2003 Suzuki SV1000 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: August 20, 2014 · Filed: September 1, 2014

FLYWHEEL MAGNETS SHIFTED AND CRACKED. PIECES OF THE MAGNET ARE ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE. STATOR IS SCRATCHED. FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF VIBRATION AT LOW RPM AND BIKE NOT HOLDING A CHARGE. *TR

Incident: June 20, 2014 · Filed: June 20, 2014

THE CHARGING SYSTEM MAGNETS DETACHED FROM THE FLYWHEEL/ROTOR (INTERNAL TO THE MOTOR), CAUSING AN ISSUE WHERE THE CHARGING SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE MAGNETS COULD HAVE BECOME DISLODGED ENOUGH TO CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC AND IMMEDIATE ENGINE SEIZURE/FAILURE, RESULTING IN I A CRASH. THANKFULLY, I CAUGHT THE ISSUE BEFORE IT BECAME SEVERE. AFTER A BIT OF ONLINE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR SUZUKI BIKES EQUIPPED WITH THIS FAMILY OF ENGINES. NUMEROUS INSTANCES CAN BE FOUND ON THE SV650, SV1000, AND ALL MODELS OF THE V-STROM. I HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED SUZUKI REGARDING THIS MATTER, BUT PLAN TO DO SO TODAY. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A CASE HAS BEEN OPENED TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. I BELIEVE THE CASE NUMBER IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Incident: December 13, 2013 · Filed: June 19, 2014

MY SV1000 HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH ITS CHARGING SYSTEM THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I CAME TO FIND IT WAS A HEAVILY DOCUMENTED ON PUBLIC ONLINE FORUMS SUCH AS SV-PORTAL.COM AND HAS AFFECTED ALMOST ALL SV1000 OWNERS. THE MAGNETS, WHICH ARE GLUED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE STATOR ROTOR, BREAK FREE OF THEIR EPOXY BOND AND SHATTER INTO PIECES INSIDE THE ENGINE CASE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS DAMAGE TO THE STATOR/ALTERNATOR IS CERTAIN AND FRAGMENTED MAGNETS ENTER THE TRANSMISSION, OIL PAN, CLUTCH AND OTHER ENGINE SYSTEMS. WHEN ANY OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE CAUSED TO FAIL BY THE BROKEN MAGNET PIECES OR CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE AT DRIVING SPEED THE RIDER AND ALL NEAR BY MOTORISTS ARE AT SERIOUS RISK. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND AFFECTS ALL YEARS OF THE SV1000. THE SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS AT VARYING MILEAGE BUT IT IS CERTAIN THAT VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 15,000 TO 18,000 MILES WILL HAVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

Incident: December 11, 2005 · Filed: January 12, 2006

1. BIKE WOULD COMPLETELY GO DEAD WHILE RIDING, GAUGES GO BLACK AND BIKE WILL NOT CRANK. IT HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES 2. PROBLEM WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, THIS MEANS NO LIGHTS, NO IGNITION, NO GAUGES, LIKE IF SOMEONE HAD TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. 3. I TROUBLE SHOT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE MOTORCYLCE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE SHOP WANTED TO CHARGE ME A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO LOOK AT IT. I FOUND THE CONNECTOR ON THE WIRE HARNESS THAT GOES TO THE IGNITION SWITCH BLACK AND BURNT FROM THE WIRES SHORTING TOGETHER. I BYPASSED THE CONNECTOR WITH A NEW CONNECTION. THE OLD CONNECTOR IS STILL AVAILABLE. *JB

Incident: October 18, 2005 · Filed: October 19, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT S OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI SV-1000S MOTORCYCLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE MOTORCYCLE THE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON, AND THEN THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE WIRE FROM THE HARNESS TO THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS SEEMED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME. BUT THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER AGAIN AFTER A MONTH . THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED SHE WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. THE SAME THING OCCURRED AS THE FIRST TIME THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER THIS TIME, BUT SHE FELT THAT IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM LAST TIME. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, AND THEY STATED THAT SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SHE WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE REPAIR EXPENSES. SHE WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK

