2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7

I WAS TRAVELING ON I-10 EASTBOUND NEAR TALLAHASSEE, FL GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN MY CAR BRIEFLY SHOOK/VIBRATED. I LET OFF THE GAS PERPLEXED WHEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. MY CAR CAREENED TO THE LEFT AND WITH A DEATH GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL, I TRIED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I MOVED BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE 2 LANES OF INTERSTATE AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE GAINING CONTROL. PARTS OF TIRE AND PLASTIC WERE FLYING BEHIND ME. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT MILE MARKER 193. IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES FOR ME TO GET MY COMPOSURE. I WAS CRYING, SHAKING AND VERY SCARED. WHEN I FELT CALM AND SAFE ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE, I SAW THAT MY TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED BUT WAS NOT EVEN FLAT. THE FORCE WAS SO GREAT, IT RIPPED OUT ALL MY TIRE GUARD, IT TORE MY FENDER, MY BUMPER WAS TOUCHING THE GROUND AND I COULD SEE PIECES OF DEBRIS ON THE INTERSTATE. *TR

BRIDGESTONE DUELER 687 P235/60R16 TIRES PREMATURE WEAR, UNSAFE TO DRIVE, SUZUKI HAS 21,000 MILES, STEERING SHAKES, TIRE DEALER STATES IT MAY BE CAR ALIGNMENT WILL NOT REPLACE. TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT STATED INTERVALS, HOWEVER, MAINTENANCE HAS FAILED TO HELP THE PREMATURE WEAR. I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB AND CANNOT FIND ANY RECALL ON THESE TIRES. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANY CARS FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A WEAR PROBLEM THIS BAD. I WOULD LIKE THE MANUFACTURER TO NOT ONLY REPLACE THE TIRES BUT LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BEFORE ANY LOSS OF LIFE OCCURS. ARE THEY HIDING SOMETHING?*AK

I HAVE A 2002 XL7 WITH 11,000 MILES TIRES ALREADY HAVE NO TREAD, I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MAKING AN AWFUL NOISE. SOMETIMES WHEN I GIVE IT GAS IT DOESN'T RESPOND AND WILL JUST PLAIN GIVE OUT ON ME... I SUGGEST NO ONE BUY ONE PLEASE IT GIVES SUV'S A BAD NAME. IF ANYONE HAS INFO ON MY PROBLEMS PLEASE CONTACT ME.*AK

TIRES WEARING OUT FAST WITH LOW MILEAGE ON THEM, BRIDGESTONE P235-60-16 DUELER H/T. BEEN COMPLAINING TO SUZUKI DEALER ABOUT TIRES AND STEERING ON THE CAR. IN ONE MONTH FROM LAST VISIT HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES BECAUSE OF CUPPING ON ALL FOUR TIRES. STEERING WAS SHIMMING AT 60 MILES PER HOUR BAD ANDALSO MAKING STEERING GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. DEALER WONT DO NOTHING. BUT SERVICE MANAGER AT TIRAPELLI SUZUKI STATED SUZUKI KNOWS OF A PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES BUT THE DEALER DOESNT WARRANT THE TIRES. ALL THEY SUGGESTED WAS REPLACE TIRES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SUZUKI XR-7 YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS TIRE HAS BEEN REPLACED BEFORE BECAUSE OF BAD WEAR AND CUPPING. HAD TO PUT OUT 361.00 TODAY FOR THE TIRES AND NOW THE CAR SO FAR DRIVES OK. BUT ONLY HAS 28161 ON TIRES IN WEAR AND CAR ISNT 1 YEAR OLD.

I PURCHASED A VEHICLE IN FEB. 2002 FROM CORPORATE MOTORS DBA SUZUKI OF HAYWARD CA. THROUGH ADDISON AVENUE CREDIT UNION HELD AT HP CORPORATE IN PALO ALTO, CA. ON MAY 17TH 2002 MY NEW SUZUKI XL7-4WD BLEW A HEAD GASKET @ 4,057 MILES. IT WAS TOWED TO THE SAN JOSE BOB LEWIS SUZUKI DEALER. WOULD NOT PROVIDE A CURTSEY LOANER AND DUE TO PARTS NOT IN STOCK IT TOOK THREE WEEKS BEFORE I RECEIVED MY XL7 BACK.ON MAY 15TH 2003, I TOOK IT IN FOR A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AT SUNNYVALE FOREIGN CAR SERVICE. AT THIS TIME THE MILEAGE WAS 17,956. ALL WENT WELL, BUT WAS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT I GET ALL NEW TIRES SOON, TIRES WORN.ON JULY 2ND THE CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO SUNNYVALE FOREIGN CAR SERVICE, AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE READING STATED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE COOLANT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VALVE HEAD WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER SINCE IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.MONDAY JULY 7TH 2003, TOOK IT TO CORPORATE MOTORS DBA SUZUKI OF HAYWARD. PRIOR BEFORE TAKING, I CHECKED ON RECALLS AND COMPLAINTS @ WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV ON SUZUKI GRAND VITARA XL7. PRINTED OUT LISTING AND GAVE A COPY TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ALSO NO CURTSEY LOANER WAS PROVIDED.WINDSHIELD RECALL/SUSPENSION/TIRES AND STEERING/ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.THURSDAY JULY 10, 2003 SPOKE WITH VICTOR FLORES; HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE BOTH HEAD GASKETS. THE WORK DONE FROM SAN JOSE BOB LEWIS ON THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON MAY 17TH 2002 DID NOT USE THE NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE TIRES WERE WORN BUT NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THEM. NO MENTION ON WINDSHIELD RECALL. *AK

WE PURCHASED 2 NEW SUZUKI'S XL7 2002 WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER HT687 P235/60/R16. STARTED VIBRATING ALMOST FROM THE START. TERRIBLE PULSING WHEN USING THE BRAKE. HAD TIRES FORCED ROAD BALANCED 3 TIMES. NO CHANGE. 4 WERE REPLACED ON ONE CAR AND ONE ON THE OTHER. PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. WE WERE TOLD BY FIRESTONE DEALER THAT IT WAS NOT THE TIRES. HE SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, SUCH AS BRAKES OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FRONT END. WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT DEALER CHECK ALL THE ABOVE AND COULD ONLY FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. AFTER FEELING LOST, I WROTE FIRESTONE WITH THE COMPLAINT AND FINALLY WAS CONTACTED BY THEM. FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE ALL 10 TIRES A YEAR LATER WITH WHAT EVER TIRE WE CHOOSE. THEY AGREED TO PAY $80.00 PLUS MOUNTING AND BALANCING TOWARD THE 10 TIRES WE WANTED AFTER SOME ARGUING. THE DUELER 687 EMITTED A LOUD BUMPING WHEN DRIVING AND VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. WHEN TIRES THE WERE REMOVED, WE NOTICED CUPPING ON SOME. ALSO NOTICED TIRES WERE NOT ALIKE, SOME WERE STEEL PLUS POLYESTER OTHERS WERE STEEL PLUS POLYESTER PLUS NYLON. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THESE TIRES AT ALL. WE WERE TOLD BY THE CAR DEALER, THAT THESE TIRES WERE DESIGNED FOR THIS SUV.*JB