Suzuki Power Train: Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch

Suzuki is recalling about 1,198 vehicles over a problem with the power train. If the shift lever were to come out of "park" while the vehicle is parked on a non-level surface, the vehicle could roll increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
98V225002
Manufacturer
AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP.
Reported
6 October 1998
Vehicles
1,198
Built between
Jul 1996 – Mar 1997
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
29 October 1998
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between July 1996 and March 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1997 Suzuki SwiftBuilt July 1996 to March 1997

What the defect is

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with an automatic transaxle. The shift lever appears to be in "park," but can easily be moved from the "park" position without the use of the key, transaxle lever detent button, or depressing the brake.

What could happen

If the shift lever were to come out of "park" while the vehicle is parked on a non-level surface, the vehicle could roll increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS SERVICED, OWNERS ARE ADVISED WHEN SHIFTING TO "PARK," ALWAYS APPLY THE PARK BRAKE BEFORE RELEASING THE SERVICE BRAKE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJuly 1996 to March 1997
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA6 October 1998
  3. Owners notified29 October 1998

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 October 1998.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owner notification began october 29, 1998.OWNERS who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact suzuki at 1-714-996-7040. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand