Model year record

2008 Suzuki Forenza recalls & problems

The 2008 Suzuki Forenza has 1 safety recall and 152 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train (80 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints152filed by owners

Crashes · fires14 · 10reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths8 · 0reported in complaints

2008 Suzuki Forenza in an NHTSA crash test — NHTSA crash test

Safety recalls

Exterior lightingMay 19, 2014

Headlights

Recall 14V262000184,244 vehicles

Problem: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module.
Risk: If the heat generated within the headlamp switch or DRL module located on the left side of the steering column melts the headlamp switch or DRL module, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Suzuki will replace the signal switch and add a jumper relay kit and will replace the DRL Module in teh instrument panel harness. Suzuki distributed to owners an interim letter on July 30, 2014. The recall began October 29, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is XA.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2008 Suzuki Forenza 4-DR. w/SAB

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2008 Suzuki Forenza 4-DR. Wagon w/SAB

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Forenza

23mpg combined

City / highway	20 / 28 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,900/year to fuel

Forenza

22mpg combined

City / highway	19 / 28 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel

Forenza Wagon

22mpg combined

City / highway	19 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel

Forenza Wagon

22mpg combined

City / highway	19 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Power trainAutomatic transmission	80	2	1	0	60,000 mi
Electrical systemWiring › Fuses and circuit breakers; Instrument cluster/panel	33	0	7	0	55,050 mi
Air bagsFrontal; Side/window	32	8	0	8	44,417 mi
Engine	22	1	0	0	72,422 mi
Vehicle speed control	18	4	0	0	67,520 mi
Exterior lighting	10	0	4	0	80,121 mi
Engine and engine coolingExhaust system	7	0	0	0	49,700 mi
TiresPressure monitoring and regulating systems	4	0	0	0	31,500 mi
Seat belts	4	0	0	0	58,230 mi
SteeringHydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections	4	0	2	0	95,000 mi
Wheels	3	0	0	0	91,000 mi
Unknown or other	3	0	0	0	60,000 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Electrical system
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.
Jan 5, 2022
Engine
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…
May 1, 2019 · 95,566 miles
Exterior lightingFire
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING OUT THE DASHBOARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AN UNKNOWN DEALER STATED THAT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT MODULE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT THOUGHT OTHERWISE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,121. THE VINE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Jun 17, 2018 · 80,121 miles
Engine
"TAKATA RECALL" GEAR SHIFT KEEPS SLIPPING AND MAYBE THE CAUSE OF NEEDING A NEW TRANSMISSION. HAD TO TURN CAR OFF IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE GEAR SLIPPED. WHEN CAR WAS IN DRIVE A SYMBOL POPPED UP WITH A D WITH A LINE THOUGH IT! TOOK IT TO O'REILLY AND PUT IT ON MACHINE ABOUT 3WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND IT READ SOME CODES ABOUT GEAR AND TRANSMISSION AND AN EMPLOYEE THERE SAID GEAR SLIPPING COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS!
May 14, 2018 · 129,000 miles
Electrical systemFire
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND SMOKE STARTING TO COME INSIDE THE CAR FROM THE DRIVER SIDE VENTS. I PULLED OVER AND LET THE SMOKE AIR OUT AS I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. ON THE TOW TRUCK AT THE POOLER PARKWAY EXIT OFF OF I-16, THE CAR ALARM WAS GOING OFF, THE LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER PULLED OVER, RAN TO THE CAR ON THE TOW TRUCK BED, OPENED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND SAW FLAMES ENGULFING THE PANEL UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. HE GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS IN THE CAB OF THE TOW TRUCK. CAR WAS THEN CONSIDERED A LIABILITY, THEREFOR WAS NOT ALLOWED AT THE TOW TRUCK…
Sep 20, 2017 · 120,000 miles
Electrical systemFire
THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNING THE ENTIRE DASH ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME AND HAD BEEN SITTING UNOCCUPIED FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. THE SMOKE FROM THE ELECTRICAL FIRE BLACKENED THE WINDOWS ON THE ENTIRE CAR. THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALL OTHER GUAGES ON THE DASH WERE COMPLETELY MELTED AND THE DASH BURNED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FIREWALL. IT APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN OR RIGHT AT THE STEERING WHEEL.
Jul 27, 2017
Air bags
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…
May 26, 2017
Service brakes
MY CAR START AND DRIVE WHEN I DROVE AND THEN STOP HARD BY ITSELF LIKE BRAKE. I COULD NOT KEEP PRESS GAS WHEN ITSELF STOP HARD. ON ROAD.
Jul 11, 2017 · 113,448 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.