im in australia, i have 2009 grand vitara and my engine block has just cracked too!!!! no warning lights, no temperature level increase, NOTHING!!! 70000kms on the clock just out of manufacturers warranty too... i found out 3 days ago and am trying to find reports of this problem as my mechanic and wreckers are all commenting that this is a very common issue with this model car. If i can find reports of others having same issue then We will all have more chance of trying to get suzuki to at least help with repair costs... im sorry but i purchase a new car i expect it to last longer than 4 yrs!

 

I too have a 2008 Grand Vitara & am in Australia, I have the same problem block cracked, I contacted every wrecker I could find, one told me I would have more chance of winning Tattslotto than finding a second hand J24B motor, as the demand was so strong because of the same problem. I contacted Suzuki Australia who said I would be contacted by the local dealer, the dealer contacted me & said I would have to take the car to them, but I already have the car in bits. I was told I would have to pay the truck transport $100 to take the car to them for an evaluation which would cost me another $200 even though The car is only 3 klm's from them. I think they would run you around until you give up. One thing is for sure if you by a Suzuki you are on your own.
They certainly know the engines are faulty, but they are certainly not going to do anything about it.

 

j24b cracked block

This is indeed a common issue we have a j24b vitara (2008 built w 184,000 klm) in our workshop with a cracked block, very common issue, very poor motor. BEWARE. they will crack heads then crack the block on passenger side behind water pump if they are continually driven
Talk to any of the suzuki specialists out there. THIS IS REAL

 

Technical TSB No. TS 35 12103

SUBJECT: SPECIAL COVERAGE EXTENSION FOR SPECIFIC CRACK(S) IN THE
CYLINDER HEAD.
MODEL(S): GRAND VITARA JB WITH 2.4L ENGINE
YEAR: 2009 (START OF PRODUCTION THROUGH JULY, 1 2009)

The full file:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/1nxfnrhv6d9j4co/Suzuki-TSB-Re-J24B-Cylinder-Heads.pdf/file

7/19 Update. Max

 

There are now more GV's with cracked blocks... Apparently its a known issue with Suzuki on the 2.4l engine.

GV Cracked engine vs the mechanical experts... - 4x4 Community Forum

 

block cracked 97000k's on the clock

as someone else said, my 2008 grand vitara 2.4l just cracked the block looks like the same location as the photos above but hard to tell. The gauge went to the red i pulled over and my mechanic tells me it will be about 10-12K to repair. I have had the car since new. never had any other issues until 3 days ago. i will never buy another Suzuki. why would you risk it. i will probably have to sell it to the wreckers and catch the bus to work. looking around the web and considering the limited supply of engines i can only assume this is kind of normal. my last car was a ford fistiva did 380000k's and the a/c still worked, traded it on this Suzuki rubbish.

 

...Cause i have a canadian 2.4 09...

If you've read through all the posts here, you know as much as anyone else. The North-American TSB say's "2009 (START OF PRODUCTION THROUGH JULY, 1 2009)" so you're right in the thick of it.

Based on what I think the issue may be, I would pull the cam cover and the offending core plug, inspect that area for cracks and assuming it's OK re-seal the plug with a soft sealer like Permatex, reinstall and tighten lightly.

 

Where do i find my build date?

It's on a metal tag under the hood at the firewall if I recall.

 

It looks like I have joined the list of victims.
I'd had some cooling issues as some may know, though never did the gauge get into the red. After replacing the radiator recently I had been keeping an eye on things.
I noticed after a recent trip the coolant expansion tank was low. I topped it up etc and gave every thing a good going over. No leaks found. Over a week of short trips the level dropped a further 6 - 10 mm. No sign of leakage. I pulled the plugs, they looked good.
Drove 120km to my mothers place on Friday. SI checked the level about an hour later. Expansion tank 50mm low, and the radiator down by about a litre. Oil starting to look coffee like and 10mm over full. engine still running sweet.
So, water in oil, oil in radiator. Given the history of these motors, I'm guessing cracked head. I'll find out later this week when the garage gets a chance to inspect.

Test drove a new car this morning. The Suzi has given sterling and faultless performance until this. I'll get her repaired and sell her. I needed more towing capacity anyway but I'd really have preferred to keep the GV for a few more years.
167K km btw.

An update.

The head is cracked, beyond repair.
Best price for a new head is A$2400.
All up its going to cost just over $6K to get back on the road.
To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. 167K km and maintained as set out in the logbook. Never been overheated,(gauge in the red) though it has been above normal a few times. Pretty poor from Suzuki.

Another update.
After fitting a new head a pressure test revealed further leakage. The old head was that badly cracked it wasn't possible to test before the new head went on.
A crack has been found in the block, exactly where shown in the photos. LH side below and just in front of the oil filter. Impossible to see clearly because of location.

Some head photos.
Its cracked in several spots, between 2 and 3, mores on the exhaust side. Probably the hottest spot on the head. 2 you can see with the naked eye pretty easily.

