1999 Suzuki Vitara JX 1.8 from North America

Summary:

Invest the money on an SUV that provides reliability

Faults:

The transmission went at 50,000 miles.

The dealership wanted to charge me an outrageous sum and of course it was not covered under the warranty.

Also have had problems with the A/C and the fan belts (had to have those replaced 3 times in the first year.)

General Comments:

I would never buy a Suzuki car again. The Suzuki service people seemed very annoyed at having to work on my car. I suppose I don't blame them. You get what you pay for.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th August, 2005

1999 Suzuki Vitara 2 door soft top, 4x4, stick 2.0L from North America

Summary:

Good fun, economical and practical. Utilitarian

Faults:

The soft top has some ripped stitches around the rear window.

Hard to get into 3rd gear from 4th, and reverse sometimes.

Mother in law broke passenger interior door panel off.

Various plastic bits falling off.

Sometimes stalls when waiting at lights when cold.

General Comments:

Fun, economical little vehicle.

Very practical.

Rear seats fold down so holds a lot of stuff.

I've even carried a 20' ladder utilizing the sunroof.

Very good off road (4x4, Hi & Low) - gets into some tight spots.

Seems to get 25 mpg all the time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th June, 2004

7th Mar 2005, 14:39

Good mileage, and good off-road are traits of the Suzuki 4x4's! However they do have some chincy interior. A worthwhile sacrifice if you ask me, seeing as they are so affordable. Is the shifting difficult because of the amount of force required, or because of the small space between the forks in the shift boot area? I got used to that part quickly, but if you have to push hard, you could probably use a good transmission flush and filter change. That helps a lot. And for the stalling problem, a thorough fuel system flush will solve that. Restoring fuel flow makes a huge difference in power, as well. If you do get your fuel system flushed, be sure you change the fuel filter as well, to keep the fuel lines clean for a good long time.

1999 Suzuki Vitara JLX 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Look elsewhere for compact a S.U.V!

Faults:

The heater belt was defective until Suzuki fixed the belt problem, took a year and half to fix.

Canvas does not fit correctly on the soft top.

Reverse and 3rd gear grind. Engine raps before r.p.m. is necessary to shift gears.

General Comments:

Snow is not a factor in this vehicles performance, however if you like taking the trails, I would not recommend for off-road/4x4 fun.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th March, 2001

17th Jun 2001, 00:03

My 1999 Suzuki Vitara (in Canada) has also had problems with the transmission. In the first few weeks of ownership I noticed that the tranny made a grinding noise when down-shifting from 4 - 3 and 3 - 2 and sometimes when up-shifting as well. The dealership was quick to try and fix it and on the third try finally got it right. The mechanic at the dealership said this was a some what common problem in these vehicles. If you notice this problem in your vehicle, complain until it is fixed, it is a manufacture defect and should be fixed under warranty.

27th Nov 2002, 19:56

I own the same Suzuki Vitara (Ecuador, SouthAmerica) and also had the same problems with the transmission. The car has a poor build quality everything is making noise on that car.

28th Jun 2003, 13:22

My 1999 2dr 4x4 Vitara also has the same transmission problems, it grinds on the 5-4,& 4-3 downshifts, sometimes on the 3-2 down shift, that was @ 85,000 km.

Now with 200,000 km on it it doesn't grind anymore, but now the bearings in the transmission case are shot. I complained to Suzuki Canada, and the selling dealer, but they have both said no goodwill. It has yet to miss a service... but amazingly enough it still drives daily (until

I rebuild the transmission in 2weeks)

5th Jan 2005, 07:43

My Suzuki Vitara has had transmission problems, I cannot seem to get them fixed. It appears to be in the 4 wheel drive. took it to the dealer and they said it was fixed. But it is not. when I try to use the 4 wheel drive it makes grinding noises. Now it is having brake problems, I suddenly lost the brakes, they went to the floor, and I don't know why. now they are working again. I like the car a lot, but I am getting discouraged. It only has 83,000 miles on it and has not been abused. It still gets very good mileage and I would like to keep it. BA Allen, Brasstown, NC. 28902