Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Suzuki Aerio Maintenance and Repair

124678

Comments

  • mesxmesx Member Posts: 7
    :lemon: I bought my 2005 Aerio SX AWD new 7 mnths ago and have done nothing but repair the piece of crap.....It has 13,000 kms (8,100 miles) and has already had:
    >two, four wheel alignments,
    >the brackets and bushings replaced for the front sway bar,
    >4 new tires installed because a defect destroyed them,
    >the viscous coupling for the AWD replaced
    >passenger power door lock mechanism replaced
    The styrofoam for the rear bumper (under the outer plastic) has fallen off, the rims are all scratched and gouged from all the repair attempts, there is and ever present clunking noise from the front end and it shakes and vibrates on the highway :mad: :lemon: lemon:
  • mesxmesx Member Posts: 7
    Could you describe the part? I sure would like to get rid of that annoying noise. It constantly reminds me of how much of a piece of junk my car really is.
  • watermelonwatermelon Member Posts: 3
    The wire from the battery to the transmission frayed and was replaced. It cost 100. Mechanic was surprised how it happened. Any ideas? :)
  • aeriohawaii1aeriohawaii1 Member Posts: 39
    Firestone in Hawaii has a Lifetime alignment for about $150. I think that is a good investment, since after 2 alignments in 1 year, you break even already and since the tires are not Exactly Cheap or Easy to find, the longer the tires last, the better.
  • aeriohawaii1aeriohawaii1 Member Posts: 39
    Have you found any where that sell Suzuki mags for a reasonable price? The dealer wants Way Too much for the rims.
  • wilsonka27wilsonka27 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Suzuki Aerio
    First problem is my dashboard lights are fading (only the part where it shows how much fuel you have and part of the rpm bar and numbers). When I turn the headlights on the temperature and time display goes out. Do I need a new lightbulb? I would like to check the fuse but I don't know what to look for on the fuse box label. There is nothing for the dashboard. Unless it is labeled under something else.

    Second problem is when I am driving on the highway over 70mph the rpms start going up and I am not going any faster and the vehicle is slowing down (like being stuck on Neutral). In order to correct this I pull to the side of the road, turn off the vehicle and start it up a
    gain and it is fine. No engine lights come on. I had the Suzuki dealer check it out and they say nothing is wrong and that I should have the transmission fluid flushed. I took it somewhere else and they said the transmission fluid was fine. This incident happened twice, since I have been driving it under 70mph, nothing has happened (knock on wood).

