RoadVitals

1999 Suzuki DR350SE Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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
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
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jul 22, 2005

What this page shows

Our database holds 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Suzuki DR350SE. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–2 of 2

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

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .