2008 SUZUKI FORENZA Complaints

HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. $140 FIX BETWEEN PARTS AND LABOR. OF COURSE IT WASN'T UNDER THE 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE RANGE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WORK NORMALLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE THE DEALER REPAIR THE FAILURE DUE TO DISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,170.

IN MID JULY MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SUZUKI DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD BY AN ASSOCIATE IT WOULD BE ATLEAST $1800.00 TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. MY VEHICLE WASN'T EVEN BROUGHT INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. UNABLE TO AFFORD A REPAIR OF THAT MAGNITUDE I'M CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM DOESN'T DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. SEARCHING THE INTERNET I'VE NOTICED THIS ISSUE IS COMMON WITH SUZUKIS 05' AND UP. MINE BEING AN 08' MY WARRANTY EXPIRED THE SAME MONTH ABOUT 2WEEKS EARLIER SO THEY SAID THERE WASN'T ANYWAY AROUND THE $1800 CHARGE. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE RECALLED SO A BASICALLY NEW CAR DOESN'T HAVE A FAULTY EXPENSIVE AND APPARENTLY EXTENSIVE REPAIR DUE WITHIN THE 36,000 MILE/3YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS ISSUE AND CONTACT SUZUKI MOTORS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYING THE DRIVE SYMBOL WITH A LINE ACROSS. THIS SYMBOL INDICATED NO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT WITHOUT FAILURE. THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR ALL THE SUDDEN SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND SHOWED A D WITH A SLASH THROUGH IT. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED I WAS IN REVERSE. WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE IT READ NEUTRAL. WHEN I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN, THERE WAS NO POWER, AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. THIS HAS CONTINUED SINCE.THEN, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT.NUMEROUS TIMES, ONCE ALMOST HIT FROM THE FRONT AND THE REAR WHEN TURNING ON A YIELDING GREEN LIGHT AND THE CAR THROUGH ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. ALSO I HAVE HIT THE GAS IN DRIVE AND GONE BACKWARDS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD CAR WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES THAT IS THIS DANGEROUS FOR MY TWO YEAR OLD SON AND I. I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR DAILY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR CHANGE GEARS ON IT'S OWN, AND WHEN I SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO PARK, IT FELT LIKE MY CAR GOT HIT, A VERY HARD "BANG" AND SAME WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR BACK TO DRIVE. CK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING CAR OFF FOR APRX. 10 MINUTES THEN TURNING BACK ON, LIGHT WAS STILL ON, BUT NOW CAR WAS ACCELERATING AND CHANGING GEARS. GOT THE CAR TO THE SUZUKI 112 DEALERSHIP IN MEDFORD, NY AND THEY SAID CODES PO700 & PO705 WERE PRESENT. THEY DIAGNOSED A FAILED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR / SWITCH ASSY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND HE REPLACES 4-6 OF THESE PER MONTH BETWEEN THE FORENZA AND RENO MODEL SUZUKI VEHICLES. SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY SINCE THIS IS JUST A COMPONENT THAT IS MOUNTED TO THE TRANSMISSION, NOT ACTUALLY INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. $216.63 LATER, THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC REMOVED AND REPLACED THE PART. NOTE: THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT 1ST TIME THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE AS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUT ITSELF OFF BEFORE THEY GOT TO CHECK IT OUT. *TR

I HAVE BEEN GETTING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. THEN SHORTLY AFTER MY BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. WELL THE NEXT WEEKEND THE LIGHT CAME ON AND NOW WHEN I SWITCH GEARS I GET A LOUD THUMP AND THE CAR JUMPS REALLY HARD. I WENT TO ADVANCED AUTO PARTS WITH THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON THEY WERE ABLE TO RETRIEVE CODES AND VERIFY THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR A CIRCUIT WHILE IN PARK/REVERSE/NUETRAL AND DRIVE. AND THEY ALSO RETRIEVED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SENSOR. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW AND I WILL NOT DRIVE IT TILL IT GETS FIXED. I HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR THE LONGEST TIME AND I AM SCARED THIS CAR WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT IS A VERY UNSAFE CAR AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING DUE TO MANY COMPLAINTS. YOU NEED TO DO A RECALL ON THIS CAR BEFORE SOMEONE GETS BADLY INJURED OR KILLED. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHIFTED TO A HIGHER GEAR INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION MODE SWITCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 46,000.

TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH, FAILS TO SHIFT DOWN DURING ACCELERATION, MAY WORK FOR A WHILE AND THEN MAKES A CLUNK AND FAILS AGAIN, CAUSES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GLOW AND MAY SHOW A BOX WITH A DIAGONAL LINE THROUGH IT WHERE THE D FOR DRIVE WOULD BE. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN SHIFTED INTO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP IT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GLASS WINDOW. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO PARK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END AND UNDER CARRIAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE OF THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 10/04/11*LJ