AI Damage2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 42
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 48% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 24% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 2% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 2% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 2% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 20 complaints (48% of all).
- Air bags: 12 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (24% of all).
- Engine: 3 complaints (7% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (5% 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 42 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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 contact stated that while driving 30 mph, she crashed into the rear of another vehicle but the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and the contact sustained whiplash and minor bruising. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
The air bags did not deploy and the contact sustained injuries to the back. A police report was filed. The vehicle sustained severe front end damage and was towed to a collision repair center. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
The drivers' side of my car was hit, as I was making a left turn, by a car traveling approx 50mph. That car had run a red light. My seat belt had come undone upon impact.
While stopped at traffic light at idle, I can hear a knocking noise in the engine compartment. Took it to my mechanic, and believe it is coming from the lower engine. He removed the oil pan and found that the rod and crankshaft bearing has movement. The car is 2008 and only has 36,000 miles.
The Air Bag Light remain on . The vehicle was checked in a scanner and the codes B1312 and B1319 where found..I want to know if are recalls for this car. If yes What dealer in Puerto Rico can repair it.
Then about 2 years ago I started having problems with lever and knob that changes the light function setting settings even to the point of being stop by highway patrol officers stopping me because I had no tail lights but managed to play with the settings knob to get them working.
While driving 50 mph, the headlights and daytime running lights failed and turned off, one shortly after the other. The contact replaced the bulbs several times, but the failure recurred.
Put vehicle in reverse and thought I was backing up, but when I put shifter in drive, it kept going backwards. I realized being on a down slope, that shifter was not working and I had idled backwards. I put shifter in drive position and continued idling backwards into a snow bank.
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 5,819 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Grand Vitara has 43 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 42, about average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- Grand Vitara 1999108 sources
- Grand Vitara 200085 sources
- Grand Vitara 200138 sources
- Grand Vitara 200247 sources
- Grand Vitara 200329 sources
- Grand Vitara 20048 sources
- Grand Vitara 2006161 sources
- Grand Vitara 200758 sources
- Grand Vitara 200914 sources
- Grand Vitara 201020 sources
- Grand Vitara 201111 sources
- Grand Vitara 201213 sources
- Grand Vitara 20134 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (36%), airbag warning light (10%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.