NHTSA Complaint #10293783 — 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM

I WAS A LICENSED MECHANIC FOR MANY YEARS WITH A LOT OF EXPERTISE. I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER A 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM TWO YEARS AGO. WE LIVE IN MICHIGAN AND I BOUGHT THIS PARTICULAR CAR BECAUSE IT WAS FROM VIRGINIA AND WAS IMMACULATE NOT LIKE THE CARS FROM THE RUST BELT HERE IN MICHGAN. SHE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT ALL OF A SUDDEN, VIOLENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING PULLED VERY HARD. SHE CALLED ME I TOLD HER TO STOP THE CAR AND LET ME INSPECT IT. SHE GOT IT TO A SAFE AREA AND ALSO TOLD ME THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS "BENT IN". I INSPECTED IT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE CROSS FRAME THAT SUPPORTS THE TWO A FRAMES TO THE SUBFRAME OF THE CAR HAD COMPLETED RUSTED OUT AND DETACHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WAS ALMOST GONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TOO. ALL OTHER SURROUNDING METAL FRAMES AND THE CAR BODY ITSELF WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BUT THIS CROSS FRAME WAS VERY OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AND ROTTED OUT CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE VEHICLES FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING LOSS. AGAIN, THIS PARTICULAR PART IS DEFECTIVE TO THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER AS EVERYTHING AROUND IT IS IN GREAT CONDITION AND WHEN THIS MAIN FRAME PART FAILS IT HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF TOSSING THE CAR VIOLENTLY ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY DAUGHTER IS AN EMT USED TO DRIVING AN AMBULANCE AT HIGH SPEED AND IS AN EXCELLENT DRIVER. A LESSER DRIVER MAY HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC OUTCOME. THE CAR IS HERE AND CAN BE INSPECTED. *TR