AMA Sues Suzuki Over SUV Ad

American Suzuki Motor Corp. hasn’t sold a Samurai in the U.S. in almost four years, but the ghost of the beleaguered sport-utility vehicle still haunts the Brea-based importer. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago, the American Medical Assn. links Suzuki’s well-received Grand Vitara SUV to the Samurai, which has been the focus of numerous product-liability suits since Consumer Reports’ 1988 review called it a dangerous vehicle with a propensity to roll over. The AMA suit, which also targets Asher & Partners Inc., the Los Angeles advertising agency that works for Suzuki, seeks to bar the auto importer from running an ad showing a Grand Vitara plowing through the mud under a caption that says, “Mud baths stimulate the central nervous system, increasing muscular excitability.” The ad attributes the quote to the Journal of the American Medical Assn., but the AMA says in its suit that it never made the statement. The medical group also contends that the ad might make consumers believe it endorses the Grand Vitara and labels the SUV “a dangerous product” although it shares none of the late Samurai’s design and has not been criticized by reviewers for poor handling. A spokeswoman for Suzuki said the company “takes issue with AMA’s characterization of our ads and our products” but would have no other comment until officials review the suit. Separately, Suzuki is suing Consumer Reports’ publisher for product defamation over the unflattering Samurai review.