 

Just thought i'd share this... I went to my local Suzuki dealer in Perth and they are paying for a new replacement block so its not going to cost me a cent. The dealer reckons it will take about 3 weeks to order parts, strip the motor and replace. Im pretty sure my GV was August 2008.

 

If this is common, why haven't Suzuki started a recall?

Like any other for-profit company, since it's not safety-related and only affects an out-going model (ignoring the Kizashi,) I think they will pretend it doesn't exist for as long as possible.

The smart thing for owners to do is to get organized and create a database with all relevant info on failed engines so that the problem can be characterized more precisely. Build date, kilometers driven, geographic location, note of any previous overheating incidents and the response from the local dealer are all important details. Both to allow some predictability for those who have yet to experience the issue, and also to improve the chances of recovering costs from Suzuki for what is appearing to be a design defect.

Going out on limb, I would not be surprised if the apparently-higher failure rate in Australia is due to the warmer climate combined with a fairly-large market share for this vehicle.

 

Picked up my car today from the Suzuki Dealer, took 2 weeks. I did not have to pay anything. Here is a list of the work. The dealer said he did not know whether the block was a reinforced/redesigned version or if it was an exact copy (the problem could happen again).

Good luck to anyone else with this problem, Cheers.

 

So, they must have been happy to use the original cylinder head. It's looking less likely that there is any connection between the block cracking and cylinder head cracking. Only the latter has a TSB in North America yet Suzuki have covered you for the block, outside of the normal warranty in Western Australia.

Suzuki are risking damaging the market for these vehicles - and their reputation, once word gets around. Given the loyalty of their customers, they need to better manage their brand.

 

My 2009 is using 1 and a half litres of coolant each week

I've taken it to Suzuki twice, paid $150 to get it checked as it started with the engine light coming on intermittently. They found nothing. Then it started overheating and loosing coolant. Took it to Automasters who said they couldn't find the leak and would replace the radiator for $700 - I wasn't convinced and didn't go ahead. I took it to NatRad who had it for a day and tested it for free, they found no leaks and an conclusive indication of water in the engine - slight milkyness in the cap.
Suzuki Australia was emailed and I've had no reply, would like to ring them but can't find a number.
I found the Technical Bulletin regarding the engine crack and showed it to Suzuki dealer and they told me I had a different engine as the bulletin was American! Ummm sounds dodgy to me.
Just not sure where to go to next, consumer protection?

 

lol Beej25, good luck with talking to someone from Suzuki Australia. They've never gotten back to me regarding a couple of bad dealers I dealt with. I even documented it & sent them an email with no response after a year.

Freecall Suzuki Customer Care:
1800 777 088 FREE
Address: Suzuki Australia Pty Ltd
97-105 Cherry Lane
Laverton North 3026
Phone: +613 9931 5500
Fax: +613 9931 5511

My GV is being fixed for damage this month & it'll go for a service straight afterwards. I've only done 56,000kms and I'll get them to check for cracks and any other irregularities. A year ago my CV shaft failed due to no lubrication that was supposed to have been checked in the last servicing by the dealer. They still denied it & i've kept the shaft as proof. It was dry as a bone & the metal had melted.

 

I had a win WOO HOO, listen up SUZUKI

Hi ,

so I started by recontacting Brian Gardener and Goldie Suzuki. Both got back to me pretty quick, possibly due to me mentioning consumer protection and and requesting a reply within 7 days. Brian Gardener were dismissive but did contact Suzuki Australia for me as their forwarded email went unanswered. Goldie got back to me too as did Suzuki Australia.

So the car went into Goldie and after weeks of negotiation between my husband and Suzuki Australia and Goldie we won.

They still have my car.... 6 weeks later... but they are waiting for a gasket to go with the new head they will fit "giving me the benefit of the doubt". All I will pay is consumables , oil, coolant and maybe filter.

Goldie have been less then reasonable at customer service, Suzuki Australia have been alot better.

Don't give in and don't give up.

 

Hello Everyone
I own a 2008 SGV originally purchased by first owner in July 2009. I’m probably 4th or 5th owner. I bought the car in April 2014.
In May 2016 the engine had run out of coolant (readings on the engine temperature were in the middle as they always are) found out that there is a crack in the block. Local Dealer (Akos Kazan Russia) and Suzuki motor Russia had declined to replace the block because odometer readings were altered by one of the previous owners of the car to make it more attractive for buyers (common for Russia). There is a technical service bulletin for Russia that is saying that cracked blocks (crack between 2 and 3rd cylinder) must be replaced by Suzuki if the car is less than 7 years old and has less than 170 000 km on the odometer.
I acquired original owners service papers (0 to 105 000 km (07/2009-08/2012)). Since April 2nd (when I got the car) I had done 25 000km. There is a period of 1.5 years when there are no records on the car (or at least I haven’t found them). In my opinion total amount of kilometers for tis car is around 160k-170k. I can not return the car to previous owner, claiming that he altered the odometer readings, because of the agreement issues.
My plans are to sue Suzuki Motor Russia asking them to replace most of the engine parts, because they declined to do so, knowing there is a definite issue with the block in my car, or to replace the car with the new one.

