Other Restraint System Info: Full frontal supplemental inflatable restraint
Plant City: Kosai
Plant Country: Japan
Plant State: Shizuoka
Seat Belts All: Manual
Trim: Base
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2005
SUSPENSION:REAR
AFTER I BOUGHT MY CAR (IN LATE DECEMBER 2004), I NOTICED THAT THE REAR-END TWITCHED (VERY SLIGHT SWINGS TO THE LEFT & RIGHT THAT QUICKLY RE-GRABBED THE ROAD AFTER LOSING TRACTION). THIS OCCURRED EVERY TIME THE ROADS WERE WET OR SLIPPERY, AND I USED IT AS A SIGNAL TO SLOW DOWN. THIS TWITCHING GOT WORSE AS THE TIRES WORE DOWN, AND I HAD REPLACED THE REAR-TIRES 8 MONTHS AGO, AND GOT AN ALIGNMENT AS WELL. I WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON MINNESOTA HIGHWAY 77, APPROACHING THE MINNESOTA RIVER BRIDGE (MILE MARKER 7). A RAINSTORM HAD GONE BY EARLIER, SO THE ROAD WAS WET. I HAD SLOWED DOWN, BECAUSE THE CAR'S REAR-END WAS TWITCHING AGAIN, AND IT STOPPED TWITCHING, AND IT WASN'T TWITCHING AROUND WHEN I GOT TO THE BRIDGE. AS I CROSSED THE BRIDGE, THE REAR-END LET GO, AND THE CAR (AND I) CRASHED INTO THE BRIDGES SAFETY MEDIAN, NOSE FIRST. THE CAR DIDN'T DO ANY TWITCHING FOR THE 3 MINUTES PRIOR TO GETTING ONTO THE BRIDGE. AS A RESULT OF THE REAR-END LETTING, THE CAR IS TOTALED, AND I WAS INJURED. *TR
2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED AT ABOUT 9,000 MILES IN MAY. THERE WAS A HOT SMELL AND A LOT OF BRAKE DUST AROUND THE RIM AND TIRES. THE SUZUKI DEALER SERVICE DEPT. SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS JUST NEEDED BRAKE FLUID ADDED. AT THAT TIME THE PADS WERE AT HALF WAY. BUT THIS WAS DISMISSED. ON AUGUST 3RD I BEGAN TO HEAR SQUEALING ESPECIALLY WHEN I WOULD PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. I TOOK IT IN TO ANOTHER TIRE PLACE TO HAVE THE TIRE REPAIRED, THE MEN SAID THE BRAKES SOUNDED BAD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM OTHER THAN THE NOISE. I FEEL THAT THE BRAKES FEEL VERY TIGHT WHEN I AM IN REVERSE ALMOST LIKE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS ON. I WAS SENT TO THE DEALER SINCE I ONLY HAD 14,100 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT WAS SIX MONTHS OLD. THE MAN AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD CHECK THE HISTORY. IT WAS OVER THE 12,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE SERVICE MANAGER LATER CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN COMPLETELY ON THE FRONT AND SHE WOULD ORDER THE PADS FOR ME. I ASKED IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD IT IN AT 9,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD NO, THAT BRAKES WEAR DIFFERENTLY ON DIFFERENT CARS AND BASICALLY I WAS ROUGH ON MY BRAKES. THERE WAS NO OFFER TO INVESTIGATE, OR CONCEDE THAT IS WAS UNUSUAL FOR BRAKES TO WEAR THAT QUICKLY. MY HUSBAND DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY ISSUES WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS ON THE SAME CAR. AFTER REFUSING REPEATEDLY TO ACCEPT THIS AS MY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO GET A "ONE TIME GOOD WILL" REPLACEMENT OF MY BRAKES. IT HAS BEEN 12 DAYS AND I AM STILL WAITING TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT LEADS TO THE PADS BEING WORN DOWN SO QUICKLY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER ESPECIALLY AFTER READING SO MANY OTHER SIMILAR AND MORE SEVERE COMPLAINTS. THE MOST COMMON OPINION I AM FINDING IS THAT THE CALIPERS ARE TOO BIG AND TOO TIGHT ON THE BRAKE PADS. *JB
