2005 Suzuki Forenza

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA UPHILL GOING 35 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT, I EXPERIENCED ROUGH JOLTING WHEN MY CAR (WHICH IS AN AUTOMATIC) WAS DOWNSHIFTING FROM THIRD TO SECOND GEAR. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY STOP ACCELERATING. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE INDEPENDENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT THE START OF THE YEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/18/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED IN JANUARY 2011, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED RESULTING IN HAVING TO REPLACE IT WITH A BRAND NEW ONE. IN JUNE 2011, THE VEHICLE JERKED EXTREMELY HARD WHILE DRIVING AND THEN WOULDN'T ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. IN NOVEMBER 2011, THE VEHICLE JERKED HARD AGAIN AND LEFT THE CONSUMER STRANDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN, WHERE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. FOUR DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE CEASED TO OPERATE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN AND THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WAS REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. UPDATED 02/01/12

ABOUT 2.5 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED MY CAR, I HAD TO PUT A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION IN IT DUE TO THE SHIFT SENSOR WENT BAD. NOW JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT IT IS BAD AGAIN. THIS TIME I AM GOING TO DRIVE THE CAR TILL IT DIES AND THEN SCRAP IT. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. SUZUKI NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEIR CARS, AND FIX IT. *TR

I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND IT NOW HAS 37,500 MILES. I BARELY DRIVE IT AND KEEP IT GARAGED AND REGULARLY MAINTAINED. AFTER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY EXPIRED AND WHEN IT PAST THE 36,000 MILES (WARRANTY EXPIRED BEFORE MILEAGE REACHED) I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE HARD DOWNSHIFT AND HESITATING SHIFTS UPWARD (REACHES OR GOES ABOVE 3000 RPMS BEFORE IT SHIFTS). THESE HARD SHIFTS ARE MOSTLY BETWEEN 30-20 MPH AND ALSO OCCUR BETWEEN 5-20 MPH BUT SOMEWHAT SOFTER BUT STILL EASILY NOTABLE. THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY IS FOR 100,000MILES/7YRS SO I TOOK IT THE DEALER AND TOLD HIM MY COMPLAINT. RIGHT OFF THE BACK THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REALLY CHECK IT OUT AND THAT ALL THEY COULD DO IS DRIVE. ALSO, HE TOLD ME THAT MY WARRANTY (BUMPER TO BUMPER) EXPIRED AND THAT IF THE GUY HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT IT WAS OTHERWISE I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $80+$8 TAX FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THAT IF IT IS ANYTHING ELECTRICAL WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT IT WASN'T COVERED. OF COURSE AS I EXPECTED HE DIDN'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND TOLD ME TO SCHEDULE THE $88 DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT SUZUKI FORENZAS ARE KNOWN FOR DOWNSHIFTING HARD BUT I TOLD HIM THAT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT BEFORE THE 36,000 MILE MARKER. I CAME BACK HOME THOUGH WITHOUT MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS APPOINTMENT AND READ MY WARRANTY DETAILS. UNDER "...WHAT IS NOT COVERED" FOR POWERTRAIN, NO WHERE DID IT SAY TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICS, INFACT IT COVERS 'TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE' WHICH IS AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER TRANSMISSION PARTS! I GUESS THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM SINCE HE TRIED TO CONVINCE THAT IS NORMAL AND THAT HE RIGHT OFF THE BACK TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T COVER TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICS AND THAT THERE IS A CHARGE OF $88 FOR DIAGNOSIS. AFTER READING SOME OF THE POWERTRAIN COMPLAINTS ONLINE, IT SEEMS LIKE SUZUKI KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE A BIG PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS AND ARE WAITING UNTIL WARRANTIES EXP. *TR