Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Ask technical questions or post on problems/issues related to the Kizashi under this topic. Symptoms and pictures of your problem are a good idea.
NOTE: Any car related technical question can be posted here.
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Woodie
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I wouldn't unload an excellent car because one repair shop hasn't found a well known problem. :facepalm:

The part costs $250 and takes an hour or so to install. Unplugging the switch on the door takes two minutes and makes the car usable again until you can get it fixed right.
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Yanfuwah
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It’s not just the immediate issue that’s annoying me. Suzuki has abdicated responsibility for this issue. No competent support in the region and no acknowledgement of the problem which seems to be reasonably common.

So if I get the repair done, then find out it’s not that, it’s something else related to the rat damage, what next?

Answer I came up with at the weekend was to buy a second hand Audi. I pick it up on Saturday.
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KuroNekko
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Yanfuwah wrote:It’s not just the immediate issue that’s annoying me. Suzuki has abdicated responsibility for this issue. No competent support in the region and no acknowledgement of the problem which seems to be reasonably common.

So if I get the repair done, then find out it’s not that, it’s something else related to the rat damage, what next?

Answer I came up with at the weekend was to buy a second hand Audi. I pick it up on Saturday.
You seem confused. First, you take it to people who don't seem to know how to diagnose things properly. However, in their defense, you claim that rats chewed wires in your car that caused other problems. Whether it's the steering lock issue or problems caused by rats, I don't see how you can hold a company that left the US market 5 years ago accountable. The steering lock issue is annoying but not a problem worthy of a recall as it doesn't affect safety.

Also, if you think you will have fewer issues with a second-hand Audi, oh man, are you in for a real shock. Best of luck.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Ronzuki
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KuroNekko wrote: Also, if you think you will have fewer issues with a second-hand Audi, oh man, are you in for a real shock. Best of luck.
:lol: :lol: you know it! A colleague's wife's $45k 2.0T Q5, purchased new in 2011, (garaged and babied)...burns a quart every 1000 miles w/ only 60k on the clock. Audi Service says "yeah, it needs new rings....there was a bad batch of rings back then"... It's outta warranty.... :roll: oh what fun.... this isn't the first, second, or even third major issue w/ that POS. Admittedly, it will be the worst of the lot. I recommended he does nothing, dumps it, and get-while-the-gettin's-good. Other than 'that' its flawless and showroom shape. Funny how his ($29k when new) 09 Tacoma is worth more than the newer $45k (when new) Audi aye?
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
BLyons
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Ronzuki wrote:
KuroNekko wrote: Also, if you think you will have fewer issues with a second-hand Audi, oh man, are you in for a real shock. Best of luck.
:lol: :lol: you know it! A colleague's wife's $45k 2.0T Q5, purchased new in 2011, (garaged and babied)...burns a quart every 1000 miles w/ only 60k on the clock. Audi Service says "yeah, it needs new rings....there was a bad batch of rings back then"... It's outta warranty.... :roll: oh what fun.... this isn't the first, second, or even third major issue w/ that POS. Admittedly, it will be the worst of the lot. I recommended he does nothing, dumps it, and get-while-the-gettin's-good. Other than 'that' its flawless and showroom shape. Funny how his ($29k when new) 09 Tacoma is worth more than the newer $45k (when new) Audi aye?
I remember reading about a class action lawsuit where I believe Audi was required to replace bad rings, but that might have been on older models or limited to the sedans.
Black 2011 Sport SLS AWD
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Ronzuki
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Can't imagine why sedans of the same time-frame would be immune to the problem. A 2.0T's bottom end would likely be the same regardless off if it were stuffed in a sedan or an puffed-up inflated sedan.

As it turns out, IF he decides to go through w/ the repair he won't have to pay because he has documented proof that he'd reported what he felt to be excessive oil consumption while the car was still under B2B warranty quite some time ago. So it was burning a lot of oil long before the 60k miles and its current age. Not to mention, any problems the monkeys create during the entire teardown/rebuild will most certainly be adders at his expense. That's why I recommend he simply cut his losses and ditch the thing before the mountain of headaches ensue.

Still, others had to file a lawsuit to get the all-knowing-we're-never-wrong-about-anything superior Germans to do the right thing. Anyone want a VW TDI? Recently saw a documentary on that whole thing...wow...all of those VW execs should have been lined up against a wall with blindfolds applied for the rolls they played in that fiasco.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
Yanfuwah
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:34 pm

KuroNekko wrote:
Yanfuwah wrote:It’s not just the immediate issue that’s annoying me. Suzuki has abdicated responsibility for this issue. No competent support in the region and no acknowledgement of the problem which seems to be reasonably common.

So if I get the repair done, then find out it’s not that, it’s something else related to the rat damage, what next?

Answer I came up with at the weekend was to buy a second hand Audi. I pick it up on Saturday.
You seem confused. First, you take it to people who don't seem to know how to diagnose things properly. However, in their defense, you claim that rats chewed wires in your car that caused other problems. Whether it's the steering lock issue or problems caused by rats, I don't see how you can hold a company that left the US market 5 years ago accountable. The steering lock issue is annoying but not a problem worthy of a recall as it doesn't affect safety.

Also, if you think you will have fewer issues with a second-hand Audi, oh man, are you in for a real shock. Best of luck.
So these people that that I took it to who don’t know how to diagnose things properly are the only local agent for Suzuki within 200 miles of where I live. Given that I have no other reliable outlet for this vehicle, don’t you think I have a right to be a bit annoyed at Suzuki?

You say it’s a well known problem, so presumably Suzuki is familiar with the fact that it’s a well known problem, yet they haven’t found it important enough to make this information available to its local agent? If that isn’t abdication of responsibility I honestly don’t know how to describe it.

Now take Audi for instance, they have a local dealer who sells guess what, Audis, and I’m buying the car from a dealer who includes end to end extended warranty for three years, at not much more than the cost of fixing this issue on the Suzuki (assuming it’s not something else that is). So I buy the Audi, I have the warranty and I change the vehicle for another one in three years.

All of those boxes are boxes that I can’t tick with the Suzuki, and as good a car as it has been for the past 5 years, I’m afraid it’s time to get rid of it. Today it’s (possibly) the steering lock, next month it could be something else entirely and the older the car gets, the more problems it’s likely to have. Time for a change.
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Ronzuki
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I really can't argue with your logic, other than there're better choices than Audi out there.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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KuroNekko
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The issue is well-known as in not only for the Kizashi, but many Nissan and Infiniti models. It's because the problem is with the steering lock component which was manufactured by a company that likely supplied those three brands. Suzuki and Nissan share some auto part subsidiary companies like JATCO for example. Also, this thread addresses the cause and the fix so it's not really some sort of mystery.

While I can understand your frustrations, I think it should be more with the lack of competent mechanics rather than the car. Any car will have issues and if you get an Audi, you will realize this more so than a Kizashi. That being said, I understand why you'd rather have a car with dealership support if you're not mechanically inclined and willing to tackle things on your own. Not everyone has the time or interest so I get it.

Best of luck with the next one!
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Woodie
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Your problem is more with the dealership you took it to, more specifically the individual mechanic you happened to get by lottery. I'm in the copier repair business and for the purpose of this discussion it's exactly the same dynamic. It goes to the competence and conscientiousness of people doing any job today. I'm the guy who goes out when the customer is pissed off, usually because they've had multiple service calls for the same or similar problems. Sometimes it's a strange and elusive problem and I fix it simply because I'm allowed to spend unlimited time and money, as opposed to the regular techs who are constantly urged to keep moving and not spend more than two hours in any one place. More often, I end up appalled at the quality of service provided by the tech and I end up wanting to wring their neck. We have about ten guys who are very good and care a lot. Ten guys who are mediocre and generally do a good job, sometimes they're not a very good troubleshooter but they care and they try, I can deal with that. The other ten don't give a crap, as far as they're concerned they've done their job just by showing up. Don't bother to check the manufacturer's website for tech bulletins or known fixes, don't bother to call myself or one of the other specialists, and don't bother to call their manager when the problem keeps coming back and the customer is getting mad. There is nothing that can be done about these people, they're the same ones who are constantly late, constantly have car trouble, always have an excuse for everything that is never them. They are worthless as human beings and need to be culled from the population, but alas, we as a society no longer allow Darwin's rules to apply to people.
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