2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara

THE S FRAME OF MY 2000 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA JLS STARTED VIBRATING AND I TOOK IT TO MIKE ALBERT LEASING AND WHEN THEY PUT IT UP ON THE LIFT THE S FRAME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THE WHEEL WAS DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THEY CALLED SUZUKI AND THEY SAID THAT THE CORROSION WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THE END OF FEBRUARY 2010 SO THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER VEHICLES POSSIBLY HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND OTHER PEOPLE NOT BEING AWARE. THE MECHANICS SAID THAT THIS PART COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH ANY ANTI-CORROSION WHEN THE PART WAS FIRST PUT ON THE VEHICLE. IF I HAD DRIVEN THIS ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN KILLED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE. I THINK THIS IS A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THIS PART WAS AND IS COMPLETELY INTACT. I HAVE THE PART AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT IT RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SWAY BAR FAILED AND THE CROSS MEMBER WAS EXCESSIVELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FROM A LACK OF RUST RESISTANCE MATERIAL ON THE VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE DUE TO THE COST. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA. THE CONTACT HAS HAD HER VEHICLE REPAIRED TWICE FOR TWO RECALLS (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 01V146000 AND 04V427000); HOWEVER, THE DEFECT STILL OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN SERVICED. THE CONTACT FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE THE FIRST TWO TIMES TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED, THE DEALER DID NOT RE-ROUTE THE FUEL DELIVERY HOSE WITH THE IMPROVED CLAMP. THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE FAILED WAS ON DECEMBER 31, 2007. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VACUUM HOSE WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY AND THE PSI RELIEF WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FLOODED. THE MECHANIC PROPERLY REPAIRED THE DEFECT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED DURING THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MECHANIC HAS RECORDS AND DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FUEL HOSE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN THE FIRST TWO TIMES FOR THE RECALL REPAIR, IT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT THE FUEL HOSE HAD NOT FAILED AT THAT TIME; HOWEVER,THE RECALL STATED THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY FAIL. SHE RECEIVED THE FIRST RECALL NOTICE IN DECEMBER OF 2001 AND THE SECOND NOTICE IN OCTOBER OF 2004. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE PART DURING THE SECOND VISIT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NO LONGER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 10,170 (AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST NOTICE) AND 25,325 (AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND NOTICE). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,643.

NOISE COMING FROM TIMING COVER. DEALER INDICATED IT WAS TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. DEALER STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. TOTAL COST TO REMEDY THE SITUATION WAS APPROX $1600. THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE PULLED FROM VEHICLE, OIL PAN, TIMING COVER REMOVED AND THREE CHAINS, AND RELATED TENSIONERS REPLACED (12.5HRS LABOR). THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED EITHER IN TOTAL OR PARTIAL BY MANUFACTURER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE KICK DOWN CABLE OF THE TRANSMISSION BECAME STUCK AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH SPEED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS MANIPULATED UNTIL THE CABLE LOOSENED. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY REPLACED THE CABLE AND THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. UPDATED 4/6/2006 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DETERMINED THE FIRE STARTED IN THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE VEHICLE HAD CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEMS. WHEN DRIVING ON A STEEP HILL THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY MADE SEVERAL REPAIRS TO THE CRUISE CONTROL. *AK UPDATED 2/7/2006 - *NM

CONSUMER LETTER REGARDING THE POOR SALES AND SERVICE ETHICS OF THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE REMOTE FOR THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT WORK. A NEW ONE WAS ORDERED WHICH THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR. THE VEHICLE DID NOT COME WITH AN OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ONE. THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK. WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A THUMPING NOISE. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT TWO LUG NUTS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WERE MISSING AND THE THREE OTHERS WERE LOOSE. THE OTHER WHEELS WERE CHECK AND THEY TOO HAS LOOSE LUG NUTS. *NM