Suzuki Jimny in the used car check: strengths and weaknesses

Suzuki Jimny (FJ)
Construction time: 1998 to 2018
Engines: 65 hp (1.5 DDiS) to 86 hp (1.4)
Price: from 4500 euros
Occupant safety (Euro NCAP crash test): not tested

The Jimny, which has been available since 1998, is available in a closed version and as a convertible.
That’s him: Of the Jimmy FJ is still a cool guy, even though he’s aged in direct comparison to his successor. With four-wheel drive and a short wheelbase, he digs through almost everywhere. Luxury is not his thing, the equipment is rather sparse. The only thing the little one couldn’t avoid after the expiry of the exemption at the end of 2014 was the obligatory ESP.
Used Jimny with guarantee
Legal Notes
* Further information on the official fuel consumption and the official specific CO2 emissions and, if applicable, the electricity consumption of new cars can be found in the “Guideline on Official Fuel Consumption”, which is available free of charge at all sales outlets and from “Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH” (www .dat.de).
The space available is also tight: if a normal-sized person takes a seat in the front, the knee room in front of the back seat tends to be zero. The most common is the closed three-door, the petrol-only convertible version is offered less frequently. There was a facelift in 2012, and the successor came in 2018.
This is annoying: There are many causes of wobbly steering wheels: They can range from simple wheel imbalances to worn wheel suspensions to worn steering gears. Damaged wheel bearings often cause resentment, especially in the years of construction 2003 to 2006, as do worn clutches. There are also individual cases such as damage to the turbocharger on the diesel. Also make defective transfer case and torn shift linkage Jimny– Drivers trouble, and the convertibles built in Spain are said to rust rapidly.
TÜV verdict
The inspectors often find defective cuffs and universal joints on the drive shafts, and the steering system is also conspicuous. The springs and dampers receive an above-average number of complaints up to the third HU, and rust becomes an issue from the ninth year.
Lnot
Failed taillights are an indication of inattentive vehicle owners. At the fifth HU, the deficiency occurs less frequently again.
The effect and consistency of the foot brake are significantly worse than in other cars – the hand brake and the brake discs also often cause trouble; From the fifth year, the defect rates in the brake lines climb well above the average. Only the brake hoses are mostly inconspicuous.
Here it is Jimny a model student: the engine and transmission lose significantly less oil than the average of all cars. It’s good when you’re off-road! The AU does not pose any problems either, and the exhaust system impresses with its stability.