2008 Suzuki Forenza Powertrain & Transmission Problems

Every neutral safety switch made for this vehicle is faulty be driving down the road it'll switch from drive to neutral or any other gear I've had it go into reverse while going 50 mph down the road I've replaced this part five times still have same problem part works for about a month then goes out. Other times transmission won't even go into drive have to screw with shifter to get it to go into gear May last for about a mile and jumps back out of gear. Next problem computer tells me throttle positioning sensor is out car works fine at first then starts to rev around 5-6k or it to rev to half a grand and stall while driving down the road.

I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP MCCANN CAR LOT IN SPARTA NC MCCANN TOLD ME IT WAS THE BEST CAR ON THE LOT HE DROVE ME THROUGH TOWN TELLING ME THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR THEN LET ME DRIVE IT A SHORT DISTANCE INSURED ME THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME AFTER WE WENT TO GET INSPECTED WHICH NOTHING WAS CHECKED JUNIOR MCCANN TOLD THEM NOTHING WAS WRONG THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT MELTED THE COVER NOW CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE HEATER SMELLS SO BAD I GOT SICK FROM INHALED THE ODOR I REPORTED THIS TO JUNIOR MCCANN HIS REPLY WAS I WAS SMELLING SOMETHING HE DIDN'T SMELL MY HUSBAND ALSO SMELLED THE ODOR AND GOT BAD HEADACHE HE NEVER ONCE SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS CAR

THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR HAS GONE OUT ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY OTHER OWNERS SUZUKI VEHICLES AND THEY TO ARE HAVING TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSORS. DEALER SERVICE CENTERS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS PART BREAKS OFTEN AND THEY KEEP EXTRA IN STOCK. THIS ISSUE WILL BEGIN WITH CAUSING VEHICLES TO SHIFT ROUGH AND END WITH VEHICLES NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF OR INTO PARK. THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS THE CUSHION SENSOR AND WILL COST $1500 TO REPLACE. AGAIN, AFTER SPEAKING WITH OTHER SUZUKI CAR OWNERS, THEY TOO HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE. SUZUKI ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE FOR SOME VEHICLES BUT NOT VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND OWNERS ARE BEING CHARGED TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART. SUZUKI HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THESE ISSUES BY OTHER OWNERS AND HAVE COVERED REPAIR COSTS FOR A FEW, BUT HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES.

TRANSMISSION REGULATION SENSOR - CAR JUMPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. DANGEROUS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR ON SUZUKI FORENZAS AND OTHER MODELS HAS BEEN SHODDY AT BEST. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 65000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE REPLACED THE TRS 3 TIMES GETTING READY TO BE A 4TH. THIS IS NOT A SENSOR THAT SHOULD NEED REPLACED REGULARLY. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE SLIP OUT OF GEAR AT SPEED DUE TO THIS AND CAN NEVER ACCELERATE WHEN I NEED TO. IM AFRAID THAT IF I NEED TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID A COLLISION I WONT BE ABLE TO. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE. THEY HAVE MORE THEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO SEE THIS IS AN ISSUE AND THEY NEED TO ACT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE TRANSMISSION ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR ONCE IN OCTOBER OF 2014 AND IT IS ACTING UP AGAIN NOW. WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR JERKS WHEN IT IS SHIFTING GEARS AND ON A COUPLE OCCASIONS IT HAS JUST SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL FOR NO REASON WHILE THE CAR IS STILL IN MOTION. THE MOST RECENT TIME WAS ON MY HOME FROM WORK ON 8/22/16. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND STOP AND START MY CAR A FEW TIMES TO RESET THE PROBLEM. THE PART SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY COUPLE YEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY SUZUKI.

