2012 Suzuki SX4 - Can't find help

Maintenance/Repairs
1

We have a 2012 Suzuki SX 4 Crossover we bought new. They didn’t sell them in the US after that year, and the dealer is out of business. I found a mechanic who would change the oil. Most mechanics wouldn’t even do that. The car runs fine, but as it approaches 100,000 miles, I asked the mechanic to check all the diagnostics and see if it was okay. He said “Oh, no. We’ll change the oil, but it’s a Suzuki, we won’t look at anything else.” Why do I get that reaction and worse from every mechanic who has looked at our car?

2

Have you used Suzuki’s service provider tool to try to locate a mechanic?

3

Again, a poster who has answered their own question;

Mechanic’s won’t touch them because if parts can be found and something unexpected breaks that is no longer available, the car becomes a doorstop at THEIR shop! Even IF the parts might be available, it may take a week to get the parts shipped from Japan or Europe. See the problem here?

Best advice I can give you beyond what @GorehamJ has already given you is start planning for a new car now because the trade-in value of the Suzuki is close to zero even if it is in great shape.

2 Likes
4

Keep looking around for a new shop. These are simple and reliable cars, and parts availability is not a big issue. It might be a little difficult to get some pieces, such as interior trim, however this is often the case even on more common makes. None of basic mechanical parts should be a problem.

5

I am having trouble with the difficulty getting oil changes . That should not be a problem and is nothing special with this vehicle’s oil filter.

2 Likes
6

Thanks, Goreham1. They showed two dealerships: one is where we bought the car and they’re gone; the other is about 50 miles away, and I may call them.

Barry Wendell

7

You are probably right, Mustangman. We have run this car pretty well, and paid off a six-year loan earlier this year.
Our Suzuki runs well, and has a new sound system as of last year in December, but, yes, we should probably trade it.

Barry Wendell

8

We have a place that does that, but others have complained that the location of the filter is a problem.
I don’t actually do anything mechanical, but I’ve been told that a few times.

Barry Wendell

9

I think the problem is that the car is unusual in some way. I just know that it runs.

Barry Wendell

10

Trading a car in because it has almost no resale value would be foolish. You have already suffered that loss. The car may give you years more service at little cost. If something expensive breaks 2 years from now or 5 you will have suffered almost no further depreciation by dumping it then.

You car has an OBDII diagnostic system just like anything made 1996 or later and if it detects a fault it will set a check engine light and the codes can be read with an ordinary code reader. Just keep up with maintenance via the recommendations in your owners manual.

You just need to find a good mechanic that isn’t afraid of something different.

1 Like
11

Thanks, oldtimer 11. Good advice.

Barry