There are many reports of low beam head light bulbs burning out prematurely. As of this writing Suzuki has not released a service bulletin addressing this issue. Using only high quality replacement bulbs, and extra care not to touch the bulb surface when handling the new bulb can help extend the life of the replacement bulbs.
Resources for the Repair and Maintenance of your 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Problems
AC not Blowing Cold Air Due to Failed AC Condenser Fan Motor
Heating & Air Conditioning --
Verified
The AC condenser fan motor may fail. If this occurs the air conditioning will stop blowing cold air.
Oil Leak/Noise Due to Timing Chain Cover Gasket/Tensioner Failure
Engine --
Verified
The timing chain cover gasket and timing chain tensioner may fail, causing an oil leak or excessive noise. Because removing the timing chain is labor intensive, this can be an expensive repair.
Abnormail Noise From Front of Engine
Engine --
Verified
A knocking sound may be noted from the engine when warm due to improper drive belt tension. Correcting the drive belt tension will commonly repair this concern.
Revised Seal to Correct Leak at Right Front Axle
Drive Train --
Verified
An oil leak may develop form the right front axle seal. Our technicians tell us a revised axle seal is available to correct this concern.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Recalls (Recent)
The Passenger Airbag May Not Deploy Correctly
Body, Interior & Misc., September 6, 2013
RepairPal Expert Overview:
The passenger seat contains a sensor which helps determine if the passenger front airbag should deploy or not in the event of a crash. It is called the occupant classification system (OCS), and is a mat that is part of the passenger seat cushion. These vehicles are being recalled because the OCS may fail due to the repeated flexing of the mat from general use of the seat. As a result, in the event of a crash the passenger airbag may deploy when it should not, increasing the risk of personal injury. Dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion (which includes the OCS sensor mat) to correct this concern.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Questions and Answers
Donsco1992, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mount Joy, PA
I get a vibration that you can feel between 40mph and 60mph. It is at it's worst at 50mph. The tires were checked for balancing and that was fine. The service center contacted Suzuki and they ...
WALKER68, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara, Blackshear, GA
I HAD TO CHANGE THE BULB FOR LOW BEAM ON THE LEFT. SINCE THAT WIRE WAS SO HARD TO GET HOOKED BACK, THE BULB ENDED UP BEING CROOKED. NOW WHEN THE AUTO SETTING IS ON, I HAVE NO LIGHTS AT ALL. ROUGHLY...
popin, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara, Longwood, FL
The driver side air bag and pass side air bag light stays on. Never had and accident. Maybe, seat or seat belt buckle?
acamt, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara, 2.7L V6, Moreland, GA
V-6 2.7...not sure what happened, just cruising along at about 75 mph and no power, the rpms slowly decreasing to complete shut down...tried to restart and it seemed to spit and sputter a little bu...
careerrn, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara, 2.7L V6, Corpus Christi, TX
stopped at stop light this morning, twice, the car shut off as if i had turned it off the key. Started right back up but concerned. Only happened when came to a complete stop.
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2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Reviews
that is good and nice for desert driving
MPG less than expected (lucky to get 19). Ad and salespeople tout this as a "true SUV". I must have a different idea as to a SUV -- because in my world a true SUV wouldn't have such big issues with dust/dirt (interior get COVERED). I travel over 35 miles of gravel road on a daily basis -- which was one reason for purchasing this "true SUV"; I needed a vehicle with all-wheel drive, decent ground clearance, good MPH (argh!!!), solid suspension and the ability to survive many miles of gravel and off-road use. The all-wheel drive system is AMAZING...it works!! I am very disappointed with the cars ability to seal out dust and dirt. The entire interior (especially the back compartment) gets COVERED with dust after each trip down the gravel. I tried and tried to have the dealer perform some type of fix...they had no resolution -- but, then again Suzuki had nothing either. They claimed it was due to the area in which I lived. Ahhhh....wrong. I had a 1993 Corolla with over 200k miles which didn't allow nearly as much dust in as the Grand Vitara. The standard Yokohama tires are junk....with less than 1,000 miles, two tires had non-repairable punctures; with less than 12,000 it become necessary to replace all four tires. My biggest complaints: the dust; poor MPG and terrible rotten lousy service from the dealer.
Beyond the gas mileage, this is a very good car for long trips. For short trips, city driving, etc., I should of gotten the SX4.