2003 Suzuki SV1000S: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
27 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
13,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 26 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 27 complaints (25.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 17 | 63.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 18.5% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 11.1% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 7.4% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 6 |
| Electrical System:Wiring | 6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 2 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 2 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage | 1 |
Electrical System: 7; Electrical System:Ignition: 6; Electrical System:Wiring: 6; Fuel System, Gasoline: 3; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 2; Engine: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage: 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 | 22 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (22). 1 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 |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2006: 11; 2007: 3; 2008: 6; 2009: 2; 2010: 1; 2011: 2; 2012: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 17 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 3 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10150793 · 2006-02-21 (February 21, 2006)
IGNITION CUTOUT ON MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE LEFT ME STRANDED. MY BIKE HAD TO BE TOWED AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. THE DEALER REPORTS THAT I NEED A NEW IGNITION AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED (HTTP://WWW.SV1000.ZYNS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=8174&PAGE=2&HIGHLIGHT=IGNITION+CUTOUT), YET SUZUKI FAILS TO COVER REPLACEMENT COSTS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 9,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10150793 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10157213 · 2006-05-10 (May 10, 2006)
THERE IS A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS ON THE IGNITION OF MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE. A FEW FRIENDS FOUND THIS PROBLEM AND ONE CRASHED THE BIKE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I SIMPLY INSPECTED MY BIKE AFTER HEARING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS THE CASE IN MY IGNITION. THE HARNESS CANNOT SUSTAIN THE CURRENT LOAD AND MELTS, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO SHUT DOWN. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BY SUZUKI TO PREVENT ANY MORE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. FIRE IS A POSSIBILITY OR CRASHING DUE TO TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157213 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10157938 · 2006-05-20 (May 20, 2006)
AS PER THE ADVICE OF ANOTHER PERSON, I CHECKED THE IGNITION ELECTRICAL HARNESS. IT WAS BURNT AND READY TO FAIL. SINCE THIS IS A MOTORCYCLE AN IGNITION FAILURE COULD BE DEADLY. LOSS OF POWER IN A TURN WOULD CAUSE A MOTORCYCLE TO CRASH. THE WIRING WAS REPAIRED BY BYPASSING THE HARNESS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE WIRING HARNESS, INCLUDING FULL REPLACEMENT OF THE WIRING. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10157938 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10159121 · 2006-06-06 (June 6, 2006)
ON THE 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MODELS. THE FUEL ROD INTERNAL TO THE FUEL TANK CAN BREAK AND CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO OPEN & CLOSE RAPIDLY & UNCONTROLLABLY, IN TURN, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO FALL WHILE LEANING, STALL IN TRAFFIC, SUDDENLY LEAP FORWARD FROM A STOP UPON RELEASING THE CLUTCH OR AT LOW SPEEDS IT CAN SHOOT UPWARD INTO A WHEELIE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FLIPPING THE MOTORCYCLE. IT CAN ALSO CAUSE FUEL TO LEAK OUT OF THE REAR CANISTERS ON TO THE TIRE & GROUND THUS CAUSING A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND/OR A REAR TIRE SLIP HAZARD. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10159121 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10160331 · 2006-06-21 (June 21, 2006)
2003 SUZUKI SV1000S, BIKE WAS RUNNING FINE FOR THREE YEARS. STOPPED BIKE FOR 15 MINUTES. COME BACK TO FIND NO POWER. CAUSE IS A FAULTY CONNECTOR BETWEEN IGNITION SWITCH AND MAIN WIRING HARNESS. IF CONNECTOR WOULD HAVE SHORTED WHILE IN A TURN THE BIKE COULD HAVE WENT DOWN INJURING MYSELF. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER. THEY ARE CHECKING TO SEE IF SUZUKI HAS CHANGED THAT CONNECTOR ON THE NEW HARNESSES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST FOUR OTHER SV OWNERS. IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE OR DEATH. THE CONNECTOR NEEDS TO BE OF HIGHER RATING…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10160331 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10160482 · 2006-06-22 (June 22, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE FUELTANK STARTED LEAKING. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO AFTER 90 DAYS HAS NOT REPLACED THE FUEL TANK ACCORDING TO THE RECALL INSTRUCTIONS.
Owner-reported narrative. 56,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10160482 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10164850 · 2006-08-07 (August 7, 2006)
MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CUTTING OUT WHILE IN MOTION, IN TRAFFIC, IN TURNS, RESULTING IN EVENTUAL AND COMPLETE ELECTRONIC FAILURE ON 7/8/2006. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE BIKE IN AUGUST OF 2005. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS (EVEN DEALER MECHANICS) CHECKING THE FUEL PUMP, GAS TANK, AIR FILTER, FUEL FILTER, AND FUSES TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FOUND BECAUSE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SURGING AND CUTTING OUT MADE THE BIKE BEHAVE AS THOUGH IT WAS STARVING FOR F…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10164850 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10166696 · 2006-08-28 (August 28, 2006)
MY 2003 SUZUKI SV1000S MOTORCYCLE HAD AN INTERMITTENT TOTAL POWER(ELECTRICAL) FAILURE THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE BIKE SHUTTING OFF. I TOOK THE BIKE TO A DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE WEEK OF AUGUST 13-19 IT BEGAN TO GET WORSE SO I STOPPED RIDING AND BEGAN TO RESEARCH ON MY OWN AND FOUND THE IGNITION SWITCH CONNECTOR HAD FAILED AND BEGAN TO BURN THE WIRES ON THE SWITCH END. FOR RIGHT NOW THE SWITCH IS REMOVED AND NOT INSTALLED ON THE BIKE FOR FEAR OF A FIRE. THE WIRING HARNESS END HAS SOME DAMAGE BUT NOT MUCH, BUT WHEN THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166696 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
06V013000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly
Reported: 2006-01-18 (January 18, 2006)
ON CERTAIN CALIFORNIA-SPECIFICATION MODEL MOTORCYCLES, REPEATED STRESS FROM VIBRATION CAN CAUSE A CRACK TO FORM IN THE AREA WHERE THE LIQUID/VAPOR SEPARATOR BRACKET IS WELDED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. THIS CAN ALLOW FUEL LEAKAGE TO OCCUR.
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 3, 2006. CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT AMERICAN SUZUKI AT 714-572-1490.
NHTSA campaign record ↗