How many recalls does the 1996 Suzuki Sidekick have?

2 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 1996 Suzuki Sidekick, alongside 81 owner complaints.

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1996 Suzuki Sidekick Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

81 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.28 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical96V121002

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WAS PRESENT, FUEL LEAKAGE RESULTING FROM THIS PUNCTURE COULD RESULT IN A POST-CRASH FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL TWO NEW SHIELD GUSSETS BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND ATTACHMENT BRACKETS TO PREVENT THE REINFORCEMENT FROM PUNCTURING THE FUEL TANK WALL.

THE FUEL TANK ON THESE VEHICLES CAN BECOME PUNCTURED BY A FUEL TANK FLANGE ATTACHMENT REINFORCEMENT DURING REAR-END COLLISIONS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL TANK INTEGRITY."

Serious00V008000

Suspension

IF THE STRUT BROKE LOOSE, A DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL ADD A REINFORCEMENT, FOR BOTH FRONT STRUTS, BETWEEN THE FRONT STRUT MOUNTING BASE AND THE VEHICLE BODY. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT STRUT MOUNTING BASES, MOUNTING BOLTS AND NUTS, AND STRUT BAR STAYS WILL BE REPLACED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH OF THE MOUNTING BASE ON THE UPPER END OF THE FRONT STRUTS CAN LEAD TO BREAKAGE OF THE MOUNTING BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE UPPER END OF THE FRONT STRUTS TO THE VEHICLE BODY.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

3Crashes

3Fires

2Injuries

0Deaths

Across 81 complaints. Severity Index 0.28.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension — 7 reports
Power Train:Clutch Assembly — 5 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 4 reports
Suspension:Front — 4 reports
Air Bags:Frontal — 4 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads — 4 reports
Suspension:Front:Macpherson Strut — 4 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 3 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Fan — 3 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 3 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1996 · 1997 (1) · 1998

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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