1988 Suzuki SAMURAI problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
20 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1988 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 20 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 5.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | 5 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 5 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl) | 1 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | 1 |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 1 |
| Steering | 1 |
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly: 5; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 5; Tires:Tread/Belt: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl): 1; Seat Belts:Front:Webbing: 1; Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner: 1; Steering: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 20 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 8 |
| 1996 | 6 |
| 1997 | 4 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
1995: 8; 1996: 6; 1997: 4; 2000: 1; 2001: 1
Pattern summary
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 519108 · 1997-09-08 (September 8, 1997)
TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT RETAINING BOLT SNAPPED OFF TWICE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 519108 at NHTSA ↗
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
20 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 525.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 982663PASSENGER REAR RIGHT LAP BELTS INOPERATIVE, MALE WON'T GO INTO FEMALE PORTION TO LOCK. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 525.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front | 120.0%ODI 965995UPON IMPACT, BROADSIDE REAR DRIVER'S, 30MPH SPUN AROUND THEN ROLLED OVER. TT | 116.7%ODI 484344VEHICLE VEERED RIGHT THEN LEFT, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD | 15.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 967271COMING OFF RAMP VEHICLE STATED SWIRLING AND SKIDDING WHEN REACHING BOTTOM OF REMP, VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. *AK | 125.0%ODI 483006LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE ON WET PAVEMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STRIKE SIDE OF HILL/ROLLOVER. *SD | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7% | 210.0%ODI 733390TREAD SEPERATED (TIRESIZE: P205/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 ) | 150.0%ODI 878225WHILE TRAVELING 55MPH HEARD A NOISE. VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIMMY. PULLED VEHICLE OVER & CHECKED ON TIRES. NOTICED LEFT FRONT TIRE, A SPARE, HAD LOST ITS TREAD. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED SUZUKI SAMAURI JEEP FIRESTONE, SF405, P205/70R15, DOT ELYTCKK508. *AK *JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.0%ODI 975539WHEN REAR ENDED THE SEAT BACKS BROKE AND CAUSED FURTHER INJURIES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 2100.0%ODI 964137WAS HIT FROM REAR AND THE TWO SEATS RECLINED DRIVER WAS THROWN INTO THE BACK. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering | 120.0%ODI 865188WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON FREEWAY 101 THERE WAS A VEHICLE IN FRONT THAT WAS IN THE WAY. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, AND ALL OF SUDDEN VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, HITTING AN EMBANKMENT, THEN HIT A WALL, THEN VEHICLE STOOD UP. *AK *ML | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.0%ODI 964411TRAVELING ON RAMP HIT CURB LOST CONTROL VEHICLE ROLLED OVER IN THE AIR. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 120.0%ODI 514678PART OF FRAME AROUND WINDSHIELD FELL OFF, LEAVING A HOLE AROUND WINDSHIELD, WHICH ALLOWED WATER TO ENTER INTERIOR OF VEHICLE, DAMAGING WIRES TO RADIO AND ALSO FLOODED INTERIOR. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 15.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1994: 2 complaints · 1998: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | Tires:Tread/Belt | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl) | Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | Steering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.