 

Cracked engine block

Hi, I have a 2010 GV with cracked engine block 142 000 km (J24B). I'm from Canada. Does anyone have tried to weld the crack? Is there any ressources in North America ?

 

I just walked out of from the mechanic last friday with a brand new engine block. Best of it is that it was all free of charge !! It's worth the work and patience. Suzuki did reassure my confidence without a doubt. Long live GV !

 

cracked cylinder block

I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara, 2009 model and last month the engine block cracked making my car worthless. When I complained this at the agency, the mechanic said it is a common problem with this car type. I have been regularly replacing engine oil and filter every 5000 KMs. Thought I am the only unlucky ones here, but found you guys have gone through the same problem. I am now searching for a J24B engine that can add more life to the car.

 

Oh no, what have I done!

Hi all, have just read through all 10 or so pages and am having a bit of a moment. Some words of advice would be much appreciated

My problem is, I just purchased a Nov '08 GV, 87k, one owner, full history but not exclusively with Suzuki. Then, a bloke I spoke to about a tow bar asked me if I had heard about the block issue. I hadn't of course, otherwise I would have found this stuff out before buying the car.

Should I be freaking out now? or am I over-reacting?

The car is due for a service shortly, so I was thinking the best course of action would be to book it in with Suzuki and get the service done, and ask them to check regarding this potential problem.

I am in Melbourne in case someone can recommend a good dealership. I am on holidays for a bit so I don't mind going out of my way a bit.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. I kind of spent the upper end of my budget, so an expensive lesson would be a big problem.

Thanks in advance.

 

Came across this thread whilst searching for anyone with an inexplicable coolant leak. Can't say that I'm all that happy to now know it's coming from a crack in the block and that this isn't a rare problem!
I hadn't noticed the level in the expansion tank dropping early on, so the introduction to the leak was a temp spike on a short trip to the shops. Got it home safely and noticed coolant had been leaking down the drivers side, nowhere near any hose connections...
Found traces on the sump and worked my way up.
Going to get in touch with the dealer and then Suzuki Aus if need be. I have done all my own servicing since purchasing the car second hand at 75k. Now at 110k. Build Apr '09.

 

Hi People .

I am the author of the article linked in the second page of this thread "What are Suzuki Australia trying to hide"

I would just like to clarify as some people seem to be getting a little confused .
The technical service bulletin from Suzuki re: affected vins from 2008 to 2009 is for the cylinder head only. The cracked block is another issue altogether and not covered by any technical service bulletin from Suzuki.The cracked block problem extended to vins outside of the cylinder head problem.

Also i have seen cases of cracked cylinder heads outside of the affected vin range.

Another issue which i dont think i touched on in the original article is the change of coolants used by Suzuki. Coolant was changed from a long life to a super long life. The 2 coolants were not compatible if mixed together and caused a chemical reaction blocking the radiator which in turn caused overheating and the cracking of blocks and heads.
Not only that aftermarket coolants were not compatible with Suzuki coolants causing the same problem.
If coolant is changed it is imperative that the system is flushed fully of old coolant , sometimes i flush and drive with water several times until no trace of any colour is evident before filling with fresh coolant

Now while casting issues contributed to the cracked heads and cracked blocks it is not the cause of all the cracked heads and blocks .

as well as that, the incorrect thermostat listed by aftermarket suppliers is the wrong temperature rating causing problems (89 listed instead of 82 by Suzuki)

Its good to read that some Suzuki dealers replace them under warranties but i can confirm that a lot of dealers will not recognize it.
I have called dealers that i have bought my parts off and asked have they heard of the problem , they say no. Ok is there a block available ? yes we have 5 of those in stock. same with the heads. If there wasnt a problem i can assure you they wouldnt stock the part.

 

So you are basically saying the block could be an issue for all years, not only 2008-09?

I was wondering about the coolant change too, going from green to blue. Do you believe the green coolant is not comptatible with the J24B engine?

 

yes all years not just 2008-2009 those dates were the TSB for the head only.

The colour of the coolant doesnt matter , its the fact that you should never cross contaminate the coolants.

 

cracked block

hey all,

Starting to lose faith in the ole zooks.. I had an old vit with the baleno 1.6 and went through quite a few parts and mechanical problems so I decided to get rid of it and upgrade to something newer and more reliable so I purchased a 2008 grand vit 2.4L swb only 68thou on the clock... to cut a long story short.. I'm the second owner and ive had the car for 12 months yesterday.. ive travelled 20thou kms made sure the recommended services took place when due and BAM!! cracked block the day I was leaving to go on my Christmas holidays.. after reading all the comments on the thread and seeing the crack is in the generalised spot where everyone else seems to be having the same issue.. can anyone help me in who to approach to try and get Suzuki Australia to cover the costs .. I'm so disappointed I loved my little zook but now its sitting parked up in the driveway

I'm located in Perth wa..

Thanks guys