SUZUKI Complaints

APPROXIMATELY. 14 MO. AFTER PURCHASE, SPEEDOMETER CABLE ASSEMBLY BEGAN MAKING NOISE, GOT WORSE (INTERMITTENTLY), AND CULMINATED 7 YRS. LATER IN A "FROZEN" SPEEDOMETER PLUS EXTREMELY LOUD SCREECHING (STUCK CABLE HEAD) AT SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH. REPLACEMENT OF COMPLETE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER ASSEMBLY BY INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP WAS COMPLICATED BY LACK OF AVAILABLE USED UNITS (WE LOOKED UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR OVER 8 MOS.). USED UNIT FINALLY FOUND BUT NOT CORRECTLY DIGITIZED (5 SETTINGS INSTEAD OF MANUFACTURED 6 SETTINGS). ONLY OPTION OFFERED BY DEALER WAS NEW UNIT AT COST OF $700. I PAID $300 TO INSTALL USED (AND INCORRECTLY DIGITIZED) REPLACEMENT. THIS PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALER WITHIN FIRST 14 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, AND WAS REPEATEDLY BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION EVERY YEAR AS NOISE GREW WORSE. DEALER WAS NON-RESPONSIVE EVERY TIME. HOWEVER, I NOW UNDERSTAND FROM THREE DIFFERENT AUTO REPAIR SHOPS THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS VERY COMMON TO 1993 - 1995 VEHICLES OF MY MAKE AND MODEL, WHICH IS WHY NO CORRECT USED UNITS WERE AVAILABLE TO ME FOR REPLACEMENT. IT APPEARS THAT SUZUKI HAS EITHER NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THIS DEFECT, OR NEVER NOTIFIED OWNERS OF A FIX. *LA

AT APPROX. 90,000 MI., TURN SIGNAL STEM BEGAN MAKING LOUD BUZZING NOISE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MOVED UPWARD (RIGHT BLINK). PROBLEM INCREASED SO THAT BY 138,000 MI. BUZZING HAPPENED WHENEVER STEM WAS MOVED UPWARD OR DOWNWARD (RIGHT OR LEFT BLINK). BY 140,000 MI. BUZZING WAS CONSTANT, WHETHER TURN SIGNAL STEM WAS ENGAGED OR NOT. THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO ATTENTION OF DEALER FROM 1997 - 1999. DEALER WAS NON-RESPONSIVE, SAYING THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. WIRING WAS REPAIRED BY INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP, COSTING OVER $200. PROBLEM IS BEGINNING INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN LESS THAN 500 MILES LATER. THERE APPEARS TO BE FAULTY OEM WIRING INSIDE STEERING COLUMN AND DASHBOARD. VEHICLE (ORIGINAL OWNER) HAS NEVER BEEN ROUGHLY USED OR IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT. *JB

THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER TO CALL BACK IN 5 DAYS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE CASING CAP RECALL 03V512000 PERFORMED, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT A POLE. *JB

WITHOUT WARNING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOOR WHILE DRIVING 22 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

AFTER PURCHASING MY USED VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2003 THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO SHIFT HARD WHEN TAKEN OUT OF PARK, OR SWITCHING FROM FORWARD TO REVERSE AND SO ON. OCCASIONALLY IF FELT LIKE THE GAS PEDAL MAY BE STICKING A BIT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & THE DEALER HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR. BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP THE SHIFTING PROBLEM. ON DECEMBER 11, 2003 AROUND 4:00 AM, I WAS RETURNING FROM DOWN STATE ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY, IT WAS RAINING AND AROUND 34 DEGREES. THE GAS PEDAL STUCK & THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL. SPINNING AROUND SEVERAL TIMES, STRIKING A GUARD RAIL, AND GOING BACKWARD INTO THE DITCH. THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ROLL-OVER BUT CAUGHT ON THE BANK AND SLAMMED BACK ON IT'S WHEELS. IT STRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO BEND 3 RIMS AND EXPLODE THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR. I AM CURRENTLY RECOVERING FROM MULTIPLE BACK & NECK INJURIES, INCLUDING TWO CRUSHED VERTEBRA AND NERVE DAMAGE CAUSING LOSS OF FUNCTION AND TREMENDOUS PAIN. I RECEIVED YOUR RECALL NOTICE ON THE ACCELERATOR CABLE & CASING 3 1/2 WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE ISSUED THE RECALL MORE EXPEDIENTLY. THANK GOD MY CHILDREN WEREN'T WITH ME!*AK

WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND COLLIDED INTO A WALL BARRIER. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR CABLE. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL FEBRUARY 26, 2004. *AK

I DID RECEIVE NOTICE OF A RECALL OF THE 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA REGARDING AN PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND THE PLASTIC CASING WHICH ATTACHES IT TO THE FIREWALL. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT THREE TIMES AT THE LOCAL SUZUKI DEALERSHIP OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE RECALL LETTER STATED THAT ALL SUZUKI DEALERSHIPS HAD THE PARTS IN SHOP AND WERE READY TO CORRECT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS IN HOUSE AND WOULD NEED TO ORDER THEM AND THAT THEY WOULD CALL WHEN THEY GOT THEM IN. I MADE CONTACT WITH THEM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2004. THE LETTER OF RECALL SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT ALL DEALERSHIP HAD PARTS ALREADY ON HAND TO CARE OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. I HAVE WAITED 9 DAYS TO HEAR FROM THEM AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO CALL WHEN THE PARTS WERE IN. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RECALL MATTER AND SUZUKI HAS NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM EXPEDITIOUSLY AS THEIR LETTER STATED! *CB

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *AK *SC

ENGINE OIL LEAKS THROUGH THE EXAUST PIPE FROM THE TIMING CHAIN COVER SEAL. THE BURNING SMELL CAN BE SMELLED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE. I THOUGHT THE SMELL WILL GO AWAY. AT 4250 MILES, I FOUND OIL SPOT ON MY DRIVE WAY. DEALER TOOK OUT THE FROM PART OF ENGINE AND RE-SEALED. AFTER REPAIR, I THINK THE ENGINE IS STILL LEAKING, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE OIL/GREASE IS FROM THE RUST PROOF. I LIKE TO GET A SECOND OPION, BUT THE NEXT AVAILABLE DEALER IS MILLION MILES AWAY. IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG AND DISTURBING PROCESS FOR ME DOWN THE ROAD. SO, I DON'T RECOMMAND SUZUKI TO ANYONE, NOT EVEN PEOPLE I HATE.