SUZUKI Complaints

STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTION - LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND DROVE OFF THE ROAD MANUFACTURER AND CAR DEALERSHIP DID NOT HELP MULTIPLE OTHER DEFECTS, INCLUDING ENGINE STALLING/GEARS "STICKING" - PLEASE REFER DETAILS IN LETTER TO BE SENT TO YOUR OFFICE BY MAIL. *JB

2002 SUZUKI BANDIT 1200S OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. AFTER RECENT PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE I NOTICED UNUSUALLY HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION ON A VEHICLE WITH 6000 MILES AND NEAR NEW CONDITION. I WAS ABLE TO DO SOME RESEARCH PUBLISHED BY OTHER OWNERS AND FOUND THAT THE YEARS 2001 AND 2002 AND PERHAPS LATER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM RESULTING IN REBUILT ENGINES AND REPAIRS PAID FOR UNDER WARRANTY. THE REASON CITED WAS AN FAULTY DESIGN BY ENGINEERS IN THE PISTONS WHICH LET EXCESSIVE OIL INTO THE COMBUSTION AREAS OF THE ENGINE. THE REBUILDS OFTEN WERE DONE MULTIPLE TIMES UNTIL SUZUKI REALIZED THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE PISTON AND REPLACED THEM WITH A 2000 PISTON DESIGN OR A COMPLETE REDESIGN. SINCE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER I HAVE NO WARRANTY RECOURSE WITH SUZUKI. I FEEL THIS DEFECT WARRANTS A RECALL INVESTIGATION, RIDERS OF THE THOUSANDS SOLD OF THESE MODELS COULD BE LEFT STRANDED BY ENGINE BREAKDOWN. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY AND LONG TERM RELIABILITY ISSUE. THE EMISSIONS ON THESE VEHICLES BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL IS LIKEWISE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND MAY NOT PASS STATE OR FEDERAL STANDARDS ANYMORE. *JB

1. 4-26-2006, CAR REPAIRED, FOUND THAT THE PURGE VALVE HAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE. R&R PURGE VALVE TO CORRECT. 2. 10-24-2006, CAR REPAIRED, FOUND CODE PO705 TRANS RANGE SWITCH, OPEN INTERMITTENT. R&R TRANS RANGE SWITCH TO CORRECT. 3. 12-21-2006, CAR REPAIRED, POWER STEERING LIGHT ON. FOUND NEEDLE ANGLE SENSOR PART -3721-085Z00. SUZUKI ORDERED PART AND STILL WAITING FOR THE PART TO BE PLACED IN CAR. 4. 12-29-2006, CAR REPAIRED. COMPLAINT WAS ROARING NOISE AND RMP NEEDLE GOING CLOSE TO 5 AND HEAT INDEX EXACTLY IN THE MIDDLE. THE ONLY REPAIR DONE WAS R&R RIGHT WHEEL BEARING IN FRONT AND REPLACED HUB. WHEN ON 1-10-2007 THEY CALLED TO PICK UP CAR ALL REPAIRS DONE, I WENT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR IS SOUNDING WORSE AND IT COULD POSSIBLY BE A COUPLING BY THE TIRE AND THAT I NEED A FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND THAT'S WHY I AM HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG OR FOUND WITH THE RMP NEEDLE GOING CLOSE TO 5. I DROVE THE CAR OUT AND TALKED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC PLUS THE OWNER OF SPEEDEE'S AND THEY ALL LAUGHED, AND SAID THAT'S NOT RIGHT AND I WOULD NOT GO BACK. IN DRIVING THE CAR NOW IT REALLY SOUNDS BAD AND EMBARRASSING, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT GO PAST THE SPEED I'M ON WHILE DRIVING UNLESS I RELEASE THE BRAKES AND PRESS THE GAS AGAIN. THE MECHANIC STATES NOT SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITH NO POWER OR LIGHTS WILE RIDING AT 25 MPH. DEALER NEVER MENTIONED RECALL, AND SUGGESTED TO FIX WIRE HARNESS AT IGNITION POINT. (MY COST). MOTORCYCLE STALLED 3 MILES OUT OF DEALER. HAD TO PAY AGAIN FOR LABOR. DEALER MENTION FIRST PROBLEM HAD CAUSE A DOMINO EFFECT ON THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS. NO WARRANTY AND MAY HAPPENED AGAIN. MOTORCYCLE IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE ALL THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS AT MY EXPENSE. MOTORCYCLE CAN NOT BE RIDDEN DUE TO THE POTENTIAL ACCIDENT MAY STALL WITH NO WARNING AS IT HAPPENED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. DEALER HAS ADDED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS IS RUBBING WITH THE BODY OF THE BIKE BECAUSE OF DEFECT AT MULTIPLE POINTS! AND HAS NO WARRANTY. MY LIFE IS AT RISK IF THE WIRE SHORTS AND STALLS THE BIKE WILE I RIDE. TO PROVE MY CASE IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO ME. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 4000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FUSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON NOVEMBER 15, 2006 THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF AGAIN ,AND THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUSE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON NOV 27, 2006 WHEN THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT REDUCED THE VEHICLE'S SPEED TO 25 MPH, AT WHICH POINT HE DROVE INTO A DITCH AND THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STRIKE ANYTHING. THE CONTACT STATED SUSTAINED WHIPLASH. HE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT HAD A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, BUT HE DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATES HE REPLACED THE FUSE AND THE HEADLIGHTS WEREWORKING INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