    Third problem is when I start the car up in the morning. The vehicle shakes and then finally fades away. I know this is not normal. This happened 3 times.
    Can anyone give any suggestions of what could be wrong to any of these problems. Thanks.
  • mattb4mattb4 Member Posts: 5
    I took my 05 Aerio SX in at 10k to have the tires rotated and found out that the rear 2 were almost bald! I ordered 4 new BF goodrich Traction TA tires and I hope they last for 50k. I had them on my 01 Focus and was very happy with them. I bought my Aerio for $13,800 with 400 miles on it in July 2005. I had read that the tires were crap but I expected to get at least 25k out of them. The brake pads look a little low also. So far the only problem was the front sway bar bushing that caused the famous "clunking noise" going over bumps. The dealer tightened it up and all is well now. I average 27 mpg pretty consistently in highway driving at 70 mph. For the price I think it is a great car.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    Hi Guys. I have a new 2005 Aerio SX hatchback with only 3,000 km on it. Seems that everytime a go over a speed bump or divet in the road I hear odd sound from the front and rear of my car. It almost sound like a a loud scratch scraping sound on the undercarriage...it's either the struts...which are very unforgiving and hard.....or the undercarriage hitting the ground. Any of you experience this issue?? Have any of you had their struts replaced under warranty. It's like driving a rally car with no suspension.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    It seems that I did not read the post #190 before I posted my problem. So I believe I have an answer to my problem. Infact I just called the dealer who advised me that there is a service bulletin on the front bushing. New revised front bushings have been designed by Suz. and they need to be to be installed as per the service bulletin. Unfortunately, the service bulletin is only for the front bushing...and not the rear. Suz is aware of defective rear bushing but have not made revised, new improved bushing to install. Problem appears to be linked to cold weather.
  • tjgcagtjgcag Member Posts: 2
    Hello
    I am new to this site, but I also have a 03" Suzuki AWD Areo. I had a new one in 02". Traded it for a 04" Vitara. Sorry I did that. The Areo was a far better car. But my 03" Used Areo has that same vibration felt in the seat. The Dealer said it was the tires at first. Now they agree it is in the drive shaft. Car goes in tomorrow the 13th of February. I will update this when they tell me what part of the shaft it was.
  • aeriofallingapaeriofallingap Member Posts: 14
    This is a classic Suzuki nightmare. It's a problem that seems only to happen to the standard transmissions. Suzuki gave me a new trans mission and a new axel after it happened the second time in one year. If they don't offer to replace the parts for free ... sue them. It's about time Suzuki pays for this pile of crap they sold to us.
  • aeriofallingapaeriofallingap Member Posts: 14
    "but I managed to wear my tires out within about 2 years/30,000 miles of use." Well, what do you expect when they build a car with almost no adjustable suspension parts. Do you have serious negative camber issues in your rear wheels? Look at the tires from the rear of the car, do the seem tilted in at the top? Try getting this fixed by your dealer. The rear wheel camber is not adjustable!!
    There is an aftermarket camber adjuster (just a bolt with a cam)that does seem to work . Your other choice is to buy new springs.

    This car is a horror show.
  • aeriofallingapaeriofallingap Member Posts: 14
    Owners of Aerios in both the USA and Canada report some very common design defects in their cars. 1. 2003 2 Litre motors ping. The ping loudly. They ping all the time. If yours pings, get ear plugs. Suzuki does not have a fix for this problem. The Standard transmission seems to be a major concern with this car. Its common for the drivers side drive shaft to fall out of the transmission. The splines on both the transmission and inside CV joint will be destroyed when this happens and you will pay a small fortune to repair Suzuki's well known defect . Hire a lawyer and take Suzuki to court.
  • frozentundrafrozentundra Member Posts: 8
    I own an 05 SX and I had a severe clunking sound also. I looked under the car and found that a rubber bushing had worked it's way out from a bracket which holds the sway (?) bar to the undercarriage. I fixed it myself and have had no problems since. There is also a clunking sound from the brake calipers swinging back and forth (my guess)but it only shows up occasionally. Otherwise I have had no problems with the car and really enjoy driving it. I wish the 5 speed was smoother but...
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    There is a TSB for this bushing. The front bushing should be replaced with an improved version....covered under warranty. I have the exact same problem, occurring in the front and at the rear, especially going over speed bumps. Unfortunately, Suzuki, in their wisdom, knows that the rear bushing is faulty, but they have not come up with a replacement one - although they did this for the front bushing. I cannot understand this.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    I have a 05 Aerio with the 6 CD changer and 6 speakers. The sound from the radio is great when playing a CD, but the radio seems to to have a tonal deficit when playing just the radio, on FM mode. Anyone else have that issue?? The radio just doesn't seem to have enough tone or watts going through it with the radio playing. Anyone else?? Any solutions??

    Thanks
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    I have a 05 Aerio with the standard 15 inch tires (Yokahoma) from the factory. From what I have read, these tires wear out very quickly...and they are very expensive to replace. My dealer has also said that the tires contribute to the poor ride / stiff feel of the drive. What alternative tires have people used? Is there an all season tire? My dealer suggests going to a 14 inch??

    Please help.

