Total Complaints
21 filings
SUZUKI SAMURAI · model year
1988 SUZUKI SAMURAI
21 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988SUZUKISAMURAI carries 21 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 SAMURAI is seat belts:front:retractor with 5 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (5) and tires:tread/belt (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1988 SAMURAI. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
21
Complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
8
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
7 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010717CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
BRIDGESTONE, P205/70R15, DOT UNKNOWN, REPLACEMENT TIRE, MILAGE UNKNOWN ON A 1988, SUZUKI, SAMURAI. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HEARD A NOISE. THEN, VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL, SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES AND HIT A TREE. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE UNKNOWN. NO INJURIES. REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION, A 2 1/2 FEET LONG PIECE OF TREAD CAME OFF, TIRE WAS NOT FLAT. *AK TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE DRIVERS SIDE, CONVERTIBLE TOP AND REAR TIRE, DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK/NECK PAIN. NLM
20001017TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPERATED (TIRESIZE: P205/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 )
19981214STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE POOR DESIGN OF THE DOOR HANDLES RESULTED IN THREE BROKEN HANDLES (TWO INSIDE AND ONE OUTSIDE).
19970908POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT RETAINING BOLT SNAPPED OFF TWICE. *AK
19970903SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT RETRACT THE BELT, AND WILL NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER IN CASE OF A VEHICLE COLLISION. *AK
19970326SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RECALL #95V103 SEAT BELT BUCKLE: RECEIVED NOTICE IN OCT. OF 96 CALLED TO TAKE VEHICLE IN AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE TOO BUSY. MADE AN APPOINTMENT IN NOVEMBER 1996 AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE THREE TO FOUR DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD GET TO IT. VEHICLE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
19961106CrashSUSPENSION
VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER IN ACCIDENT DUE TO POOR STABILITY.
19960425SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONT SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE. *DSH
19960423SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FAILURE OF THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *AK
19960326SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT RETRACTORS HAVE FAILED, REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT COME OUT OF HOUSING, *AK
19960326CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DURING IMPACT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960322ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING CAR WAS OVERHEATING SO HE PULLED OVER CHECKED THE CAR AND OIL WAS COMING OUT. LATER HE FOUND OUT A BOLT HAD COME LOSE AND ONE FELT OUT. *AK
19960229SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT RELEASE. *DSH
19951128CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHEN REAR ENDED THE SEAT BACKS BROKE AND CAUSED FURTHER INJURIES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950814SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE AND WAS REPLACED. TT
19950808SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS BROKE . TT
19950426CrashSTEERING
TRAVELING ON RAMP HIT CURB LOST CONTROL VEHICLE ROLLED OVER IN THE AIR. TT
19950425CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT
TRUCK FLIPPED OVER GOING 35 MPH AND IT ALSO HAS SPUN AROUND. TT
19950425CrashSTRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FRAME IS TO SMALL. *AK
19950413SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONT COMBINATION SHOULDER/LAP BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AS INTENDED; DIFFICULTY PULLING BELT OUT; SOMETIMES WILL NOT RETRACT; HOLDS TIGHTER THAN NORMAL; HANGS LOOSE
Compare 1988SUZUKISAMURAI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 SUZUKI SAMURAI have?▼
The 1988 SUZUKI SAMURAI has 21 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 SUZUKI SAMURAI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 SUZUKI SAMURAI is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1988 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.