RoadVitals

1998 Suzuki DR350SE

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Suzuki DR350SE. 1 NHTSA investigation names it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE04055ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

REAR WHEEL LOCKUP

Opened Aug 3, 2004
Closed Nov 12, 2004

A BUSINESS SPECIALIZING IN SERVICING DR350'S ALLEGED THAT THE COUNTER-BALANCER GEAR-INDEXING PIN IS NOT PROPERLY RETAINED AND MAY BECOME DISPLACED.THE DISPLACED PIN THEN CAUSES CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH POSSIBLE REAR-WHEEL LOCKUP.AFTER OPENING THIS PE, ODI GATHERED INFORMATION FROM AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION, SUZUKI DEALERS, INDEPENDENT MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOPS, AND SUBJECT MOTORCYCLE OWNERS.WE FOCUSED ON THE DUAL-PURPOSE VARIANTS OF THE DR350 MODEL LINEUP AS THESE ARE THE ONLY STREET-LEGAL VERSIONS THAT, CONSEQUENTLY, ARE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.THE LONE CRASH, OCCURING IN 1997, INVOLVED A MY 1997 DR350SE DUAL-PURPOSE MOTORCYCLE, WITH ONE MINOR INJURY.THE CRASH ALLEGEDLY OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE'S COUNTER-BALANCER BECAME MIS-TIMED AND COLLIDED WITH THE ENGINE'S CONNECTING ROD, RESULTING IN REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP.HOWEVER, BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE ARE 3 FAILURES ON VEHICLES THAT ARE 5 TO 10 YEARS OLD, NO DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Suzuki DR350SE by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1999201—
1998Viewing001—
1997001—
1996001—
1995001—
1994001—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.