    Thanks

    Zeebo
  • wmor51wmor51 Member Posts: 2
    Go to tirerack.com do a survey search.
  • axlakoaxlako Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I am new to the forum and need some help. I recently purchased an 02 Aerio sx. Haven't had any problems with the car until recently. When I am coming to a stop I am noticing a intermittent clunking/rubbing sound coming from the rear brakes(i think). I took the drums off and everything looks to be in order. The shoes are fine and there is nothing loose. I noticed elsewhere in the forum mention of a "brake clip" that was faulty, and that there was a service bulletin out there for it, but I couldn't find it. The sound is only present when I am near stopping. This sound only happens when I am stopping. Any ideas?
    Thanks
  • aeriohawaii1aeriohawaii1 Member Posts: 39
    I Agree with you Zeebo.
    The car stereo sounds Better when playing CD that the radio, especially when I listening to mp3. I have to turn down the volume when switching over from mp3 to the radio. I think maybe CD have gotten So Good that it is beginning to make the regular radio broadcasting sound Bad. The factory sound system that comes it the car Standard sounds pretty good to me. I have not heard XM or Sirius in the car yet, maybe that is the next hope and step for the radio industry.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the info...helpful website
  • jones16jones16 Member Posts: 1
    hi ive got vitara 1.6 1993 and the choke is not working so its dead in a morning till its warm and all so my stearing wheel seems to have a mind of its own it wonders from right to left evein wen im holding it in the centre thanks
  • whattonwhatton Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2006 Aerio with manual tranmission. A day later I noticed oil was leaking from the vent tube on the transmission.. Has anyone heard of this problem? :mad:
  • phughesphughes Member Posts: 3
    My 2003 Aerio SX 5 speed manual (front wheel drive) began having transmission problems at 49000 miles. While driving in 5th gear, the transmission would suddenly pop out of gear and go into neutral. The stick shift would actually pop into neutral when this happened. A slight whirring noise would follow. The car could then either downshift into 4th or shift back into 5th with no trouble. However, soon it would pop out again if put in 5th. Sometimes the car would go 10-20 miles before this behavior began, but once it began it would not hold 5th gear for very long before popping out again.

    This happened first on a cross-country trip just South of Des Moines, Iowa. The dealer in Des Moines stated this was caused by a bad ‘synchronizer’. Rather than wait the two-to-three days for the Des Moines Suzuki dealer to fix it, he recommended I drive it back home to Kansas holding it in gear with one hand. While awkward, this did get me home.

    The Suzuki dealer where I live in Kansas diagnosed the problem as, “Premature wear in the 5th gear synchro assembly”. Both the Des Moines and Kansas dealer mentioned they had one or two of these same problems come up. To repair the problem the dealer replaced the 5th gear fork, counter shaft gear, input gear, all synchro springs and the key and input 5th gear bearing kit.

    This has seemed to fix the problem and all the work was done as fast as possible under the 7 year 100,000 mile warranty. I have no problems with the way in which I was dealt with by both dealers.

    Has this happened to others? Is this is a problem with the material or engineering of the manual transmission, or is this a fluke? I would not be pleased to find out the Aerio only comes with a 50,000 mile transmission.

    To answer the obvious, I’ve been driving manual transmissions since the early 70s. The problem is not related to driving habits.
  • phughesphughes Member Posts: 3
    See message number 215 in this forum. I just posted with the same problem before seeing yours. The parts replacement for this problem is extensive. The dealer told me is they weren't all replaced, especially all the springs and bearings, the problem would just come back.
  • outforthedriveoutforthedrive Member Posts: 2
    I went to walmart and bought some pioneer speakers for the rear. They fit in there well and sound great. The rear standard speakers are very tinny sounding.
  • outforthedriveoutforthedrive Member Posts: 2
    i would stick with the 15" rim. Check out Bridgestone turanzo tires. they are suppose to be smooth and quiet
  • somosomo Member Posts: 2
    Yes I have the same problem and I now have 1,300 mi on my '06' aerio. I b rang it in for service and they told me it might be a over filled transmission but they never have seen this problem before..They just pressure washed it and told me to comeback next monday at 2pm. I think that if the tranny was over filled a seal was blown out down where the shifter goes into the transmission. I think this is bull that they want me to still drive the car. I will keep you posted when I find the real problem... Have you figured out what the deal is with your leak ? It does look like it is coming out from the blow out. but I been cleaning the oil off every time I park it and it looks like its from that seal under that shifter thing.. Please keep me posted.... :confuse:
  • whattonwhatton Member Posts: 2
    The oil is coming from the over flow hose. To prove this I zipped tied a plastic bag to the end of the hose and checked it the next day. I had about 1/4 cup of oil in the bag. When I took the car back the mechanic called and told me he did not see any oil leak. I told him that's because I had a bag on the tube to caught the oil. It has not leaked since the last time I took it in, I think all the mechanic did was clued the cap on the end of the hose so it would not leak.
  • somosomo Member Posts: 2
    Today I brang my car back into my dealership where I purchased it new. My problem was the same as yours and I did the same thing you did with the baggies tied to the end. But the weird thing is it would not leak when I had the baggies on it. so I took it off and left the cap off and put paper towels around it and put it back in the clamp and then drove it around and checked it every time I stoped and I got oil on them. It was time to bring my car to my 2pm appointment at SUZUKI OF BURLINGTON WASHINGTON about 35 miles away. They checked my car for the second time. I waited about an our and they came out from the operating room and said the oil was coming out from the overflow and I was the third person reported in the US to have this problems. So they said they have to replace half of the transmission and they have to order it and they will give me a loaner car when they start the work...

    By the I am from Bellingham WA what about you... I will keep you posted as you do the same for me.... They better fix yours too. The should fix it and not just glue a cap on so it won,t leak that is so stupid. .... Peace SOMO
  • neal2goneal2go Member Posts: 9
    Hi does anyone know how to get aerio bumpers at a cheap price? I have a 2002 Aerio GS and the front and rear bumpers have cracks on them. The dealer is asking for about 300 each.
  • mmarquez1mmarquez1 Member Posts: 1
    Please help, the A/C makes a loud chirping noise. I thought it was the belt so i replaced it, No luck. Now when the car is idle, HOT air blows. When its in drive the Air is COLD. I have checked the freon its full. The car has about 50k miles only. When its in park you can hear the a/c trying to turn on but it does'nt, when I drive it turns on making a loud noise. Please Help!!! Its SUMMER!!!!
  • kenboilerkenboiler Member Posts: 7
    Does this make sense? I have a Suzuki Aerio SX. Really a nice car. Powerful and a fun ride. AM radio has a background hum on many stations. If I turn on the lights it sounds crystal clear. What should I do about this?

    Thanks.
  • craigmricraigmri Member Posts: 243
    Use this as an excuse to subscribe to satellite radio? JUST KIDDING!

    Sounds like interference from possibly the ignition system. Did you recently install new spark plugs by chance?

    Craig
  • kenboilerkenboiler Member Posts: 7
    Not at all. I've done nothing to the car. It's only 5 months old.

    Thanks.
  • maggiemay1maggiemay1 Member Posts: 2
    My 05 was doing that and they replaced bushings in the front end that were too small. There was a service bullentin out to fix it. Check the NHTSA web site for a repair bullentin for the 06. It is probably the same thing....I thought I was going to lose a wheel or something everytime i hit a bump.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    I had the same problem in Mississauga,Ontario Canada. I smelled oil from time to time and observed a small amount on the transmission housing just below the breather hose.

    The first time I brought it in (I have a 2005 Aerio with 8000 KM) the mechanic changed the transmission oil (believing it was overfilled at the factory) and cleaned the breather hose.

    The problem reoccured after 3 weeks. I brought it back for a second time and the mechanic decided to replace the breather hose as this is where the oil was coming from. What was interesting to note was that the design of the breather hose on my 2005 was completed different from the breather hose on the new 2006. The one on the 2006 was longer and more flexible...in fact the mechanic had to steal one from a 2006 that was in the show room as the dealership did not have any new hoses in stock....this is how the mechanic found out about the new breather hose design....he said that Suzuki should have informed the techs about this new designed change.

