2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara: common problems

Owners of the 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara filed 58 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 58
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 28% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
4 Tires 14% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
7 Suspension 7% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 19 complaints (33% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 16 complaints (28% of all).
Electrical system: 12 complaints (21% of all).
Tires: 8 complaints (14% of all).
Powertrain: 6 complaints (10% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 5-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 58 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights12 · 21%
airbag warning light8 · 14%
seat belts6 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 7%
vibration4 · 7%
warning lights, check engine4 · 7%
overheating, coolant loss3 · 5%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 3%
airbags did not deploy1 · 2%
brake failure1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	19	2
Exterior lighting	16	0
Electrical system	12	0
Tires	8	0
Powertrain	6	0
Seat belts	5	0
Suspension	4	0
Service brakes	3	1
Vehicle speed control	3	0
Wheels	2	0
Engine	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0
Seats	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Told suzuki that brakes where no good they said that they seemed fine a week before. The car also would set the cruise control to engage at 0mph and go to 40rpm when I took my foot off brake. The dealer saw no problem. I was going into my driveway at 1mile per hour when the brakes entirely failed.
Service brakes · crash · 2011-10-04 · NHTSA complaint #10428454
The contact was involved in a head on collision and the air bags did not deploy. The contact was at a complete stop when the collision occurred and did not know how fast the other vehicle was traveling. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop to be repaired, but had not been inspected.
Air bags · crash · 2011-05-18 · NHTSA complaint #10401404
There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument cluster later turned on but then turned off again erroneously. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times that day.
Electrical system · 2022-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #11461810
While driving approximately 65 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.
Engine · 2018-05-31 · NHTSA complaint #11098966
Since I have owned this vehicle I have had to replace the low beam headlights about every 3-4 months. The lights even after being replaced will flicker and turn off. I have to open the hood and wiggle the light to come back on. The connectors on the headlights have become overheated and mealted.
Exterior lighting · 2016-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10882201
The head lights keep blowing out, especially the left front. I find myself changing this bulb every 3-5 months. Now the high beams do not turn on from the forward position at the steering wheel, they will work when the arm is pulled back with the high beam light indicating they are working, not the same in the forward…
Exterior lighting · 2016-02-16 · NHTSA complaint #10836482
I had received a safety recall notice for replace the part num. 85107-80j10-bfk at 08/13/14 and try a multiples times contact my nearest dealer I san antonio, tx.
Seat belts · 2015-01-19 · NHTSA complaint #10676452
The head lights keep going off every 4 to 6 months. There's been numerous complaints from other owners on repairpal.com about the same thing and suzuki has not wanted to recognize that there is a problem.
Exterior lighting · 2014-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #10664105

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20072
20089
20094
20107
20114
20123
20137
20149
20155
20164
20181
20191
20221
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,955 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Vitara has 43 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 58, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 58. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (21%), airbag warning light (14%), seat belts (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara?

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 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara 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 2007 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.