Maruti Silently Fixing Swift Brake Problem

Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2012, 15:54 [IST]

Several owners of the Maruti Suzuki Swift had reported a braking issue in their cars earlier this year. The leading Indian carmaker which had initially chosen to ignore their complaints is now reportedly rectifying the problem without recalling the Swift.

The Swift's braking problem arose only when it was being driven at very low speeds and when the clutch is at half pressure. Drivers had noticed the brakes would be extremely hard to press and the car would not stop quickly. Maruti Suzuki did not consider this as a problem initially. However with more owners reporting the same problem in their Swifts, the carmaker in a post on Facebook asked drivers not to use half clutch while driving.

The usage of half clutch while driving at low speeds reduces the engines rpm to below idle. This reduces the vacuum needed to power the brakes adequately. Hence Maruti Suzuki suggested to owners to change their driving style. It never provided a tangible solution to the Swift's brake problems.

However after having received so many complaints, Maruti Suzuki appears to have decided to solve the problem before it becomes a major issue for its top selling car. The company is calling Swift owners who had reported this problem to their closest service centres where it is modifying the car's ECU.

The ECU or the engine control unit's software is being updated so that it maintains the required rpm to sustain the vacuum needed to apply the brakes. The modifications to the ECU has solved the issue. This means the ECU had some flaws which are now being rectified. Maruti Suzuki would face a major customer backlash if it announced a recall of the Swift. Instead by asking only people who have raised the issue to get their cars fixed, it is leaving thousands of customers with apparently unsafe cars.

Do you have a Swift and want to get this problem fixed? Call your nearest service centre and inform them about your problem. If they are unaware about the solution, inform them that this problem is being fixed in certain states. If the solution is official then all Maruti Suzuki service stations will know how to fix it.

Cartoq.com has posted that some of its members in Karnataka and Kerala have already been called by showrooms to fix the Swift brake issue.