SUZUKI SIDEKICK · model year

1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK

52 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997SUZUKISIDEKICK carries 52 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 7 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 1997 SIDEKICK is suspension with 5 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4) and unknown or other (4). 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 14 investigation files overlapping the 1997 SIDEKICK. 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.

52
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

52 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION4
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER3
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN3
SUSPENSION:FRONT2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE1

Recent Complaints

20030619TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES SEPARATED. *CB *NLM

20021108POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ATTACHMENT CLIP IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SPOT WELD BROKE ALLOWING THE PEDAL TO DETACH FROM THE LINKAGE. WHEN THE OWNER ENTERED THE TRUCK THE PEDAL WAS ALREADY DETACHED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS TS

20020731SUSPENSION

THE VEHICLE STRUTS BROKE WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 00V-008 RELATING TO THE STRUT ROD. NLM

20020429STRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES FRONT OF CAR STARTED TO SHAKE CAUSING LOOSE STEERING, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHERE TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *YD

20020429SUSPENSION

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES FRONT OF CAR STARTED TO SHAKE CAUSING LOOSE STEERING, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHERE TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *YD

20020417SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT

NHTSA ID# 00V-008-000 MANUFACTURE ID #W2 THE DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO SERVICE THE RECALL BECAUSE THE COMPUTER READING SHOWS THAT THE FRONT STRUTS WHERE ALREADY SERVICED ON APRIL 13, 2000. THE CONSUMER DEBATES THE PRINT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. NLM

20020226CrashSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON ROAD AT NIGHT, THEN WOKE UP IN HOSPITAL. WITNESS SAID THAT DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND HIT MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, THEN ROLLED OVER. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

20010828POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

PURCHASED THIS SIDEKICK JULY 24, 2001. WITHIN DAYS THE " ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. DUE TO A 30 DAY 1000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY I TOOK THE SIDEKICK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP PURCHASED AT. THE SIDEKICK WAS TAKEN TO THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SOLENOID AND VALVE BODY WERE DEFECTED. A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO COST ANALYSIS. AFTER 1.5 WEEKS IN THE SHOP I PICKED UP "MY" SIDEKICK. WITHIN 3 DAYS THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. RETURNED THE SIDEKICK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED. THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. IT WAS RELAYED TO ME THAT THE SUZUKI REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS HAD A VALVE BODY DEFECT. TRANSMISSION NUMBER 2 WAS PULLED AND IN WENT REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NUMBER 3. I PICKED UP THE SIDEKICK THIS MORNING. WITHIN 2 HOURS AND LESS THAN 30 MILES THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. C

20010828UNKNOWN OR OTHER

PURCHASED THIS SIDEKICK JULY 24, 2001. WITHIN DAYS THE " ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. DUE TO A 30 DAY 1000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY I TOOK THE SIDEKICK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP PURCHASED AT. THE SIDEKICK WAS TAKEN TO THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SOLENOID AND VALVE BODY WERE DEFECTED. A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO COST ANALYSIS. AFTER 1.5 WEEKS IN THE SHOP I PICKED UP "MY" SIDEKICK. WITHIN 3 DAYS THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. RETURNED THE SIDEKICK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED. THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. IT WAS RELAYED TO ME THAT THE SUZUKI REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS HAD A VALVE BODY DEFECT. TRANSMISSION NUMBER 2 WAS PULLED AND IN WENT REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION NUMBER 3. I PICKED UP THE SIDEKICK THIS MORNING. WITHIN 2 HOURS AND LESS THAN 30 MILES THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. C

20010815CrashSTEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE WALL. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT STRUT ROD HAD BROKEN, CAUSING THE CRASH. *AK THE LEFT TIE ROD ASSEMBLY HAS SEPARATED BETWEEN THE INNER LINK AND THE ADJUSTING SLEEVE. *SLC

20010716POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THESE PARTS WERE REPLACED WHEN I HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

20010713POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

CLUTCH KEEP PREMATURELY FAILING ABOUT 6-10 MONTHS DUE TO A WHITE PIECE THAT GOES AROUND CLUTCH THAT KEEPS BREAKING. CONSUMER HAS ALREADY REPLACED CLUTCH 6 TIMES.*AK

20010418CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 40 MPH UNDER COLD/ DRY CONDITIONS WHEN VEHICLE HIT A DIP IN ROAD, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, AND VEHICLE WENT OVER A SNOW BANK, AND IMPACTED A TREE ON FRONT CENTER AREA OF VEHICLE. DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT GIVEN CONSUMER ANY REASON FOR CAUSE OF DEFECT. *SUZUKI WAS IN POSSESSION OF AIR BAGS, AND VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A TOTAL LOSS.*AK *SLC

20000929CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN DRIVER NOTICED THAT GEAR WAS IN THE 2ND GEAR ,CONSUMER WENT TO SHIFT GEAR WHEN IT SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN AND ROLL OVER. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, RESULTING IN INJUIRES TO DRIVER. *AK

20000926ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE STALLED WHEN LET OFF GAS DURING TURN IN INTERSECTION ALMOST LOST CONTROL. THIS VEHICLE IS STANDARD SHIFT, NEED 3 FEET TO DRIVE. THIS APPEARS TO POSSABLY BE THE SAME ISSUE AS ODI ID 781364, 824717, 713749, 805550. DEALER SAYS ENGINE DEFECTIVE.

20000724ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

STARTER FAILED. NLM

20000623EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

WHILE DRIVING THE BRACKET THAT THE COOLING FAN AND AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR MOUNT TO CRACKED AND SEPARATED. THE COOLING FAN WAS THROWN INTO THE RADIATOR AND CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO FAIL SUDDENLY. THE COOLING FAN AND BRACKET PIECE ALSO DAMAGED THE FRONT OF THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR CAUSING FAILURE.

20000623ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

WHILE DRIVING THE BRACKET THAT THE COOLING FAN AND AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR MOUNT TO CRACKED AND SEPARATED. THE COOLING FAN WAS THROWN INTO THE RADIATOR AND CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO FAIL SUDDENLY. THE COOLING FAN AND BRACKET PIECE ALSO DAMAGED THE FRONT OF THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR CAUSING FAILURE.

20000605SUSPENSION

RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED (00V-008), HOWEVER THE MECHANIC FAILED TO REPAIR CORRECTLY, CONSUMER HAD TO RETURN FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIR. *MJS

20000531SUSPENSION

CONSUMER TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET DEALER TO REPAIR VEHICLE UNDER RECALL. BUT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Compare 1997SUZUKISIDEKICK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK have?
The 1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK has 52 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK?
The most-complained component for the 1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK is SUSPENSION with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1997 SUZUKI SIDEKICK 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.