Unable to refuel car. Gas pumps would shut off.
Paint was blistering on door as if rusting from the inside out.
Brakes wore out prematurely.
No trunk light or light under the hood.
Annoying beeping sound each time you would change radio station on factory radio.
Noisy at highway speeds.
Unstable on wet and snowy pavement.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with your Suzuki. Every Suzuki cars I have been driving are floeless (but not perfect!). It's not a Mercedes. I think you was just unlucky and the dealer should fix your problems free of charge. Hopefully this should not happen with your next Suzuki model.
I own a sky blue Esteem and I am a junior in high school. Let's just say I hear about it everyday, but it is a very reliable and safe motor vehicle.
Beep from radio can be turned off. While holding down DISP button, press preset #4 button to turn beep off or back on.
Gas pump shuts off because of back-pressure. I don't know why some cars have this problem and others don't, but if you put a pen or something along the side of the gas pump nozzle it will let enough air by to prevent back-pressure turning off the pump. however do be careful not to drop the pen (or whatever you use) into the gas tank.
I have a black 2000 Suzuki Esteem with 218,000 miles on it. I drive 110 highway miles everyday. I get 30 miles to the gallon and all I have ever had to do was oil changes, breaks, and tires. My Suzuki has been a great little car. I hope my next car will be this great!!!
I drive a 2000 Suzuki Esteem Wagon GLX and I find it to be very reliable and fun to drive. It has been with me for almost 6 years already and since then I haven't had any problems with it. It was only last year that my VELOCITY JOINT rattled so it had to be replaced. However, there is always a squeaking noise heard when I tap the brakes lightly even though I have changed my brake pads a couple of times. I switched from the OEM Pads to Racing Pads and to softer, more quiet pads, yet I still get the high pitched squeak every so now and then. Aside from that, no problems what so ever. Gas consumption on the other hand is acceptable yet the value I get from POWER:CONSUMPTION is inadequate for me. 7Km/L for a 98 HP 1.6L engine which hums its way through the high-way is a far cry from a V6 engine. Overall, even though its not a drifter or a dragger, its fun to drive, reliable with a smooth ride and easy to squeeze in through tight places and park. Oh.. did I mention cabin space? Its OK if you're Filipino. Hahaha.
DOOR HANDLES (Outside)
Our 2000 Esteem was purchased new and it has been a good car EXCEPT that within the past four years, ALL FOUR OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES HAVE BROKEN -- even though the back doors are rarely used. The plastic piece near the spring inside each door handle has broken. There should be a recall for this but I can't find one. A local dealer's PARTS REP told me he's seen this problem on a 1999 Suzuki too.
Have any of you other Suzuki owners experienced this problem? Please add a "Door Handle" comment on this site. I'll check back each week to see the updates. Tell me about your experiences with door handles. What year and model is your vehicle?
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