2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Vitara years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. That is the most of any Grand Vitara model year in the database (15 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (50 complaints, 31%), typically at around 59,500 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 3 fires, 12 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 161owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 50 | 31% | 59,500 | “air bag” (56%) | $2,950 |
| Exterior Lighting | 30 | 19% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 26 | 16% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 22 | 14% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 6% | 71,250 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 6% | 41,702 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 6% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 5% | 58,900 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 4% | 19,942 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 4% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 4% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 4% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 3% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 3% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 44,905 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification; seats
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Steering:hydraulic power assist system
Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara vehicles. The power steering pump belt tension adjuster pulley has an outer portion that is made of plastic. Repeated heat stress can cause the plastic material to deteriorate, causing pieces of the pulley to break off.
Risk: Broken pieces of the pulley can get caught between the pulley and the drive belt, causing the drive belt to come off, resulting in a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering pump drive belt tension adjuster pulley, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is 4009. Note: The vehicles included in this recall were not previously recalled under 10V-250.
Air bags
Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Grand Vitara and 2007-2011 SX4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, over time, the OCS sensor mat installed in the front passenger seat may fail due to repeated flexing of the mat from use of the seat. As a result, during a crash necessitating deployment, the air bag will deploy regardless of whether the front seat occupant is an adult or a child.
Risk: Air bag deployment with a child in the front passenger side seat increases the risk of injury to that child.
Fix: Suzuki will notify owners and dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion assembly (which includes the OCS sensor mat) free of charge. Sufficient quantities of parts are not currently available to fix all of the affected vehicles. Owners will be notified of the recall in October 2013 and will receive a second notification when parts are available to have their vehicle repaired. The recall began on May 23, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's recall campaign number is VD.
Steering:hydraulic power assist:pump
Problem: Suzuki is recalling certain model year model year 2006 grand vitara and model year 2005-2006 xl-7 vehicles. The tension adjuster pulley for the drive belt that operates the power steering pump and air conditioner compressor (if equipped) has an outer portion that is made of plastic. Repeated heat stress can cause the plastic material to deteriorate and pieces of the pulley can break off.
Risk: Broken pieces of the pulley can get caught between the pulley and the drive belt, causing the drive belt to come off and resulting in the driver needing increased effort to steer the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the power steering pump drive belt tension adjuster pulley free of charge. The safety recall began on june 28, 2010. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Problem: Certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, 'theft protection. ' the automatic transmission selector lever "park" lock function may be inoperative due to a sticking shift lock arm. The shift lever may be able to be shifted out of "park" with the key removed and without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: This can give rise to increased incidents of crashes resulting from the rollaway of parked vehicles as a result of inadvertently moving the shift lever from the "park" position when the parking brake is not fully engaged.
Fix: Dealers will replace the shift lock module free of charge. The recall began on january 7, 2008. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the left side of the retainer rear drive shaft may crack and the gears may get stuck due to oil leakage by the retainer.
Risk: This can lead to the rear differential gears locking up and the vehicle may become disabled increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the left side of the retainer rear drive shaft. Suzuki will call owners on or about december 15, 2005. Followup letters to owners were mailed on february 13, 2006. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Occupant Classification System Failure (PE13021) — opened Jun 14, 2013, closed Sep 30, 2013, led to recall 13V405000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The contact stated that the door ajar warning light was constantly illuminated while the doors were securely closed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front passengerâs side occupant…
I bought this car used one year ago and have had to change the low beam lights twice and now they are out again. At night I drive with the high beams on and they are so weak no one can tell. Last month the engine started surging making the car try to take off wether in neutral, park or drive. I…
The contact owns a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the headlight bulbs several times; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was…
TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED TO PROVIDE THE SPEEDOMETER READING, FUEL GAUGE READING, AND ABS READING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GERMAIN TOYOTA OF NAPLES (13315 TAMIAMI TRL N, NAPLES, FL 34110, [redacted]) TO BE…
I was involved in a front end collision where i t-boned another vehicle and my 2006 suzuki grand vitara became immobilized because the impact was so hard that the driveline broke. But the driver airbag did not deploy at all!
Other Suzuki Grand Vitara years
← 2005 Grand Vitara · 2007 Grand Vitara →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Grand Vitara | 4 | 2 |
| 2012 Grand Vitara | 13 | 2 |
| 2011 Grand Vitara | 11 | 4 |
| 2010 Grand Vitara | 20 | 5 |
| 2009 Grand Vitara | 14 | 4 |
| 2008 Grand Vitara | 42 | 2 |
| 2007 Grand Vitara | 58 | 3 |
| 2006 | 161 | 6 |
| 2005 Grand Vitara | 1 | 1 |
| 2004 Grand Vitara | 8 | 2 |
| 2003 Grand Vitara | 29 | 4 |
| 2002 Grand Vitara | 47 | 4 |
| 2001 Grand Vitara | 38 | 5 |
| 2000 Grand Vitara | 85 | 4 |
| 1999 Grand Vitara | 108 | 4 |
See all Suzuki Grand Vitara problems by year, every Suzuki model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara?
Owners most often report air bags, exterior lighting, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand Vitara model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.