2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara Problems and Recalls (37 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara is Cruise / speed control (19% of 37 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Cruise / speed control — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 37 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

7 of 37 filings named Cruise / speed control (19% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (5 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2000 has 83 reports on file; this year has 37. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Cruise / speed control. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Cruise / speed control 7 complaints · 18.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 8
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
All Suzuki Grand Vitara years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) appears in 7 of 37 owner complaints (18.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 7 complaints, 18.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 7 · 18.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 13.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 crash reports 5 · 13.5% Engine (ENGINE): 4 complaints, 10.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 4 · 10.8% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 4 complaints, 10.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 4 · 10.8% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 4 complaints, 10.8% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 · 10.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 8.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 · 8.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 2 complaints, 5.4% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 2 · 5.4% Tires (TIRES): 2 complaints, 5.4% of reports Tires (TIRES) 2 · 5.4% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 2.7% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 2.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 26 complaints, 70.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 26 · 70.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 7 18.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 13.5% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 4 10.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 10.8% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 10.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 8.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 2 5.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 2 5.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 2.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 26 70.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2001; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2000. 2001-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Dec 2000 Oct 2016 Recall campaign 00E080000 ◆ Recall campaign 00E080000 Recall campaign 01V070000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V070000 Recall campaign 01V146000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V146000 Recall campaign 03V512000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V512000 Recall campaign 04V427000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V427000 Recall campaign 05V452000 ◆ Recall campaign 05V452000
  • Campaign 03V512000 was reported 36 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 05V452000 was reported 1,407 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2001-Q3 Owner reports 5
2001-Q4 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 2
2002-Q4 Owner reports 3
2003-Q1 Owner reports 1
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 2
2003-Q4 Owner reports 3
2004-Q1 Owner reports 5
2004-Q2 Owner reports 2
2004-Q4 Owner reports 2
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 00E080000
Recall campaign 1 01V070000
Recall campaign 1 01V146000
Recall campaign 1 03V512000
Recall campaign 1 04V427000
Recall campaign 1 05V452000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes.

  1. Recall campaign 00E080000

    Safety recall 00E080000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN LEAD TO CRACKING OF THE WHEEL, GRADUAL LOSS OF AIR IN THE TIRE, AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WERE NOTIFIED TO REMOVE ANY OF THESE AFFECTED WHEELS FROM THE STOCK INVENTORY AND RETURN TO AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR COMPANY. SUZUKI WILL NOTIFY ANY END USERS WHICH PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT WHEELS OF THE DEFECT AND TO RETURN THEIR WHEELS TO SUZUKI FOR A FREE REPLACEMENT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 01V070000

    Safety recall 01V070000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    THE LABEL MAY NOT BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD BY SOME CUSTOMERS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW LABELS AS WELL AS AN UPDATE TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 26, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-800-934-0934.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 01V146000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    FUEL LOSS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED INTAKE MANIFOLD VACUUM UNION AND A NEW FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 4, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-800-934-0934.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 03V512000

    Cruise / speed control

    Report date
    Component:
    Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
    Consequence:
    IF THE INNER ACCELERATOR CABLE BECOMES FRAYED, IT CAN STICK DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. IN THE CASE WHERE AN ACCELERATOR CABLE STICKS, THE DRIVER COULD HAVE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING VEHICLE SPEED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE, WHICH INCLUDES THE PLASTIC CASING CAP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JANUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-800-934-0934.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 04V427000