    Ever since doing this...changing the breather hose to the new design...I have had no problems.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    Was driving my 2005 aerio this weekend and turned on the A/C for the first time. After about 1 hour, I noticed water drops on the passenger mat, just below the glove compartment. I looked under the glove compartment and found a reservoir filled with water. It was swooshing back and forth as I turned left or right. I also noticed a plug that was attached to this reservoir.

    I brought it in to the dealer who advised me that the evaporator drain hose was clogged / saturated. It was cleared and everything runs ok for now. I have only had this car for 6 months...and the drain hose is clogged????? Why was there water coming out??? The dealer could not explain this...only the cause.

    Has anyone else had this problem??

    What is the purpose of this reservoir that captures the water??

    Zeebo

    Was is the purchase of
  • bluestonebasbluestonebas Member Posts: 1
    Has anybody had a problem with the lower front right control arm breaking? While driving up my road the car went straight on me. When I took off the wheel and looked, the lower control arm had snapped. Half of it had obviously been snapped awhile ago, because of the rust, but the other half was a new break. Glad I was almost home and not on the interstate or other road where I would have been going faster. Anybody else?
    Scott
  • maggiemay1maggiemay1 Member Posts: 2
    We bought a used 05 aerio in december. It has been back at the dealer at least 6 times. I just had it towed for the 3rd time, I guess that is why they include the road side assistance. We had the front bushings replaced. One of them 2x. The rear of the car had to be fixed because of the tires going bald. They are going bald again anyway. The check engine light came on and the car got really sluggish, and they said it wasn't on when they looked at it and the car was fine. Now the check engine light came on again along with the sluggishness. I looked in the owners book, and it said it is an emissions problem. Also my odometer seems to be racking up miles like crazy, and i hardly drive the darn thing anywhere!! I am just venting. I would have kept my old minivan, and fixed it up if I would have known. I need to work on that psychic thing. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! :lemon:
  • iyeeiyee Member Posts: 1
    Hi Mark,
    Just noticed the problem myself on my '03 Aerio SX. I was going to change the belt and tensioner and called the dealer. The service guy told me that there is a TSB out for this and need to replace an alternator bracket and belt to fix this problem. He told me under 3yrs or 36K miles then warranty but I have 70K. So if your lucky and qualify then have your dealer take care of it free. For me it just happens in drive when stopped when running it's okay.
    Irvin :cry:
  • debbie17debbie17 Member Posts: 1
    I have a problem with my Aerio, Automatic transmission. after heavy rain I can drive the car the first time without problems. after I turn off the car and it sits a while. when I drive the car has trouble accelerating and bucks in low gears then the check engine light comes on. I've had it to the dealer 3 times now and they can't seem to get it right. Please help!!
  • bwood2bwood2 Member Posts: 2
    My purchase of a new, 2006 Aerio is a nightmare. I took the car in for a tire rotation to a tire specialist and the tires were bald after only a few thousand miles. They told me to take the car back to the dealer, that something was SERIOUSLY wrong with the car. Took it back to the dealer and they sent the car our for an alignment and put two new tires on which was great. A few months later I have the same problem only NOW they won't do anything. They said the tires SHOULD be good for 25,000 miles but if they aren't I must be doing something wrong. I am at a loss.... :lemon:
  • hnlajhnlaj Member Posts: 2
    Hi Aeriohawaii1, i have a friend who also owns a aerio and had to replace 2 tires already due to the sidewall. servco hawaii have been less then helpful. wonder if you care to share the number to customer service to yokohama tires.
    mahalo in advance
  • aeriohawaii1aeriohawaii1 Member Posts: 39
    Hello, hnlaj.
    I delt directly with Yokohama.
    But the sidewall blew out on the tire when I first bought the car and there was only about 1,ooo miles on the tire. The side wall of the tire hit a curb and blew out. I currently have 21,ooo miles on the car. The front tires looks like it is going to last till about 36,ooo miles and hopefully I will get about 48,ooo for the rear tires. Where have you bought your tires from in Hawaii? I don't see many places that stock 55 profiles tires. I religious align the tires at least ever 6 months or as often as 3 month with the really poor roads with all of the potholes. AT Firestone they have Lifetime alignment for about $150. I think it was a wise investment, especially since the tires are So Expensive to replace.
  • 06aerioawd06aerioawd Member Posts: 1
    I'm bought my 06 SX/AWD w/premium package. I'm only get 17mpg and never more than 18mpg on city/hwy mixed and only 19-20mpg on Hwy. Now I got 5500 miles and still doing the same. What is your solution that make your get up to 27, please let me know. I have the same problem with noise but the mechanic say it's OK... Wind and road noise is also unbeliavable anoyyyyy me, so I bought the sound proof sheet and seal all front/real door panel and trunk (spare tire and under rear seat). It's help a litte now I can hear my radio on the highway....Well I try to love this car and patch what it take, if I got the milages like you got I'm probably be more apprecite and cove with the bumpy feeling.
  • mesxmesx Member Posts: 7
    :lemon: I bought my 2005 AWD brand new a year ago and have done nothing but fix the piece of crap. I now have 21,000km (13,125 miles) and have had the following happen:
    -front sway bar bushings fell out 4 times
    -have had 3 alignments because it was horrible to drive
    -replaced 6 tires because the were destroyed
    -had viscous coupling replaced for AWD
    -had power door lock fail and replaced
    -had lower control arm bolts almost fall out
    -styrofoam on rear bumper fell off
    -rims are destryed due to constant tire replacement
    -rattles all over as it was 15yrs old.

