2003 Suzuki Suzuki Motorcycle Recalls & Complaints

Incident: May 26, 2005 · Filed: June 13, 2005

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT ABOUT 6500 MILES. MOTORCYCLE STARTED LURCHING AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE AND ONE OF THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WAS ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED. THERE WASN'T A SCREECHING SOUND OR ANTHING TO WARN ME THAT THE BEARINGS WERE FAILING PRIOR TO THIS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO OWNERS OF THE SUZUKI AF650 BUT SUZUKI HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. SUZUKI DID REPLACE THE BEARING. INITIALLY THEY TOLD ME TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS A BEARING THAT'S CONSIDERED A "WEAR ITEM." LATER THE DEALER REIMBURSED ME FOR THE COST OF THE BEARING AND LABOR.

Incident: April 13, 2004 · Filed: April 15, 2005

VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY SHAKING WHEN DRIVING AT 40 MPH OR LESS. WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRES CHANGED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING SUGGESTED WAS WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE. SINCE THE TIRES HAD BEEN CHANGED VEHICLE STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

Incident: March 24, 2005 · Filed: March 24, 2005

THE SUZUKI VL1500LC INTRUDER (LC FOR SHORT) HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ITS FUEL TANK CRACKING RIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT RIGHT MOUNTING BOLT. THIS IS KNOWN TO THE LC COMMUNITY, AND WE ASSUME THAT IT IS KNOWN BY SUZUKI. THE LATTER, HOWEVER, HAS SO FAR NOT DONE ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. YES, THEY WILL REPLACE THE TANK, BUT THE NEW TANK CRACKS IN THE SAME PLACE, SO THAT IS NOT A 'GOOD' FIX. THE TANK ON MY BIKE HAS DEVELOPED THE SAME CRACK, AFTER LESS THAN 14,000 MILES. THE GAS IS ROUTED TO DRIP IN AN AREA VERY NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPES. (ON A BIKE WITH STOCK EXHAUST, IT MAY WELL DRIP ONTO THE EXHAUST EXPANSION CHAMBER.) BECAUSE THE REPAIR - IE REPLACEMENT OF TANK - IS NOT A SATISFACTORY REPAIR MOST OF US SEE NO REASON TO LEAVE THE BIKE IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK OR MORE TO FACILITATE REPLACEMENT OF SAID TANK. IN STEAD, OTHER REMEDIES ARE SOUGHT. SOME SUCCESS IS REPORTED USING JBWELD.

Incident: November 28, 2004 · Filed: November 29, 2004

I HAVE A 2003 SUZUKI INTRUDER LC1500. IT IS 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAS 5,100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. RECENTLY I STARTED SMELLING GAS AND, AWARE THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD CRACKS IN THEIR FUEL TANKS THROUGH THE LC FORUM, CHECKED THE SUSPECT AREA OF THE TANK. THERE WAS RESIDUE, I CLEANED THE TANK AND RECHECKED IT YESTERDAY. THERE WAS NEW RESIDUE AND THE CRACK IS VISIBLE.*AK

Incident: November 27, 2004 · Filed: November 28, 2004

THERE IS A CRACK IN THE WELD ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ON MY 2003 SUZUKI VL1500LC MOTORCYCLE. I NOTICED IT AFTER OTHER OWNERS AND I HAVE STARTED COMMUNICATING AMONG EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK A COMMON FIX SEEMS TO BE TO USE JB WELD TO CLOSE THE CRACK. SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL WILL NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE RUDELY TREATED MANY WHO HAVE CONTACTED THEM REGARDING THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. MANY DEALERS HAVE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND IT IS A WIDELYY KNOW ISSUE AMONG CURRENT OWNERS OF THE MOTORCYCLE.

Incident: November 24, 2004 · Filed: November 24, 2004

A SMALL SEPARATION OF THE TOP WELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ON MY 2003 SUZUKI VL1500LC MOTORCYCLE. I NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS CHANGING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ON MY BIKE, THE FIX IS TO USE JB WELD TO CLOSE THE CRACK. SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL WILL NOT EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY STATED NHTSA WOULD HAVE TO FORCE THEM TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANK. *NM

Incident: March 15, 2004 · Filed: September 21, 2004

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 3,500 MILES OF WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED. DEALER URGED CONSUMER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO CHECK THE OVER LOAD OF VOLTAGES.*AK *TC

Incident: August 17, 2004 · Filed: September 14, 2004

MOTORCYCLE'S HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO BLOW OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS THREE TIMES WITHIN TWO MONTHS. *AK *MR

Incident: August 1, 2003 · Filed: August 17, 2004

BOUGHT MY 2003 SUZUKI INTRUDER 1500 LC NEW IN MAY OF 2003. NOT LONG AFTER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY GOING DEAD. THOUGHT MAYBE IT WASN'T FULLY CHARGED WHEN FIRST PUT IN. IT WOULD BE TOO LOW TO START THE BIKE SOMETIMES AFTER BIKE SAT FOR FIVE OR SIX DAYS. BROUGHT BATTERY BACK TO DEALER FOR A LOAD TEST AND WAS TOLD IT WAS O.K.. STILL HAD SAME PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD TO BRING BIKE IN. THEY SAID VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS BAD AND REPLACED IT. ONE WEEK LATER SAME PROBLEM, BUT NOW WARRANTY EXPIRED. WENT BACK AND THEY SAID BATTERY WAS NOW FAULTY AND GAVE ME A NEW ONE. SOON AFTER BIKE STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. WILL START AND RUN FINE FOR A FEW DAYS THEN WHEN OUT RIDDING WHEN STARTING THE BIKE AFTER A STOP THE BATTERY WILL BE TOTALLY DEAD. TOLD DEALER PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND WAS TOLD TO BASICALLY FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT MYSELF. *JB

Incident: August 11, 2004 · Filed: August 12, 2004

TO WHOM IT MAY VCONCERN. LAST WEEK I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FROM SUZUKI MOTOR. REFERENCE A 2003 SUZUKI, VZ800K3 MOTORCYCLE, I PURCHASED ON 07/05/04 FROM QUINSEY POWERSPORT OF EL CAJO, CALIFORNIA. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER TO HAVE THE WORK PERFORMED ON SAID MOTORCYCLE I WAS TOLD BY THE MANAGER OF SERVICE TO RIDE THE BIKE IN AND 3 DAYS IT WILL BE READY. HOW COULD A RIDE IN A BIKE THAT THE MANUFACTURER STATES " DO NOT RIDE YOUR CALIFORNIA MODEL". I HAVE CALLED PEOPLE AT THE DEALER AND AT THE MANUFACTURER WITHOUT GETTING A STRAY ANSWER YET. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT? DID I MENTION, THAT ON THE FIRST DAY I TOOK THE BIKE HOME. WHILE IN MY WAY TO WORK DOING 60 THE SPEEDOMETER BROKE. DO I HAVE A LEMON? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MARIO