Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Suzuki Swift, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train3
- Air bags1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the Netherlands
169 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 1% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen87
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde66
- Band onvoldoende profiel56
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm38
- Slijtage/beschadiging wiellager hoorbaar of voelbaar37
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse36
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk34
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname28
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
14 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 62 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
11 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 38,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
12 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 6.8–8.3 L/100 km (about 28–35 mpg US), CO₂ 156–191 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swift · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 7.6 | 5.9 | 6.8 |
| Swift · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 8.9 | 7.5 | 8.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Suzuki Swift.
| 1998205 21 Oct 1998 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the automatic transmission shift lever appears to be in PARK, but can easily be moved from the PARK position without the use of the key, tr… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Suzuki told its dealers about the 1997 Suzuki Swift: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 610525 | THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE REVISED CLAIMS SUBMISSION PROCEDURES FOR REPLACEMENT BATTERIES UNDER WARRANTY. *TT |
| 6092433 | SPEICAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR VEHICLES EXHIBITING A CONDITION WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER THAT APEPARS TO BE IN PARK POSITION, BUT CAN EASILY BE REMOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION WITHOUT THE USE OF THE KEY, THE TRANSMISSION LEVER DETENT BUTTON, OR DEPRESSING THE SERVICE BRAKE PEDAL. *TT |
| 602762 | REMOVAL PROCEDURES FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER. *YC |
| 10152052 | This Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki automobile distributors in the U.S., explaining the importance of proper inspection and maintenance of suspension lower arm ball joints to prevent the ball stud from becoming separated from the suspension lower arm. |
| 10014817 | CORRECT COOLANT USAGE. *EH |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)