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I think we all need to get together on this...
Both rear tires completely bald at 14K and car is less than a year old, so we are faring worse than you did!
Our OEM tires were also Yokahama's G046 1955515's. Had to get 2 tires to replace the rear OEM's and decided to replace all 4 as tire place said front tires were about to go as well. Suzuki NO HELP and deny any problem with this car!
We put 4 Falcon's on which are medium rated tires. They are wider which is a good idea. They also have a warranty as the OEM's had 0 warranty! (this according to Yokahama who say the OEM's were not defective upon looking at them) The baldies are in trunk of car, waiting to go see a judge somewhere, sometime.....I am afraid the new rear tires are also going to lose tread as there is a problem with this car that Suzuki is denying! Good luck to all of us!
I have been religiously aligning my tires every 3 months. So far the tires look like they are going to last about 36,ooo miles. I currently have over 21,ooo miles on the tires. Firestone has lifetime alignment for about $150, a wise investment, since new tires are so Expensive.
But unfortunately my brakes did Not last very long. I just had to replace the front brakes after Only 21,000 miles.
Thank you.
We did put 4 good, wider tires on the car last week & immediately noticed the car handled the way it should have from the start. So, the car comes with horrible thin tires that won't do good in your conditions. The fog lights will be great for you. Good luck!
BTY - don't count on SUZUKI customer service at their 800 to help you if you have a problem! They look out for Suzuki and not the consumer..At least that's our experience after just 11 mos of ownership of new Aerio AWD, bought off the lot last fall!
:confuse:
If it is on the front, the uneven rotation speed will wear out the drive train faster.
If it is in the back it should not be too bad.
On my old Mazda 323 I ran my spare tire for about 600 miles and the tread had worn about 1/2 way down.
The main pain about using the mini spare is keeping your speed to under 50 mph on the freeway.
It is Not easy to find the unusual size tires that came with the car 55 profile tires are Not real common.
If it is on the front, the uneven rotation speed will wear out the drive train faster.
If it is in the back it should not be too bad.
On my old Mazda 323 I ran my spare tire for about 600 miles and the tread had worn about 1/2 way down.
The main pain about using the mini spare is keeping your speed to under 50 mph on the freeway.
It is Not easy to find the unusual size tires that came with the car, 55 profile tires are Not real common.
The tire arrived in Hawaii in just Two days.
The tire arrived in Hawaii in just Two days.
Also, there is a lot of talk about unspecified clunking sounds in various Suzukis, and I have found at least one such source. I discovered that the hood support on my Aerio sometimes pops out of it's holder and bounces around under the hood. When it is put back into the holder, the clunking disappears.
But if you are without receipts and without warranty, I don't think there's anything you can do.
I had the EXACT same experience with Toyota regarding my Camry. I never did find out the diagnosis but a loss of engine oil destroyed my 97 Camry engine at under 90k. It looked like there was a fairly large leak somewhere at the side or base of the engine due to the spray marks. The dealer claimed they couldn't find a leak and MAYBE "someone forgot to put oil in it when I had it changed".
Be prepared to wait and make sure you have your paperwork in order. I would call them EVERY day and make sure you document it. I couldn't wait and had to buy a replacement engine with $2500 of my own money. And this was a "certified used vehicle". This is the reason I am skeptical of any warranties now. Any manufacturer will try and find a way NOT to honor the warranty. I'm sure giving out free engines hurts their bottom line. ;-)
Your options: 1) If you have ALL of the supporting documentation for oil changes I might seek the advice of a lawyer and/or take them to court if they refuse to pay.
2) Be prepared to pay for a new engine or next best case scenario is that they might spit some costs with you. Best of luck.
THe car has 2500 miles on it.
Fuel mileage is between 27 and 29 MPG.
Ever since new I have a problem....at around 41 to 44 MPH and 1700 to 1900 RPM (it is an automatic transmission) I have a drive train vibration.
I took it to the dealer and the manager went for a ride and told me maybe an exhaust pipe vibration (which I doubt); and to bring it back another day for a tech to drive it.
The vibration goes away as soon as it shifts into the next gear.
Has anyone else had this problem ?
Anyone have any suggestions?
:shades:
On performance.....I have only seen air filters and a kit for getting more air to the intake.
