Most common 1999 Suzuki Vitara problems
Share of the 50 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Suzuki Vitara complaints by model year
Best Vitara years: 2001. Years to avoid: 1999. Compare all years →
1999 Suzuki Vitara recalls (4)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch assembly.
Equipment › Electrical › Radio/tape deck/cd etc.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the position/condition of the rear wiring harness and repair the wiring harness, if necessary.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
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.
Remedy: Dealers will retorque both of the front seat belt lower anchor bolts to specification.
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering shaft coupling.
What 1999 Suzuki Vitara owners say
Suspension
Front suspension crossmember has rusted through on my 1999 Suzuki Vitara. The Chevrolet tracker, which is the same car has had a safety recall due to this issue. This poses a significant safety concern!
Bumpy/vibration felt at 35+ MPH, smooths out to some degree above 45 until you reach 60+. Vibration above 60 feels as if you May not have steering control. A/C control lever does not open/close completely. A/C froze under dash on passenger side, would not cool, water discharged into floor board. Does not adequately cool interior in direct sun with tempts. Above 85. Gear shifter sometimes (sporadic) jams - problem appears to deal with 2nd gear (sometimes 1st to 2nd or 3rd to 2nd). When it jams it feels as if something is hitting rubber (no noise) and you have to force shifter into place. I have had to stop and release and repress clutch and move shifter around on at least two occasions. This has happened to other drivers as well. It does happen sporadically, can most often be forced into gear at this time, service dept. Can't find anything. After four trips to service dept. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Bumpy/vibration felt at 35+ MPH, smooths out to some degree above 45 until you reach 60+. Vibration above 60 feels as if you May not have steering control. A/C control lever does not open/close completely. A/C froze under dash on passenger side, would not cool, water discharged into floor board. Does not adequately cool interior in direct sun with tempts. Above 85. Gear shifter sometimes (sporadic) jams - problem appears to deal with 2nd gear (sometimes 1st to 2nd or 3rd to 2nd). When it jams it feels as if something is hitting rubber (no noise) and you have to force shifter into place. I have had to stop and release and repress clutch and move shifter around on at least two occasions. This has happened to other drivers as well. It does happen sporadically, can most often be forced into gear at this time, service dept. Can't find anything. After four trips to service dept. …
Transmission does not shift into gear. Dealer has attempted to repair vehicle. Consumer states transmission has failed to work properly since purchase date, while traveling on highway transmission would not go into 5th gear, making it impossible to merge into traffic, consumer was informed by dealer that they would replace the transmission but it would take three weeks for the transmission to come in and one week to replace, when consumer picked up vehicle he was told that a reciept was unavailable and one year later when he obtained a reciept stating that transmission was rebuilt and not replaced, consumer states between 3-23-2000 and 3-16-2001 it becaome diffucult to down shift into 3rd gearand impossible to go into reverse.
Engine & cooling
Bumpy/vibration felt at 35+ MPH, smooths out to some degree above 45 until you reach 60+. Vibration above 60 feels as if you May not have steering control. A/C control lever does not open/close completely. A/C froze under dash on passenger side, would not cool, water discharged into floor board. Does not adequately cool interior in direct sun with tempts. Above 85. Gear shifter sometimes (sporadic) jams - problem appears to deal with 2nd gear (sometimes 1st to 2nd or 3rd to 2nd). When it jams it feels as if something is hitting rubber (no noise) and you have to force shifter into place. I have had to stop and release and repress clutch and move shifter around on at least two occasions. This has happened to other drivers as well. It does happen sporadically, can most often be forced into gear at this time, service dept. Can't find anything. After four trips to service dept. …
From day one, the belt on the car made a chirping noise. The car had gone back to the dealer on 4 different occassions-and as of right now, the belt has been changed three different times, but the noise continues. When it rains, it gets a very loud squeaky noise. Additionally, the check engine light came on right after purchase. I took the car back to the delaer at least twice, and I was told it was the sensor, because the engine was fine. However, the check engine light continued to come on occassionally off and on. I had consistent oil changes and scheduled maintenance done, but last week, engine check light starting flashing. Come to find out, the #3 cylinder going into the engine was gone. I was told this had to be and on-going problem-it did not happen over night. Evidently, there was a problem exactly all the times the light came on. …
1999 Suzuki Vitara engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 22 / 26 / 24 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 22 / 25 / 23 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 22 / 25 / 23 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 21 / 24 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 22 / 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 22 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Suzuki Vitara a good car?
Based on 50 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Vitara rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Vitara at the same age. It is one of the Vitara years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Suzuki Vitara?
The suspension — 15 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (10) and engine & cooling (8).
How many recalls does the 1999 Suzuki Vitara have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1999 Suzuki Vitara, the most recent from October 15, 1999 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Suzuki Vitara?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999. See the full Suzuki Vitara years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Suzuki Vitara problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 125,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.