2000 Suzuki Esteem Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 19, 2014 · Filed: September 24, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER BAR FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

Incident: November 2, 2012 · Filed: February 22, 2013

2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FRONT END PROBLEMS AND SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR UNAUTHORIZED REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR FRONT END PROBLEMS. WHILE THERE, HE WAS INFORMED A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR A FRAME PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THEY CONFIRMED, THAT IN FACT, THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER, STATING A MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE, AND THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS FIVE MONTHS OLDER THAN THE RECALLED COVERED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE COST FOR THE REPAIR WAS $603.26 AFTER DEDUCTING $300 FROM THE ORIGINAL BILL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE NEVER AUTHORIZED THEM TO PERFORM THE WORK, SINCE THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER VALID.

Incident: August 22, 2012 · Filed: September 13, 2012

VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AND RUMBLED UPON TURNING... APPARENTLY SUZUKI KNOWS OF THE RECALL BUT IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR OUTSIDE MARCH 2012. *TR

Incident: April 26, 2012 · Filed: May 4, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, SHE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE SUB FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.

Incident: April 19, 2012 · Filed: May 3, 2012

2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM SEDAN. THE SUBFRAME AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXEL RUSTED THROUGH AND COLLAPSED WHILE TURNING CORNER. LOUD GRINDING OF TIRES. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TO BE PUSHED BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. REPAIRED COST OF $1200. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT AS THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, BUT IF THESE PARTS HAD FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT IS QUITE LIKELY A FATAL ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER SUZUKI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM. I WROTE TO CORPORATE RELATIONS AT SUZUKI IN BREA CALIFORNIA, THEY CONTACTED ME AND LEFT A MESSAGE THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPAIR AND THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT AS OF DEC 21, 2011. HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY THEY SENT TO OWNERS SAID THIS REPAIR WOULD BE FOR 12 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PUT IN SERVICE OR 180,000. MY CAR MET THE CONDITIONS BUT THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE COVERAGE EXTENSION WARRANTY. I HOPE THIS VEHICLE IS RECALLED OR AT LEAST OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE A FATAL ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

Incident: August 2, 2011 · Filed: August 9, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN A DEER CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THAT AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH, THE FRONT AXLE, CV JOINT, HOOD, RADIATOR, HEADLIGHTS AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,931.

Incident: February 22, 2011 · Filed: March 7, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A POT HOLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE AXLE AND THE A-FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Incident: July 27, 2010 · Filed: July 30, 2010

2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM WAGON. SUBFRAME AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXEL RUSTED THROUGH AND COLLAPSED WHILE COMING TO A STOP.. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TO BE PUSHED BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED AND IS BEING REPAIRED FOR A COST OF $1000. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT AS THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, BUT IF THESE PARTS HAD FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT IS QUITE LIKELY A FATAL ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER SUZUKI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS VEHICLE IS RECALLED OR AT LEAST OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT. *TR

Incident: June 10, 2010 · Filed: June 11, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. WHILE MOVING OFF THE ROADWAY AND ONTO THE SHOULDER, THE GRINDING NOISE BECAME MORE SEVERE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE FRONT K FRAME WAS SEVERELY ROTTED AND THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD RIPPED THROUGH THE MAIN FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 96,000.

Incident: November 22, 2009 · Filed: November 28, 2009

I WAS A LICENSED MECHANIC FOR MANY YEARS WITH A LOT OF EXPERTISE. I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM TWO YEARS AGO. WE LIVE IN MICHIGAN AND I BOUGHT THIS PARTICULAR CAR BECAUSE IT WAS FROM VIRGINIA AND WAS IMMACULATE NOT LIKE THE CARS FROM THE RUST BELT HERE IN MICHGAN. SHE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT ALL OF A SUDDEN, VIOLENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING PULLED VERY HARD. SHE CALLED ME I TOLD HER TO STOP THE CAR AND LET ME INSPECT IT. SHE GOT IT TO A SAFE AREA AND ALSO TOLD ME THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS "BENT IN". I INSPECTED IT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE CROSS FRAME THAT SUPPORTS THE TWO A FRAMES TO THE SUBFRAME OF THE CAR HAD COMPLETED RUSTED OUT AND DETACHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WAS ALMOST GONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TOO. ALL OTHER SURROUNDING METAL FRAMES AND THE CAR BODY ITSELF WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BUT THIS CROSS FRAME WAS VERY OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AND ROTTED OUT CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE VEHICLES FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING LOSS. AGAIN, THIS PARTICULAR PART IS DEFECTIVE TO THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER AS EVERYTHING AROUND IT IS IN GREAT CONDITION AND WHEN THIS MAIN FRAME PART FAILS IT HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF TOSSING THE CAR VIOLENTLY ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY DAUGHTER IS AN EMT USED TO DRIVING AN AMBULANCE AT HIGH SPEED AND IS AN EXCELLENT DRIVER. A LESSER DRIVER MAY HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC OUTCOME. THE CAR IS HERE AND CAN BE INSPECTED. *TR