2008 Suzuki SX4 recalls and problems

The 2008 Suzuki SX4 has 3 recalls and 101 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is air bags.

How the 2008 compares

Highest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 8 SX4 model years — the most of any year.

3recalls

101complaints

10crashes

2fires

9injuries

50,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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3 recalls

Air Bags

Sep 6, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V405000 · 189,901 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Note: Vehicles which previously had a countermeasure occupant classification system (OCS) sensor mat installed under the special coverage campaign conducted by Suzuki distributors in the United States are not affected by this recall.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Visibility

Oct 19, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V513000 · 69,587 vehicles

Problem: Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2007 SX4 hatchback and model year 2008-2010 SX4 hatchback and sedan passenger vehicles. The three screws that secure each of the outside rear view mirrors to the mirror base can come loose due to vibration.

Original NHTSA wording

SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 SX4 HATCHBACK AND MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 SX4 HATCHBACK AND SEDAN PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE THREE SCREWS THAT SECURE EACH OF THE OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS TO THE MIRROR BASE CAN COME LOOSE DUE TO VIBRATION.

Risk: If a rear view mirror falls off the vehicle the driver will have reduced visibility increasing the risk of a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

IF A REAR VIEW MIRROR FALLS OFF THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER WILL HAVE REDUCED VISIBILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the base screws on both outer rear view mirrors free of charge. The safety recall began on November 5, 2010. Owners May contact Suzuki at 1-887-697-8985 or visit Suzuki's website at http://www.suzukiauto.com.

Suzuki safety recall no. Sk.owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Equipment

Sep 1, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V392000 · 20,692 vehicles

Problem: Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 SX4, 2010 grand vitara, and 2009 through 2010 equator vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750, 760, and 765 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected GPS units can overheat.

Original NHTSA wording

SUZUKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 SX4, 2010 GRAND VITARA, AND 2009 THROUGH 2010 EQUATOR VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750, 760, AND 765 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Risk: Overheated batteries could result in a fire.

Original NHTSA wording

OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & notes

Suzuki will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on September 24, 2010. Owners May contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or Suzuki at 1-887-697-8985. Owners May also visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.

Suzuki's recall campaign number is sj.owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Occupant Classification System Failure

PE13021 · opened Jun 14, 2013 · closed Sep 30, 2013 · led to recall 13V405000

Summary

Suzuki Motor of America is conducting a safety recall to remedy the occupant classification system's (OCS) sensor mats in approximately 193,936 model year 2006-2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2007-2011 Suzuki SX4 vehicles (see NHTSA recall 13V-405 for more details).The sensor mat installed in the front passenger seat can develop an electrical circuit disconnection as a result of repeated flexing of the seat from use of the seat.According to Suzuki, when the failure occurs, the OCS system, by design, will not suppress the frontal passenger air bag for a seated child or small-stature adult.A deploying passenger air bag can cause serious injury to such an occupant.The recall population excludes those vehicles that previously had proper remedies under the special coverage campaign for this issue (~11,600) that began in July 2012.The recall remedy will be to install a new front passenger seat cushion assembly that includes an improved OCS sensor mat and an OCS control module with updated algorithms designed to properly identify the type/size of the seated occupant.Consequently, this recall action will address various OCS related problems, including a programming error (associated with diagnostic trouble code B1318) related to detecting a change or shifting in load on the front passenger seat in the model year 2009 Grand Vitara and SX4 vehicles.This Preliminary Evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID …

2008 vs. other Suzuki SX4 years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2008. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2008 Suzuki SX4 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2008 Suzuki SX4, the latest from Sep 6, 2013 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Suzuki SX4?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention air bags (74), electrical system (12), seat belts (10). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.