NHTSA Complaint #10458499 — 2003 SUZUKI XL-7

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO A SCHEDULED DOCTORS APPOINTMENT FROM TOLEDO, OHIO TO ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THE POWER STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND OPERATE THE VEHICLE PROPERLY AND SAFELY. WHEN CHANGING LANES TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY AFTER DRIVING 56 MILES THE POWER STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN WHILE EXITING OFF THE OFFRAMP. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A NEARBY SERVICE CENTER CALLED GOODYEAR. GOODYEAR ANALYZED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THE DRIVE BELT HAD BROKEN OFF THE AIR COMPRESSOR WHICH CONTROLS THE POWER STEERING BELT. GOODYEAR HAD TO PUT A NEW DRIVE BELT ON, WHICH COST ME $115.89. ADDITIONALLY, GOODYEAR SAID THE A/C COMPRESSOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THAT CAUSED THE A/C COMPRESSOR TO FREEZE UP WHICH CAUSED THE SERIOUS PROBLEM OF THE POWER STEERING BELT TO BREAK OFF. (SHREDDED) GOODYEAR'S ESTIMATE TO REPAIR THE COMPRESSOR MALFUNCTION WAS $1,500.00 DOLLARS. THE ESTIMATE COST OF THE A/C COMPRESSOR PART BY ITSELF FOR THE SUZUKI XL7 03 WAS $600 DOLLARS. ALSO, WHEN I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR OTHER SIMILAR SUZUKI A/C MALFUNCTION COMPLAINTS I FOUND NUMEROUS SUZUKI XL7 OWNERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, IE., THE A/C COMPRESSOR HAS A SERIOUS HABIT OF FREEZING UP AND BREAKING THE DRIVE BELT! I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR OWNERS OF SUZUKI XL7 03 MODELS AND YOUR AGENCY NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS SAFETY DEFECT BEFORE THE SUZUKI XL7 CAUSES A SERIOUS VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN DEATH! ADDITIONALLY,ANYTHING THAT WOULD IMPAIR THE OPERATION OF A MAJOR PART OF ANY VEHICLE IS A "SAFETY DEFECT" AND HAZARDOUS!" SUZUKI MANUFACTURERS OUGHT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM AS THEY MANUFACTURED THE SUZUKI XL7 03 AND SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE A/C COMPRESSOR COULD MALFUNCTION WHICH IS THE CAUSE FOR THE DRIVE BELT TO BREAK OFF THE POWER STEERING. *JS