Hey guys, just wanted to provide some general information about the Suzuki Limited Warranty.
It's popular consensus that warranty is Suzuki's weakest area. As a new Suzuki Outboard owner, it hasn't been really clear up front how the warranty all works. So hopefully this post centralizes information and helps. If this has been repeated mods feel free to delete.
Suzuki's come standard with a 3 year Limited warranty. Detailed documentation can be found here:
http://www.suzukimarine.com/~/media/...-3YR-2017.ashx
Unlike other manufacturers, Suzuki seems to take a LONG time to mail warranty cards. I've even heard claims that they don't mail warranty cards anymore. I've also heard that it can take up to six months. It's been 60 days and I myself have not received warranty cards yet. Technically, your dealer should be able to verify warranty information for you, but if you had a crappy dealer like me that you don't trust, then you might rather have the warranty cards. The only other way is to call Suzuki with your serial number ready and they should be able to verify for you. Keep in mind, I've not had the most pleasant experience calling Suzuki's customer service number. Suzuki greatly prefers you to ask all your questions to the dealer. If you have a good dealer great. If you have a crappy dealer, not so great. Nevertheless, they should be able to verify your warranty status. Finally, the documents you received after buying the boat should state that the dealer registered warranty for you. I have heard of crappy dealers never sending off the registration, so KEEP your documents for proof if things go south in the future.
Suzuki's customer service number is 714-572-1490. THEY DON'T USE EMAIL. Only snail mail and phone calls. They claim that email promotes inaccuracy, and phone and snail mail is the best way to interface and send documents. I don't like it, but that's the way they do. The fact of the matter is that Suzuki has a thin presence in the US, versus say Australia (I mean, just look at the difference in website quality between http://www.suzukimarine.com/?t=1 (US) and https://www.suzukimarine.com.au/ (Australia). Are you f'ing kidding me?). Again, they greatly prefer customers to interface with the dealer rather than themselves.
Another important piece of information that isn't obvious is that their extended warranty is not done in house. It's done through a third party company called Cornerstone United. The advertising is a bit misleading, as it sounds like it's a full 6 year in house limited warranty. The details and legal points are murky to me, as I don't know if Cornerstone does things on behalf of Suzuki, or if they are completely separate. Nevertheless, I've heard mixed things about Cornerstone United. You SHOULD receive proof of warranty documentation from Cornerstone within 90 days (my dealer told me it takes 2-3 months to process and I checked other people's experiences online). So if you're looking for a time window for the extended warranty cards, 90 days seems to be the ticket. I know if I don't receive it within 90 days I'll be making some calls.
So what to take out of all of this?
-Well, if you're looking to purchase a Suzuki motor, make sure you find a good dealer. My dealer was not so great, and actually got bought out by another dealership, so everything is a mess. Luckily, I'm still in contact with the original manager, and I verified with Suzuki about my factory warranty. Suzuki shunts most questions to dealers.
-Which brings me to my next point. Be proactive in verification. Even if you have a good dealer, trust but verify. Most outboards send warranty cards around 30 days after purchase. Not Suzuki, and it'd be a real sh** situation if you need warranty and find out you don't have it.
-Finally, be aware that their extended warranty is done through a third party. Most likely they will do a lot to try and get out of honoring any service. While I've heard good things about Suzuki's factory warranty, I can't say the same about the extended warranty. Now, the extended warranty is free so I can't complain too much, but be disciplined about your maintenance. Only use recommended or manufacturer parts. Don't give them any reason to deny.
Hope this helps.