SUZUKI Complaints

I AM THE RECIPIENT OF A GAS TANK RECALL ON A SUZUKI 1500 INTRUDER MOTORCYCLE AND HAVE RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NO ASSISTANCE WITH REGARDS TO MAKING THE VEHICLES SAFE IN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME - I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THIS MODE OF TRANSPORTATION SINCE MARCH 11 DUE TO THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THERE IS STILL NO ETA FROM SUZUKI ON WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE WILL BE RETURNED TO ME IN SAFE RIDING CONDITION. BELOW IS THE TEXT FROM A LETTER THAT I HAVE SENT TO THE CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WITH MORE DETAILS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW AN ISSUE THAT I HAVE HAD WITH THE SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE COMPANY RECENTLY. EARLY THIS MONTH I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY SUZUKI INTRUDER 1500 IN WHICH IT WAS STATED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE UNSAFE SITUATION WITH THE GAS TANK WHICH COULD CAUSE IT TO EXPLODE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND I BROUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 3/11/06 TO BE TESTED AND CHECKED. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WAS VERIFIED THAT MY GAS TANK WAS DEFECTIVE, IT WOULD TAKE 5 TO 7 DAYS TO RECEIVE THE TANK AND MAKE REPAIRS. (DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE RECALL NOTICE ??PARTS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO LEAVE YOUR MOTORCYCLE OVERNIGHT, SO CHECK WITH YOUR DEALER??). ON AROUND 3/22 (11 DAYS AFTER WE DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE OFF), WE CONTACTED THE REPAIR SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE TANK WAS ON BACK-ORDER WITH NO ETA. ON MONDAY 3/27 WE CALLED SUZUKI AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE APOLOGIZED FOR THE ISSUE AND THEN SAID HE STILL NEEDED MORE TIME TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND PROMISED TO CALL BACK. AGAIN, NO RETURNED CALL WAS MADE TO US. ON THURSDAY 3/30/06 , I AGAIN CALLED SUZUKI, WHERE I WAS FINALLY PUT IN CONTACT WITH HIS A MANGER WHO TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY I NEEDED TO BE PATIENT AND INCONVENIENCED DUE TO THEIR MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT ANY INCONVENIENCE I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS UNFORTUNATE BUT NOT THEIR PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF GETTING NOWHERE I ENDED THE CALL. *NM

A GENUINE SUZUKI TACHOMETER CAUSES THE SUZUKI C50 BOULEVARD MOTORCYCLE TO STALL AND QUIT AFTER 20-30 MINUTES OF NORMAL OPERATION. THE TACHOMETER PART NUMBER IS 990A0-72001. SUZUKI IS AWARE OF THIS BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. THREE DEALERS WERE INVOLVED IN FIXING THIS PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS. THE FIRST DEALER COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, THE SECOND DEALER FIRST INSISTED THAT THE MUFFLERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ME) AFTER VERIFYING THIS FIX WITH SUZUKI. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER FINALLY DISCONNECTED THE TACHOMETER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TACH WAS NOT A SUZUKI PART. THE THIRD DEALER DISMANTLED THE TACH AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A GENUINE SUZUKI PART WHILE INSPECTING THE BIKE FOR A WIRING HARNESS SAFETY RECALL. WHEN THEY CALLED SUZUKI, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE TACHOMETER WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FUEL INJECTED C50'S. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE SUZUKI ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM THAT CAUSES EXACTLY THE SAME STALLING PROBLEM. SUZUKI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TACHOMETER. AT LEAST THREE DEALERS DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHICH IS JUST AS SERIOUS AS THE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. MY MOTORCYCLE RAN FINE FOR 20 OR THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE IT STARTED STALLING. I BOUGHT THIS MOTORCYCLE FROM A FRIEND WHO WARNED ME THAT THE BIKE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT THE STALL PROBLEM STILL CAUSED ME TO DUMP THE MOTORCYCLE TWICE ON THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. AN OWNER WHO HAS THE SUZUKI TACH INSTALLED WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THIS AND IF HE OR SHE HEADS OUT ONTO A FREEWAY, STALLING THE BIKE COULD BE FATAL. SUZUKI HAS OFFERED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TACHOMETER AND IS ARRANGING TO HAVE BRACKETS ORDERED SO THAT THE TACH CAN BE REMOVED. BUT I STILL THINK THAT CURRENT OWNERS AND DEALERS NEED TO BE ALERTED TO THE PROBLEM. *NM

