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2003 Suzuki SV1000S

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

26 reports with mileage · 1 unknown

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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

19 reports
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17,000 miles · Jun 4, 2019
Electrical SystemEngine

MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT CHARGE BATTERY AND COMPLETELY DIED BECAUSE OF IT ONE DAY. OPENED UP MAGNETO COVER AND FOUND THE ROTOR MAGNETS HAD DISINTEGRATED. RUINED THE ROTOR AND MAGNETO AND ONLY HAD 17,000 MILES ON IT. CLEANING UP BITS OF MAGNET ALL AROUND THE CRANK AND INSIDE THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI #11217862

10,800 miles · Oct 3, 2011
Electrical System

MY SUZUKI SV1000S HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I FIRST NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE MOTORCYCLE IN MY GARAGE IN MAY OF 2011. I TURNED THE SWITCH AND NOTHING CAME ON. I CHECKED THE BATTERY AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH IT. MYSTERIOUSLY, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED WORKING SEVERAL DAYS LATER. THIS HAS HAPPENED…

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MY SUZUKI SV1000S HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I FIRST NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE MOTORCYCLE IN MY GARAGE IN MAY OF 2011. I TURNED THE SWITCH AND NOTHING CAME ON. I CHECKED THE BATTERY AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH IT. MYSTERIOUSLY, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED WORKING SEVERAL DAYS LATER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. ON 09/26/2011, I WAS RIDING WITH MY 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ON A BUSY 2-LANE ROAD. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING (5 PM, SUNNY, ABOUT 85 DEGREES). WE WERE APPROACHING A STOP SIGNAL (SPEED APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH). THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED AND I WAS LIGHTLY APPLYING FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE WE WERE STILL MOVING. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE POWER WAS RESTORED AS MYSTERIOUSLY AS IT LEFT. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS AS THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT POSTED ONLINE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR THE LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10428379

16,827 miles · May 14, 2010
Electrical System

TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER DUE TO A FAULTY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE MAIN IGNITION RELAY. THIS RESULTS IN LOSS OF LIGHTS, INSTRUMENTS, AND IGNITION POWER. THE ENGINE STALLS AND CAN EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10330385

12,000 miles · Nov 23, 2009
Electrical System

CONNECTOR FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH TO WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND THE CONNECTOR NO LONGER HELP THE WIRES TOGETHER FOR THE IGNITION. TURN THE KEY - NO POWER AT ALL TO THE BIKE. I HAVE READ ABOUT DOZENS OF RIDERS THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, SOME HAVE HAD ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. LUCKILY I WASN'T IN MOTION WHEN THE POWER GAVE OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10293232

6,389 miles · Jan 4, 2009
Electrical System

2003 SUZUKI SV1000, WILL NOT START, NO ELECTRIC AT ALL. MUST TAKE OFF SEAT & MOVE WIRES, THEN WILL START, IT DOES THIS EVERY TIME I TURN IT OFF. HAVE READ MANY POSTS ABOUT THE "GREEN CONNECTOR" MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10253725

5,800 miles · Aug 28, 2008
Electrical System

ELECTRICAL HARNESS ON MY BIKE (SV1000S 2003) WENT BAD AND NO POWER IS GOING TO ANYTHING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10240027

8,400 miles · Apr 19, 2008
Electrical System

2003 SV1000S LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER DUE TO A FAULTY GREEN IGNITION CONNECTOR LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE AIRBOX. THE GREEN CONNECTOR MELTED AT THE POSITIVE WIRE CAUSING LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. HARD WIRED IT WITH SOLDER AND SHRINK TUBING SINCE I DON'T PLAN ON REMOVING THE IGNITION ANY TIME SOON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10224997

28,800 miles · Apr 12, 2008
Electrical System

FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE GREEN CONNECTOR CONNECTING THE IGNITION TO THE WIRING HARNESS HAS FAULTED, PREVENTING THE MOTORCYCLE FROM RUNNING. LET ME REPEAT, THE SECOND TIME. I HAD THE IGNITION REPLACED, AND TWO MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10224302

9,000 miles · Feb 28, 2008
Electrical System

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HE DISCOVERED THAT THE GREEN POWER CONNECTOR FUSED TOGETHER, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE GREEN POWER CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE R…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HE DISCOVERED THAT THE GREEN POWER CONNECTOR FUSED TOGETHER, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE GREEN POWER CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

NHTSA ODI #10219379

8,000 miles · Dec 30, 2007
Electrical System

HTTP://WWW.SV-PORTAL.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=27074 NO ELECTRICAL POWER?? GREEN CONNECTOR ISSUE! MY BIKE LOST POWER AND CANNOT BE STARTED. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT RIDING AT THE TIME THE POWER CUT OUT. I HAD TO FIND ANOTHER RIDE HOME AS THE BIKE WAS IMMOBILE. APPARENTLY THIS DOES OCCUR REGULARLY AND BOTH NHTSA AND SUZUKI A…

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HTTP://WWW.SV-PORTAL.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=27074 NO ELECTRICAL POWER?? GREEN CONNECTOR ISSUE! MY BIKE LOST POWER AND CANNOT BE STARTED. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT RIDING AT THE TIME THE POWER CUT OUT. I HAD TO FIND ANOTHER RIDE HOME AS THE BIKE WAS IMMOBILE. APPARENTLY THIS DOES OCCUR REGULARLY AND BOTH NHTSA AND SUZUKI ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. READ THE FORUM ABOVE FOR MANY INSTANCES OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10213227

Official recalls

1

06V013000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Jan 18, 2006

ON CERTAIN CALIFORNIA-SPECIFICATION MODEL MOTORCYCLES, REPEATED STRESS FROM VIBRATION CAN CAUSE A CRACK TO FORM IN THE AREA WHERE THE LIQUID/VAPOR SEPARATOR BRACKET IS WELDED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. THIS CAN ALLOW FUEL LEAKAGE TO OCCUR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 3, 2006. CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT AMERICAN SUZUKI AT 714-572-1490.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.