2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Steering Problems

Which parts fail

• Column
  2
• Hydraulic power assist › Pump
  2

Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  421%
• 25k–50k
  526%
• 50k–75k
  632%
• 75k–100k
  211%
• 100k–150k
  211%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 6,500 miles steering column. Brought to dealer for steering column being loose. Told us they did not know why it got loose but they tightened up. Thought problem was fixed. About two months later while driving steering column collapsed onto lap causing driver to lose control of car.

There is a very dangerous problem with the 2006, 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The power steering tensioner, due to its defective design, can fall apart at anytime. That particular part has since been redesigned, due to many failures, and the new part subsequently utilized in the later models of that vehicle. However, no attempt has been made by Suzuki to recall the vehicle or inform it's owners about the problem. When the power steering tensioner breaks apart, the power steering is immediately disabled and the driver is faced with a very sudden, severe increase in effort, required to steer the vehicle. Many people would panic in that situation and could very likely have a collision. As soon as I described the problem to the service manager, he immediately knew what the problem was and had me bring in the vehicle for repairs. …

I was driving my 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.7l SUV -turning through a major intersection when the power steering belt tensioner pulley lost it's outer ring without warning. The loss of this ring caused the belt to slip, resulting in a complete loss of steering, not just power steering, but of steering altogether because the belt slippage was causing intermittent pumping of the power steering pump, causing fluid cavitation and making the wheel impossible to turn. By sheer luck I managed to get my vehicle to turn by almost hitting a car head -on. Suzuki knows about the issue with the 2006 and 2007 Grand Vitara power steering pump tensioner pulleys and has even released a revised part that uses a metal outer ring on the pulley instead of the original plastic one. …

The vehicle was shipped to a Suzuki dealer in puerto rico and then shipped back to the USA. Once shipped to puerto rico, Suzuki provides a specific VIN as vehicles exported out of the USA. The vehicle was shipped back to USA in 2009 and ever since I have received three safety recall notifications to have done by local Suzuki dealer. We contacted the local Suzuki dealers several times and the VIN does not appear in their system at all. I been told they will not service my vehicle being that it was ship from puerto rico and the only place they would fix the recall would be there. I have contacted corporate Suzuki multiple times and been told they can't do much to try to negotiate with the dealer again which has refused to do the service. I have been many hours explaining my situation to different individuals from dealer and Suzuki and never come to a solution after several months. …

My 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara has a broken power steering tensioner pulley. The reason is that the many 2006 models of the Grand Vitara used a metal pulley wrapped with a piece of plastic around it. The plastic has cracked, and according to Suzuki, it is not free to replace it. Since 2007, Suzuki has started using a all-solid metal tensioner pulley after realizing that plastic tends to break more often. According to Suzuki, a broken tensioner pulley will lead to immediate and sudden loss of power steering. This could cause major accidents when power steering stops working without prior notice. Having realized this design flaw, Suzuki is still not willing to replace the plastic-covered tensioner pulley for free, asking me for $200 for the replacement. This issue seems to be a safety concern where I am not at fault. …

Brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor before engaging and at times there is a grinding noise from the front of the vehicle. When I took it to get the brakes checked, the pads were fine, but one of the calipers was misaligned. When I took the Suzuki Grand Vitara in to get the recalled power steering tensioner pulley replaced, and for servicing, they loaned me a vehicle. I almost went though the windshield with the functional brakes of the loaner, actually any brakes on any other vehicle I drive. It almost feels as if the brake pedal will go all the way to the floor. I have had to use my automatic transmission gears to slow the vehicle down. Brake shoes, pads whatever they are called are fine. The dealership doesn't think that safety is a concern. …

I was driving my 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.7l SUV on a highway when the power steering belt tensioner pulley lost it's outer ring without warning. The loss of this ring caused the belt to slip, resulting in a complete loss of steering, not just power steering, but of steering altogether because the belt slippage was causing intermittent pumping of the power steering pump, causing fluid cavitation and making the wheel impossible to turn. By sheer luck I managed to get the car off of the highway without crashing. Suzuki knows about the issue with the 2006 and 2007 Grand Vitara power steering pump tensioner pulleys and has even released a revised part that uses a metal outer ring on the pulley instead of the original plastic one. The part was $180 after tax, and took an hour of labor to install. There needs to be a recall on this defect before somebody gets killed.

Getting off the freeway I experienced a major loss of power steering on my 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. I was barely able to "muscle" it to my office a few blocks away. In searching the web, I discovered there is a design flaw with the belt tensioner where a molded plastic outer ring is prone to failure. When this breaks, the belt becomes loose and looses its grip on the power steering pump. Sure enough, parts of the broken outer ring were found in the pan under the engine. Suzuki has corrected the problem on newer cars with an all metal pulley and it's an easy replacement. I was lucky, had the failure occurred going around a curve or turning in an intersection it could have caused a serious accident. Suzuki is aware of the problem but there has been no recall and will not replace the part if the car is out of warranty.

Tl contact owns a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The contact received a recall associated with the NHTSA campaign id number 10V250000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump). An authorized dealer was notified and the technician stated that the recalled part was available. An appointment was scheduled for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer which was located approximately 28 miles from his residence. The dealer inspected the vehicle and did not repair it since the part was not in stock. The contact had concerns about the part not being available as well as the uncertainty as to when it would be available. He expressed his concern about the potential safety hazard. There were no failures at this time. Updated 8/25/10 updated 08/27/10 updated 08/30/10

Started my car and there was a loud odd noise coming from under the hood, after a little investigation, I found that the power steering tensioner (which on early 06 models such as mine was made from plastic) had cracked causing a loud noise as well as an end to my power steering. The car is without power steering. I called the local dealership and they are not going to fix it as it doesn't fall under warranty, however, upon further investigation this same issue has happened to multiple early model 06 Suzuki Grand Vitara owners. Suzuki fixed the problem with later 06 models and on newer models by changing the tension pulley from plastic to steel.

Related recalls

Steering complaints in other Grand Vitara years