2011 Suzuki Sx4: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2011 Suzuki Sx4
On the 2011 Suzuki Sx4, the failure owners report most often is control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure, with 3 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 40,000 miles. Overall it scores 65 out of 100, high risk for a 2011.
High risk for a 2011 — 253rd riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. 16 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2011 Suzuki Sx4
Owners have reported 8 named failure modes on the 2011 Suzuki Sx4, and the three most-reported carry 50% of everything filed.
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure leads with 3 reports and about 0.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 3 reports, median 150,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 2 reports, median 80,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (5), transmission (4) and lighting (1).
The mileage the reports cluster at
12 of the reports on the 2011 Suzuki Sx4 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 40,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 58% by 50,000 miles and 92% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 25% of the dated reports.
33% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.00, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure at $700–$3,000, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and transmission slipping at $1,200–$5,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
25% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 42k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 1 | — | 148k | — | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 3k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 3 | 2 | — | 38k | — | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2011 Suzuki Sx4 draws about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 78th percentile of complaint rates among 2011 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 17,263 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2011 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other powertrain problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 suzuki sx4. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate over 20 MPH and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact also stated that the failure occurred every day for the past three weeks. The vehicle was taken to fitzgerald wheaton (10915 georgia avenue, wheaton, md 20902) where it was diagnosed that the pressure control shift solenoid "b" failed and the entire transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 148,280.
Other electrical problem
Vehicle stalled without warning. Vehicle is difficult to steer when all electrical power went out. The only thing showing on the dashboard is the engine symbol. Vehicle starts without problem after incident. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 suzuki sx4. While driving at an unknown speed, the electrical components failed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 89,000.
Recalls on the 2011 model year
NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2011 Suzuki Sx4, affecting an estimated 31,323 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication , air bags and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
60,823 vehicles 2014-12-22- Defect
- Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 SX4 vehicles manufactured July 16, 2009, to November 1, 2012, and 2010-2013 Kizashi vehicles manufactured October 13, 2009, to October 31, 2012. The shift selector can be moved out of the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal.
- Consequence
- If the shift selector is moved out of the "Park" position while the brake pedal is not depressed, the vehicle may unexpectedly roll, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift selector assembly and inspect, and if necessary, replace the shift knob, free of charge. The recall began January 16, 2015. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-714-996-7040. Suzuki's number for this recall is VL.
AIR BAGS
189,901 vehicles 2013-09-06- Defect
- 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 or a child.
- Consequence
- Air bag deployment with a child in the front passenger side seat increases the risk of injury to that child.
- Remedy
- 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 will receive a second notification when parts are available to have their vehicle repaired. The recall began on May 23, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's recall campaign number is VD.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
32,291 vehicles 2011-01-27- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- If the drive belt comes off, requiring the driver to use increased steering effort, or the engine stalls, a vehicle crash could occur
- Remedy
- 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. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-887-697-8985 or visit suzuki's website at http://www.suzukiauto.com.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2011 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2011 — 253rd riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 7 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2007 comes out best at 63 and 2010 worst at 76, with 2011 itself at 65.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2011, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2007–2013 generation specifically, 2007 is the strongest year at 63 and 2010 the weakest at 76.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2007-2013 generation, 2007 Suzuki Sx4 scores best at 63 and 2010 Suzuki Sx4 worst at 76.
Where these figures stop being useful
16 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 16 reports, 12 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 75% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Suzuki Sx4?
The most-reported failures are control module (ecm/pcm/bcm) failure (3 reports, median 40,000 miles), other powertrain problem (3 reports, median 150,000 miles) and other electrical problem (2 reports, median 80,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2011 Suzuki Sx4 reliable?
It scores 65 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 253rd riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2011 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Suzuki Sx4 is best?
Within the 2007–2013 generation, 2007 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 76. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed