IllustrationI WAS DRIVING ONTO AN EXIT AT 45 MILES PER HOUR AND I HEARD A VERY LOUD POPPING NOISE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED OVER. THERE WAS NO MORE STEERING.
2001 Suzuki Esteem
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Esteem years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 13 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
21 reportsHUSBAND WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT TIRE GAVE WAY AND BENT IN FROM FRAME. TOOK TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AS THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 129,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REC…
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HUSBAND WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT TIRE GAVE WAY AND BENT IN FROM FRAME. TOOK TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AS THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 129,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. SHAME ON SUZUKI FOR PRODUCING INFERIOR CARS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFELY ISSUE! *TR
I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND TOOK THE EXIT AND THEN TURNING RIGHT FROM STOP SIGN ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND THEN HEARD A CLICK AND THEN TIRE WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE CAR BODY THE KFRAME GOT RUSTED AND TWISTED PUSHING THE TIRE BACK AND STEERING WHEEL OFF. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SUB FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 199,000.
BOUGHT A 2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM IN APRIL OF 2011 CAR LOT TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A SMALL BRACKET THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BY MOTOR AND NEED TO BE REPLACE ASAP HERE TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS THE WHOLE SUBFRAME THAT HOLDS UP THE MOTOR AND TRASMISSION FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SUZUKI RECALL ON THAT PART. TOOK THE CAR TO SUZUKI DEALER THE S…
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BOUGHT A 2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM IN APRIL OF 2011 CAR LOT TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A SMALL BRACKET THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BY MOTOR AND NEED TO BE REPLACE ASAP HERE TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS THE WHOLE SUBFRAME THAT HOLDS UP THE MOTOR AND TRASMISSION FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SUZUKI RECALL ON THAT PART. TOOK THE CAR TO SUZUKI DEALER THE SERVICE GUY CALLED ME AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A MODIFICATION DONE TO THE SUBFRAME IT SELF AND THAT IT WAS WELDED TO THE FRAME TO HELP SUPPORT IT WHILE WAITING FOR A RECALL SUZUKI DEALER CALLED ME AND SAID SUZUKI CANNOT DO RECALL DUE TO THE MODIFICATION THAT WAS MADE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT
CROSS MEMBER RECALL WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ROTTED OUT CONTROL ARMS THAT WERE A DIRECT RESULT OF THE ROTTED OUT CROSS MEMBER? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM. THE CONTACT STATED ENTERING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND WHEEL COMPLETELY FRACTURED FROM THE FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS OFFERED TO THE OWNERS OF THOSE VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE BUT THE WARRANTY WAS VOIDE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM. THE CONTACT STATED ENTERING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND WHEEL COMPLETELY FRACTURED FROM THE FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS OFFERED TO THE OWNERS OF THOSE VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE BUT THE WARRANTY WAS VOIDED DUE TO THE MILEAGE LIMITATIONS OF THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.
2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM. STEERING WAS SUDDENLY OFF CENTER SO I HAD AN ALIGNMENT COMPLETED WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER, WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY OFF CENTER AGAIN. A FEW BLOCKS FURTHER (I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN AT THE TIME, AT SLOW SPEEDS) THE FRONT PASSENGER SUB-FRAME BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT …
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2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM. STEERING WAS SUDDENLY OFF CENTER SO I HAD AN ALIGNMENT COMPLETED WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER, WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY OFF CENTER AGAIN. A FEW BLOCKS FURTHER (I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN AT THE TIME, AT SLOW SPEEDS) THE FRONT PASSENGER SUB-FRAME BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL TO SLOPE AND THE SUSPENSION TO PULL OUT FROM THE TRANSMISSION, IMMEDIATELY MAKING THE CAR INOPERABLE. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I AM SURE AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE ENSUED. FORTUNATELY IT OCCURS AS I WAS PULLING UP TO A STOP SIGN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE I LEARNED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FRAME RUSTING THROUGH AND BREAKING. WHILE THERE WERE SMALL RUST SPOTS ON THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF THE DOORS, THE CAR WAS NOT AT ALL RUSTY. DUE TO EXPENSE TO REPAIR, I SOLD THE CAR TO THE HORSEHEADS, NY PICK-A-PART USED CAR PARTS LOT AND PURCHASED A NEW CAR. *TR
1) DRIVING FROM ALABAMA TO OHIO - ALIGNMENT FELT "OFF" 2) FRAME RUSTED AND DROPPED NEAR RIGHT-FRONT WHEEL. WHILE DRIVING/TURNING 5 MPH IN PARKING LOT 3) JUNK CAR. *TR
2001 SUZUKI ESTEEM FRONT RIGHT WHEEL RUBBING AGAINST INSIDE FENDER CAR PULLING TO RIGHT K FRAME CROSSMEMBER ROTTED PART REPLACED BY SUZUKI DEALER OLD PART IS AVAILABLE PART AND PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.