2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE PASSENGER WHEEL WENT OUT OF THE ALIGNMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT SUB- FRAME HAD EXCESSIVE RUST. UPDATED 05/20/08

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM HOME FROM UPTOWN WITH MY SISTER AND 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR WHEN A NOISE WHICH WAS FAINT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS GREW QUICKLY LOUDER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR JERKED TO THE RIGHT, PRACTICALLY OUT OF MY HANDS. I GRASPED THE STEERING WHEEL AS HARD AS I COULD JUST TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I WAS ONLY TRAVELING ABOUT 20-25 MPH. I FOUGHT THE DIFFICULT STEERING LONG ENOUGH AT A VERY SLOW SPEED TO GET THE CAR TO MY SISTER'S HOUSE. I PARKED THE CAR THERE AND CALLED MY HUSBAND AT WORK TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TO COME PICK ME UP. AS I EXITED THE CAR, I NOTICED THE RIGHT FRONT (PASSENGER'S) WHEEL WAS SHOVED CLEAR BACK ALMOST INTO THE BACK OF THE FENDER WELL. WHEN MY HUSBAND AND A COLLEAGUE OF HIS FROM WORK STOPPED BY LATER, THEY CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO ASSESS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. TO HIS ASTONISHMENT, THE FRONT FRAME SECTION OF THE CAR HAD RUSTED THROUGH ENOUGH TO CRACK AND CRUMPLE BACKWARDS FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE WHEEL TO MOVE INTO THE FENDER WELL. HE SAID THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 55-60 MPH, BECAUSE THE SPEED COULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO THROW THE TIRE BACK INTO THE FENDER WELL HARD ENOUGH TO LOCK THE ONE FRONT TIRE, CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE CONTROL, SPIN SIDEWAYS AND POSSIBLY FLIP OVER, KILLING ALL THREE OF US. IT WAS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WE WERE TRAVELING AT A SLOW SPEED IN A REMOTE AREA WHERE NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND TO INTERACT WITH AT THE TIME. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE AWAITING A DECISION ON WHAT TO DO WITH IT. A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD CAR WITH AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 12,000 MILES PER YEAR ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE A FRAME RUSTED THROUGH LONG BEFORE THE BODY SHOWS ANY SIGNS OF SIGNIFICANT RUST. I JUST HAD A FULL BRAKE JOB DONE ON THE VEHICLE AND THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THEM STILL. SUZUKI SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO INSTALL A STURDIER FRAME IN THE FRONT SECTION, BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET KILLED.*JB

THE LATCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS BROKEN AND OWNER IS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. OWNER HAS TO UNLOCK THE DOOR BY USING THE REAR DOOR. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE CHILD CAME OUT OF THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT, ALTHOUGH THE CHILD WAS PROPERLY RESTRAINED. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. BOTH DOOR HANDLES ARE BROKEN. THE FIRST BROKE ABOUT A MONTH AGO. NOW A MONTH LATER, THE OTHER HAS BROKEN. I CANNOT LOCK MY CARE AND MAY ONLY ENTER FROM THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP, HERE IN BATON ROUGE. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BECAUSE I FELT THAT THIS MUST BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I WAS TOLD THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE DOOR HANDLES IN LOTS OF SUZUKI ESTEEMS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE $58.00 PER DOOR HANDLE AND $70.00 PER DOOR FOR LABOR. I AM EXTREMELY UPSET ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I KNOW MANY OTHERS WHOSE CARS ARE LOTS OLDER THAN MINE. THEIR DOOR HANDLES HAVE NOT BROKEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS ARISEN FROM A REASONABLY ANTICIPATED USE OF THE PRODUCT AND I FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY ADDRESSED IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR (AS I WAS INFORMED BY THE SUZUKI SERVICEMAN. *AK

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. *JB THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER CALLED ON FOUR OCCASIONS WITH NO SUCCESS. THE (EMISSIONS) RECALL WASN'T HONORED BY THE DEALER. SCC

SAFETY IMPROVEMENT REPAIR ON VAPOR VALVE WAS DONE IN MAY OF 2002. IN JULY 2002 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER STATED A DIFFERENT VAPOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

IT STARTED IN NOVEMBER 2000 MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT IN TO LITHIA IN OREGON THEY RESET IT . IN MARCH OF 2001 MYENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SO I TOOK IN LITHIA IN SPARKS NV THEY RESET AGAIN . 13 MARCH 2002 THERE WAS A RECALL ON A FUEL VAPOR CONTROL VALVE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN THEY REPLACE THE FUEL VAPOR CONTROL VALVE AND SAID THAT WAS MY PROBLEM 12 DAYS LATER IT HAPPEN AGAIN SO THEY REPLACE MY CANISTER AIR VALVE.06/20/2002 IT CAME ON AGAIN BUT I HAVE'NT TOOK IT IN YET.

THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES NOISE AND IT FEELS LOOSE WHEN TURNING, IT WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *YH

THE FRONT WHEEL ON PASSENGER SIDE TILTED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD,THE DEALER INSPECTED AND DISCOVERED STRUT BOLTS WERE MISSING. *YH