1998 Suzuki Sidekick

Sport Utility

1.8L 1840CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

5-Speed Manual

js3td21v3w4104296

Clear

GAS

We are selling our low-mileage 1998 Suzuki Sidekick, it is a second car; my husband has a company vehicle and I work at home, so we've decided we just don't drive it enough to justify keeping it. We have owned this Suzuki since July 2005, it had 77,000 miles on it when we bought it and now has just over 148,500. It has been very reliable - always adult-driven, it has never been wrecked. Right after we bought it, the clutch linkage needed a repair, otherwise it didn't need any service until June of this year, when we took it to a local Suzuki dealership because of an oil leak. They replaced the engine valve cover gasket and the oil pan gasket, also degreased the engine and changed the oil and filter. The also installed a new sway bar link at that time. Total cost was $680.30. (We have kept the service records on the vehicle.) Should be in excellent shape, it runs great and is fun to drive. Here's a bit more information: The good: This is the four-door version of the popular Sidekick (which is the same vehicle as the Chevy Tracker), it's longer than the two-door version and seats four in relative comfort. The back seats flip down so you can use the entire back for cargo if you wish. The cloth upholstery is in very good condition, the inside of the vehicle, overall, looks very nice. It has a sunroof that you can use as a moonroof (just open the sliding cover but leave it closed), open partially for ventilation, or it will slide all the way open. The car has power windows, power door locks, and a power sunroof, all work well. Has air conditioning and it is cold and works great, also has good heat. A couple years ago my husband installed a new in-dash CD player/radio with USP pro, SD/MMC card slot, recording function, bluetooth capability, MP3 capability, and lots more. Could probably use a better set of speakers to fully appreciate it, he just used the stock in-dash speakers when he hooked it up. The tires are good, the suspension is good, everything was checked out in June by the dealership and the car is sturdy and mechanically sound. The only rust on the vehicle is a few tiny spots along the edge of the silver trim piece that goes along the bottom, and a few other tiny ones along the seams. (Please look at the photos with the doors open, where it shows the rocker panels.) They are just small spots, the car is sturdy and nothing has been touched up. All the lights work fine, the speedometer, tachometer and trip meter are good, the various warning lights are good, and it has a rear-window defrost that's also in good working order. It has a roof rack and a nice Draw-Tite receiver hitch. The not-so-good: This is 13-year-old vehicle, so there are some things that have gone wrong along the way. We didn't consider them to be important enough to fix, but you should be aware of them - and may want to fix them if you purchase the car. The biggest one is that the wheel lock-outs for the four-wheel-drive are frozen up. We used it in four-wheel-drive a few times when we bought the car, but it has barely snowed here the past few years (and we don't do off-roading!) so we just haven't used that feature. The dealership said they would need to be replaced, and I think it was going to be around $600 to have them do it, so we just said no, we didn't think we would need it. We believe there's absolutely nothing wrong with the four-wheel-drive itself, it worked great when we used it last. It is just the lockouts in the back wheels that won't loosen up. Also, there are several little annoyances: The driver's side inside door handle broke, it opens fine but you have to pull the inner part of the handle because the outer mounting plate is gone. (You can buy replacements on eBay for about $20.00.) The blower fan for heat and air conditioning works great on medium-high and high, but doesn't come on if you put it on medium-low or low. (I figure that may be a fuse, but we haven't looked so don't know for sure.) And - the quirkiest of all! - you need to be sure not to leave your keys in the car, because it occasionally decides to lock itself! We believe that's related to the alarm system, because it also has been known to start honking all by itself, when no one is around. We have temporarily solved that issue by removing the wires from the horn, we'll be glad to put them back for you if you wish but be warned that it may try to get your attention at some inopportune time. The permanent solution would be to simply install a horn that is separate from the alarm system. I'm including lots of photos, please examine them closely and feel free to write if you have questions. Also, I would encourage anyone who is seriously interested to come and examine the vehicle in person. This is a very nice little SUV, I doubt you will find another one in such good mechanical and cosmetic condition. It was the last year Suzuki made them (the following year, they went to the Vitara) and it has the biggest and best motor and other features that were added near the end of the model run. We've enjoyed having this vehicle and hope to pass it along to someone who will also enjoy it. Thanks so much for looking! On Nov-14-12 at 08:50:06 PST, seller added the following information:Additional Information: I did my best to list everything (pro and con) about this vehicle the first time around, but there are several bits of info that I missed and would like to add. First, we'd had trouble in the past with opening the back hatch, we had actually removed the inside trim panel so it could be opened from the inside. (My husband and I both read and re-read the listing, but neither of us caught the fact that I hadn't mentioned this!) Well, now I can't get it to open at all! You can easily access anything in there through the back doors (the seats fold down into one big platform) but the door latch will need to be repaired if you want to open the back hatch. The trim panel is there and is in good condition, it's just the door latch that is misbehaving. On the good side, I've discovered that we do have a brand-new replacement for the inside driver's-side door handle! I'd forgotten that we'd even bought it, we just never got around to installing it. I've added a photo (see the top of the listing, it's the last one), it is sealed in the original packaging and installs with just one screw. Also, I forgot to mention that the battery is good, the transmission and clutch are good, and the brakes are good, the emergency brake holds really well too... I'm hoping this time I have covered everything! This is a really reliable little SUV, always starts (even in cold weather) and drives well. Please write if you have questions, and you are welcome to make arrangements to come and drive it yourself. Thanks, and good luck!