Suzuki Hayabusa Lawsuit Alleges Motorcycles Plagued by Front Brake Master Cylinder Problem

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges certain Suzuki Hayabusa sport motorcycles are equipped with a defective front brake master cylinder that poses an “extreme and unreasonable” safety risk to riders and pedestrians. 

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The 22-page lawsuit claims the Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycles at issue—the GSX-R1000R, GSX-R1000RZ, GSX-R1000, GSX-R750, GSX-R750Z, GSX-R600, GSX-R600Z, GSX250R ABS models—are prone to “random and sudden failures during normal use.” Astoundingly, the complaint says, Suzuki “has expressly acknowledged” the extreme danger of the alleged brake failure problem yet has continued to equip the motorcycles with the defective component. 

“Suzuki concealed from Plaintiffs and Class members that their Sport Motorcycles contained defective [front brake master cylinders],” the suit charges, alleging the defendant has known of the front brake problem since 2004. “Instead of immediately recalling the defective product from the market, Suzuki continues to design, manufacture, and install the defective [front brake master cylinders] in Sport Motorcycles.” 

The filing argues that the motorcycles purchased by proposed class members were “of a lesser standard and quality” than represented by Suzuki, and simply “not fit for the ordinary purpose of providing safe transportation.” Consumers would not have bought the Hayabusa motorcycles, or would have paid less for them, had they known of the front brake master cylinder defect,” the case says. 

The front brake master cylinder plays a critical part in a motorcycle’s ability to stop when a driver applies full braking force, the lawsuit explains. An accident can occur should the front brake master cylinder fail to engage, or respond slowly, when braking force is applied while in motion, the case stresses. 

The Suzuki Hayabusa front brake master cylinders are defective in that their brake piston is prone to corrosion during normal use, the suit shares. In particular, the damage is due to “galvanic corrosion between the zinc piston and steel spring,” according to the complaint. This phenomenon leads to the build-up of hydrogen gas, “pitting and spreading of the ID/OD surfaces of the zinc piston, as well as the formation of organic acid deposits, solid metallics, and oxide debris,” the lawsuit says. 

Per the complaint, Suzuki began to receive complaints about braking issues with its motorcycles in 2004 yet “failed to take any action to remove the defective product from the market.” 

The case says that Suzuki at last acknowledged the front brake master cylinder problem in 2012, particularly in a December email between directors in which one wrote that their understanding of the issue was that “it is very dangerous” and amounts to “a recall matter” involving human lives that deserved prioritization. 

In January 2013, the lawsuit goes on, Suzuki reportedly analyzed the component parts of the front brake master cylinder and found that the air entrapped in the cylinder was 75 percent hydrogen, which, after chemically reacting with the internal metals, caused corrosion. 

“It was at this point—if not earlier—that Suzuki was fully aware of the cause of the front brake failure in their product line,” the suit reads, asserting that “[a] recall was necessary.” 

The filing alleges that Suzuki, instead, “decided that the upcoming sales season was more important” than pulling the faulty component from the market, and from there “actively concealed the issue from the public” while blaming the defect on ostensible maintenance issues. 

“Suzuki was aware of the defect and intentionally failed to act while acknowledging their failure to address it was illegal. For example, Suzuki’s internal memorandum stated, ‘If we don’t respond actively and the problem comes to light, the courts and [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] will demand disclosure of documents, and we will be in a situation where Suzuki knew about the problem and did nothing to respond, and we won’t be able to defend [ourselves.]’” 

Even though Suzuki recalled model year 2004-2013 GSX-R600, 2004-2013 GSX-R750, and 2005-2013 GSX-R1000 motorcycles in November 2013, it failed to fix the front brake master cylinder defect, and the components installed on motorcycles post-recall continue to suffer from corrosion, the complaint relays. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States and its territories who purchased or leased any of the Suzuki sport motorcycles highlighted at the top of this post in the last four years. 

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