1995 Suzuki Esteem

Routine

Owners filed 13 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip3
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor2
000
Tires1
000
Steering1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
000
Service Brakes, Air › Antilock1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Filler Pipe and Cap1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
101

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering
Filed Jul 18, 201270,000 milesMN

CAR EXHIBITED A TENDENCY TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AT FIRST. AFTER TURNING A CORNER THE CAR PULLED TO THE LEFT. GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE FRONT OF THE CAR WANDERED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. AFTER I PARKED THE CAR AND RE STARTED THE ENGINE WHEN I PUT IT INTO GEAR A LOUD BANGING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND IT DID NOT MOVE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. BANGING STOPPED IN NEUTRAL AND PARK. I JACKED UP THE CAR AND THE FRONT SUB-FRAME WAS RUSTED THRU RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE LOWER SUSPENSION ARM ATTACHED TO IT. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Filler Pipe and Cap
Filed Aug 29, 2008127,000 milesNE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 SUZUKI ESTEEM. WHENEVER THE CONTACT WALKED NEAR THE VEHICLE, HE WOULD SMELL GASOLINE. HE STATED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE PIPE ONTO THE GROUND. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000. UPDATE 10/01/08 *CW UPDATED 10/03/08. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Feb 22, 200580,000 milesID

BRAKES LOCKING UP AT HIGH SPEEDS,EPLACED MASTER CYLINDER,REPLACED CV AXLE AND BOOT,ENT OBJECT REPORTED,RUNK LEAKS AND WATER WHERE SPARE SITS,REPLACED CATALYIC CONVERTER,END RIMS WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC CAR WAS WRECKED BEFORE PURCHASED . *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Feb 7, 2001TX

THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHEN BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED AND EVENTUALLY REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES HE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACED PART. NLM

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Jan 12, 2001TX

CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO PEP BOY SHOP TO REFACE ROTORS EVERY SIX THOUSAND MILES. HAD BEEN PERFORMED FIVE TIMES, AND CONSUMER WAS MAD AT REPAIR SHOP FOR NOT TELLING HIM THAT ROTORS SHOULD BE REPLACED. COSUMER HAD CONTACTED BETTER BUSSINES BUREAU. REPORT MADE UP TO CONSUMER RESQUEST.*AK

Tires
Filed Sep 8, 2000WV

THIS TIRE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL TIRE PROVIDED BY SUZUKI, THEREFORE SUZUKI IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROBLEM. THE TIRE HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL CRACKS. THERE IS A CRACK (AVERAGING 3/4" IN LENGTH) IN EVERY OUTER TREAD GROOVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TIRE (LOOKING FROM THE RIDER'S PERSPECTIVE). THERE ARE NO CRACKS ON THE LEFT SIDE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE TIRE. THE TIRE HAS ABOUT 6000 MILES ON IT, AND STILL HAS ABOUT HALF OF IT'S USABLE TREAD LEFT. THE REAR TIRE HAS NOT DEVELOPED THIS PROBLEM, AND IS WEARING FINE.( DOT NUMBER: B56F K9801 TIRE SIZE: 110/70ZR17 )

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jul 30, 1999TX

VEHICLE WOULD DIE AFTER GOING 50MPH. HAD TAKEN TO DEALER & THE FUEL FILTER, PUMP, ALTERNATOR & BATTERY HAD BEEN CHANGED OR REPLACED AT LEAST 9 DIFFERENT TIMES. IT'S AN ERRACTIC OPERATION. *AK

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock
Filed Jul 26, 1999CA

BRAKES STARTED TO MAKE NOISES EVEN AFTER THEY WERE REPLACED AND ARE NOT RESPONDING LIKE THEY SHOULD. THEY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED 3 TIMES AND CONTINUE TO PERFORM POORLY.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Oct 17, 1997WA

DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 35MPH ON RESIDENTIAL STREET; APPLIED THE BRAKES. HEARD A GRINDING SOUND AT THAT TIME. TOOK TO DEALER & REFUSED TO REPAIR VEHICLE DUE TO NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY. BRAKE PADES WEARING UNEVENLY IN THE FRONT. DEALER GAVE PADS TO OWNER TO REPLACE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 20, 1997MS

ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 5, 1996AL

ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP 5 TIMES.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Oct 9, 1996WA

BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BRAKES LOCKUP/ UNEVEN WEAR, MAKES A LOUD NOISE. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Nov 27, 1995IN

UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 30MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, DRIVERS AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. TT

13 of 13 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20025100Routine
200121000Routine
200026000Routine
199920000Routine
199824010Routine
19977000Routine
19965000Routine
1995 — this page13000Routine

Compare every Esteem year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.