WE BOUGHT A SUZUKI GRAND VITARA FROM THE CAR COMPANY, HERE IN WARSAW INDIANA, THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE A HAZARD TO DRIVING AT NIGHT, WE HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERS TWICE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED . THE DEALER TRIED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BUT HE COULD NOT, SO I AM MAKING THIS COMPLAINT, HOPPING THAT SUZUKI WILL BE INFORMED OF THIS PROBLEM, WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS.

TL* - THE CONTACT IS CALLING ABOUT THE SAFETY RECALL (05-V452000), THAT SHE RECENTLY RECEIVED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED HER CAR ON 11/20/03, AND ON 01/21/04 THE CONTACT HAD TO RETURN IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE HER BRAKES WERE GRINDING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO BAD ROAD CONDITIONS, AND THAT SHE WAS DRIVING 35 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN A 2 YEARS PERIOD SHE HAS TAKEN HER CAR TO THE DEALER NINE TIMES AND TO AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC 5 TIMES AND EACH TIME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH HER BRAKES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS ALL RECEIPTS AND ALL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE MANY TRIPS SHE HAS MADE TO HAVE HER BRAKES FIXED.

NOISE COMING FROM TIMING COVER. DEALER INDICATED IT WAS TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. DEALER STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. TOTAL COST TO REMEDY THE SITUATION WAS APPROX $1600. THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE PULLED FROM VEHICLE, OIL PAN, TIMING COVER REMOVED AND THREE CHAINS, AND RELATED TENSIONERS REPLACED (12.5HRS LABOR). THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED EITHER IN TOTAL OR PARTIAL BY MANUFACTURER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED, IT WAS NOTICED THE SEAT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON NORMAL HIGHWAY, THE CONTACT DEVELOPED SEVERE BACK PAIN. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO GIVE A $50 CREDIT ON A PURCHASE OF A NEW SEAT WHICH WAS IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL SEAT INSTALLED ON THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS A SAFETY RISK DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE BACK PAIN CREATED BY THE UNPADDED SEAT. UPDATED 2/12/2007 - *NM

LIQUID/VAPOR SEPARATOR BRACKET INSIDE FUEL TANK OF 2002 SUZUKI DL1000 MOTORCYCLE BROKE. UNSUPPORTED PIPE NOW SUBJECT TO FAILURE WHICH WOULD ALLOW ALL FUEL TO DRAIN RAPIDLY FROM TANK ONTO ENGINE. NOT YET REPAIRED. REQUIRES TANK REPLACEMENT. *NM