Incident: September 10, 2005 · Filed: October 5, 2005

MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S STARTED RUNNING POORLY AFTER I FILLED UP THE GAS TANK ON 9/10/2005. INITIALLY I THOUGHT I HAD BAD GAS. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHECKED IT AND FOUND THERE IS A CRACK IN THE TANK. THE DEALER SAID THE CRACK IS NEAR THE FUEL VAPOR SEPARATOR. THIS PART IS ONLY INSTALLED ON E-33 (CALIFORNIA MODEL) GAS TANKS FOR EMISSIONS PURPOSES. THAT CRACK CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE CARBON CANISTER WHICH IS ONLY FOR FUEL VAPOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE TANK, AND CARBON CANISTER UNDER WARRANTY. I AM NOT THE ONLY SV1000S OWNER LIVING IN CA THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL MEMBERS FROM A FORUM I AM A MEMBER OF (HTTP://WWW.SV1000.ZYNS.COM/INDEX.PHP?) ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. I FOUND A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FROM ANOTHER OWNER AND THAT IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT UP. I BELIEVE SUZUKI WILL REPLACE THE TANKS BUT ONLY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. *NM

Incident: June 19, 2004 · Filed: September 26, 2005

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO MY 2003 SUZUKI SV100S,CALIFORNIA MODEL[XXX]. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE BIKE HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT NOW. THE PROBLEM IS WITH FUEL LEAKING FROM A SPOT WELD ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. I HAD THE ORIGINAL TANK REPLACED LAST YEAR UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY WHEN IT HAD ABOUT 16,000 MILES FOR FUEL LEAKING FROM THE SAME PLACE. UNDERNEATH THE TANK THERE IS A SQUARE INDENTATION WITH SEVERAL SPOT WELDS IN THE SQUARE. THE FUEL LEAKS FROM THE SPOT WHERE THE WELDS ARE. LIKE THE METAL HAS A HAIRLINE CRACK AT THE EDGE OF THE ACTUAL SPOT WELD. THE FUEL LEAKS ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND ONTO AN ALUMINUM HEAT SHIELD WHICH IS DIRECTLY OVER THE ENGINE AND COULD VERY EASILY CAUSE A FIRE. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: August 14, 2005 · Filed: August 26, 2005

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE THE ELECTRONICS AND ENGINE BEGAN TO CUT-OUT INTERMITTENTLY. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE IGNITION RELAY HAD MELTED AND WAS SHORTING OUT. THE FUSE ON THE CONNECTION DID NOT BLOW. THERE WAS NO MOISTURE PRESENT OR OTHER EXPOSURE.*JB

Incident: September 13, 2004 · Filed: June 9, 2005

MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE HAD AN INTERMITANT TOTAL POWER(ELECTRICAL) FAILURE THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE BIKE COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF. BIKE WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY UNDER WARRENTY AND ADVISED ME THAT SOMETIMES THE BATTERYS JUST GO BAD. THE BIKE WAS FINE ON THE FEW SHORTER RIDES I TESTED IT ON..THE MOTOR DIDN'T CUT OUT LEADING ME TO BELEIVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WHILE LEANING IN TO A CORNER ON THE MORNING OF SEPT. 13TH I AGAIN EXPERIENCED THIS ENGINE CUT OUT LEADING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE FRONT END. THIS RESULTED IN A PRETTY NASTY HIGH SIDE ACCIDENT WHEN I TRIED TO SAVE THE BIKE. INJURIES WERE A BROKEN SHOULDER, ELBOW, AND TWO CRACKED VERTIBRAE. WHEN I WAS WELL ENOUGH AFTER THE ACCIDENT I WANTED TO KNOW FOR MYSELF WHAT HAPPEDED, SO APART CAME THE BIKE. THE CAUSE OF MY INTERMITANT FAILURE TURNED OUT TO BE A FAULTY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WERE THE IGNITION SWITCH PLUGS IN TO THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL DEALER AT THIS POINT FOR REPAIR, AND PER SUZUKI'S RECOMENDATIONS THE FAULTY PLUG WAS REPLACED.....I WAS JUST SO PLEASED WITH SUZUKI'S EXPLANATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. THERE TAKE WAS "SOMETIMES THESE PLUGS WORK LOOSE AND GO BAD." IF ANY ONE NEEDS PICTURS OF THE CRAP PLUG I HAVE THEM. JG