NHTSA Complaint #10475528 — 2007 SUZUKI XL7

THE AIR BAG IS MALFUNCTIONING, THE LIGHTS KEPT COMING ON. THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM IF I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WELL IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE SO THE ENDED REPLACING THE PASS. SEAT AIRBAG MODULE WITH A USED SEAT FROM ANOTHER USED VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO MAKES A WHINNING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS THE RUBBER RUBBING AGAINST THE COVER. I FOUND OUT FROM A EX-EMPLOYEE OF THE DEALER THAT IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDING REPLACEMENT. SINCE THEN EVERY OTHER OWNER I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SAYS THEIR STEERING WHEEL IS THE SAME. SO IT MUST BE A FAULTY STEERING COLUMN IN ALL THESE VEHICLES. BACK TO THE AIRBAG, THE FOLLOWING MONTHS SINCE GETTING MY AIRBAG FIXED, THE DASH LIGHTS NO LONGER CAME ON IN THE VEHICLE. I DID, HOWEVER, NOTICE THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD SOMETIMES SAY OFF AND SOMETIMES SAY ON IF I HAD A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. SEVERAL MONTHS FOLLOWING THIS, I STARTED HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE GOING DEAD. I TOOK THE COOK TO HAVE IT INSPECTED, EVERYTIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS FINE AS WAS THE ALTERNATOR. I STARTED DRIVING WATCHING THE VOLTAGE METER. FINALLY, I REPLACED THE BATTERY. I NO LONGER HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR DYING ON ME, BUT I DO NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE VOLTAGE STILL FLUCTUATES FROM 12.3 TO 14.3. WHEN THE FLUCTUATION OCCURS, NOTHING HAS CHANGED AS FAR AS RUNNING EXTRA ACCESSORIES ETC. NOW MY TRACTION SERVICE LIGHT, STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, ABS LIGHT AND SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT ARE ALL COMING ON. RESEARCHING I HAVE FOUND ONLINE FROM NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS AND OWNERS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND WHEN REPEATEDLY REPORTED TO MANUFACTURER THERE IS NOTHING BEING DONE. EXAMPLES ARE THE LIGHTS COMING ON, AIR BAGS DEPLOYING WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE ACC.(RADIO AND A/C CONTROLS) NOT WORKING AND SO ON. IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN INVESTIGATE THIS WITH SUZUKI? *TR