2008 Suzuki XL7

I BOUGHT SUZUKI XL7 2008 MODEL FROM A DEALER IN FARGO, ND IN AUGUST 2009. IT HAD AROUND 32000 MILES ON IT. IN MAY 2012, I NOTICED THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT. WHENEVER, A THIN PERSON WOULD BE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD BE OFF AND THERE WOULD BE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT. I WENT TO THE ONLY SUZUKI DEALER IN MOORHEAD, MN. THEY SAID I NEED TO GET A NEW BATTERY AND I AGREED. FEW DAYS AFTERWARDS, I MOVED TO TUCSON, AZ. THE SAME ISSUE WAS HAPPENING AGAIN. THERE WAS NO SUZUKI DEALER IN TUCSON. THE ISSUE HAS PERSISTED AND TODAY I WENT TO SUZUKI DEALERSHIP IN TEMPE, AZ. THEY SAID THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. THEY WILL REPLACE IT FOR 1155 USD. IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS IT WAS IN MAY 2012 BUT THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP IN MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA "MISDIAGNOSED" IT. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. SOME AUTHORITY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS. HOW COME THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP IN MOORHEAD, MN DIAGNOSED AN AIR BAG SENSOR PROBLEM AS A BATTERY PROBLEM? AND ABOVE ALL WHY DID THE AIR BAG SYSTEM BECOME DEFECTIVE WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

IN GEORGIA WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE EMISSIONS COMPLETED EVERY YEAR AROUND YOUR BIRTHDAY. FOR SOME REASON THE CAR WOULDN'T PASS BECAUSE OF CODES P0018, P0017, AND P0008. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON TREND WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. SO I ASSUME IT'S A MANUFACTURER ERROR. IT'S ALSO COMMON FOR THE 2007 MODELS AS WELL. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE TIMING ON VEHICLE. *TR

MANY, MANY GM PRODUCTS ARE BEING RECALLED DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES, AND THE XL7 SHARES A LOT OF PARTS AND SIMILARITIES WITH THE EQUINOX, VUE, AND SO ON. CAN IT BE DETERMINED IF THE 2008 SUZUKI XL7 USES THE SAME IGNITION SWITCH? ALSO, FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS, A GROANING NOISE EMANATES FROM THE STEERING WHEEL UPON TURNS. WE OWNED A NEW 2006 CHEVROLET HHR THAT MADE A SIMILAR SOUND THAT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY. *TR

STEERING HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AT LOW SPEEDS. ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT AND TURNED MANUAL. ALSO NOISES COME FROM STEERING WHEN MAKING TURNS. THIS CARE WAS PRODUCED ON A GENERAL MOTORS ASSEMBLY LINE. ALL THE GM CARS WERE JUST RECALLED FOR STEERING PROBLEMS. WHY ISN'T THIS BRAND OF VEHICLES BEING RECALLED? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI XL7. THE CONTACT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THERE WAS A SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT SLOW SPEEDS THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES NOISES WHEN BEING TURNED IN EACH DIRECTION. ALMOST FEELS LIKE A LOSS OF STEERING POWER AND IS DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT WAS NOTICED AFTER PURCHASE AND DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE ISSUE. HAVE CONTINUED TO USE THE VEHICLE, AND PROBLEM PERSISTS. REVIEWED INTERNET FOR RECALLS. DON'T SEE ANY, BUT SEE PLENTY OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 20 MILES PER HOUR ON AN ICY ROAD THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL, SERVICE AWD, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SURGED AND MY BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE SLID AND FISHTAILED. I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND PUSHED THE GAS LIGHTLY TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND I SLID INTO A CANAL. I WAS ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE BACK SEAT, ESCAPE OUT THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR, AND SWIM TO SAFETY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI SL7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE BOTH THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AND PINION WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.