2002 Suzuki Aerio Hatchback 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Great till something goes wrong

Faults:

Mass air flow sensor went around 151000km. Would have been $1100 new to replace. Purely by a miracle, my mechanic found a gently used one for far less.

Rear hatch handle's spring broke. $200 to replace the handle.

Air conditioner went. Something cracked right after I bought it, because it worked on the test drive. What exactly cracked, I don't know. I stopped listening when I heard the repair price.

Sometimes the transmission won't shift when it's supposed to, and I have to let off the gas and restart accelerating to get it to work properly. Simple fix is to not stomp on the gas. Bit of a problem if I'm merging onto a highway though.

General Comments:

On the 15" low profile tires it has amazing handling, but because they're horribly expensive, I changed out to 14" rims and tires. Gets great gas mileage, and up until 2 months ago, I've had no real problems.

The major problem with Suzuki in general is, in most cases, you have to use their parts to fix a problem, and their parts are very expensive.

Bottom line is, it's a great car that rarely needs fixing, but when it does... prepare to pay a lot.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th May, 2011

10th Mar 2014, 23:22

Ouch. While I have no doubt you paid in excess of $1000 for your mass air flow sensor, prospective owners of this car should be aware that a new OEM MAF can be easily sourced for $150, plus the cost of an easy installation.

2002 Suzuki Aerio LX 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Economy upscale performance

Faults:

The only ongoing problem we have had with this car is squeaky suspension at low speeds over large speed bumps, which they have tried to fix without total success.

We have also experienced inability to start the motor below -30c. Plugging in the block heater eliminates this problem.

If you let ice build up around the windshield wiper posts, they can freeze in place and you will have to re-tighten them.

General Comments:

While we don't abuse vehicles, we do use them and this one has held up beyond expectations. At almost 100,000km, it for all intents and purposes is still almost new.

The power to weight ratio is superb, and this little vehicle will keep up with our SUV in the mountains.

The engine is quite noisy at approx. 120km/hr (73mph), but is fine above or below this speed.

We find the fit and finish over all to be very good, and this is in comparison to our last 2 passenger cars, Volvo and BMW.

Overall dealer service has been the best I have experienced in over 45 years of driving.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd June, 2008

2002 Suzuki Aerio 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Great car for the value, never get wrong with Suzuki

General Comments:

Change belt and water pump around 300 000km.

New battery, and that's it.

Great car, always run, good on gas, always runs, even in the cold canadian winter. Never makes trouble, even at high-km.

The engine looks like new.

Never get wrong with Suzuki; cheaper to buy than Honda or Toyota, but the same quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd February, 2008

2002 Suzuki Aerio S 2.0L from North America

Summary:

Awesome car, not enough service

Faults:

So far not many things have gone wrong, if any.

The front right wheel bearing went out just last week at 61,000 miles.

The bumper cracked on two occasions, one being my fault and the other being a chunk of plastic in the road. The bumpers and body panels are cheap plastic, but durable.

All in all, it performs very well.

General Comments:

It has more than enough horsepower for its size, torque is admirable as well. The inside is really comfy and sporty. The stereo system is AMAZING! Beats the Toyota Corolla hands down, although you exchange a little power for gas mileage... but it's very worth it. A lot of people ask me what it is, and even when I tell them they say they have never heard of it.

The only downside that I can think of for this car is that no one services them! The Suzuki dealership that used to be down the street from me has moved to a different city! Suzuki is a great brand and a great deal, I just hope they don't go belly up.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th August, 2006

2002 Suzuki Aerio SX 2 LITRE from North America

Summary:

All in all a good car for the money!

Faults:

I had to replace the air conditioner compressor at about 10000 kilos. This was done under warranty. Also I have had a squealing noise from the engine compartment for a couple of months now. The dealer tells me that it is a factory defect and will be repaired under warranty.

There are a couple of rattles from the tailgate that I am trying to have repaired.

The car is a joy to own and drive otherwise. Descent gas mileage and dependablity are two important factors for me.

General Comments:

The car could do with bigger tires. A arm rest for the driver and passenger. Needs to be supercharged! All in all a good bang for the buck! People still come up to me and ask what kind of car it is.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 30th July, 2004

31st Jul 2004, 13:26

I also own a Suzuki Aerio (called Liana in Europe) and are very happy with my car. I agree with you about the car: Its not perfect, but it does do the job. What more can you really expect? Germans cars on the other hand can be deceitful. Visiual quality is not the same as reliability.