2012 Suzuki Kizashi Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Kizashi years
- About as many complaints as other years 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi. That is the most of any Kizashi model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 35%), typically at around 79,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 23owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Suzuki Kizashi 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 | 8 | 35% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 35% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 17% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 17% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 17% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 13% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 9% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 9% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 9% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% | 9,800 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Suzuki Kizashi recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module; air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling 2010-2013 Kizashi vehicles. The front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) may misclassify an adult occupant as child and deactivate the front air bag.
Risk: The deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Suzuki will notify owners, and service providers will replace the front passenger seat cushion, which includes a new OCS mat assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed on October 29, 2021. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is C5.
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.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Suzuki Kizashi vehicles. Dust can enter the vent line that provides fresh air to the carbon canister, restricting its air flow and possibly creating excessive negative pressure in the fuel tank which may result in the fuel tank cracking.
Risk: A cracked tank may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Suzuki has sent owners an initial notification to inform them of the recall. When parts are available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will install a cover over the opening near the suction pipe inlet, and relocate the suction filter. The fuel cap and fuel tank will also be replaced with improved parts. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 SX4 vehicles manufactured July 16, 2009, to November 1, 2012, and 2010-2013 Kizashi vehicles manufactured October 13, 2009, to October 31, 2012. The shift selector can be moved out of the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: If the shift selector is moved out of the "Park" position while the brake pedal is not depressed, the vehicle may unexpectedly roll, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift selector assembly and inspect, and if necessary, replace the shift knob, free of charge. The recall began January 16, 2015. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-714-996-7040. Suzuki's number for this recall is VL.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: Suzuki Motor Of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Kizashi vehicles manufactured October 2009 through July 2012. In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the fuel tank to have an excessive amount of negative pressure.
Risk: Negative pressure could cause the fuel tank to crack resulting in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Suzuki is in the process of notifying owners, and dealers will replace the evaporative canister vent line on the affected vehicles with a vent line that has a filter on the end. If the canister vent line is found to be obstructed by a spider web, the fuel tank will also be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is VG.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This is my son's vehicle, purchased by me in January 2025. He attends a college 110 miles from home in PA. As the warmer/hot weather came along in 2025, he was experiencing random scary situations of the car just going into "limp mode" while driving 70 - 75 mph on [XXX]. No warning indicators, no…
Purchased car from family friend about two weeks ago. First day we got the car, it shifted extremely hard. The transmission is causing the RPMs to rise RAPIDLY when trying to shift gears. It also cut ALL movement to the vehicle, meaning could not move forward or reverse. Hard shifting or not…
The contact owns a 2012 Suzuki Kizashi. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V187000 (Seats, Air Bags); however, the contact was informed that the dealer could not repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer and the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
I bought the vehicle in a dealer, the vehicle came with serious mechanical failures which, when purchasing it, asked the owner what problems the vehicle actually had, which responded that it could have a fault in the vehicle sensor, which is normal in vehicles of that brand. . The next day we took…
On long trips vehicle shuts down and goes into limp mode. It has a very rough idle after restart when it allows you to go. The rims have massively lost large chunks of paint from them as well.It is never close to a dealership when it happens. This normally happens when you are running on the…
Other Suzuki Kizashi years
← 2011 Kizashi · 2013 Kizashi →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Kizashi | 5 | 6 |
| 2012 | 23 | 5 |
| 2011 Kizashi | 22 | 5 |
| 2010 Kizashi | 23 | 6 |
See all Suzuki Kizashi problems by year, every Suzuki model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Suzuki models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Kizashi model years, the 2012 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.