Suzuki Grand Vitara, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
15,629 Suzuki Grand Vitaras are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 62.3% of initial MOT tests, 10 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Grand Vitara? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Suzuki Grand Vitara at the MOT
62.3% of 18,206 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Grand Vitara 468th of 575 models. Suzuki Grand Vitaras aged 6 to 10 years passed 81.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 62%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Suzuki Grand Vitara tests in 2025.
Where Grand Vitaras fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Suzuki Grand Vitara tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (6.5%), component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.7%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.3%).
The MOT page lists every common Grand Vitara MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Grand Vitara's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.24.8% of Grand Vitara failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.21.7% of Grand Vitara failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.14.4% of Grand Vitara failure items
Suzuki Grand Vitaras in the UK
15,629 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 72% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −72%from 56,819 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2008half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2008 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 12,36544% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Suzuki Grand Vitaras since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 56,819 |
| End of 2015 | 53,935 |
| End of 2016 | 50,461 |
| End of 2017 | 46,017 |
| End of 2018 | 41,639 |
| End of 2019 | 37,102 |
| End of 2020 | 33,538 |
| End of 2021 | 30,096 |
| End of 2022 | 26,677 |
| End of 2023 | 23,379 |
| End of 2024 | 19,997 |
| End of 2025 | 17,045 |
| End of June 2026 | 15,629 |
How old they are
Licensed Suzuki Grand Vitaras by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 124 were first used before 2000.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 41 | 56 |
| 2014 | 492 | |
| 2013 | 1,083 | |
| 2012 | 1,034 | |
| 2011 | 1,304 | |
| 2010 | 1,492 | |
| 2009 | 1,440 | |
| 2008 | 1,561 | |
| 2007 | 1,620 | |
| 2006 | 1,275 | |
| 2005 | 1,736 | |
| 2004 | 1,535 | |
| 2003 | 985 | |
| 2002 | 680 | |
| 2001 | 336 | |
| 2000 | 134 |
Grand Vitara engines and fuel
1.6 litre engines made up 36% of Suzuki Grand Vitara MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 26%. Petrol accounts for 75% of licensed Grand Vitaras and diesel for 25%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 18,200 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Grand Vitaras
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 11,746 | 75% |
| Diesel | 3,855 | 25% |
| Gas | 28 | 0.2% |
Suzuki Grand Vitara recalls
11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Grand Vitara is affected.
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Mar 2020 R/2020/042
In the event of deployment the air bag may not inflate properly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The absorption of moisture into the driver's airbag propellant could lead to slow deployment or inflator rupture.
- Remedy
- Replace the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly. Suzuki is still preparing for the development and production of the remedy parts.
-
Mar 2017 R/2017/076
Driver may be unable to change / select gear
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to insufficient strength of the gear shift rear shaft it could break off during use.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles replace the gear shift rear shaft
-
Apr 2011 R/2011/010
Drive belt tensioner may break
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The internal spring within the drive belt tensioner may break causing the drive belt to loose tension. This will prevent the alternator water pump and air-conditioning compressor pulleys from operating. Warning lamps associated with battery charging and engine coolant temperature will illuminate. In the worst case the drive belt may come off preventing the power steering pulley from operating increased driver effort will be required to steer the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Replacement of the drive belt tensioner assembly.
-
Jul 2010 R/2010/067
Loss of steering assistance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Steering assistance may be lost because the power steering tensioner pulley material is not to specification. The pulley may fail and cause a loss of drive to the hydraulic pump.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the power steering tensioner pulley.
-
Jun 2009 R/2009/049
Fire may occur
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that due to improper insulation of a branch of the engine wiring harness the possibility exists that the harness will chafe on either a cam cover securing bolt or on the cam cover itself. Damage to the harness may lead to a sudden loss of engine power or in the worst case a fire.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the subject wiring harness fitted with a protector.
-
Sep 2008 R/2008/120
Fire may occur
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that due to the use of an inappropriate material for the intercooler outlet pipe insulator it is possible for the intercooler outlet pipe insulation to detach from the throttle body. This may cause excessive deposition of carbon within the diesel particulate filter that may burn up and result in overheating or melting of the filter. In the worst case the filter may catch fire.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the intercooler outlet pipe insulator replaced with a quality assured component and bracket.
-
Feb 2008 R/2007/180
Fuel may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to improper shaping of the fuel pipes and engine vibration it is possible that the pipes may crack and allow fuel to escape.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and replace fuel pipe assembly with modified version.
-
Sep 2007 R/2007/102
Wiring harness may chafe resulting in possible loss of engine power
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that due to improper insulation of a branch of the engine wiring harness. The possibility exists that the harness can chafe on the cam cover securing bolt and sustain damage. Should this occur a possible sudden loss of engine power might ensue.
- Remedy
- Subject vehicles will have the engine wiring harness inspected and repaired as necessary before being fitted with a protective cover.
Other Suzuki models
The most-tested Suzuki models in 2025, against the Grand Vitara's 62.3% MOT pass rate.
Suzuki Grand Vitara FAQs
How many Suzuki Grand Vitaras are there in the UK?
15,629 Suzuki Grand Vitaras were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 12,365 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Suzuki Grand Vitara reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 62.3% first-time pass rate for the Suzuki Grand Vitara across 18,206 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Suzuki Grand Vitara had any recalls?
11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The most recent was published in March 2020. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Suzuki Grand Vitara?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Suzuki Grand Vitara's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Grand Vitara?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Suzuki history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Suzuki VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.