AI Damage2011 Suzuki Kizashi: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 41% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 9 complaints (41% of all).
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (23% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVT
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 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 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
He was t-boned on the driver side and the air bags did not deploy. He was in the intersection going around 30 mph, I am not sure how fast the other vehicle was going. This accident happened august 12, 2016 at 9:30 pm.
Been trying to get my repairs on my car since june of 2020 and was just recently told that I could not get my car repaired due to suzuki closing down I can not get my tags because of this issue the recalls has to be fixed
The airbag defect warning light stays on while driving or the car being on. Suzuki depot in sant ana ca replaced the right front passenger seat cushion due to a manufacturer recall. The airbag light for the right front seat soon activated. I took the car to a local shop.
I was driving and stop on a red light I heard a loud noise from under the vehicle so put my car on parking the light change so I shift to drive and the vehicle stay (neutral) no matter what gear it is the car stay neutral .
2011 suzuki kizashi sport sls. Consumer writes in regards to safety and emissions recall. The consumer stated the manufacturer was unable to help locate a local dealer to complete the recall.
Undiagnoseable overheating. When running the air conditioner for long periods of time (I.e. Road trip, less than 90 minutes) the air conditioning stops working and the coolant blows out of the overflow tank. This has happened multiple times.
Six months ago, I had to replace my drivers side lowbeam headlight bulb. It appears to be out again. This seems to be an unusually short amount of time to have a headlight go out.
I got my kizashi in 2012 and have already had to replace the battery twice. I took it to a shop to have looked at and they can't find any reason it keeps being drained the way it has been. I don't know how to fix this.
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 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Kizashi has 18 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 22, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (36%), airbag warning light (5%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi?
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 2011 Suzuki Kizashi 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 2011 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.