AI Damage2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 26
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 27% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 19% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 15% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- Tires: 7 complaints (27% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (19% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Suspension: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 26 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's head struck the steering wheel column and front windshield. The contact sustained bruises to the chest area and a slight concussion that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence.
Dt: the contact stated vehicle surged forward. When depressing the brakes the vehicle continued to move forward. The vehicle was involved in two crashes as a result of the surging. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection over fifty times.
See nhtsa campaign id number : 03v512000 in december 2004 purchased a suzuki xl-7 for $15,000 cash with 24,000 miles in april 2005 I stopped at a stop sign, signaled to make a left turn. The car spun from the rear causing it to go out of control and into a wall.
Make a grinding noise on lower drivers side of engine. I smell something burning.
Keep having a oil leak from the value cover gasket. I have had it fix before and now it is leaking again on my motor and is smoking while driving it. The place says they only give me a 1 yr warranty . It has cost me over $500 before to fix and now the same . Need to know if there were a recall.
I was driving down the road from work and I was only going 40mph and my car all of sudden started shaking and the steering wheel was out of control and finally got control of it and slowed down and stopped and noticed the cross member was broke. It wasn't like that when I bought it.
I was traveling on I-10 eastbound near tallahassee, fl going approximately 70 mph when my car briefly shook/vibrated. I let off the gas perplexed when I heard what sounded like an explosion. My car careened to the left and with a death grip on the steering wheel, I tried to control the vehicle.
Started my vehicle and noticed a burning smell. Backed out of my garage and the back door arm rest was smoking. Shut the car off and put out fire. Called the suzuki shop and they had me drive it in. My electrical warranty was expired. They replaced fuse, switch, handle and wire comp. On the rear door.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,316 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Grand Vitara XL7 has 15 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 26, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 26. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.