Faults:

My automatic door opening unit did not work in the first year, but it was replaced under warranty. My gas cap door fell off after the bracket that held it on rotted and snapped. Finally my air conditioner broke down totally and I was told it would cost up to 1300 dollars to replace. Even though I had nearly 8 months left on my three warranty Suzuki told me that I had exceeded my 36000 miles and they wouldn't give me any financial help. When I asked for the phone number of the area Suzuki manager to discuss my problem I was ignored. I live near Pittsburgh so I only run an air conditioner 4 to 5 months a year. I have owned 7 new cars in my life, I am 51 and never had a problem with the other makes of cars like I have with this XL7. I will never buy another Suzuki again.

Faults:

There are air leaks through the vents.

The floor heater does not work well.

The brakes squeak.

The vehicle is hard to control in extreme wind.

The vehicle idles high when initially started and stays high for quite awhile.

It also has noisy squeaks and interior noise.

These problems were presented to the dealership and eventually to the manufacturer.

I was told they were all structural problems that could not be fixed.

Faults:

Nothing wrong with the car. One of the reasons I bought the 2002 was that the 2003 had a 100,000/7 year warranty. The 2002 is the same engine so I figured if they put that kind of warranty behind it, I should have no problem.

General Comments:

I did some research on mid size SUV. The 2.7 engine size is bigger than most in this class, but not tops. Nevertheless, on balance, it performs very well. There were two trade offs for me. It is a little longer than others and the price was right. I paid $11,500 from a KIA dealer in 11/03. I could have gotten a new 2004 for about 18,500 but I figured that my cost of ownership will be much less overall, and its basically the same car.

One other point that pleased me was that I frequently take my 83 old mother on errands. She is only about 5 foot tall and has to use a walker and she is very unstable. I was concerned about her ability to get in and out. I thought it might be hard for her to step up so I was prepared to buy a step rail. As it turns out, she can just stand and slide into the front seat without stepping up, then lift her legs in!

The only criticism I would have is that I would prefer a lower turning radius. I can make Uturns at most intersections OK, but I just prefer a little tighter.

One other thing. I understand that Suzuki is #1 in Japan. I have owned 3 toyotas, so if in Japan, they think more highly of Suzuki, then fine with me.

Great SUV.