NHTSA Complaint #10154369 — 2002 SUZUKI INTRUDER

I AM THE RECIPIENT OF A GAS TANK RECALL ON A SUZUKI 1500 INTRUDER MOTORCYCLE AND HAVE RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NO ASSISTANCE WITH REGARDS TO MAKING THE VEHICLES SAFE IN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME - I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THIS MODE OF TRANSPORTATION SINCE MARCH 11 DUE TO THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THERE IS STILL NO ETA FROM SUZUKI ON WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE WILL BE RETURNED TO ME IN SAFE RIDING CONDITION. BELOW IS THE TEXT FROM A LETTER THAT I HAVE SENT TO THE CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WITH MORE DETAILS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW AN ISSUE THAT I HAVE HAD WITH THE SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE COMPANY RECENTLY. EARLY THIS MONTH I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY SUZUKI INTRUDER 1500 IN WHICH IT WAS STATED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE UNSAFE SITUATION WITH THE GAS TANK WHICH COULD CAUSE IT TO EXPLODE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND I BROUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 3/11/06 TO BE TESTED AND CHECKED. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WAS VERIFIED THAT MY GAS TANK WAS DEFECTIVE, IT WOULD TAKE 5 TO 7 DAYS TO RECEIVE THE TANK AND MAKE REPAIRS. (DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE RECALL NOTICE ??PARTS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO LEAVE YOUR MOTORCYCLE OVERNIGHT, SO CHECK WITH YOUR DEALER??). ON AROUND 3/22 (11 DAYS AFTER WE DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE OFF), WE CONTACTED THE REPAIR SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE TANK WAS ON BACK-ORDER WITH NO ETA. ON MONDAY 3/27 WE CALLED SUZUKI AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE APOLOGIZED FOR THE ISSUE AND THEN SAID HE STILL NEEDED MORE TIME TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND PROMISED TO CALL BACK. AGAIN, NO RETURNED CALL WAS MADE TO US. ON THURSDAY 3/30/06 , I AGAIN CALLED SUZUKI, WHERE I WAS FINALLY PUT IN CONTACT WITH HIS A MANGER WHO TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY I NEEDED TO BE PATIENT AND INCONVENIENCED DUE TO THEIR MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT ANY INCONVENIENCE I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS UNFORTUNATE BUT NOT THEIR PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF GETTING NOWHERE I ENDED THE CALL. *NM