New JB74 from Brazil (replacement for my 3rd gen)

I'm posting some pictures of Wasabi at the "Suzuki Day" event last Sunday - a 5 hour trail around farm fields, forests and waterfalls in the Brazilian countryside. They offer it in two difficulty levels (being new to it, I chose the easy one) and the entry fee is a pack of non perishable goods for donation. There's normally 6-7 different "Suzuki Day" events throughout the year at different places.

Event press photos:
 
 
 
 
 

And from me:
 
Dawn at the camping field close to the location of the event. There I met with Pedro and Nicole, owners of a blue 3rd gen who was also attending the event.

 
Gathering of Suzuki owners before the event.

 
A short stop for coffee and snacks along the trail.

 
Shallow water crossing at the top of a waterfall.

That looks like a nice event, some great pictures.

Hello everyone, sorry I was away from the forum for over a year due to some bad and good events with Wasabi.

First the bad news: I had a traffic accident by Sep '22 that caused reasonable damage to the front bumper, grill, hood and right side panel. Luckily I was not at a very high speed so no damage to the frame or the engine (except for a leaking radiator and a damaged fan), the airbags were not deployed and no one got hurt. I took the Jimny to the dealership the day after the event to get all parts replaced under insurance coverage. Then I faced a huge wait to get the parts and then to get the job of assembly/painting done. I had my JB74 sitting at the dealership for about 7 months! Most of the time waiting for the parts to arrive - the dealership was slow to order them, but the main issue was the Brazilian company responsible for importing Suzukis and providing maintenance to them was facing a serious shortage of original parts (and still is, in some cases, from what I hear). About that, I do not know exactly the cause for it, but I believe it to be a mix of bad management of the Brazilian branch and a global shortage of parts due to a single production site for worldwide demand (as mentioned in news about the long waiting lines for the JB74) plus the effects of still ongoing supply chain disruptions from the pandemic (as stated by the dealer).

Sorry to hear of you crash and problems, glad no one was hurt and that your Jimny is getting fixed and back on the road.

Sorry to her about your crash and then long wait for spares, but glad you are ok and your Jimny is back running again.

Spares for any new vehicle or newly imported vehicle can be a problem anywhere, often they don’t start to get imported until 2 or 3 years after the launch date as generally there isn’t the demand and the manufacturer uses all of the parts he can get for production.

There is probably a cost implication, why import a few containers of spares that might sit on the shelf for a while when you can import a few new cars instead and shift them quickly?

Anyway good to have you back.

Robin