Suzuki Problems

In extreme situations, owners have been warned their vehicles may catch fire.Mitsubishi was hit with the biggest safety recall for the three month period. It has written to owners of Pajeros built between 2000 and 2003 to warn them of a potential brake problem. As many as 13,400 vehicles may need to be checked.The company also recalled 4400 of its now-defunct 380 sedan, built between 2006 and 2007, which may have a faulty fuel tank retaining strap. In a severe collision the tank may be dislodged and spill fuel.Mitsubishi is also checking more than 8300 Colts built this year which may have a problem with door windows which may drop and unlock or open the door while the car is being driven.Honda has recalled 11,800 of its 2004-05 Jazz to check whether they have a faulty handbrake, while Mazda needs to look at 1770 of its B4000 utes built between 2005-2006 because the bonnet may open unexpectedly.Subaru has recalled 5380 of its Imprezas, built between 2001 and 2003 because of a faulty rear tailgate which may suddenly drop.Subaru Australia spokesman, Dave Rowley, said many of the recalls were to check for "minor or niggling" faults."We have had no incidents of anyone being injured in Australia and we found only six cars which had the faulty (tailgate strut) connection."Many recalls are done as a pre-emptive measure to avoid possible problems further down the track, " he said.Other potential faults include electrical short circuits, which in extreme circumstances, may start a cabin fire in Landrover Freelander diesels built since 2007. Landrover warns the fault may occur when the vehicle is parked and unattended.Other recalls were to check for short circuits in Fiat's Grande Punto; and a chance that the panoramic glass roof in a small number of Citroen's Picasso could be dislodged.Suzuki has warned of potential fire risk in its 3-door Suzuki Grand Vitara (2006-07) because of a possible cracked fuel pipe, while the 2005-08 Vitara diesel has a remote fire risk in a filter because of a problem with the intercooler outlet pipe insulator.Other problems include faulty rear seat belt D-loop attachments in the current Jaguar XF, and the potential for a loss of steering in Chrysler's 300C built last year because of a problem with rear axle hub nuts which could see the half shaft disengage from the wheel hub.Mercedes Benz wants to look at axles, springs and the park brake in its Sprinter or Vito vans.Jayco has recalled some of its motor homes to check and fix awning and exhaust pipe problems.Of the 1500 motorcycles recalled, safety issues to be fixed include a faulty fuel filler on Kawasaki models, a windshield which may come off Buell bikes if ridden at high speed and a rear view mirror which may fall off on certain Yamaha models.An ACCC spokeswoman said this year's figures were actually less than last year but the number has been steadily rising over the past 20 years.The ACCC says there have been 52 individual recalls this year compared to 171 last year.Full details of the recalls can be found at www.recalls.gov.au 

