NHTSA Complaint #10346403 — 2007 SUZUKI XL7

I HAVE A 2007 SUZUKI XL7 LIMITED THAT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME ISSUES THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD WHILE OWNING TWO OTHER SUZUKI SUV'S. ON JUNE 24TH, 2010, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT 32 MPH WHEN THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE. SHE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING AND NOBODY HIT HER. SHE WAS NOT DRIVING ERRATIC NOR IRRESPONSIBLY AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY A MOTORCYCLE POLICE WHO WAS OBSERVING THE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING AND INSINUATED THAT THE CAR HAD TO HAVE BEEN DRIVEN RECKLESSLY FOR THE DEPLOYMENT TO HAPPEN. SUZUKI STATED THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE MODULE HAD BEEN TESTED, TO DETERMINE WHAT TOOK PLACE. IT TOOK MORE THAN A MONTH FOR SUZUKI TO INFORM ME OF THEIR DECISION AND THAT WAS AFTER I CALLED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. SUZUKI INFORMED ME THAT THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION AND REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED LATERAL G?S RANGING FROM (-) 1.17 ~ (+) .91 ~ (-) 2.08 DURING THE LAST 180 M/SEC. MAX ROLL RATE WAS 40 DEG/SEC @ 30 M/S. THE DATA INDICATES THAT AN EVASIVE MANEUVER WAS TAKEN CAUSING THE ROS (ROLL OVER SENSOR) TO SENSE AN IMMINENT ROLLOVER EVENT, THUS DEPLOYING THE CURTAIN AIR BAGS. SUZUKI REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH TRANSPORTATION DURING THE MONTH IT TOOK THEM TO TEST THE MODULE AND DOES NOT INTEND TO FIX MY CAR EVEN UNDER WARRANTY AND A POLICE OFFICER AS WITNESS. FOR A CUSTOMER WHO HAS BOUGHT THREE(3) BRAND NEW VEHICLE FROM THIS COMPANY, I FIND IT A SLAP IN THE FACE TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS. I WOULD LIKE THIS DEFECT/MALFUNCTION INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA AND SUZUKI TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES ON IT AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, YET SUZUKI MAINTAINS EVEN WTH THE EVIDENCE, THAT I MUST FIX THEIR $7K PROBLEM MYSELF IF I EVER WANT TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR