Suzuki Electrical System: Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Suzuki is recalling about 32,291 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. If the drive belt comes off, requiring the driver to use increased steering effort, or the engine stalls, a vehicle crash could occur.

Campaign
11V055000
Manufacturer
AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP.
Reported
27 January 2011
Vehicles
32,291
Built between
Not published
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
16 February 2011
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.

  • 2009-2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  • 2010-2011 Suzuki SX4

What the defect is

Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 suzuki grand vitara multipurpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4-CYLINDER engines; model year 2011 suzuki grand vitara multipurpose passenger vehicles produced prior to october 17, 2010; model year 2010 suzuki SX4 passenger vehicles; and 2011 suzuki SX4 passenger vehicles produced prior to october 14, 2010. The tension adjuster pulley for the drive belt that operates the alternator, water pump, air conditioner compressor and power steering pump, has an improperly manufactured internal spring that can break due to repeated stress. If the spring breaks, the drive belt will not be adjusted properly and can slip, causing a squeaking noise. Or the drive belt could come off causing the driver to increase to steer the vehicle. This can also cause the coolant temperature indication to rise, which can lead to the engine overheating, or can cause the charging light to come on, which can lead to battery discharge and engine stall.

What could happen

If the drive belt comes off, requiring the driver to use increased steering effort, or the engine stalls, a vehicle crash could occur

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TENSION ADJUSTER PULLEY WITH AN IMPROVED PART. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 16, 2011.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA27 January 2011
  2. Owners notified16 February 2011

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 27 January 2011.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact suzuki at 1-887-697-8985 or visit suzuki's website at http://www.suzukiauto.com.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
SM
Recalling manufacturer
AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Suzuki safety recall no. Sm.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> .

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand