2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 1,920 on record.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara recalls 2
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.
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 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 o…
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 …
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara safety ratings
Rollover risk: 18.5% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4-DR. w/SAB. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 2 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
What's a 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara worth?
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
NHTSA defect investigations 1
Occupant Classification System Failure Closed
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…
NHTSA #PE13021 · Air Bags · opened Jun 2013 · closed Sep 2013An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.
Manufacturer service bulletins 7
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered.
Reminder of the importance to conduct safety inspections for rust damage to suspension and related parts that could be caused by road salt or other chemicals applied to the roadway.
Bulletin SUZ_016008 · Suspension, Structure · Jul 2022This Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki automobile distributors in the U.S., explaining the importance of proper inspection and maintenance of suspension lower arm ball joints to prevent the ball stud from becoming s…
Bulletin N-Q-G-045 · Suspension, Equipment · Nov 2018SUZUKI: FUEL GAUGE TAKES A LONG TIME MOVING, AFTER FILL UP, BECAUSE OF TWO (2) DIFFERENT FUEL METER MODES, NORMAL MODE AND REFUEL MODE, FOR GAUGE MOVEMENT. MODELS 2006-2008 GRAND VITARA. *PE
Bulletin TSB-37-07188 · Fuel System, Other · Nov 2012SUZUKI: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 'AIR BAG' WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION. *JS UPDATED 7/25/12. *PE
Bulletin ABE-ZA-120418 · Air Bags · Jul 2012SUZUKI: THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION ASSEMBLY HAS THE SENSOR MAT LOCATED WITHIN AND THE ELECTRIC DISCONNECTION (OPEN) WILL OCCUR DUE TO REPEATED FLEXING, THAT MAY DEVELOP. *PE UPDATED 04/10/2013 *JS
Bulletin TSB-TS06-05212 · Air Bags · Jun 2012SUZUKI: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, WITHIN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION, THE SENSING SENSOR MAT, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT DISCONNECTION MAY HAVE DEVELOPED, DUE TO REPEATED FLEXING. *PE
Bulletin SC-60R-1 · Air Bags · May 2012DTC C1230 (TRANSFER ACTUATOR CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION) DETECTING CONDITION AND TROUBLESHOOTING. *NJ
Bulletin 0808177 · Electrical SystemSource: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the GRAND VITARA RWD/AWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
Canadian recalls 2
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system not to turn off the airbag when an infant or child is seated in the front passenger seat. This could also cause the passenger seat belt reminder to activate when the seat is empty. Note: This problem only affects vehicles with leather seats. Safety Risk…
Transport Canada #2019129 · Mar 2019Airbag
On certain vehicles, the Occupant Classification System may malfunction, causing the airbag warning lamp to illuminate, and could fail to disable the passenger airbag if a child were seated in the front passenger seating position. This could result in an unwarranted airbag deployment in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to a child seated in the front passenger seat. Note:…
Transport Canada #2013305 · Sep 2013Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Suzuki Vitara is a series of SUVs produced by Suzuki in five generations since 1988. The second and third generation were known as the Suzuki Grand Vitara, while the fourth generation eschewed the "Grand" prefix. In Japan and a number of other markets, all generations have used the name Suzuki Escudo until 2024.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara trims & engines on record
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara vehicles on record
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara LuxuryJS3TD947584100291
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara XSportJS3TE944484101029
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941784103248
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941884100035
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941X84102160
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941384102312
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941584101307
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara XSportJS3TD944984102275
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941884100443
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941384104087
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941884100894
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara XSportJS3TE944184101876
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941584103104
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941384100706
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941884100603
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941484103207
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941X84101027
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941984101792
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara LuxuryJS3TD947784100776
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941584102129
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941984100726
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TD941884100703
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara LuxuryJS3TE947084100504
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara BaseJS3TE941684101555