RoadVitals

1999 Suzuki DR350SE

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
2
Latest Sep 27, 2005
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.
0
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.
1
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Suzuki DR350SE, most frequently naming the engine category. 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine2100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

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

Engine
Filed Sep 27, 2005
Crash reported

DT: THE OWNER'S MOTORCYCLE WHEEL LOCKED THREE YEARS AGO. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT BACKFIRED, AND THEN THE WHEEL LOCKED. THERE WAS A SKID, AND ENTIRE ENGINE LOCKED . THE OWNER WAS GOING SLOW ENOUGH TO CATCH HIMSELF. THE MOTORCYCLE STILL HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TODEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE SIDE COVER WAS REMOVED FROM THE MOTOR. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL START, THE REDUCTION GEARS TURNED SIDEWAYS INSIDE THE MOTOR WHEN THE SKID OCCURRED. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOCK AND SKID OUT OF CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THE MOTORCYCLE DID NOT HIT THE GROUND THE OWNER CONSIDERED THIS A CRASH. SUZUKI MODEL DR650SE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10137911
Incident
Sep 1, 2002
Engine
Filed Jul 22, 2005

I'M HOPING YOU COVER MOTORCYCLE RECALLS. THIS IS A PROBLEM I DISCOVERED ON MY '99 SUZUKI DR-350SE (STREET LEGAL DIRTBIKE). THE WEBSITE WHICH DISCUSSES THE DEFECT IN DETAIL IS LOCATED AT : HTTP://WWW.KIENTECH.COM/TOPPAGE1.HTM KIEN TECH ENGINEERING IS A PERFORMANCE SHOP SPECIALIZING IN SUZUKI 350/400 DIRTBIKES. APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE CONTACTED SUZUKI ABOUT HIS ISSUE. I HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE OF THIS KIND. BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK A RECALL IS IN ORDER IF THIS CLAIM IS TRUE. THE RESULTS OF THIS FAILURE IS ENGINE SEIZURE AND POSSIBLY DEATH. I WILL COPY KEIN TECH'S DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM: DR350 CRANK SHAFT FAILURE ALERT EXPLAINED THE SUBJECT THAT I WANT TO COVER IS THE DR350 CONCERNING FAILURES OF THE ENGINE DUE TO A HOLE IN THE CRANKSHAFT THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LOCK THE DRIVE GEAR FOR THE COUNTER BALANCER TO THE CRANKSHAFT. THIS INDEXING HOLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DRILLED JUST DEEP ENOUGH TO KEEP THE LOCKING PIN THAT IS PRESSED INTO THE COUNTER BALANCING DRIVE GEAR FROM ESCAPING. WELL SOME WHERE SOME ONE AT THE CRANK FACTORY IS DRILLING THIS HOLE CLEAR THROUGH THE RIGHT CRANK HALF. THIS ALLOWS THE LOCKING PIN TO MOVE INTO THE CRANK IF ITS PRESS FIT HAPPENS TO BE MARGINAL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS TO A POINT OF ESCAPING THE DRIVE GEAR THE CRANKSHAFT AND COUNTER BALANCER ARE NO LONGER TIMED THE ROD HITS THE HEAVY COUNTER BALANCER WEIGHT AND BLOWS IT RIGHT OUT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THIS DESTROYS THE CASES, COUNTERBALANCER, CYLINDER SLEEVE AND CRANKSHAFT. I HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT CRANK REPAIR NEW PART ( RIGHT CRANK HALF) ARE ALSO AFFECTED WITH THE THROUGH HOLE.

NHTSA ID
10129676
Incident
Jul 22, 2005

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Suzuki DR350SE by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1999Viewing201—
1998001—
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.