I BOUGHT A SUZUKI 700 KING QUAD IN THE SUMMER OF 05. I TOOK THE FOUR WHEELER IN FOR A RECALL ON THE THROTTLE IN JANUARY OF 06. I HAD APPROXIMATELY 600 MILES ON THE FOUR WHEELER WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ON THE FOUR WHEELER AFTER THE RECALL. I WAS RIDING ON THE NIGHT OF FRIDAY MARCH 10TH WITH A COUPLE OF FRIENDS ON MY HUNTING CLUB, AND MY THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN, THREW ME OFF OF THE FOUR WHEELER INJURING MY SHOULDER, AND CAUSING THE FOUR WHEELER TO RUN INTO A TREE WITH OUT ME ON IT. WHEN I GOT UP I HAD TO RUN OVER TO THE FOUR WHEELER AND TURN THE KEY OFF FOR IT WAS STILL AT FULL SPEED. THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING WAS BROKEN CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STICK OPEN. I HAVE A STATEMENT FROM THE DEALER THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO THE NEXT MORNING THAT THE THROTTLE WAS STILL STUCK OPEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH SUZUKI FOR 2 AND A HALF WEEKS NOW AND FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE FROM THEM TUESDAY MARCH 28. THE PERSON I WAS DEALING WITH NEVER PHYSICALLY LOOKED AT THE FOUR WHEELER, ONLY PICTURES AND DETERMINED THAT SUZUKI WAS NOT AT FAULT, AND WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE IT RIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PERSON ON THE PHONE THERE WAS A CHANCE, BE IT SLIM, THAT A ROCK COULD HAVE HIT THE THROTTLE CABLE CAUSING IT TO BREAK. THIS IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO A RUBBER CASING SURROUNDING THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING. ALSO HE TRIED TO SAY A STICK COULD HAVE HIT IT, JUDGING BY THE WAY THE HOUSING WAS BROKEN, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN IN REVERSE AND THE STICK WOULD HAVE HAD TO COME THROUGH MY HANDLE BAR TO HAVE HIT THIS HOUSING AND BREAK IT WHERE IT WAS BROKEN. WHEN I SPOKE WITH SUZUKI ON TUESDAY MARCH 28, THEY INFORMED ME TO FILE IT ON MY INSURANCE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FILE THIS ON MY INSURANCE, CAUSING MY PREMIUMS TO INCREASE DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I USE MY FOUR WHEELER DAILY ON OUR FARM, AND THIS DOWN TIME IS HURTING ME SEVERELY. THUS FAR, ON MY REQUEST, THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TOUCHED THE FOUR WHEELER. *JB

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2006 SUZUKI FORENZA STATION WAGON, ON FEBRUARY 25, 2006 I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHICH SOMEONE RAN INTO MY CAR AND I CRASHED THE CAR/THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I THINK THERE IS A DEFECT IN MY BRAND NEW CAR. I THINK THE AIR BAGS OR AT LEAST THE ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE SHOULD OF DEPLOYED- THAT IS MY COMPLAINT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE KICK DOWN CABLE OF THE TRANSMISSION BECAME STUCK AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH SPEED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS MANIPULATED UNTIL THE CABLE LOOSENED. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY REPLACED THE CABLE AND THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. UPDATED 4/6/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHAKES. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE STABILIZER BUSHING, BRACKET AND MOUNT STABILIZER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 4/11/2006 - *NM

