Suzuki Ignis 2016-2025 Reliability & Common Problems

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Pros

Typically strong Suzuki reliability

An extra year of warranty with every service (up to 10 years)

Cons

Not loads of high tech to go wrong (actually a good thing)

Is the Suzuki Ignis reliable?

In the last What Car? Reliability Survey the Ignis finished first out of 22 cars in the small SUV category, a tremendous result. There are still some things to watch out for, however.

Buyers Beware

Engine: The 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol engine is reliable, but be wary of high-milers that have been poorly maintained, as they can suffer from high oil consumption.

Electrics: Software glitches can knock out functions like Bluetooth and smartphone mirroring, so make sure these work properly. The same goes for the reversing camera: it can fail due to electric problems. Turning the car on and off again and connecting a USB lead to your phone might cure any connectivity issues.

Brakes: Listen out for a squealing noise from the brakes; salt and debris from the road can prevent the calipers from opening properly. A brake service will cure it, though.

Gearbox: In a manual Ignis, any crunching into first or reverse gear is caused by either a loose clutch cable or a worn clutch cable bracket. Replacing the bracket should cost only around £20. Don't be alarmed by clutch judder when pulling away. This is common with the Ignis and pulling away with plenty of revs can prevent it from happening.

Body: Inspect the bodywork for any dents and scuffs and check the underside of four-wheel-drive cars, as these might have been driven off-road.

Also worth knowing

If you want to make your Ignis a more competent off-roader, you can get a suspension lift kit from Eibach that will enable you to tackle some extreme courses. The Allgrip 4x4 version has a tiny 204-litre boot, and even the front-wheel drive model has only 267 litres for your luggage.

An owner's view

Tamsyn Murphy: "We needed a cheap second car, and I was immediately drawn to the Ignis, thanks to its compact size and roomy cabin. It handles well and is fun to drive; it has all the modern features you want, like smartphone mirroring; and it will do 50mpg most of the time. "So far I've only had to buy a new set of rear tyres, which cost £295, and I took out a three-year service plan with Suzuki, which I pay for monthly. If you're looking for a small SUV that has plenty of character, it's ideal."

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Matt Saunders

Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.