SUZUKI Complaints

THERE HAVE BEEN AN ALARMING NUMBER OF REPORTED SUBFRAME FAILURES ON 1999 AND 2000 MODEL SUZUKI GSX1300R'S. THESE ARE ALUMINUM AND ARE PRONE TO BREAKING AT OR NEAR THE WELDS. I DO HAVE AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST SYSTEM ON MY BIKE. SUZUKI "SAYS" THAT THE FACTORY EXHAUST SUPPORTS THE SUBFRAME AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE TOTAL B.S. TO ME SINCE ALL 2001 AND 2002 HAYABUSA'S COME WITH A STEEL SUBFRAME! I HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE, BUT I DO NOT WISH TO HAVE ONE AND END UP BADLY HURT OR DEAD. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY WIFE(OR ANYONE ELSE) TO RIDE AS PASSENGER FOR THIS VERY REASON, WHICH LIMITS MY RIDING SEVERLY.

I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SUZUKI CORP. NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS NOT YET BROKEN, BUT SHOULD I WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE GETS HURT? I AM ALARMED AT THE NUMBER OF REPORTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS REGARDING THESE SUBFRAMES BREAKING AND PEOPLE BEING INJURED OR KILLED. SUZUKI SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR ALL THESE ISSUES AND A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. I AM AWARE THAT YOUR ORGINAZATION IS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, PLEASE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE INVESTIGATION.*AK

THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AMONG EARLY YEAR SUZUKI HAYABUSAS. MY SUBFRAME HAS NOT FAILED, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND ALSO PASSENGERS THAT RIDE ON MY MOTORCYCLE. I WOULD LIKE A RECALL DONE ON THIS PART AND HAVE A REPLACEMENT MADE OF STEEL PUT ON THE MOTORCYCLE AT NO COST. IN EUROPE, SUZUKI WAS REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS PART, BUT DEALERS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE "UNAWARE" OF ANY PROBLEM, AND SUZUKI WILL NOT EXTEND THE RECALL HERE. FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT MAY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

AFTER DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR APPROX. ONE MONTH WE RETURNED TO THE SALEMAN AND TOLD HIM THE STEERING DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE AND SAID IT WAS FINE. WE THOUGHT BECAUSE WE HAD NEVER OWNED A 4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE THAT WE JUST NEEDED TO GET USED TO IT. AFTER THIS THE STEERING CONSTANTLY GOT WORSE AND IN JUNE AFTER SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THEM TO AGAIN CHECK. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS UNSAFE AND WE MUST LEAVE IT BECAUSE THE WHEEL MIGHT FALL OFF. WHEN WE PICKED THE VEHICLE UP THE STEERING STILL DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. ONLY NOW YOU COULD TELL IT WAS THE FRONT LEFT THAT WAS ABNORMAL. WE EXPRESSED THIS TO THEM BUT THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. IT NEVER DID SEEM TO DRIVE CORRECTLY, BUT LIKE MANY THINGS YOU GET USED TO THE IMPERFECTIONS AND GO ON WITH YOUR LIFE. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE FRONT LEFT HUB ASSEMBLY WITH WHEEL FELL OFF THE AXILE. SUZUKI SAYS THIS IS NOT A COVERED REPAIR BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THEN 36000 MILES ON THE CAR. WE FEEL THIS IS TRULY A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE COVERED AND NOTED SINCE IT COULD CAUSE CASULTIES IF YOU WERE TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.*AK

FRAME BRACKET THAT CLAMPS AROUND THE ENGINE MOUNT IS MISSING THE PINCH BOLT THAT HOLDS THE RIGHT SIDE SECURED. SUZUKI KNOWS THE BOLT COMES OUT, BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE STEEL BOLT GOES VERTICAL INTO THE ALUMINUM FRAME FROM THE GROUND. THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED & SUZUKI DOESN'T BACK UP THERE PRODUCT WHEN THEY KNOW ABOUT THERE PROBLEMS. THE RADIATOR CAP WAS DEFECTIVE & SUZUKI WOULDN'T VOUGE FOR IT. THE REAR TIRE SPUN OUT ON ME, THAT'S HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. COOLANT ON THE REAR TIRE!

I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS REAR SUBFRAME FAILING AT THE WELDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN CARRYING A PASSENGER. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTED FAILURES, BOTH IN THE UK AND USA, AND SUZUKI UK SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ENTITY PERFORMING REPAIRS WITH STEEL REPLACEMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SUZUKI USA PERFORM SIMILAR REPLACEMENTS, FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS OF SUBFRAMES FAILING (BREAKING AT THE WELD) ON 1999 AND 2000 SUZUKI, HAYABUSA MOTORCYCLES. IN 2001 SUZUKI WENT TO STEEL SUBFRAMES RATHER THAN THE ALUMINUM SUBFRAMES OF THE EARLIER MODELS. SOME FAILURES HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. SUZUKI DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM FOR THE OWNERS OF 99 AND 00 YEAR MODELS.*AK

I HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE, BUT SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE. I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE REAR SUB-FRAME FAILURS. *AK

WENT RIDING ON A SATURDAY AND NOTICED MOTORCYCLE WAS HANDLING VERY WEIRD AND IT ACTUALLY SEEMED TO BE "LONGER" THAN NORMAL. WHEN I GOT HOME I NOTICED THE BACK HALF OF MY MOTORCYCLE WAS SEVERAL INCHES LOWER THAN NORMAL AND THE REAR TIRE WAS LESS THAN AN INCH FROM THE REAR FENDER. AFTER AN INSPECTION OF MOTORCYCLE, THE SUBFRAME BROKE ON BOTH SIDES, CAUSING THE BACK HALF OF THE BIKE TO FALL OVER 4-6 INCHES. THE FAILURE PUT A HOLE IN MY EXHAUST AND BURNED A GOOD PORTION OF THE STOCK BODY WORK. AFTER A LITTE RESEARCH, SUZUKI HAD A RECALL ON THIS PART IN EUROPE...NOT THE US...AND WITH THE 2001 MODELS, THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH STEEL. NONE OF THE DEALERS IN THE HOUSTON AREA WILL HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. WITH THE RECALL IN EUROPE AND THE PART GOING TO STEEL IN 2001 ADMITS THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM...A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ONE. *AK

REAR ALUMINUM SUBFRAME HAS A HISTORY OF SPLITTING AT THE WELD POINTS. CAN BE REPLACED WITH STEEL SUBFRAME.*AK