1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 2.5L from North America

Summary:

Reliable 4x4 transportation for winter conditions

Faults:

Check engine light has lit up a couple of times. Just when the new O2 sensor arrives at the shop, the light goes away.

Leaks a little oil from the main seal. Would get it fixed, but the labor costs are outrageous, so I just put up with it.

General Comments:

When I bought it, it had a lot of miles, and was often towed behind an RV. Was told that when towed, the odometer would register those miles. So it may indicate more miles than what have actually been driven.

Have driven it hard in the two years I've owned it, and have really grown to love it. Not very comfortable, or very good on gas mileage, but when I've needed a reliable 4 wheel drive vehicle, it's done great.

Back seat is short on leg room and the cabin feels small. But for my job doing field service work, it's been a perfect vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st March, 2011

29th Oct 2012, 17:16

It was a great vehicle, and with over 325,000 trouble free miles, I couldn't have been any happier, but a few days ago my Grand Vitara had an engine fire. I was in the middle of a two hour drive and stopped at a rest area. When I came out of the rest room, I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood; the top of the engine was on fire. Luckily a couple of truckers there had fire extinguishers, so only the engine and hood were severely damaged.

Still, the expense of repair is more than the vehicle is worth, so it's "totaled". Doing a bit of research, I've found that there was a recall hazard alert several years ago relating to a fuel system problem that caused engine fires. Not sure if this would apply at all, given the fact that this was a fourteen year old vehicle with over 300,000 miles.

Would STRONGLY recommend if anyone has an older GV, that you get the fuel system checked. I wasn't in my vehicle when the fire started, and no one got hurt, but next time I might not be so lucky.

1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara JS 6 cylinder from North America

Faults:

Nothing

General Comments:

After 17K plus miles, the Suzuki seems to be very well made and fun to drive. The ride can be bumpy at times and a little hard to handle in real high winds. Overall, a very enjoyable automobile.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th January, 2000

31st Jan 2002, 11:35

My 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara has 38K, no problems until now, it's going into the shop tomorrow. I love this little SUV; many people stop & peek into my windows at shopping centers.

Will I buy another? Not sure, possibly. JD.

1st Oct 2002, 03:11

Mine is a 1998 Grand Vitara V6. It has had a host of problems, and the service in Australia is woeful, either no-one knows how to work on it, or they are just inept. I have had the car back to the dealer three times with the same problems with no result. Not meant to be really used off-road as the clearance is bad,and no off-road tyres available in that size, and no l.s.d or diff-locks, and no good as an all-road vehicle like the Rav or Forester, because it drives in two wheel drive most of the time, and the back end is so light it handles like a billy cart. A good concept, but poor execution.