Reliability & cost of ownership
Suzuki Esteem Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Suzuki Esteem? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Suzuki Esteem problems by model year
1 recall entry and 121 owner complaints on file across 8 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Esteem | 1 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Esteem | 0 | 21 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Esteem | 0 | 26 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 Esteem | 0 | 20 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1998 Esteem | 0 | 24 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1997 Esteem | 0 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1996 Esteem | 0 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1995 Esteem | 0 | 13 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Suzuki Esteem, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- structure35 complaints
- suspension25 complaints
- service brakes18 complaints
- hydraulic16 complaints
- engine and engine cooling15 complaints
- air bags12 complaints
- power train8 complaints
- tires7 complaints