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2008 Suzuki XL7

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

62 reports with mileage · 12 unknown

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.

  • Steering. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints

14 reports
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32,000 miles · Sep 23, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineSteering

TO BEGIN, MY MOONROOF LEAKED INTO THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS IN THE CABIN ANY TIME I WASHED THE CAR. HAD TO TAKE IT IN 3 TIMES TO GET IT FIXED. WINDOW SEALS WERE BUCKLING AND GOT THOSE REPLACED BY DEALER - BUT CONTINUED TO BUCKLE. ALL STABILITRAC LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. KEY FOB WORKED INTERMITTENTLY…

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TO BEGIN, MY MOONROOF LEAKED INTO THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS IN THE CABIN ANY TIME I WASHED THE CAR. HAD TO TAKE IT IN 3 TIMES TO GET IT FIXED. WINDOW SEALS WERE BUCKLING AND GOT THOSE REPLACED BY DEALER - BUT CONTINUED TO BUCKLE. ALL STABILITRAC LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. KEY FOB WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AROUND 85000 THEN THE REAR DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO IT. REPLACED BATTERY IN FOB AND HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO ONLY HAVE IT DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACTUATOR IN THE DOOR WAS GOING OUT. WHILE I WAS TURNING A CORNER IN MY 2008 XL7, I HEARD A GRINDING/RATTLING NOISE THAT SEEMED TO WORSEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND WOULD GO AWAY AS I ACCELERATED THROUGH THE TURN AROUND 90000 MILES. POWER STEERING FELT TIGHT, ABS LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, AWD OFF, STABIL-TRAC LIGHT ALL CAME ON...INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IT IN FOR OTHER REPAIRS BEFORE WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE/SOUND. AT 95700 MILES SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING, TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. AT 103000 MILES THE NOISE/RATTLING/GRINDING IS BACK IN FORCE. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, HE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT, PULLED MULTIPLE MIS-FIRE CODES P0300, P0301,P0305, & P0303. REPLACED A WEAK BATTERY, CHANGE THE OIL AND DIAGNOSED THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CALLED SUZUKI TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST 15000 MILES SPORADICALLY, FINALLY GOT IT DIAGNOSED AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THE FIX IS AROUND $3000. THIS IS A PREVALENT RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE XL7 2007-2009. AS MANY COMPLAINTS AS I HAVE SEEN REGARDING THIS ISSUE, KNOWING THAT IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT LIKE THIS THAT IT COULD DESTROY THE ENTIRE ENGINE, SUZUKI SHOULD BE ISSUING A RECALL AND FIXING THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10638464

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2014
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes

MY SUZUKI XL7 HAS THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT AND ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL LIGHTS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR GO ON AND OFF, THE WARNINGS FOR THE BREAKS AND STABILITY CONTROL THEY ALWAYS COME ON AFTER IT RAINS. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS OVER 85*, ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE CAR GO CRAZY AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF, AFTER TAKING THE…

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MY SUZUKI XL7 HAS THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT AND ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL LIGHTS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR GO ON AND OFF, THE WARNINGS FOR THE BREAKS AND STABILITY CONTROL THEY ALWAYS COME ON AFTER IT RAINS. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS OVER 85*, ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE CAR GO CRAZY AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF, AFTER TAKING THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALER THE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS ISSUE, BUT NOW ALL THE LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS HIGH AND THE CAR IS EITHER LOCKED OR UNLOCKED, AND WE HAVE ISSUES WITH OUR AIR BAGS TOO, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER LIGHT IS OFF WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING ON IT. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10616695

90,000 miles · Feb 4, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineService BrakesCrash

WHILE DRIVING 20 MILES PER HOUR ON AN ICY ROAD THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL, SERVICE AWD, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SURGED AND MY BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE SLID AND FISHTAILED. I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND PUSHED THE GAS LIGHTL…

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WHILE DRIVING 20 MILES PER HOUR ON AN ICY ROAD THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL, SERVICE AWD, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SURGED AND MY BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE SLID AND FISHTAILED. I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND PUSHED THE GAS LIGHTLY TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND I SLID INTO A CANAL. I WAS ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE BACK SEAT, ESCAPE OUT THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR, AND SWIM TO SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10562812

45,000 miles · Nov 18, 2010
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainTraction Control System

INITIALLY STABILITY CONTROL OFF WARNING MESSAGE LIGHT LIT UP AFTER STARTING ENGINE--ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS--MESSAGE DISAPPEARED W/I 5 SECONDS. THEN TRACTION CONTROL OFF, STABILITY CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL, AND AWD OFF MESSAGES ON EVERY START UP AND IS CONSTANT UNTIL CAR IS TURNED OFF …

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INITIALLY STABILITY CONTROL OFF WARNING MESSAGE LIGHT LIT UP AFTER STARTING ENGINE--ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS--MESSAGE DISAPPEARED W/I 5 SECONDS. THEN TRACTION CONTROL OFF, STABILITY CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL, AND AWD OFF MESSAGES ON EVERY START UP AND IS CONSTANT UNTIL CAR IS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10366757

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.