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2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

17 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.29 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V187000

Seats

In the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment, an incorrect classification may result in the passenger frontal air bag deploying even if there is a child in the front passenger seat, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat bottom cushion, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on May 3, 2019. All second letters notifying owners of the remedy were mailed by April 10, 2020. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's numbers for this recall are 4011 and 4012.

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kizashi and 2006-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles. The front passenger leather seat may shrink due to high humidity and high temperature. As a result, the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor mat may not accurately detect if an adult or child is occupying the seat.

Serious17V085000

Power Train:Manual Transmission

If the transmission cannot be shifted, it can raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the gear shift rear shaft, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is VZ.

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Grand Vitara vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The gear shift rear shaft on these vehicles may break, preventing the gears from being able to be changed.

Complaint volume

17 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

1Crashes
1Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 17 complaints. Severity Index 0.29.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags7 · 41%Seats2 · 12%Fuel System, Gasoline1 · 6%Engine And Engine Cooling1 · 6%Exterior Lighting1 · 6%Electrical System1 · 6%Unknown Or Other1 · 6%Power Train1 · 6%
  1. Air Bags — 7 reports
  2. Seats — 2 reports
  3. Fuel System, Gasoline — 1 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling — 1 reports
  5. Exterior Lighting — 1 reports
  6. Electrical System — 1 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports
  8. Power Train — 1 reports
  9. Seat Belts — 1 reports
  10. Steering — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1999 (5) · 2000 (5) · 2001 (6) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (4) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (6) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (2) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (4) · 2012 · 2013 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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