Suzuki Apv Buyers.......beware!

[manmantandoc]

my family and i had a very bad experience with our suzuki APV............scary.......this is very ironic since they are positioning thier APV to be a family wagon and yet my family almost got hurt and now is still traumatized. mere sight of our suzuki apv at home gives my children the creaps! my children now call our APV "A Possessed Van"

it's been 3 months and they still dont want to refund.........all they are saying is that per their investigation, the car has no defect............but all evidences show the car freaked out! ( we have lots of photos, videos, and a police report) they don't want to make an official statement..........our company lawyers had been demanding since day 1........they can't even provide a theory at least............is this a sign of guilt? now they are asking for a free repair and a meeting..........what for?

here is a copy of my original letter to my suzuki dealer .......read on and warn your loved ones............


[SIZE=3]January 8, 2007 [/SIZE]


[SIZE=3][SIZE=3]MR. RIZALINO ALCANTARA[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Service Manager[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Suzuki Auto Shaw Mandaluyong[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila (FAX NUMBER 7256505)[/SIZE]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Dear Mr. Alcantara:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I availed of a car lease benefit from my company, China Bank Corporation last April 2006. My wife & I chose your Suzuki APV, because of its reasonable price and value for money features. We decided that this will be the vehicle that my wife will be using everyday to bring and pick up my children to and from their school in Assumption Antipolo. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]My Black APV GLX unit was delivered to my home on May 4, 2006. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]During my 5,000 km change oil last October 30, 2006 (km reading 5,653) my car was declared fit for travel.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Yesterday, January 7, 2007, Sunday, at 11:00am, my wife and children boarded our APV parked inside our garage (my four children seated at the 2ndrow & my wife was at the driver’s seat). With the transmission at “P” and the hand brake on, my wife started the vehicle without stepping on the gas. Upon ignition, the car instantaneously went into very high revolution and started taking a very strong reverse motion, contrary to the “P” & the hand brake. In just a split of a second, the car bumped the right side of our gate post, creating big damage on the right fender, right side mirrors, and a broken right front wheel tire rod. It moved the vehicle from a stationary position to about 5 meters to the main road. If not for the car hitting the big gate post, the car could have ran all the way to the main street creating more harm to property including crossing vehicles. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The trauma was so much that my wife & children were hysterical! The car acted like a possessed vehicle with a mind of its own! Imagine if this happened while my wife & children were on the hilly streets of Antipolo! Imagine if one of my children or any of my house help were somewhere at the back of the vehicle! Imagine if this happened during a school dismissal in Assumption Antipolo with children walking left & right! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]My wife had been a non-professional driver for almost five years already and was never involved in any automobile accident. She is also very familiar driving several vehicles which we own like Isuzu Trooper (automatic) , Isuzu Hi-lander Xtrm (manual), Starex Van (automatic), & Chevrolet Optra (manual). [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Looking at the skid marks clearly left by the incident on our garage, it was very obvious that there was a struggle within the car’s functions. With the transmission at “P” position and hand brake on, a sudden surge of very high revolution at reverse motion upon ignition will definitely lead to an accident and threat to life & property. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]This incident is definitely a major vehicle malfunction which is unforgivable! At 8 months and at 7,784 km odometer reading, a brand new vehicle is never expected to perform this way, and jeopardize the life of my family! Your Suzuki APV placed the lives of my loved ones in danger and by no means shall I leave this incident unsettled. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]With this, I am demanding that Suzuki Auto Shaw Mandaluyong retrieve my APV and refund me (thru my employer China Banking Corporation) the full purchase amount of the vehicle immediately and without any delay.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Please see attached police report, and pictures of the incident & vehicle.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I am expecting an immediate resolution of this issue. Otherwise, I will be forced to bring this to a higher level.[/SIZE]




[SIZE=3]MR. EMMANUEL V. TANDOC[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Assistant Vice President[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]China Banking Corporation[/SIZE]

[nugundam93]

holy cow! glad that nobody sa family niyo or anyone else was hurt.

they gotta doublecheck the car.

[Bogeyman]

Another reason for me to avoid AT cars.

Whoa, possessed?! Have you had the vehicle blessed at Antipolo church yet? Hindi ko pa napapa-bless yung Adventure ko kahit malapit lang kami dun, but it behaves nowhere near like that.

I wonder if other APV owners have the same problem. Maybe Suzuki should check again. Hindi nga dapat mangyari yun since the vehicle was being held in place by redundant mechanisms (hand brake and 'P' setting).

Was the vehicle exhibiting any mechanically abnormal/erratic behavior prior to the incident? Did anyone else get to use the vehicle before i.e. may nanghiram na kamag-anak or kaibigan?

[Psylocke]

What's "hand break"??? Did you break your hand? Was this the cause of the accident?

[C24]

He meant hand brake or parking brake...

[manmantandoc]

no abnormal signs............even had a long trip with my family a week before it happened........no other users.........

[mantoy]

katakot naman yan. i just hope this was the only apv unit with this problem. else, big prob sa suzuki to. tsk tsk. baka pati image ni doraemon ma-tarnish.

[manmantandoc]

baka you meant suzuki po...............

[Galactus]

From what little I know about AT systems, hindi dapat mag-engage any gear when it is in "P", kasi may pin na maglo-lock sa mga gears. And to think naka-engage din ang hand brake.

Which makes this case very strange indeed.

*OP - You should also write to the motoring journalists of the major dailies, so Suzuki will be forced to issue their rejoinder. As a courtroom regular, taking such matters to court should be a last option

[XUV-AT2002]

Yun car garage ba nyo hindi level at steep downward toward the gate/road? This could have something to do with the failure and aggravated the swift motion. The suzuki "CSI" team should have recreated or simulated the event and circumstances to find the root cause of the failure. Kung hindi sila serious about this incident at hindi nila accept na merong failure parang sinabi na rin nila na "kathang isip" lang ito.