What breaks most · 2000 to 2013 model years
Suzuki SX4 problems by year
Owners have filed 288 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Suzuki SX4 across model years 2000 to 2013. Three years stand out: 2008 for air bags complaints, 2007 for air bags complaints and 2009 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2000, 2011 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2007, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2000, 2011, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 2882000 to 2013, all trims
- Worst year
- 200899 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 278 fires · 28 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 49kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 24Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 72 | 2 | 2 | Air bags (56) | |
| 99 | 10 | 3 | Air bags (72) | |
| 45 | 5 | 3 | Air bags (27) | |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | Air bags (7) | |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 26 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (12) | |
| 13 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (4) |
What fails on the 2008 Suzuki SX4
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 73% |
72 | 10 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
12 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Suzuki SX4 |
| Seat belts | 10% |
10 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Seats | 6% |
6 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
5 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Suzuki SX4 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
4 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2008 Suzuki SX4 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
3 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2008 Suzuki SX4 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 3% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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2008 suzuki sx4. Consumer writes in regards to electrical system problems in vehicle. *smd the consumer stated a recall was issued. The consumer also stated the dealer deceived many of their customers by not disclosing problems and not selling extended warranties.
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The paint on this care is of very poor quality and chips down to the bare metal quite easily causing rapid oxidation to the exposed areas.
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Chirping of accessory drive belt aread noticed. Suzuki replaced serpentine belt and tensioner pulley out of warranty. Seems like something is wrong when replacing a tensioner pulley below 35000 miles.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Suzuki SX4 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2007, 2009 carry the most filings on the Suzuki SX4. The 2008 alone has 99 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Suzuki SX4 problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 72 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Suzuki SX4 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Suzuki SX4 complaints that include mileage is about 49,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.