RoadVitals

2003 Suzuki Suzuki Motorcycle

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.
24
Latest Jun 13, 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.
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 24 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Suzuki Suzuki Motorcycle, most frequently naming the fuel system, transmission and exterior lighting categories. 1 manufacturer communication is 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

  • Fuel system521.7%
  • Transmission417.4%
  • Exterior lighting313.0%
  • Engine313.0%
  • Other / unspecified313.0%
  • Body & structure28.7%
  • Electrical14.3%
  • Suspension14.3%

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 24
Other / unspecified
Filed Jun 13, 2005

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT ABOUT 6500 MILES. MOTORCYCLE STARTED LURCHING AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE AND ONE OF THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WAS ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED. THERE WASN'T A SCREECHING SOUND OR ANTHING TO WARN ME THAT THE BEARINGS WERE FAILING PRIOR TO THIS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO OWNERS OF THE SUZUKI AF650 BUT SUZUKI HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. SUZUKI DID REPLACE THE BEARING. INITIALLY THEY TOLD ME TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS A BEARING THAT'S CONSIDERED A "WEAR ITEM." LATER THE DEALER REIMBURSED ME FOR THE COST OF THE BEARING AND LABOR.

NHTSA ID
10125162
Incident
May 26, 2005
Mileage
6,500 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 15, 2005

VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY SHAKING WHEN DRIVING AT 40 MPH OR LESS. WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRES CHANGED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING SUGGESTED WAS WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE. SINCE THE TIRES HAD BEEN CHANGED VEHICLE STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10118909
Incident
Apr 13, 2004
Mileage
100 mi
Fuel system
Filed Mar 24, 2005

THE SUZUKI VL1500LC INTRUDER (LC FOR SHORT) HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ITS FUEL TANK CRACKING RIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT RIGHT MOUNTING BOLT. THIS IS KNOWN TO THE LC COMMUNITY, AND WE ASSUME THAT IT IS KNOWN BY SUZUKI. THE LATTER, HOWEVER, HAS SO FAR NOT DONE ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. YES, THEY WILL REPLACE THE TANK, BUT THE NEW TANK CRACKS IN THE SAME PLACE, SO THAT IS NOT A 'GOOD' FIX. THE TANK ON MY BIKE HAS DEVELOPED THE SAME CRACK, AFTER LESS THAN 14,000 MILES. THE GAS IS ROUTED TO DRIP IN AN AREA VERY NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPES. (ON A BIKE WITH STOCK EXHAUST, IT MAY WELL DRIP ONTO THE EXHAUST EXPANSION CHAMBER.) BECAUSE THE REPAIR - IE REPLACEMENT OF TANK - IS NOT A SATISFACTORY REPAIR MOST OF US SEE NO REASON TO LEAVE THE BIKE IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK OR MORE TO FACILITATE REPLACEMENT OF SAID TANK. IN STEAD, OTHER REMEDIES ARE SOUGHT. SOME SUCCESS IS REPORTED USING JBWELD.

NHTSA ID
10114686
Incident
Mar 24, 2005
Mileage
13,600 mi
Fuel system
Filed Nov 29, 2004

I HAVE A 2003 SUZUKI INTRUDER LC1500. IT IS 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAS 5,100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. RECENTLY I STARTED SMELLING GAS AND, AWARE THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD CRACKS IN THEIR FUEL TANKS THROUGH THE LC FORUM, CHECKED THE SUSPECT AREA OF THE TANK. THERE WAS RESIDUE, I CLEANED THE TANK AND RECHECKED IT YESTERDAY. THERE WAS NEW RESIDUE AND THE CRACK IS VISIBLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10100718
Incident
Nov 28, 2004
Fuel system
Filed Nov 28, 2004

THERE IS A CRACK IN THE WELD ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ON MY 2003 SUZUKI VL1500LC MOTORCYCLE. I NOTICED IT AFTER OTHER OWNERS AND I HAVE STARTED COMMUNICATING AMONG EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK A COMMON FIX SEEMS TO BE TO USE JB WELD TO CLOSE THE CRACK. SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL WILL NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE RUDELY TREATED MANY WHO HAVE CONTACTED THEM REGARDING THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. MANY DEALERS HAVE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND IT IS A WIDELYY KNOW ISSUE AMONG CURRENT OWNERS OF THE MOTORCYCLE.

NHTSA ID
10100667
Incident
Nov 27, 2004
Mileage
9,800 mi
Fuel system
Filed Nov 24, 2004

A SMALL SEPARATION OF THE TOP WELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ON MY 2003 SUZUKI VL1500LC MOTORCYCLE. I NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS CHANGING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ON MY BIKE, THE FIX IS TO USE JB WELD TO CLOSE THE CRACK. SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL WILL NOT EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY STATED NHTSA WOULD HAVE TO FORCE THEM TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANK. *NM

NHTSA ID
10100474
Incident
Nov 24, 2004
Mileage
26,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 21, 2004

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 3,500 MILES OF WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED. DEALER URGED CONSUMER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO CHECK THE OVER LOAD OF VOLTAGES.*AK *TC

NHTSA ID
10089840
Incident
Mar 15, 2004
Mileage
3,500 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 14, 2004

MOTORCYCLE'S HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO BLOW OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS THREE TIMES WITHIN TWO MONTHS. *AK *MR

NHTSA ID
10088030
Incident
Aug 17, 2004
Mileage
6,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

28

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CHANGE OF CAM CHAIN TENSION ADJUSTER SERVICE PROCEDURE. 2003 DR-Z400K3, DR-Z400EK3 & DR-Z400SK3 DUALSPORT. *TT

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 Suzuki Motorcycle by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003Viewing240030.4
2002240027.9
2001400—
2000160028.2
1999600—
1998400—
1997501—
1996500—
1995600—

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.