Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I have two issues, and have had these issues since buying the car about 3 years ago,when running the car cold the brakes do not depress the first time I brake, it takes alot of force to get the car to stop, if it is warmed up for 15 min or so it will not have the issue, but figures it should be addressed. My other issue is the headlights, they burn out constantly, I change then ever 2 or so months alternating between drivers side and passanger side.
Told Suzuki that brakes where no good they said that they seemed fine a week before. The car also would set the cruise control to engage at 0mph and go to 40rpm when I took my foot off brake. The dealer saw no problem. I was going into my driveway at 1mile per hour when the brakes entirely failed.
My rear brakes are making a loud noice like metal against metal. I had the brakes checked at several places, including a Suzuki dealership (wright Suzuki) in addition to Firestone and mr. Tire. All three said my rear brakes are in excellent condition as well as the front. I also reported that the brake pedal seems to go down a little further than what I precive as normal (compared to other vehicles). This started about 6 months ago and I just had them checked again on 8/28/10 at mr. Tire again, and nothing is wrong. When I took my car to wright Suzuki to have another recall on the same vechicle certified that I had the work done earlier, another Suzuki Grand Vitara like mine was pulling into the service bay and it's rear brakes were making the same noice as mine. …
Excessive tire wear on 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. I have had to replace my tires on my vehicle four times in three years and all Suzuki will say is it is an alignment problem and a wear problem and they are not responsible for it. I have spent more money on tires in the last three years for this vehicle than I can afford. And my tires keep going bald within 12K miles or less and I have put three different types of tires on the vehicle. There are several blogs about this problem but Suzuki refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem with the vehicle and not the tires. How many times does it take to rotate tires and get alignments on a normal working vehicle it should not have tires wearing out to bald and threadbare before a 3K mile rotation is done on them. Vehicle also skids on wet roads and alignments keep going out on vehicle and cannot be adjusted any more. …
At speed of 55 MPH on a highway, I was cut off by another vehicle. I had to apply my brakes quickly, and much to my shock, the car went sideways and slammed into a steel divider. This caused body damage to my vehicle to the entire passenger side - from front to back and everything in between. I have not had any repairs done as of yet.
Dt: the consumer stated there was a loud popping sound while driving at 35-40 MPH. This happened without warning and no previous problems. The consumer inspected the vehicle because she thought she May have run over something. There was no evidence of this, and she proceeded. Afterwards, the brakes were hard to apply. Again the popping noise became more prominent after applying brake pressure. The consumer inspected the vehicle again and discovered nothing at that time. The popping noise continued along with hard braking, and the vehicle was pulling to the right in which they stated that the rear brakes failed along with the struts. The entire hardware including the shoes and the drums were destroyed. The mechanic could not diagnose why this problem occurred. The vehicle was currently in the shop for repairs. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and pulling out of the driveway, the steering wheel became very hard to turn and the vehicle almost turned over when the brake was applied. The contact also stated that the vehicle proceeded to accelerate while the brakes were engaged. The vehicle was steered into the bushes to avoid a crash and was then shutdown with the keys. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the throttle body had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 78,400. Updated 04/02/13 the consumer stated she was arrested because of this event. Updated 04/18/2013
My car was called back years ago but never serviced . They said they'd call never did. Now I'm expieriencing problems vith my car. It has been an excellent car and wouldn't trade it for anything. It's a 2001 Grand Vitara standard and it cranks but won't start. It's happend before. My gas peddle goes all the way on the floor. Doesn't feel right. Feels as if a line was broken. The car use to shift to the side when hitting the brakes. Can you help? What is it? I haven't been sble to use my car for a week.
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Rotor
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 16-inch wheels, the front brake discs May break under severe driving conditions. The breakage can occur in conditions where the vehicle is driven on a regular basis on extremely steep paved down-slopes while continuously applying the brakes.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front brake discs on these vehicles. The recall began on November 10, 2005. These vehicles are located on st. Thomas island (virgin islands). Owners May contact Suzuki del caribe at 787-622-0600.
Frequently asked questions
Which Suzuki Grand Vitara years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (16), 2002 (10), 2006 (10), 2000 (8) and 2001 (5) model years. Brake complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Suzuki Grand Vitara brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 05V-452 (rotor, Oct 5, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Suzuki Grand Vitara brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles; 63% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (9 mentions), followed by the foundation components (4).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.