NHTSA Complaint #10457250 — 2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM

2000 SUZUKI ESTEEM SEDAN. THE SUBFRAME AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXEL RUSTED THROUGH AND COLLAPSED WHILE TURNING CORNER. LOUD GRINDING OF TIRES. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TO BE PUSHED BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. REPAIRED COST OF $1200. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT AS THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, BUT IF THESE PARTS HAD FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT IS QUITE LIKELY A FATAL ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER SUZUKI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM. I WROTE TO CORPORATE RELATIONS AT SUZUKI IN BREA CALIFORNIA, THEY CONTACTED ME AND LEFT A MESSAGE THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPAIR AND THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT AS OF DEC 21, 2011. HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY THEY SENT TO OWNERS SAID THIS REPAIR WOULD BE FOR 12 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PUT IN SERVICE OR 180,000. MY CAR MET THE CONDITIONS BUT THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE COVERAGE EXTENSION WARRANTY. I HOPE THIS VEHICLE IS RECALLED OR AT LEAST OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE A FATAL ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR