1998 Suzuki Sidekick problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Suzuki Sidekick. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Suzuki Sidekick vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 9 | 33% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 22% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 15% |
| Power Train | 3 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 11% |
| Suspension | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“3 years ago I bought a set of 4 goodyear warngler duratrac tires for my suzuki vitara. After aprox 1,5 years I go to tire service shop to repair air loss around the rim. With tire unmounted we found inner layer separation. I reported this to the seller and after checking with goodyear represantive they changed the…”
Tires · filed Mar 8, 2019
“Was in a frontal accident. Front end of car pretty much totaled. Airbags did not deploy, and no problems with the codes or light before this.”
Air Bags · filed Jun 9, 2015
“While traveling at normal speed and without any indication air bags deployed as a result of a vehicle crash. Please provide further information.*ak”
Air Bags · filed Mar 14, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Suzuki Sidekick.
Reminder of the importance to conduct safety inspections for rust damage to suspension and related parts that could be caused by road salt or other chemicals applied to the roadway.
SUZ_016008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2022
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…
N-Q-G-045 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2018
Correct coolant usage. *eh
0204145 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2005
This bulletin contains the revised claims submission procedures for replacement batteries under warranty. *tt
SW07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Suzuki Sidekick in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Suzuki Sidekick?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.