2005 Suzuki Forenza

I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA AUGUST 25, 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS DECEPTIVELY PRESENTED AS HAVING A "MAINTENANCE-FREE TIMING CHAIN" PRIOR TO PURCHASE. ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED BY THE SELLING DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD 9759 MILES AT THE MOST RECENT MAINTENANCE INTERVAL. LESS THAN 20 MILES LATER, WHEN PROCEEDING FORWARD FROM A REDLIGHT, ASCENDING A BRIDGE, FOR NO APARENT REASON WHATSOEVER, THE ENGINE FAILED ALONG WITH ALL POWER ASSISTED ACCESSORIES INCLUDING STEERING AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO ONCOMING AND MERGING TRAFFIC TO THE REAR. QUICK THINKING TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND BRUTE STRENGTH TO STEER AVIODED A CERTAIN MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING, THE ACCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE DEALER DID NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, BUT SAID THEY WOULD CALL AS SOON AS THEY KNEW SOMETHING. I CALLED THE FOLLOWING DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CONTACTED SUZUKI TECHNICAL SUPPORT. TECHNICAL SUPPORT TOLD THE DEALER TO ORDER SEVERAL PARTS INCLUDING A WATER PUMP AND HEAD ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED THAT SOME WATER PUMPS HAD THE PULLEY INSTALLED BACKWARDS ALLOWING THE TIMING BELT TO SKIP OVER THE COGS CAUSING EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE. THE DEALER WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE, BUT TECHNICAL SUPPORT DENIED IT. HOW THEN, DID THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHICH PARTS TO RECOMMEND TO REPAIR THE ENGINE? THE DEALER SHOWED ME THE BROKEN RETAINING RING FROM THE WATER PUMP, BUT HAS YET TO DISASSEMBLE THE ENGINE FURTHER BECAUSE THEY ARE WAITING ON THE PARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. I NO LONGER HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE EITHER WAY. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS SAFE TO TRAVEL AMERICAN HIGHWAYS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM

HAVE A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA. BOUGHT IT JUNE OF 2005. FOR THE TIME THAT I HAD THE CAR IT HAD LITTLE PROBLEMS AT TIMES. BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 5 MILES ON IT. SUZUKI DEALERSHIPS ONLY LOOK AT YOUR CAR BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AND WHEN THEY DO LOOK AT IT THEY CLAIM NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE CAR HESITATES AND DOWNSHIFTS HARD AT TIMES. IN THE MORNING THE CAR HAS HARD STARTS WHEN COLD. THE EXHAUST MAKES NOISE AND TRANSMISSION DOES TOO. THE CLAIMS ARE THAT IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT CAR AND NORMAL. RECENTLY I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCK AT AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE THE CAR STALLED WHILE TRYING TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION FROM A STOP SIGN. THE GAS PEDAL HAD TO BE PRESSED TO THE FLOOR TO MOVE AND IT DID IT SLOWLY. FROM A STOP THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. ALSO AIRBAG LIGHT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. SUZUKI MAKES IT HARD TO HAVE YOUR CAR SERVICE AND CLAIM WARRANTY WORK. THAT INCLUDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOO. WHEN CAR WAS DELIVERED BACK TO ME AFTER I DROPPED IT OFF THEY CLAIM THAT NOTHING WAS FOUND. MAYBE IT WAS THE GAS CAP THEY SAID. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS TOO MUCH TOO BE A LOOSE GAS CAP. I HAD TO GET UPSET FOR THEM TO LOOK AT MY CAR. MANY PROBLEMS FOR A NEW CAR. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY, AND BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL BRAKING AND AT NORMAL TO LOW SPEEDS. HE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO CLAIMED THE BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. ALSO, CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THEY TOLD HIM TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/11/2006 - *NM

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ONE MONTH PRIOR TO PROBLEM. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONSTANTLY HUNTS FOR GEARS, SHIFTING ABRUPTLY AND SHARPLY WITHOUT PROVOCATION. AT 2,950 MILES, THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE BEGAN TO GROAN. WHEN PROCEEDING FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AS IF TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, VEHICLE WOULD JERK VIOLENTLY AND TRANSMISSION WOULD ENGAGE, BUT CONSTANTLY SHIFT EARLY OR LATE AND HUNT BETWEEN GEARS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO SOLVE PROBLEM. WAS INFORMED THAT THE 'CHECK ENGINE' WAS DEFINITELY ON AND THAT A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS PERFORMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AS PER A "RECALL" ON 2005 FORENZA TRANSMISSIONS. TRANSMISSION DOES SHIFT SMOOTHER NOW, BUT STILL HAS JERKY MOMENTS. *JB

DT: 2005 SUZUKIE FORENZA WAGON. WHILE ON A TRIP TO VIRIGINA IT WAS RAINING AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY WORKED ON THEIR MINIMUM SPEED, AND THEIR MAXIMUM SPEED WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH TO BE EFFICIENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COMPARED THE MAXIMUM WIPER SPEED OF TWO VEHICLES AND THEY WERE BOTH THE SAME. THE SALESMAN AGREED THAT THE SPEED WOULD NOT BE EFFICIENT FOR THE WINTERS. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER . CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE. THE CONSUMER FILE A COMPLAINT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON ALL OF THE TIME. IT CAME ON THE 29 AUGUST 2005. WAS NOT SURE IF THE AIR BAG WORKED. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AND ALSO ON THE 9-24-2005. THEY TOLD HIM THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE PARTS, AND THAT THEY HAVE ORDERED THE PARTS. HE FELT LIKE THEY WERE TAKING TOO MUCH TIME TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD HIM IT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS FROM 9-24-05. HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HIS FAMILY, AND THAT WAS WHY HE WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

DT: THE AIRBAG SENSOR FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ACCORDING TO THE HANDBOOK, ANY CHILD UNDER 54 POUNDS THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT SHOULD COME ON. YESTERDAY THE CHILD WAS SEATING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON, AND TODAY THE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH SHOWED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS OFF. HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR A BRAKE PROBLEM IN THE PAST, CONSUMER WAS VAGUE AS TO WHAT EXACTLY WAS WRONG OTHER THAN THE BRAKE TRAIN, AND THERE WAS A CD WEDGED UNDER THE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HAS NOT CONTACTED SUZUKI AT THIS TIME.