED AND HAS SIMILAR DAMAGE; APPEARS TO BE DESIGN PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI #765312

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2002
Visibility

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY RIGHT PASSENGER WINDOW WILL VIBRATE HARD, AND THERE IS A LOUD NOISE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8012660

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2002
Suspension

THE LOWER CONNECTOR ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SNAPPED IN HALF CAUSING THE TIRE TO FALL OFF. AUTO BODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY BOTH FEEL THAT IT WAS INSTALLED WRONG WHICH IS WHY IN SNAPPED. CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND SUZUKI WILL NOT HONOR WARRANTY CLAMING THAT IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL ERROR. I HAVE THE OTHER HALF OF THE PIEC…

Read full complaint

THE LOWER CONNECTOR ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SNAPPED IN HALF CAUSING THE TIRE TO FALL OFF. AUTO BODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY BOTH FEEL THAT IT WAS INSTALLED WRONG WHICH IS WHY IN SNAPPED. CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND SUZUKI WILL NOT HONOR WARRANTY CLAMING THAT IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL ERROR. I HAVE THE OTHER HALF OF THE PIECE THAT SNAPPED OFF AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT IT IS A DEFECTED PART.*AK

NHTSA ODI #763348

Mileage unknown · Jun 20, 2002
Suspension

WHILE DRIVING AT 15 TO 20 MPH FELT A THUMP AND PULLED OVER, GOT OUT. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS ALMOST OFF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED THAT LOWER CONTROL ARM THAT HOLDS WHEEL IN PLACE SNAPPED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8012232

Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 2002
Seat Belts

I HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIME AND THE BELTS WERE CHANGED 3 TIMES. I AM STARTING TO EXPIERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #762525

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.