RoadVitals

1998 Suzuki Sidekick

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.
27
Latest Mar 8, 2019
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.
0
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.
10
11 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 27 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Suzuki Sidekick, most frequently naming the airbags, engine and fuel system categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

  • Airbags925.0%
  • Engine616.7%
  • Fuel system411.1%
  • Transmission38.3%
  • Suspension38.3%
  • Brakes38.3%
  • Electrical25.6%
  • Tires & wheels25.6%

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.

Recent owner complaints

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

View all 27
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 8, 2019

3 YEARS AGO I BOUGHT A SET OF 4 GOODYEAR WARNGLER DURATRAC TIRES FOR MY SUZUKI VITARA. AFTER APROX 1,5 YEARS I GO TO TIRE SERVICE SHOP TO REPAIR AIR LOSS AROUND THE RIM. WITH TIRE UNMOUNTED WE FOUND INNER LAYER SEPARATION. I REPORTED THIS TO THE SELLER AND AFTER CHECKING WITH GOODYEAR REPRESANTIVE THEY CHANGED THE TIRE WITH NEW ONE. AFTER ANOTHER APROX 1,5 YEARS I HAVE TO GO TO TIRE SHOP FOR ANOTHER REPAIR AND FOUND ANOTHER TIRE WITH SPLIT LAYERS. WE CHECKED ALL OTHER TIRES MINUS WARRANTY REPLACED ONE AND THEY ALL ARE SPLIT FROM INSIDE. I REPORTED THIS TO THE SELLER AND GOODYEAR REPRESENTIVE BUT THEY DIDN'T OFFER ANY SOLUTION YET.

NHTSA ID
11185005
Incident
Mar 5, 2019
Mileage
335,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 9, 2015
Crash reported1 injury reported

WAS IN A FRONTAL ACCIDENT. FRONT END OF CAR PRETTY MUCH TOTALED. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CODES OR LIGHT BEFORE THIS.

NHTSA ID
10724309
Incident
May 12, 2015
Mileage
159,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 14, 2002
Crash reported

WHILE TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEED AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AS A RESULT OF A VEHICLE CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8005650
Electrical
Filed Jun 5, 2001

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. TOWED TO DEALER, WHO FOUND IGNITION COIL WAS TOO CLOSE TO ENGINE BLOCK, AND HAD SHORTED OUT. DEALER REWIRED IGNITION COIL.*AK

NHTSA ID
889800
Incident
May 25, 2001
Brakes
Filed Apr 13, 2001
Crash reported

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
744003
Incident
Apr 12, 2001
Engine
Filed Mar 23, 2001
Fire reported1 injury reported

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ONE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED (CASE # 01-250-843-501, REPORT # 1023282). NLM

NHTSA ID
560516
Incident
Feb 13, 2001
EngineFuel systemSuspension+1 more
Filed Feb 27, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT WRONG SIZE GAS TANK IS EQUIPPED ON VEHICLE. *AK PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE, DRIVESHAFT FAILURE. BOLTS VIBRATED OUT OF EXHAUST NAMIFOLD. RECURRING NOISE FROM ENGINE PULLEY AREA. *SLC

NHTSA ID
881518
Incident
May 30, 1998
EnginePowertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Nov 2, 2000

EXHAUST BOLTS VIBRATED LOOSE/BROKE OFF (7/15/98;1/4/99;11/19/99) IDLER PULLEY HAS BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES(1/4/99;11/17/99;11/19/99); DRIVE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES(1/15/99;11/19/99); MOTOR MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE SECURED (2/26/99); CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED (COMPLAINED 7/15/98;1/25/00. DIAGNOSED 6/12/00); NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION(6/12/00 TOLD NOISE NORMAL); DRIVESHAFT CV JOINT BAD (6/12/00 TOLD BY DEALER NOISE NORMAL. 6/14/00 TOLD DRIVESHAFT CV JOINT BAD DUE TO POOR DESIGN. 6/16/00 2ND ESTIMATE DRIVESHAFT CV JOINT BAD). THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED NUMEROUS TIMES BUT CONTINUES TO STONEWALL REGARDING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. *AK ALSO WRONG , SMALLER SIZE GAS TANK WAS INSTALLED VEHICLE. MANFACTURER IS NOT SENDING NHTSA INFORMATION REGARDING TSB OR RECALLS.

NHTSA ID
735624
Incident
Jan 15, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SUZ_016008

STRUCTURE; SUSPENSION

Reminder of the importance to conduct safety inspections for rust damage to suspension and related parts that could be caused by road salt or other chemicals applied to the roadway.

N-Q-G-045

EQUIPMENT; SUSPENSION

This Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki automobile distributors in the U.S., explaining the importance of proper inspection and maintenance of suspension lower arm ball joints to prevent the ball stud from becoming separated from the suspension lower arm.

SW07

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE REVISED CLAIMS SUBMISSION PROCEDURES FOR REPLACEMENT BATTERIES UNDER WARRANTY. *TT

0204145

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

CORRECT COOLANT USAGE. *EH

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Suzuki Sidekick by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000100—
1999000—
1998Viewing270047.9
1997361045.2
1996592047.1
1995260036.5
1994211047.1
1993141146.8
1992100026.1
1991141249.2
1990511—
1989712—
1988101—

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.