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1999 Suzuki Vitara Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Serious

63 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.27 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious99V273002

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH ASSEMBLY.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMP-ACTUATING SWITCH. IF THE BRAKE LAMP-ACTUATING SWITCH DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS MAY BE INOPERATIVE. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE, A FAILURE IN THE BRAKE LAMP-ACTUATING SWITCH MAY ALSO PREVENT SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Serious98V324002

Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL COULD OCCUR raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT COUPLING.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE COUPLING THAT CONNECTS THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT TO THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS CRACKED. THIS COULD ALLOW THE STEERING SHAFTS TO SEPARATE.

Serious99V155000

Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT raises the risk of INJURY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL RETORQUE BOTH OF THE FRONT SEAT BELT LOWER ANCHOR BOLTS TO SPECIFICATION.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 2-DOOR PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PORT INSTALLATION OF REAR STEREO SPEAKERS, THE FRONT SEAT BELT LOWER ANCHOR BOLTS WERE REMOVED TO FACILITATE THE REAR SPEAKER INSTALLATION AND MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED TO SPECIFICATION AFTER INSTALLATION OF THE SPEAKERS.

Serious09E012000

Exterior Lighting

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Moderate99V154000

Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.

ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD OCCUR DUE TO THE PINCHED WIRES.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POSITION/CONDITION OF THE REAR WIRING HARNESS AND REPAIR THE WIRING HARNESS, IF NECESSARY.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 2-DOOR PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PORT INSTALLATION OF REAR STEREO SPEAKERS, THE VEHICLES WIRING HARNESS COULD HAVE BEEN PINCHED BETWEEN THE REAR STEREO SPEAKER AND SPEAKER RETAINING PLATE.

Complaint volume

63 this model-year 7 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

3Crashes
1Fires
2Injuries
0Deaths

Across 63 complaints. Severity Index 0.27.

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

Suspension9 · 14%Suspension · Front6 · 10%Engine And Engine Cooling…4 · 6%Unknown Or Other4 · 6%Vehicle Speed Control3 · 5%Exterior Lighting · Brake…3 · 5%Equipment · Appliance · A…2 · 3%Power Train · Manual Tran…2 · 3%
  1. Suspension — 9 reports
  2. Suspension:Front — 6 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 4 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 4 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports
  6. Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch — 3 reports
  7. Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner — 2 reports
  8. Power Train:Manual Transmission:Floor Shift Assembly — 2 reports
  9. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 2 reports
  10. Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) — 2 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 · 2000 (1) · 2001 (1) · 2004 (1)

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.