THE "TRANS RANGE SWITCH" IS CAUSING MY CAR TO JUMP TO 2 GEAR RANDOMLY. THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN FINE AFTER O START IT. AND OUT OF NO WERE THE ENGINE JUMPS AND THE "ENGINE LIGHT" COMES ON THE CAR ACTS LIKES ITS NOT IN 1ST GEAR. IT CAN'T GET IT TO GO INTO GEAR (DRIVE OR REVERSE) WITHOUT IT JUMPING. THEN AFTER THE CAR SITS FOR A DAY IT ACTS FINE FOR THE FIRST TRIP AND THEN IT STARTS THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AFTERWARDS. I CAN'T GO UPHILL EITHER WITHOUT IT REAVING HIGH LIKE ITS IN NEUTRAL. I THINK THIS IS THE "TRANS RANGE SWITCH" GOING BAD.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. I HAD BEEN TRAVELING HOME AS NORMAL, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED JERKING. LOOK DOWN AT MY GEAR SELECTION VIEWER AND IT WAS SCRAMBLED SHOWING A D AND A R OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER FLASHING. THIS HAPPENS PERIODICALLY CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC MODEL OF CAR. THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED ARE VERY DANGEROUS FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AND WHOMEVER ELSE THIS IS AFFECTING.

THE "TRANS RANGE SWITCH" IS CAUSING MY CAR TO JUMP TO 2 GEAR RANDOMLY. THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN FINE AFTER O START IT. AND OUT OF NO WERE THE ENGINE JUMPS AND THE "ENGINE LIGHT" COMES ON THE CAR ACTS LIKES ITS NOT IN 1ST GEAR. IT CAN'T GET IT TO GO INTO GEAR (DRIVE OR REVERSE) WITHOUT IT JUMPING. THEN AFTER THE CAR SITS FOR A DAY IT ACTS FINE FOR THE FIRST TRIP AND THEN IT STARTS THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AFTERWARDS. I CAN'T GO UPHILL EITHER WITHOUT IT REAVING HIGH LIKE ITS IN NEUTRAL. I THINK THIS IS THE "TRANS RANGE SWITCH" GOING BAD.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN PUTTING MY CAR INTO REVERSE. THE CAR WOULD JUMP WHENEVER PUTTING IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I HAD A SCANNER PUT ON IT AND THE CODES CAME OUT TO BE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON AND OFF DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH I DRIVE IT. I AM BEING TOLD THIS IS NOT UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. THIS NEEDS TO BE AS IT IS AFFECTING THE POWER TRAIN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND JUST PASSED A SEMI TRUCK GOING ABOUT 65 MPH AND THEN MY CAR SUDDENLY SWITCHED GEARS INTO NEUTRAL ON IT'S OWN. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND RESTART THE CAR A COUPLE TIMES FOR IT TO RESET AND GO BACK TO NORMAL. I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE HAD BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE PARK/NEUTRAL SWITCH PREVIOUSLY IN MY CAR BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE GEAR SWITCHED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND NOT WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR AND PUT IT INTO GEAR. THAT HAD HAPPENED FREQUENTLY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND PUT IT IN DRIVE BUT IT SAID IT WAS IN NEUTRAL BUT THEN AFTER A COUPLE RESTARTS IT WOULD RESET AND WORK CORRECTLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. ONCE I REPLACED THAT SWITCH I HAVEN'T BEEN HAVING ANY ISSUES WITH IT AGAIN SO FAR. NOW I'M JUST DEALING WITH THE POWER LOCKS STICKING AND LOCKING ON THEIR OWN (THE GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED THAT PROBLEM THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT ONLY NOW AM I HAVING THAT ISSUE) AND ALSO THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT NOT STAYING FASTENED WHEN I FIRST CLICK IT. IT FINALLY DOES AFTER JIGGLING IT A LITTLE BIT. *TR

I'VE BOTH MY CAR BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2007 AND IN OCTOBER 2008 I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP IN WHEATON MARYLAND BECAUSE THE GEAR WHEN PUT ON REVERSE THE CAR WOULD JUMP AND THE DASHBOARD WOULD NOT GO R FOR REVERSE IT WOULD BLINK BOTH R AND D AND THEN WHEN PUT ON DRIVE WOULD DRIVE ON FIRST GEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL/SENSOR PROBLEM AND THEY FIX IT. STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN LATE MAY 2014 EVERY SO OFTEN AND BY LATE JUNE IT WAS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME. *TR

