NHTSA Complaint #10442537 — 2007 SUZUKI XL7

I WAS DRIVING AROUND THE SCHOOL, WAITING TO PICK UP MY KIDS AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CORNER MY STEERING LOCKED UP. I COULD HARDLY MOVE THE WHEEL AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THOUGHT I HAD SOMETHING CAUGHT IN MY TIRES, WHICH REALLY SCARED ME BEING NEAR A SCHOOL. I GOT OUT AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, BUT WHEN I GOT IN AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE, I COULDN'T STEER WELL AT ALL. AFTER SOME TIME DRIVING WITH THIS CONDITION, I REALIZED THAT I COULD STEER BETTER IF I ACCELERATED INTO THE CURVE, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM VERY SAFE, ESPECIALLY ON ICY ROADS. MY STEERING ALWAYS HAD A LITTLE "GROWL" TO IT, BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT GOT MUCH LOUDER. I HAVE READ ON THIS PAGE AND OTHERS THAT OTHER SUZUKI XL7'S HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE, THERE WAS EVEN A RECALL ON THE 2006 MODEL, BUT THEY ARE NOT HELPING ON THE 2007 MODEL. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE THREE KIDS THAT I NEED TO DRIVE AROUND AND I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO KEEP SINKING INTO THIS CAR. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AT 70,000 MILES, WHICH IS ALSO RIDICULOUS. I CONTINUE TO HAVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. AT ONE POINT LAST YEAR, MY CAR TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TRY TO RESTART IT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, IT DID START, BUT THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM OR TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG. MY BATTERY ALSO KEEPS DYING, THE FACTORY CD PLAYER THINKS IT HAS A CD IN IT AND WON'T WORK, THE TEMPERATURE DISPLAY IS NEVER CORRECT, AND THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE DISPLAYS ON THE REAR TIRES. NOT TO MENTION THAT THE OIL CHANGE TECH'S RARELY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESET THE INDICATOR IN THIS MODEL. EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN/PARTS. I CAN LIVE WITH THE INCONVENIENCE OF THE DISPLAYS, BUT PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THIS STEERING ISSUE - IT IS NOT SAFE, AND IT IS HAPPENING TO LOTS OF US! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SUZUKI. *TR