2004 Suzuki XL-7

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND CLOCK STOPPED WORKING-MECHANIC STATED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR IN THIS MODEL-THEY WANTED $100 TO PUT ON COMPUTER TO VERIFY AND IT WOULD BE $2000 TO REPAIR-IF GOV MANDATES AIR BAGS IN VEHICLES IT SHOULD MANDATE A RECALL IF THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM-I HAVE RESEARCHED AND OTHER XL-7 OWNERS HAVE SAME PROBLEM AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE-HE ALSO STATED THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT WORK IN A CRASH-I HAVE A 98 DODGE WITH AIR BAGS WITH OVER 125,000 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS WITH SENSORS-IT WOULD BE NICE IF OUR GOV. WOULD STEP UP AND MAKE THE COMPANY REPAIR THIS PROBLEM DUE TO SAFETY-IF IT DEALT WITH THE ENGINE/BRAKES ETC. I WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM BUT WHEN SOMEONE SITS ON A SENSOR AND THERE IS MALFUNCTION IT APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT ON THEIR PART. *TR

ON A 2004 SUZUKI XL7 HAVING 58,000 MILES THE CLOCK/TEMP DISPLAY IS FLASHING AND AIRBAG LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINS ON. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS NOT LIT INDICATING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PORTION OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THE SUZUKI DEALER INFORMED ME THAT BESIDES THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING NON-FUNCTIONAL AS LONG AS THE INSTRUMENT PANELS RED AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON THERE WILL BE NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER AIR BAGS WHEN NEEDED. ESSENTIALLY, THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DISABLED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM FOR TWO REASONS: IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR A 2004 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA / XL7 (AS SEEN BY THE MANY INTERNET POSTINGS ON THIS TOPIC) AND DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT ABSENCE OF AIRBAGS IN A CRASH CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY OR DEATH. OTHER INTERNET POSTINGS SHOW THIS TO BE FROM CERTAIN LOADING CONDITIONS THAT MAY CAUSE THE FOUR WEIGHT SENSORS IN THE FRONT PASSENGERS SEAT TO SENSE UNEQUAL LOADING. IT IS INTERESTING THIS IS FROM UNEQUAL LOADING SENSOR MALFUNCTION BECAUSE FOR MOST OF CARS LIFE THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN OCCUPANT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. SUGGESTS THAT THIS COMPONENT WOULD HAVE FAILED SOONER HAD THERE BEEN A REGULAR FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI XL7. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 104,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

SEAT BELT LIGHT REMAINS ON, 2004 SUZUKI, XL-7, VIN [XXX]. AS I STARTED THE VEHICLE, I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FASTEN HIS SEAT BELT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN THE DASH, REMAINED ON AND THE CLOCK STARTED FLASHING, (THE CLOCK IS ON THE SAME ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AS THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT/AIR BAG INDICATOR). AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG CIRCUIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $1800. THE CIRCUIT WAS AN INTEGRATED PART OF THE SEAT, THEREFORE THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 55,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILURE OF THIS TYPE ON ANY OTHER MAKE OF VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF MODEL OR YEAR. I DID NOTE THAT THIS SAME TYPE OF FAILURE WAS REPORTED PREVIOUSLY TO NHTSA FOR THE EXACT SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR SUZUKI VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND SUZUKI ARE UNWILLING TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THIS PART AND UNWILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON SHARING THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS REPRESENTS A CRITICAL SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION, BEYOND 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES, IN A SIMILAR MANNER AS THE 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. I FEEL IT SHOULD BE HANDLED SIMILAR TO OTHER SAFETY RECALLS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

MY 2004 SUZUKI XL7 PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH INDICATING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SENSOR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUZUKI DEALER AND THEY WANTED ALMOST $2000.00 TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM. I CHECKED ONLINE FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL, BUT NO LUCK, HOWEVER I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR A 2004 SUZUKI XL7. THE SUZUKI DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THE AIR BAGS WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY WHILE THE AIR BAG SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERNS. SUZUKI SELLS A REPLACEMENT PART THAT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM KNOWING THEY SOLD A DEFECTIVE PART THAT MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF THE AIR BAGS MALFUNCTION. *TR