    A wful
    E ngineering
    R esulting
    I n
    O verhaul

    Never again will I buy Suckzuki.......absolute junk!!!!!! :lemon:
  • neal2goneal2go Member Posts: 9
    To be honest with you, I have a 2002 Suzuki Aerio GS with almost 60,000 miles on it. I have never had a single problem with the car except for a flat tire. I never had one single problem.
  • amentzrionaamentzriona Member Posts: 2
    I brought a 2005 Suzuki Aerio AWD last year as well. I have around 10k miles on it and it runs beautifully. The only hitch I had was that my dealership said that there were a tsb out regarding the viscious coupling & the camber (too much to the negative range) for the rear tires. They fixed it under warranty. And that's probably why I don't have the tires problem as you did. Oh yeah, for everybody's info, this car really takes a long time to break in... around 5k to finally get the EPA rated mileage. I am just happy because I can get 26 in city & 33 in highway. I guess you probably ended up with a lemon. I am glad that I went along with my fiancee's decision because I was planning to get a Honda Civic. No regrets there.
  • zeebozeebo Member Posts: 10
    Hi guys. I noticed a number of members have had the problem of oil leaking from their Transmission Breather hoses on their 2004-2006 Aerios that have Manual Transmission. I have had the same problem for the last 6 months and my tranny oil and breather hose has been changed by the dealer to remedy the problem...but with no success. So I tried another dealer and was informed that as of June 16, 2006, Suzuki Canada issued a TSB (AS25-06) for this problem.

    The TSB is 9 pages long and details pictures for the mechanic on how to correct the problem. The correction to the problem..and I am quoting the TSB...." the left hand transmission case has been redesigned to include a baffle plate as part of the transmission breather system...in the event that you (dealer) receive a complaint of leakage from the transmission on a 2004 to 2006 Aerio equipped with M/T, and have confirmed that the leak is coming from the transmission breather hose, install a new left hand transmission case and baffle plate"

    The job will take about 5.5-6 hours. 12 parts have to be installed. The parts must come from Japan and will take about 1-2 months to get to dealer.

    The mechanic is shaking his head in amazement as he does not believe it will 5-6 hours.....in fact...a lot more time.

    Hopefully this info helps....contact your Suzuki dealer.

    I'm not sure if the same TSB # applies to cars in the USA.

    Good luck.

    Zeebo
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles