2005 Suzuki Forenza

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 GOT MY CAR IN FEBRUARY 2006, AND A FEW MONTHS LATER AFTER THE CAR IS STILL ONLY A YEAR OLD, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. IT HAS NOT TURNED OFF SINCE. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER FOUR SEPARATE TIMES, THREE OF THOSE TIMES HAVING DIAGNOSTICS RUN. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THEY COULD NOT TELL ME ANYTHING AT ALL AS TO THE PROBLEM, THEY HAD NO IDEA. THE THIRD TIME I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH DIAGNOSTIC TO DETERMINE IF THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE WIRING, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, OR THE ACTUAL AIRBAG. I REFUSED TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS OF NO FAULT OF MY OWN AS THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT. THEY TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE WAY I SEE IT, IT IS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY BEING EXPERIENCED BY MANY OTHER PARTIES. THE FOURTH TIME I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN, THE DEALER'S BODY SHOP HAD A DIFFERENT MANAGER. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS COULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND PROMISED TO CALL ME THE NEXT DAY. HE NEVER CALLED. I CALLED HIM A FEW DAYS LATER, THE RECEPTIONIST SAID HE WASN'T IN AND HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME. HE NEVER DID. STILL HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH BEFORE STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACTS FOOT REMAINED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE CHANGED GEARS AND SLOWED DOWN. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ON HER YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16125. UPDATED 3/4/2010 *CN UPDATED 06/18/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA. SHE HAD HER VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL NOTICE NUMBER 07V452000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) IN DECEMBER 2009. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEAD-LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE HAD TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO GET HOME. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM REPLACED AT HER EXPENSE. SHE REFERENCED THE PRIOR RECALL AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. SHE HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO-DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 62,000- UPDATED 1/11/09 *CN UPDATED 01/14/10.*JB

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL; WHICH, INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND SEVERAL REPAIRS WERE MADE; HOWEVER, NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

WE OWN THREE 2005 SUZUKI FORENZAS. EACH HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH EITHER THE AIRBAG OR AIRBAG SENSOR. ONE OF OUR VEHICLES CURRENTLY WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEING ON. THIS IS ITS SECOND PROBLEM OF THE SAME KIND. ONE OF THE OTHER VEHICLES HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THREE TIMES. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. SUZUKI HAS NEVER TOLD ME IF THIS IS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG, THE SENSOR, THE HARNESS, OR SOMETHING ELSE. MY CONCERN IS TWO-FOLD: (1) WILL I HAVE TO PAY ANNUALLY FOR A SERIOUS SUZUKI DEFECT IN ORDER TO PASS INSPECTION? (2) IS THIS A REAL PROBLEM? DO I HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN? SUZUKI HAS NEVER TOLD ME IF THIS IS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG, THE SENSOR, THE HARNESS, OR SOMETHING ELSE. MY WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS DRIVE THESE VEHICLES. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES INVESTIGATION. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA IN THE WINTER OF 2006. THE CAR WAS SOLD TO ME WITH NO REAR DEFROSTER SYSTEM SO THAT WINTER I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE SNOW WITH A COMPLETELY BLIND REAR VIEW AND WAS INCONVENIENCED INTO RETURNING IT FOR REPAIR. THE BEGINNING OF 2008 IS WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A WEEK BEFORE MY STATE INSPECTION AND I HAD TO GET AN OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE TREAD CAME OFF MY FRONT TIRES (2 YEARS OLD MIND YOU) AND I HAD TO REPLACE THOSE. IN MAY OF 2008, THE BATTERY IN THE CAR DIED AND THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN AUGUST OF 2008, THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE SUZUKI DIED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ALL THE RECEIPTS AND DOCUMENTS TO BACK THIS UP AS WELL. ON APRIL 30, 2009, MY CAR STARTED TO BUCK BACK AND FORTH WILDLY THREATENING TO STALL. TWO WEEKS LATER ON MAY 13, THEY TELL ME THAT THE CAR IS COVERED UNDER THE POWER WARRANTY AND THEY WILL REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. ON FRIDAY MAY 15, THEY SAY ITS NOT JUST THE HEAD GASKET BUT AN EMISSION HOSE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART IN STOCK AND HAVE ORDERED IT FOR MONDAY, MAY 18 IN WHICH THE CAR SHOULD BE READY. I RETURN MY RENTAL CAR READY TO PICK UP MY CAR WHEN I GET A CALL THAT MONDAY MORNING STATING THAT WHEN THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS PUT BACK TOGETHER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL CAME ON AND THEY DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE CYLINDER HEAD WHICH HAD COMPROMISED THE COOLANT SYSTEM. NOW, THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE PROOF THAT I HAD CHANGED THE COOLANT IN THE SYSTEM. OF COURSE, I CAN NOT LOCATE THAT RECEIPT, BUT ITS AMAZING TO ME THAT ITS TAKEN NEARLY A MONTH TO COME UP WITH THIS DIAGNOSIS AND NOW I'M BEING ASKED TO PAY FOR THIS LEMON WITH ONLY 3 YEARS ON IT AND 35,000 MILES. I TOOK A 4 YEAR FINANCE LOAN DEAL ON THIS AND I STILL HAVE TO PAY $5000 ON A CAR THAT HAS NEEDED WORK ON MULTIPLE LOCATION. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO STANDING BY YOUR WORK? THOMAS SUZUKI OF PORT JEFFERSON NY IS A DISGRACE. *TR