    Safety recall 04V427000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FUEL LOSS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, THE FUEL DELIVER HOSE AND REPLACE THE HOSE CLAMP WITH AN IMPROVED CLAMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUZUKI AT 1-800-934-0934.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 05V452000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    THE FRONT BRAKES MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE AND THE VEHICLE MAY PULL TO ONE SIDE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE DISCS ON THESE VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2005. THESE VEHICLES ARE LOCATED ON ST. THOMAS ISLAND (VIRGIN ISLANDS). OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUZUKI DEL CARIBE AT 787-622-0600.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 37 complaints · page 1 of 2
2016-12-28Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 10938340
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000. UPDATED 04/05/17*LJ *CN
2015-10-03Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10779456
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY CAR WAS CALLED BACK YEARS AGO BUT NEVER SERVICED . THEY SAID THEY'D CALL NEVER DID. NOW I'M EXPIERIENCING PROBLEMS VITH MY CAR. IT HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT CAR AND WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING. IT'S A 2001 GRAND VITARA STANDARD AND IT CRANKS BUT WON'T START. IT'S HAPPEND BEFORE. MY GAS PEDDLE GOES ALL THE WAY ON THE FLOOR. DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT. FEELS AS IF A LINE WAS BROKEN. THE CAR USE TO SHIFT TO THE SIDE WHEN HITTING THE BRAKES. CAN YOU HELP? WHAT IS IT? I HAVEN'T BEEN SBLE TO USE MY CAR FOR A WEEK.
2013-10-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10547265
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, HE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UNTIL AFTER IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND STERNUM WHILE THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FACIAL INJURY FROM STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER WERE BOTH TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
2013-10-07Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10547077
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UNTIL MOMENTS AFTER IMPACT. THE PASSENGER WAS PROPELLED INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE KNEE, FINGERS AND FACE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE STERNUM. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED TO DETERMINE THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 12/24/13*CN
2013-02-08Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 10496904
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN AND THE VEHICLE ALMOST TURNED OVER WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE WHILE THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS STEERED INTO THE BUSHES TO AVOID A CRASH AND WAS THEN SHUTDOWN WITH THE KEYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,400. UPDATED 04/02/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS ARRESTED BECAUSE OF THIS EVENT. UPDATED 04/18/2013 *JS
2006-09-18Tires (TIRES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10168516
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 21 IN OHIO. I HEARD A FUNNY NOISE COMING FROM DRIVER SIDE BACK. DOING 60 MILES AN HOUR AND MY BACK DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. NO ACCIDENT. *NM
2005-11-04Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10141739
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I PURCHASED A 2001 SUZUKI GRAND VITARTA WITH 8000 MILES. AT 24,500 MILES THE ENGINE BEGAN TO HAVE NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO STATED IT WAS TIMING CHIN TENSIONER. THEY REPLACED 2 TENSIONERS AT THE DEALERS EXPENSE. I HAVE PUT AN ADDITIONAL 5000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE BACK. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE TENSIONERS AND FOUND 100'S OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME PART. SUZUKI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS ITEM AS OF YET, HOWEVER IF THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD BREAK, ACCIDENTS CAN OCCUR. I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND AM NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM WITH BE FIXED AND IS SO AT WHOSE EXPENSE. THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP IS 65 MILES AWAY. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN TSB ON THIS PART SO SUZUKI IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM
2005-06-10Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10126872
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CONSUMER LETTER REGARDING CONCERNS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS ON THE 1999-2002 GRAND VITARI XL7. *MR OTHER PROBLEMS: BROKEN KEYLESS ENTRY WHICH OCCURRED TWICE, THE VEHICLE RADIATOR (TWICE), WATER PUMP (TWICE), AND THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED TWICE. TSB TS 07 03014R2 *SC
2005-02-08Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10111147
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE TIMING TENSIONER FAILED, CAUSING THE TIMING CHAIN TO MALFUNCTION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT THREE CYLINDERS. THERE WAS A LOSS OF PROPER TIMING, AND VALVES TENSIONERS STARTED TO KNOCK. *AK
2004-11-10Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10099810
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF THE CAR PORT VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLE, AND HIT A BRICK WALL. NO INJURIES REPORTED. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS .IN BOTH INCIDENTS CONSUMER STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP. HOWEVER, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SPEED. CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

Owners named Cruise / speed control most often — 7 of 37 reports (19%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources