Buying a New Suzuki Swift - Any Advice?

[Bardeh]

My wife and I will hopefully be purchasing a new Suzuki Swift some time within the next month. We've had it 'on order' for a quite a while now - we paid a 3000 baht retainer, because the wait time for these cars seems to be pretty ridiculous. Anyway, does anyone have any tips about what to expect in terms of freebies? I don't think we're getting free insurance which is a bit of a bummer, but to be expected with how well the Swifts are selling, I guess. As for other stuff, is it just down to the individual salesperson?

I've never actually bought a new car before, here or back at home, so I'm not too sure what I can get away with.

Any advice appreciated!

[JoeW]

Shouldn't you have asked for the freebies at the time of booking the car?

[culicine]

I got very little - I turned down their cheap tint (1500 baht), and bought a few other things - sports pedals, the wind deflectors, carpet mats, and boot liner. Got tint down outside of suzuki. No free insurance too. I don't think you will get too much at all. These basic accessories don't cost much and are easy to buy at accessory shops, as many companies cater to the new swift.

One thing you should try to get is the space saver tire, as the top model only comes with the puncture repair kit. I got a puncture the other day and could not use the kit to fix is a the damage was too bad.

[Bardeh]

Shouldn't you have asked for the freebies at the time of booking the car?

It's not 'booked' - I haven't actually paid anything or arranged the finance for the car yet. The salesperson just wanted a 3,000 baht retainer (which will be taken off the initial deposit) to get a place in the queue because the wait times for the car are so long. I thought it was a bit odd, but my wife seemed to think it was normal.

I've done some reading around and it seems like the Swift is popular enough that Suzuki aren't really giving anything away with it.

Thanks for the advice about the tire culicine - roughly how much do the spare tires go for?

[culicine]

Shouldn't you have asked for the freebies at the time of booking the car?

It's not 'booked' - I haven't actually paid anything or arranged the finance for the car yet. The salesperson just wanted a 3,000 baht retainer (which will be taken off the initial deposit) to get a place in the queue because the wait times for the car are so long. I thought it was a bit odd, but my wife seemed to think it was normal.

I've done some reading around and it seems like the Swift is popular enough that Suzuki aren't really giving anything away with it.

Thanks for the advice about the tire culicine - roughly how much do the spare tires go for?

I'm not sure about the cost, but I don't believe it' very expensive. It's just an emergency tire and can't be driven at speed or for a long time. I'll chase one down soon.

[IMHO]

Shouldn't you have asked for the freebies at the time of booking the car?

It's not 'booked' - I haven't actually paid anything or arranged the finance for the car yet. The salesperson just wanted a 3,000 baht retainer (which will be taken off the initial deposit) to get a place in the queue because the wait times for the car are so long. I thought it was a bit odd, but my wife seemed to think it was normal.

I've done some reading around and it seems like the Swift is popular enough that Suzuki aren't really giving anything away with it.

Thanks for the advice about the tire culicine - roughly how much do the spare tires go for?

That 3,000 Baht you paid was indeed a booking fee by definition - that's why they went and ordered (booked) the car for you

If you didn't negotiate when paying the booking fee, you're at their mercy now. Don't expect them to bend over backwards.

[Ace of Pop]

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Nice One IMHO.Perhaps if CAT offered Floor Mats and stick on Chrome Ashtrays for Door Handles, + Free insurance our Sales could have doubled last year. Order 3 Mini Chevs and you get a Free Cruze im told.

[black fox]

i would like to enquire how long delivery time is from ordering to taking delivery of car.

[Bardeh]

i would like to enquire how long delivery time is from ordering to taking delivery of car.

It's been about 8 months. I'm not sure what that figure is like now though - I'd imagine not quite so long now that the government cashback scheme has finished.

[Dutchbike]

Last week i ordered one of of those Swifts at the Suzuki dealer in Buriram ( A White GL m/t) and besides a few cheap freebies ( floormats, tinting,liscense plate holder) we also got 1 year first class insurance (worth around 18K)

Quite different then a few months ago,when they offered only the cheap stuff for free.

Not sure it's the same at every Suzuki dealer, but the one in Buriram has besides the one we ordered lots of cars in stock (around 25 GA/GL/GLX, A/T, M/T all colors)

Just a few months ago we were tolded 7 months waitingtime and now plenty of stock!? what happend??

It looks like the market is a bit difficult and a lot of Thai who ordered are now not accepted for finance, and now that dealer is facing a full lot and willing to offer more freebies,

The first time we visted that dealer ( last march) we just had a look around, the sales people had quite an "attitude" i could say almost unfriendly, you really had to drag so info out of them.

Now ( with a full lot) that has changed, numerous times they called back, all friendly, and we were treated like real customers.After there initial succes it looks now that Suzuki comes back to reality.. .

[BSJ]

If you get a black one you'll be cleaning it twice a week!

[BrownGhost]

We buy one 3 days ago, brand new! delivery tomorrow. so 4 days delivery time :)'

Phuket..

Suzuki Swift 1.2 - 2013 - price 559.000 thb

+ 5000,. for white color

Any one know good first class insurance??

[culicine]

We buy one 3 days ago, brand new! delivery tomorrow. so 4 days delivery time :)'

Phuket..

Suzuki Swift 1.2 - 2013 - price 559.000 thb

+ 5000,. for white color

Any one know good first class insurance??

Obviously the backlog from the first car scheme has cleared:) We have viriyah insurance, and was 22K baht for first class for the top model swift. They jut paid half the price for a punctured tire that could not be repaired (about 2K baht).

[thaicbr]

We buy one 3 days ago, brand new! delivery tomorrow. so 4 days delivery time :)'

Phuket..

 

Suzuki Swift 1.2 - 2013 - price 559.000 thb

+ 5000,. for white color

 

Any one know good first class insurance??

 

No free insurance.... wow.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[phutoie2]

We buy one 3 days ago, brand new! delivery tomorrow. so 4 days delivery time :)'

Phuket..

 

Suzuki Swift 1.2 - 2013 - price 559.000 thb

+ 5000,. for white color

 

Any one know good first class insurance??

 

No free insurance.... wow.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

That's not uncommon these days. What does surprise me is the cost of the Class 1 insurance. My Vigo was a lot cheaper.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Geratul]

Today I sold my Suzuki Swift GLX in White Pearl from February 2013 due to..... rust! indeed... rust! In less then 1 year I looked under the door rubbers and found lots of corrosion. Not only the paint was gone, but also some metal was already broken off the car. I was really shocked and asked at once my 2 friends who also have the same car from March 2013 in blue and black.. also corrosion under the door rubbers and under the hood. When I bought the car I asked the dealer if they don't have an extra anti-rust program which I always had with my former Honda. No they said, no need to. Suzuki offers already enough rust-protection. Yeah sure

Well, this happened almost 2 months ago. Of course I called my Suzuki dealer and they invite me to come and let them check. When I arrived they took away the rubbers of all 4 doors and indeed... all show lots of corrosion. They took pictures and would send it to the warranty department. Well, I called them a few times how the progress was and they could not tell me anything accept that they send it to the warranty department. Wow, they still could not inform me after about 2 months what will be done with a very young car? This is really lack of service because they all could see that the metal is totally rusted and at some places broken off. Well at least I can see that Suzuki have a really quality control-problem.

I already solved actually their problem by selling my car, but I informed the new owner. He was already aware about the corrosion problems because he looked at many websites about the problems of the car. For him not a problem, because he will directly solve it (??) Well I wish him good luck. Nevertheless I almost ask every new Suzuki Swift driver to check at once the door rubbers, under the engine hood and also the fuel tank cover.

When I want to sell the car (price 559.000 + 5.000 for the white color) the normal traders only give around 300.000 - 350.000 baht back due to the fact that they know about the corrosion problems of the Suzuki Swift (!!) and the fact that many cars are sold in Thailand by the "first car scheme". Anyway I sold it by myself and got at least more then what they offered and for me never again Suzuki. For me a real disappointment in terms of quality control which is really 0%.

I order now another new car from another brand which has at least a very good reputation, but I will from now on always check at once my door rubbers.

[tua2kee]

@Geratul, where did you post your used car for sale? Thanks.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

[culicine]

How did you look inside the door rubbers to know there was rust there? Do you mean the rubber seal that goes around the door? I've had mine a year, no signs or rust at all. I'll take another look tomorrow. Do you live near the sea? Parked in the rain a lot?

[Geratul]

@Geratul, where did you post your used car for sale? Thanks. Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

I had posted my car in a few sites: taladrod; one2car and thaicar. Eventually I sold it by taladrod.

[Geratul]

How did you look inside the door rubbers to know there was rust there? Do you mean the rubber seal that goes around the door? I've had mine a year, no signs or rust at all. I'll take another look tomorrow. Do you live near the sea? Parked in the rain a lot?

I saw in that time during my carwash (which I do always myself) that the rubbers around the door looked not good tight, so I pulled open the rubbers why it didn't fit so nice... and there the corrosion was. I don't live near the sea... just in downtown Bangkok and my house carpark is inside, so it's always parked outside the weather. Besides, even when I parked near the sea or in the rain it can not be that a new car from 2013 corrode away with the quality of cars nowdays. I think only that Suzuki don't follow up the news about rust-protection.

Of course (and I hope) that not everyone have the same problem as me and my 2 friends, but Suzuki has a real problem that's a fact and that's also what you hear from the 2nd hand car dealers, who said to me that Suzuki had a lack of quality and that's why a very low rest price. It can always happen because it's all mass production, but what's me irritate is the way Suzuki deals with it's customers. They let me wait for 2 months and still no answer even as my 2 other friends with different dealers in Bangkok.

Pity for Suzuki that they will destroy their own market by the way they act.

[MadMac]

Sounds like 30 years ago. Wow. Thanks for that information. I was looking for the Swift but in the end we bought a Sonic due to the better engine and size. But I will certainly also look for these spots now. There are also reports about other new cars and corrosion problems such as BT50/Ranger I found. Not good.

[culicine]

Geratul - I checked my car today - no signs of rust or corrosion anywhere. I guess it must have been one of a bad bunch. One area that might rust is around the rear hatch seal, as the rubber is tight up against the metal. I didn't see any problem there but will keep an eye on it. What other car did you end up buying now?

[BSJ]

I am surprised by what

Geratul

said.

My daughter has had 3 Swifts over 10 years and not one had a speck of rust!

But I did find a web site that showed the Suzuki to be on the 10 worst list.

[culicine]

I am surprised by what

Geratul

said.

My daughter has had 3 Swifts over 10 years and not one had a speck of rust!

But I did find a web site that showed the Suzuki to be on the 10 worst list.

CropperCapture37.jpg

That list looks US based. Not sure how it will apply here. Only time will tell. I've rarely seen a rusted car here. Even very old civics hold up well. I get both my civic and swift undercoated on the chassis, so that seems to stop surface rust there. never seen any other rust on the civic and it's nearly 10 years old. There's no comparison to the rust buckets I owned in Australia years back:)

[Geratul]

Geratul - I checked my car today - no signs of rust or corrosion anywhere. I guess it must have been one of a bad bunch. One area that might rust is around the rear hatch seal, as the rubber is tight up against the metal. I didn't see any problem there but will keep an eye on it. What other car did you end up buying now?

Culicine, I'm very happy to hear that you don't face the rust problems and let's hope it stays away. As said before every car is a mass producted item, so it can always happen. Nevertheless when you read the thai ownersclub they already mentioned about the rust problems from the Swift, so I'm not the only one. Some members face rust under the matress and also under the door rubbers. I bought my Swift because I really liked the car and needed to wait a terrible 7 months before delivery. And then you got this! I was really shocked, I could really break of some metal because it was completely rusted. My friends face the same problems with rust so keep an eye on it. The most terrible is the Suzuki organization who keeps very long quiet. Till now no sign of life from them, but for me it's ok, I sold it and I can start with a new car. I ordered the new Toyota Yaris and when everything is good I will get it delivered this week already.

Culicine, I wish you good luck and many safe kilometers with your Swift but keep an eye on it.

[Geratul]

I am surprised by what

Geratul

said.

My daughter has had 3 Swifts over 10 years and not one had a speck of rust!

But I did find a web site that showed the Suzuki to be on the 10 worst list.

CropperCapture37.jpg

BSJ, don't forget that the car is build in Thailand and I almost start to believe that they have a totally different quality control then cars directly from Japan. Of course I know it sounds silly, but when I see a "Japan-made" Swift, you see everywhere a sticker with "QC by ...." well I don't see it it the cars made in Thailand or India. I never forget that during the time I drove in Europa my BMW, I never face a problem, but I saw also customers with rust problems and we are in this case talking about very expensive cars. So here we have it again.... mass production and when you face it, it's not nice.

The list you show is not a Thai list. Don't mix up a US list with cars in other world regions. You can not compare it at all.

[MadMac]

Friends in Singapore wont buy a car from Thailand, only if the model comes from Japan. Quality issues have a long history.

[Geratul]

Friends in Singapore wont buy a car from Thailand, only if the model comes from Japan. Quality issues have a long history.

Funny, because my friends for Singapore just do buy cars from Thailand due to the fact that they have sudden models Thailand which can not be bought in Singapore. It's all about taste and in my point of view nothing to do with quality. Even in Europe where quality is really a big issue it happens sometimes that you got a car from a reliable brand with quality issues... it's all mass production.

[jaxbkk]

thx for the info. I just checked my Swift (GLX/Mineral Grey Metallic from May 2013) and spotted also some corrosion under the rubbers from 3 of the doors and under the mattress. Today drive at once to my dealer and they were surprised. They made pics from the infected areas so let's see how long it will take b4 get an answer.

[BSJ]

I was under the impression the Swift was an imported model. I stand corrected.

As for the rust.....it shouldn't happen if the car body has been given a phosphorous bath.