NHTSA Complaint #10446154 — 2007 SUZUKI XL7

I PURCHASED MY 2007 X7 NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT CLOSED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE (THAT SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME SOMETHING) FORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR ISSUES SINCE THE PURCHASE UNTIL RECENTLY. THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY 2 SUZUKI DEALERSHIPS WITHIN 120 MILES OF ME. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING HAS BECOME VERY SLUGGISH AND DIFFICULT TO TURN, AND MAKES A LOT OF NOISE WHENEVER I TURN. IN READING THE MANY OTHER VEHICLE COMPLAINTS, I SEE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I'VE BEEN TO ONE OF THE 2 DEALERSHIPS IN ALL OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW STEERING GEAR BOX, WHICH WOULD RUN ABOUT $800+ . THIS VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 68000 MILES ON IT, AND OF COURSE ALTHOUGH IT HAS AN 80,000 POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE XL7, SUZUKI WILL NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM UNDER THIS WARRANTY. I HOPE THE NHTSA WILL HELP REPRESENT THE MANY SUZUKI OWNERS WHO ARE BEING SHAFTED BY THIS COMPANY'S APPARENT LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF IT'S CUSTOMERS. THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF VEHICLES IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE. I WILL NEVER BUY A SUZUKI AGAIN! *TR