MY STABILITY TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON WHICH TURNED STC OFF, IN ADDITION IT TURNED OFF THE AWD. THE POWER STEERING ONLY WORKS AT FASTER SPEEDS. I'VE ALMOST WRECKED THIS CAR ON MANY OCCASIONS DUE TO THIS. IT'S HORRIBLY UNSAFE IN THE RAIN. IT WILL LITERALLY GET STUCK IN A LITTLE MUD PUDDLE BC OF THE ST N AWD BEING OFF. SO MANY COMPLAINTS! IT SHOULD BE RECALLED SOON! IT'S 7 PASSAGE VEHICLE I'M ASSUMIN…
2008 Suzuki XL7 steering problems
moderate 25 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
25
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI SL7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE BOTH THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AND PINION WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A…
POWER STEERING WENT OUT AS I WAS DRIVING. ALMOST CRASHED. CHANGED OUT RACK AND PINION & POWER STEERING PUMP WITH NO CHANGE. COST $ 1,200. PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. WILL NOT DRIVE BECAUSE OF DANGER. *TR
IN TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT THERE IS A ZIPPING SOUND AND A TIGHTNESS IN THE STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND HAD THE FLUIDS CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POWER-STEERING FLUID WAS ACCURATE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SHOP THAT THE FLUID LEVELS WERE CORRECT. HOWEVER, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH I HAVE NOT GONE TO HAVE CHECKED OUT AS OF YET. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI XL7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY SUZUKI XL7 2008 VIN/SERIAL [XXX]. THE POWER STEERING IS LEAKING FLUID AND HAVE TO REFILL IT CONTINUOUSLY. THE WHEEL MAKES NOISE WHEN I MAKE TURNS AND ALSO IS BECOMING HARD TO MANEUVER. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE SOUTH DEERFOOT SUZUKI DEALER AT 7220 RAILWAY ST SE CALGARY, AB T2H 3A8 (1-888-284-1809), CANADA ONCE I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME I HAD 62,000 KM (38520 MILE…
MY RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY 8/2010 AT 30,000 IT WAS MAKING A ZIPPING NOISE. A YEAR LATER AT 47,000 THE SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AND SUZUKI REFUSES TO COVER THE 1000.00 REPAIR. I HAVE CALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO HELP. I AM OUTRAGED BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO SUZUKI AND THEY DONT CARE! EVEN THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE REPAIRED THIS MANY TIMES IN OTHER SUZUKI…
TO BEGIN, MY MOONROOF LEAKED INTO THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS IN THE CABIN ANY TIME I WASHED THE CAR. HAD TO TAKE IT IN 3 TIMES TO GET IT FIXED. WINDOW SEALS WERE BUCKLING AND GOT THOSE REPLACED BY DEALER - BUT CONTINUED TO BUCKLE. ALL STABILITRAC LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. KEY FOB WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AROUND 85000 THEN THE REAR DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO IT. REPLA…
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2008 Suzuki XL7?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 25 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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