WHEN MY SUZUKI FORENZA 2008 HIT AROUND 60,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING SPORADIC TRANSMISSION ISSUES, INCLUDING NOT BEING ABLE TO REVERSE PROPERLY, MECHANICAL SOUNDS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN ON DRIVE, IT WAS VERY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE, MY BROTHER HAS THE SAME VEHICLE AND HAD THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE AND IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS THE EXACT PROBLEM, I HAD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR AND I CURRENTLY HAVE AN INTERNAL FAILURE WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND I DO NOT PLAN ON INVESTING ANY MORE MONEY TOWARDS THIS VEHICLE AS I HAVE READ THAT MANY DRIVERS HAVE GONE THIS ROUTE AND ABSOLUTELY REGRETTED IT BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND OTHER ISSUES. *TR

I STARTED THE CAR. LET IT IDLE FOR A MINUTE TO BRING THE RPM DOWN. I TRIED TO SHIFT IT TO REVERSE BUT IT WOULD NOT GO. IT HAD AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ON. I SHIFTED BACK TO PARK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I LET IT SET FOR A MINUTE THEN RESTARTED IT. WHEN I SHIFTED AGAIN, IT CLUNKED AND WOULD BARELY MOVE. I SHIFTED TO DRIVE AND IT CLUNKED AND WOULD BARELY MOVE. I AM A SINGLE 55 YEAR OLD WOMAN. I WORK 2 JOBS AND LIVE 8 MILES OUT OF TOWN. I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THIS CAR DOWN. I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE OF THE LOW MILEAGE. IT ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,027.

STARTING IN JANUARY 2014 CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON IT AND BEGAN LURCHING INTO GEAR FROM STOPPED. WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE, JUMPS INTO GEAR. WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE AFTER BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY LURCHES FORWARD STARTING IN 3RD GEAR AND CONTINUES DURING DRIVING. HUSBAND DIAGNOSED AFTER MUCH ONLINE RESEARCH AND A FEW MONTHS LATER, EVEN TAKING CODE INTO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. DEALER INSISTED THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE AND CLEARED CODE WITHOUT MAKING NOTE OF PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND ARGUED THAT WE WOULDN'T BE PICKING CAR UP UNTIL THE PROBLEM WAS REPLICATED AND TAKEN CARE OF. AFTER INSISTING THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE, WE DROVE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND MADE SERVICE MANAGER RIDE WITH HUSBAND UNTIL CAR "PERFORMED" MALFUNCTION, LITERALLY A HALF OF A BLOCK FROM DEALERSHIP. IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY WERE AVOIDING PROBLEM AND HADN'T DRIVEN CAR AT ALL! CODE WAS NOTED AS 0700, JUST AS MY HUSBAND HAD REPORTED INITIALLY. TRANSMISSION SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND AFTER DIAGNOSTICS WERE FINALLY PROPERLY PERFORMED, AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ALSO RESET (HAS CONTINUED TO COME ON ALMOST ENTIRE TIME WE'VE OWNED THE CAR-WERE TOLD OUR DAUGHTERS LONG LEGS WERE KICKING WIRES UNDERNEATH DRIVERS' SIDE SEAT) AND ALSO MADE AWARE VOLTAGE IS TOO HIGH ON DRIVERS SIDE BUT NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX EITHER. DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO SOLUTION. SPENT $191.65 TO FIX TRANSMISSION SENSOR. ORIGINALLY CHARGING $260+ BUT HUSBAND DEMANDED REDUCTION IN DIAGNOSTIC PRICE DUE TO THE FACT WE HAD TO DRIVE BACK INTO TOWN TO DEALERSHIP TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM FOR INCOMPETENT/UNWILLING SERVICE DEPARTMENT . VERY UNSATISFIED AND WILL BE LOOKING INTO OPTIONS AFTER SEEING TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR SEEMS TO BE ONGOING EPIDEMIC FOR MANY 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA OWNERS. HAVE ALSO HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR NOT WORKING ON FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SINCE 2009. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT OUT OF GEAR AND FAIL TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL IN REVERSE, SHIFT GEARS AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE PROPER GEAR. THE PROBLEM RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH WAS REPLACED, REMEDYING THE DEFECT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A TRAFFIC STOP. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL AWAY IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WOULD NEED TO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. *TR