Total Complaints
6 filings
SUZUKI SAMURAI · model year
1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI
6 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987SUZUKISAMURAI carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1987 SAMURAI is suspension:front with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1987 SAMURAI. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
6
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031002TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE FAILURE. *LA
20001004CrashTIRES
THE LEFT REAR TIRE DELAMINATED AND WRAPPED AROUND THE AXEL, CAUSING THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL... CAUSING US TO GO OUT INTO THE DESERT AND ROLL OVER... I WAS INJURED, MY HUSBAND ONLY SUFFERED A BRUISE, I RECEIVED SEVER TRAUMA TO MY HEAD, CAUSING ME TO NEED EYE SURGERY WITHIN A YEAR TO REGAIN VISION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: EJYT TIRE SIZE: P205/70R15 )
19990823STRUCTURE
WHEN CONSUMER SUDDENLY APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER CAUSING HER SERIOUS INJURY. *YC
19960619CrashSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING MECHANISM FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ROLLOVER. *SD
19951116FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA. *AK
19951102CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE VEERED RIGHT THEN LEFT, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD
Compare 1987SUZUKISAMURAI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI have?▼
The 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI has 6 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI is SUSPENSION:FRONT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR.
Is the 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1987 SUZUKI SAMURAI; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.