Back in 1989 when Suzuki launched the Swift it was virtually alone in the light hatch segment. There were lots of small cars at the time, but the Swift was a light little hatch that was smaller again and almost formed its own market segment.Suzuki has never had much more than a toehold in the Australian market despite having a reputation for solid engineering.The company is better known for its motorcycles, while its cars have been quirky with a strong connection to their two-wheel cousins in an engineering sense.It’s that motorcycle connection that helps explain the nature of the company’s cars, which have always been light with power delivered by small jewel-like engines that love to be revved.The Swift GTi was the sporty version of the Swift hatch. It was a pocket rocket that won a following with younger drivers who came to admire its giant-killing capacity when pitted against bigger and much more powerful cars in rallying and on the racetrack.MODEL WATCHThe SF Swift first saw light of day here in 1989. It was a cute little car offered as a three-door or five-door hatch, and while it was a small car it was really a size below most of the other small cars on the market.Its formula, one Suzuki seemed to adopt from its experience in building motorcycles, was of a light car with a free-revving engine that resulted in an impressive power-to-weight ratio.Japanese motorcycle manufacturers long understood the value of the power-to-weight formula as a way of achieving high performance without the need for a big engine.In that sense the Swift was a motorcycle on four wheels, but it’s that same philosophy that presents problems in the used car scene.The GTi was the sporty model in the Swift range. It came only as a three-door hatch and boasted more thrills than frills.It was dressed up with body-coloured bumpers that gave it a sporty look, but other than that there were few cosmetic changes to the basic Swift.Weighing a mere 830 kg fully dressed the GTi didn’t need much in the way of grunt to get it moving swiftly.Power was provided by a diminutive 1.3-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine that was able to generate 74 kW when at its angriest, which was when it was spinning at 6450 revs. Maximum torque was a tiny 113 Nm at 4950 revs.A five-speed manual gearbox processed the power before sending it on to the front wheels for transfer to the road.To get the best out of it you had to clamp your right foot to the floor and keep it there. Soft peddling would get you nowhere.In fact, even when you did rev it the result was hardly likely to take your breath away. Under the pressure of a stopwatch a Swift GTi would still take more than 17 seconds to cover the standing 400-metre sprint.The reality was that the GTi wasn’t that quick in a straight line, but that wasn’t its strength. The GTi came into its own when the road twisted and turned, its low weight helped make it nimble, which was the real key to its appeal.While it handled well its suspension was firm and its ride too hard to appeal to anyone but the young enthusiast.The list of standard features was quite short, consisting of fog lamps, power windows and mirrors, sports seats and trim, and four-speaker radio-cassette sound.IN THE SHOPThe GTi’s light construction, and the real chance they have been driven hard and fast by enthusiasts, means they need be approached with caution. Look for doors that have sagged, hatches that don’t quite fit the body openings properly, and general squeaks and rattles.Many have been used in competition over the years so look for odd holes and modifications to fit safety equipment like fire extinguishers, racing harnesses and roll cages. Steer clear of any car that appears to have been used in that way.While the engine is a gem it should be checked thoroughly for wear. Watch for oil smoke from the exhaust, which might indicate worn rings or other deeper internal issues needing attention.Listen for clicking noises from the front suspension when turning, which suggests the CV joints are worn and need replacing.Ask for a service record that shows the GTi has been regularly and properly serviced, including regular changes of engine coolant.IN A CRASHLight construction, the capacity to go quickly, and a lack of ABS anti-skid brakes and airbags means the GTi doesn’t score highly on the safety scale.In recent real life crash surveys the Swift has been rated significantly worse than average, not a good report at all.OWNERS SAYHenry Chung once owned a 1997 Suzuki Swift GTi and his memory of it was that it was a zippy little hatchback that loved to be revved, but was economical to run, easy to maintain and could be readily modified to increase its performance. But its back seats were cramped and it was prone to sticking tappets, its CV joints wore quickly and blue smoke could be seen occasionally coming from the exhaust.LOOK FOR• Rattling engine• Exhaust smoke• Ticking front suspension• Cramped interior• Body squeaks and rattles• Poor crash protection• Agile handlingTHE BOTTOM LINEHot hatch has seen better days, best to be avoided.RATING45/100

The Baleno was Suzuki’s move in to another, larger segment of the market than those in which it had carved out a nice little niche for itself. But it was as if it had misread the market and arrived at the conclusion that small car buyers wanted bland.While it was very definitely bland on the outside Suzuki’s engineering quality meant it was well designed and built and that has meant that it’s cheap to run and little goes wrong with it.It was ridiculed as an ugly duckling when new, but low running costs and few mechanical woes now make the Suzuki Baleno an attractive used car buy. Those familiar with models like the Swift GTi and the four-wheel drive Vitara would have been mystified by the Baleno. While the Swift and Vitara were great little cars that won a passionate following, the Baleno was so bland and uninspiring it could have come from another carmaker.Suzuki needed to do something special to make the Baleno stand out in a market segment crowded with proven performers like the Toyota Corolla, Ford Laser, Nissan Pulsar and Mazda 323. It didn’t.The Baleno wasn’t a bad car by any measure; it was simply that it was lost in its own mediocrity when it needed to be much better than the opposition just to get noticed.Its styling didn’t help, no matter whether it was the three-door hatch, four-door sedan or wagon. Whichever, its looks were bland and boring, the lines soft and soppy, the curves rounded without clear definition. The best thing that could be said about the Baleno’s looks was that they were inoffensive.The Baleno’s main engine was a sickly 1.6-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder unit that produced 73 kW at 6000 revs along with 127 Nm at 3000 revs. For those wanting more there was a 1.8-litre double overhead camshaft engine in the meant-to-be sporty GTX, which made a more inspiring 89 kW at 6200 revs and 152 Nm at 3400 revs.The transmission choices were a five-speed manual and four-speed auto, both of which were competent and got the job done with little fuss.Ride comfort was acceptable over most types of road; the handling was also well balanced and reasonably assured if not inspiring.Inside, the Baleno was reasonably well equipped. The base model GA had power steering, cloth trim, four-speaker sound and a split-fold rear seat, the GS had sports seats, height adjustment for the driver’s seat and colour-matched bumpers, while the GLX also had remote central locking. At the top of the range sat the GTX with its alloy wheels, rear spoiler, sports seats, velour trim, central locking, power mirrors, power windows and six-speaker sound.The major criticism of the Baleno was its lack of refinement when compared to its main rivals. Interior noise, from engine and wind, was quite high.A facelift in 1999 brought a new look with new front bumper, headlights, grille and bonnet, but little else.Generally Suzukis fare well in terms of reliability, which says heaps for the design and development that has gone into them. The Baleno is no different.Owners report minor problems only, the engines and gearboxes stand up well in service if maintained properly.Look for a service record that shows regular oil and oil filter changes, and a cam timing belt change around 90,000 km.Tyres and brakes appear to last well. Brake pads typically need changing at 60,000-70,000 km, tyres from 60,000 to 80,000 appears the norm.The Baleno is rated only average in crash protection in the annual survey of used car crashes.While the GTX had dual front airbags the rest of the range missed out.David Hicks bought his 1999 Baleno sedan cheap at auction with 45,000 km on the odo and reckons it’s the best car he’s ever owned. It is light on fuel, light to drive and change gears, and is quiet inside especially with the dash mat he’s used to reduce the engine noise.David Borton is also pleased with the 1999 Suzuki Baleno he bought new. At the time he wanted a car that would be cheap to run for a couple of years before he disposed of it and opted for the Baleno after his experience with a Suzuki Vitara. Six years and 99,000 km later he still has it. The reason he’s stuck with it are the running costs, which he says are very low. Fuel consumption is normally between 7.5 and 8.0 L/100 km. His only problem has been a leak from the top of the windscreen and a few dash rattles.Bill Callaghan owns a 2000 Baleno manual wagon, which he says continues to give excellent service after 80,000 km trouble free kilometres. He rates the performance and handling, and road feel good with the power steering, and the consumption frugal at 8.0-10.0 L/100 km around town and 6.7 L/100 km on the highway.• Good fuel consumption• Commendable reliability• Good tyre and brake life• Mundane looks• Interior noise level high• Average resale valueWorth considering if you want a car with low running costs and you’re not worried about standing out from the crowd.

Suzuki Baleno is an unusual size, being larger than most small cars and smaller than the medium-sized ones.

It was ridiculed as an ugly duckling when new, but low running costs and few mechanical woes make the Suzuki Baleno an attractive used-car buy.MODEL WATCHSuzuki needed to do something special to make the Baleno stand out in a market segment crowded with proven performers such as the Toyota Corolla, Ford Laser, Nissan Pulsar and Mazda 323. It didn't.The Baleno wasn't a bad car by any means, it was simply that it was lost in its own mediocrity when it needed to be much better than the opposition just to get noticed.Its styling didn't help, no matter whether it was the three-door hatch, four-door sedan or wagon. Its looks were bland and boring, the lines soft and soppy, the curves rounded without clear definition.The Baleno's main engine was a sickly 1.6-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder unit that produced 73kW at 6000rpm along with 127Nm at 3000rpm. For those wanting more, there was a 1.8-litre double-overhead camshaft engine in the meant-to-be sporty GTX, which made a more inspiring 89kW at 6200rpm and 152Nm at 3400rpm.The transmission choices were a five-speed manual and four-speed auto, both were competent and got the job done without fuss.  Ride comfort was acceptable over most types of road, the handling was well balanced and reasonably assured if not inspiring.Inside the Baleno was well equipped.The base model GA had power steering, cloth trim, four-speaker sound and a split-fold rear seat. The GS had sports seats, height adjustment for the driver's seat and colour-matched bumpers. The GLX also had remote central locking. At the top of the range sat the GTX with alloy wheels, rear spoiler, sports seats, velour trim, central locking, power mirrors and windows and six-speaker sound.The main criticism of the Baleno was its lack of refinement compared to its rivals. Interior noise, from engine and wind, was high.  A 1999 facelift brought an updated front bumper, headlights, grille and bonnet.IN THE SHOPGenerally Suzukis fare well in terms of reliability, which says heaps for the design and development that has gone into them. The Baleno is no different. Owners report minor problems only. The engines and gearboxes stand up well if maintained properly.Look for a service record that shows regular oil and oil-filter changes, and a cam timing belt change around 90,000 km.  Tyres and brakes appear to last well.  Brake pads need changing at 60,000-70,000km while the norm for tyres appears to be from 60,000 to 80,000.CRUNCH TIMEThe Baleno is average in crash protection in the annual survey of used car crashes. While the GTX had dual front airbags the rest of the range missed out.OWNERS' VIEWSDavid Hicks bought his 1999 Baleno sedan cheap at auction with 45,000km on the odo and says it's the best car he's owned. It's light on fuel, light to drive and change gears and quiet inside due to the dash mat he's bought.David Borton is pleased with the 1999 Suzuki Baleno he bought new. He wanted a car that would be cheap to run for a couple of years and he opted for the Baleno, after his experience with a Suzuki Vitara. Six years and 99,000km later he still has it. He's stuck with it because of the low running costs.  Fuel consumption is between 7.5 and 8.0litre/100 km. One problem has been a leak from the top of the windscreen and a few dash rattles.RATING12/20 Worth considering if you want a car with low running costs, but looks are mundane.SUZUKI BALENO 1995-2001* Commendable reliability* Good tyre and brake life* Good fuel consumption* High interior noise level* Mundane looks* Average resale value