Another suggestion.....put some MOTORKOTE in the oil...it stays in for 4 oil changes and will not void the warranty...it WILL increase HP and MPG.....I use it in all
my cars and pick up and it does work....I would say it would increase HP about 10%. You can go to MOTORKOTE.COM to read about it.
totally stupid to me....why else is there an on/off button.
I can see turning it off when decending a steep hill; but around town ???? Makes no sense to me.
I remember the Saturday morning in November 2002 I picked up my new silver 2003 Aerio SX hatch back from the Suzuki dealer. Right off the dealers lot I noticed a strong shaking in the front suspension whenever I stepped on the brakes. So after only 8 Kms (less than 5 miles) I’m back at the dealer sitting in the service department. The verdict.... both front discs are warped and require replacement. It seems this little problem wasn’t noticed during the pre-delivery inspection.
A few weeks later the “check engine” light comes on. A sensor in the fuel tank has failed. The gas tank is removed and the sensor replaced.
A few weeks later, the front brakes are now making a grinding sound. So, it’s back to the local Suzuki dealer and new and improved shims are installed. They almost fix the noise issue. A set of Wagner “Thermo Quiet” pads solve the problem.
It’s now the spring of 2003. During a warm spring day I noticed what sounded like engine pinging. The dealer thinks its engine pinging too. The head technician calls Suzuki Canada for a fix. They claim is an odd problem. I check on the Internet. After a little research I discover that it's a common complaint about 2003 Suzuki Aerio. Cures range from better gas (mid grade or super) to retarding the initial engine advance. To this day the engine pings whenever the temperature is above 15 C (59 degrees Fahrenheit).
The service technician at Brantford Suzuki (where the car was now being serviced) should be awarded a medal for his persistence in trying to resolve this problem. The engine was opened twice and the accumulated carbon removed. This fixed the problem for a week or so then the pinging returns.
During normal oil change visits, other items were changed under warranty. The entire remote entry system (control unit and 2 key fobs) was replaced. It has since failed again. Both left and right front steering knuckles and bearings were replaced. The left front bearing is replaced again a year later after it fails. At this point the warranty is over let the real fun begin.
Popping sounds from the front suspension is fixed with after-market urethane bushings installed on the front anti-sway bar.
The driver’s side drive shaft falls out of the transmission. Splines are sheared, fragments of metal are removed from the transmission (manual), and damaged differential gears are replaced. Total cost in parts and labour: $1,500.00.
Six months later, the exact same thing happens again. I did a little research on the Internet and discover that Suzuki USA has a technical service bulletin out on this very problem. (TSB No. TS 02 06284) It’s not an isolated occurrence as Suzuki Canada claims. I called the service managers of a dozen Suzuki and ex-Suzuki dealers in Southern Ontario. Suzuki Canada isn’t telling me the whole truth. Most report at least one. The local Suzuki dealer has had three (including mine). It should be noted that, according to the dealers, the 5-speed manual isn’t as popular as the automatic in Canada. So, this could explain how there seems to be less of an occurrence here than in the USA.
I’m not happy with the prospect of paying another $1,500.00. After some frank and open discussions with Suzuki Canada (can you say lawyer?) and the support of a truly excellent dealer. Suzuki agrees to replace the transmission, and inside CV joint with new parts. I pay the labour.
The rear tires develop a significant negative camber problem. The local Suzuki dealer doesn’t have a clue on how to fix this one. It seems the brain trust at Suzuki Japan has built a car with NO REAR WHEEL CAMBER ADJUSTMENT. The rear tires are wearing VERY quickly and there’s a significant amount of rear wheel push in the turns. An inexpensive “cam bolt” available through the Online after-market vendors solves the problem. Suzuki Canada also issues new alignment specs including wheel camber (figure that one out) for the 2003 model year.
Both gas struts that hold the hatchback open fail (loudly) within days of each other. Replacement is $130.00 each! No after-maket units are available .
The clock and temp gauge lights fail so it can only be read in daylight. Replacement $130.00
A fog light is broken by a rock. Replacement $ 130.00. See a theme here?
The drivers side door lock packs it in. I find a replacement at the local recycler (scrap yard)
in my opinion...My Corolla has 312K on it and has an OD on/off button and I never had to drive it with the OD off at intermediate speeds.