Suzuki, Consumer Reports settle lawsuit
Sides offer respect, but no money
By Monica Link
Automotive News / July 08, 2004
An eight-year lawsuit between Suzuki Motor Corp. and the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine came to a sudden end in a California courtroom Thursday as both sides agreed to a settlement in which no money changed hands.
Instead, Suzuki and Consumers Union of the U.S. Inc. simply agreed to disagree.
Suzuki and Consumers Union agreed to statements of respect for the other’s position. Consumers Union “recognizes Suzuki’s stated commitment for designing, manufacturing and marketing safe vehicles.�
Suzuki said it “recognizes CU’s stated commitment for objective and unbiased testing and reporting.�
The statements were a part of the settlement.
Consumers Union President Jim Guest stopped short of declaring victory in the long-standing dispute. “We’re very pleased. We paid no money to settle the case,� he said.
The case was settled and dismissed in a California U.S. District Court.
Suzuki’s customer relations vice president, Cam Smith, said both parties walked away satisfied with the settlement.
“This case was not about money for Suzuki. It was about restoring our reputation,� she said. “The main problem we had was with the validity of the testing methods.�
Suzuki reiterated in its statement that it still does not agree with the findings of the tests.
Suzuki filed the lawsuit in 1996 over short course avoidance maneuver tests conducted by Consumers Union on the Suzuki Samurai SUV. The test lead to a July 1988 product review in the magazine that judged the Samurai to be "not acceptable" because of a propensity to tip in sharp turns.
Said Guest: “We continue to stand fully behind our test findings.�
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