MY REAR ALIGNMENT IS OFF SO IN OCTOBER OF 2005 I TOOK IT IN TO GET FIXED AS MY REAR TIRES APPEARED TO BE WEARING AT AN UNUSUAL RATE AND PATTERN. PROBLEM WAS SAID TO BE IN SOME SUZUKI AERIO'S BUT WAS SAID TO BE FIXED. THE SPECS WERE OFF AND HAD TO BE RESET AND REAR TIRES WARRANTED. ON JANUARY 5TH I TOOK CAR IN TO GET OIL CHANGED AND ROTATION OF TIRES. THEY WOULD NOT ROTATE AS BACK TIRES WERE WORN AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK WHERE I GOT IT FIXED THE PREVIOUS TIME. ON JANUARY 20TH REAR ALIGNMENT FIXED AGAIN AND THIS TIME THEY HAD TO BEND SOMETHING (A STRUT ?) IN ORDER TO GET THE SPECS RIGHT ON THE CAR. I WENT OFF THE ROAD WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND WENT INTO A DITCH. NO DAMAGE. THEN ON JANUARY 31TH NEW TIRES PUT ON THE FRONT AND OLD ONES ROTATED TO THE BACK. THE OLD ONES WERE FROM OCTOBER AND WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION PER SUZUKI DEALERSHIP. THE TIRES ARE AGAIN WORN TO THE POINT OF UNSAFE. I CAN NOT DRIVE ON DRY ROADS WITHOUT HAVING A PROBLEM. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY DEFECT AND THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT IT IS FOR ME TO BUY NEW TIRES EVERY MONTH. THE TIRES WORN DOWN COMPLETELY FROM EXCELLENT TO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING ON THEM IN 2,000 MILES AND JUST OVER A MONTH. *JB

I OWN A 2003 SUZUKI BURGMAN SCOOTER MODEL AN650 PURCHASED IN AUGUST, 2003. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO, AT AROUND 5,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXHIBITING A "RATTLING" NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION AREA DURING IDLE. THE SOUND WOULD DISAPPEAR ONLY AFTER SOME LOAD WAS PLACED ON THE ENGINE. SINCE IT WAS NOT THAT UNUSUAL, I DECIDED TO CHANGE THE OIL AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY. THE NOISE DID NOT IMPROVE. IT THEN BECAME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER. IN THE MEANTIME, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM SUZUKI USA ON A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE AN IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT MAY CAUSE THE MACHINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, POTENTIALLY CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE SUZUKI DEALER FOR THIS RECALL FIX AND TO HAVE THE NOISE SITUATION ASSESSED. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE IGNITION SWITCH FIX AT NO CHARGE TO ME AND DIAGNOSED THE NOISE AS A DEFECTIVE "TENSIONER ADJUSTING ASSEMBLY", A CRITICAL PART INSIDE THE ENGINE. AS TO THE CAUSE OF THIS EARLY FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL ENGINE PART THE DEALER COULD ONLY ASCERTAIN IT AS A FACTORY DEFECT. THE TECHNICIAN ASCERTAINED THAT THE "DIESELING" NOISE (NOISE SIMILAR TO A DIESEL ENGINE) WAS THE SYMPTOM OF THE DEFECTIVE PART AND UPON FAILURE, THE ENGINE WILL SUFFER A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND PRETTY MUCH DISINTEGRATE, FAILING WITHOUT WARNING. HE STATED THAT THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IS IMMINENT, BUT CANNOT ASCERTAIN AS TO WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. THE MACHINE IS HIGHWAY LEGAL AND EASILY CRUISES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IF THE MACHINE WERE TO FAIL AT THOSE SPEEDS ON A BUSY FREEWAY, I COULD SUFFER EXTREME INJURIES AND/OR DEATH. SINCE THIS IS MY PRIMARY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, I CANNOT JUST STOP USING IT COMPLETELY, BUT I AM USING IT ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS. IT IS WHY I BELIEVE THAT YOUR AGENCY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT SUZUKI USA AND HAVE THEM ISSUE A FACTORY RECALL ON MY MACHINE, FIX IT PROMPTLY, AND REMOVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *NM

I PURCHASED MY AERIO OCT 2004 AND NOW MARCH 2006 HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES 3 TIMES THIS HAS BEEN COSTLY WE HAVE HAD IT REALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES AND RE-BALANCED BUT THE TIRES STILL WEAR RAPIDLY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH IN SNOW WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V452000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES HYDRAULIC. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.