NHTSA Complaint #11242067 — 2011 SUZUKI SX4

CONSTANT HUMMING FROM THE REAR HATCH LOCK ACTUATOR -- AND THE REAR HATCH PARTIALLY UNLOCKS AND UNLATCHES ITSELF WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE POWER LOCKING SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING COMPLETELY. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND AUTOMATIC INDOOR DOME LIGHT ALSO STOPPED WORKING. I REPLACED THE REAR HATCH LOCK ACTUATOR WITH A BRAND NEW SUZUKI PART, BUT DETERMINED THIS IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PER THE ATTACHED PDFS OF ONLINE REPAIR FORUM POSTS, APPARENTLY ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE PART OF A CIRCUIT THAT NORMALLY IS ACTIVATED WHEN ONE RELEASES THE PARKING BRAKE. ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM IN SOME DEPTH (SEE THE ATTACHED PDFS), A SHORT IN THIS CIRCUIT ENDS UP CAUSING ONE OF THE TERMINALS IN THE BODY CONTROL MODULE ("BCM") TO BURN OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE (I) IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE REAR HATCH RELEASE AND/OR FLY OPEN WHILE DRIVING, AND (II) THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ALSO ARE DISABLED BY THIS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I MADE SUZUKI AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN DECEMBER 2018 AND AGAIN TODAY. THE PROBLEM LIKELY ENTAILS A REPAIR COST GREATER THAN $1,000, BUT SUZUKI IS UNWILLING TO TAKE ANY ACTION.