Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 1001257 | 10021296 | Customer satisfaction campaign water pump pulley inspection. *kb | 04/02/2007 | ||
| 0808106 | 10020472 | Evaporative emission system continuous purge flow. ecm software could cause unnecessary illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp. suzuki. *kb | 10/26/2006 | ||
| 0610245 | 10017456 | Oil leak from drain plug. *tt | 11/08/2005 | ||
| 0306035 | 10016836 | Vehicles with manual transmission may exhibit a high idle (2000+r.p.m.) for up to ten seconds when coming to a stop with the clutch released. *tt | 10/12/2005 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 06/17/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| After first purchasing the car, there were problems accelerating and then car failed. power steering had to be fixed, timing belt replaced. a few months later speakers started to go in and out, radio lights come on and off, etc. in 2010 headlights failed. being a broke college student i rode with my brights for almost a year until i looked up the recall online and got that fixed at the dealership. 2011 replaced speakers, still don't work on entire right side of car and back of driver side. one speaker works, very weak and sometimes goes out completely. interior lights go in and out. started to leak oil, had to have head gasket replaced under warranty, then had to have radiator hose replaced. 2012 timing belt pops, engine damaged costing almost $2000. today december 2012, radiator cracks all the way open in the middle of holiday traffic. terrible horrible car to be a 2005. seems like i can't go a month without something else going wrong. feels unsafe at all times! *tr | |||
| 11/05/2011 | 89000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 suzuki forenza. the contact was driving approximately 45-50 mph when the vehicle stalled and abruptly came to a stop. the contact received whiplash from the jerking motion. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised him that the engine bearings had seized and the idle pulley failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileage was approximately 89,000. | |||
| 11/05/2011 | 89000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 suzuki forenza. the contact was driving approximately 45-50 mph when the vehicle stalled and abruptly came to a stop. the contact received whiplash from the jerking motion. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised him that the engine bearings had seized and the idle pulley failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileage was approximately 89,000. kmj | |||
| 11/05/2011 | 89000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 suzuki forenza. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 to 50 mph when the vehicle stalled and the driver received whiplash from the jerking motion. the vehicle was towed to a dealer and they advised him that engine beariungs had locked and the idle pulley had failed. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 89,000. tb | |||
| 04/30/2009 | 35000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 53000 | 3 | 02/20/2005 |
| This is a rough draft of the letter i will be sending to suzuki: i bought my suzuki forenza in february of 2005. i have taken my car three times to suzuki of west broward for an oil leak. the first time they told me that i had an aftermarket oil filter (from meineke). i had my doubts that this was the problem. i authorized that they change the oil filter. when i brought my car home it was still leaking. i was charged $28.04 for the service that didn't solve the problem. i brought the car back and it was diagnosed as having a porous oil pan. i was not refunded (nor offered to be refunded) my $28.04 for the oil change and filter change. the parts were not in stock and i was told that they would arrive the same week. they arrived the following tuesday afternoon. the oil pan was replaced. the car was still leaking oil. i took it a third time and they could not determine the cause. they said there was a recall on the vehicle. besides the oil leak, the power steering has been making a humming sound when i would turn the steering wheel. this problem i took to bill seidles suzuki in miami. i was told that the rack and pinion was dirty. this seemed to work for some time but now there is still a lower hum. before these two setbacks, there were minor problems that arose after the 36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty was expired. a bulb went out in the dash and the fog-light bulbs would continuously burn out. i believe this is a grounding problem in the car that produces interference on the radio directly related to my acceleration of the car. after the first year of owning this car, it has been problem after problem. i have noticed that the service centers for suzuki in south florida are of the poorest quality. there is no attention and it seems that parts are never available at the facilities for repairs. i am extremely disappointed with the performance of suzuki and the customer service of the company. | |||
| 03/15/2005 | 5 | 01/11/2005 | |
| 2005 suzuki forenza stalled without warning. consumer would like it replaced under lemon law. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle would shift back and fourth while driving. the dealer found internal transmission failure. while driving, the engine would loose power. the dealer found the brake light sticking from the switch. *jb | |||
| 08/02/2006 | 39000 | 1 | 04/16/2005 |
| While driving the car i noticed the car started making a loud noise. i asked the opinion of a mechanic who stated that the noise was coming from the motor, and he was more likely sure that it was something called lifter. the next day i took the car to the car dealer and left the car there so they can find the problem. a whole week passed by and they still didn't know what was wrong with the car. when i finally got in touch with the parts department they stated that they needed to bring a technician to diagnose the problem. finally after 3 days i still didn't receive a call to inform me what was going on i called myself. i called the service manager and he stated that the car needed a certain liquid to clean the motor. another week passed by and i still hadn't received a call from them. so once again i called them, this time he stated that the car needed a motor due to lack of maintenance in other words no oil changes. i brought out to his attention that on my windshield there was the sticker showing the last time i changed the oil and when was the next time it needed a oil change. i also stated that in the locked compartment he should find receipts of past oil changes. he stated that the motor expense has to come out of my pocket even though the car is under warranty. at this point i don't know what to do, i am missing hours of work due to no transportation, i have to walk and catch the bus when i have no need being that my car is under warranty and the problem it has should be covered. i feel i am not treated fair. i have heard about many similar problems regarding this vehicle from other customers. they too have been lied to and not helped what so ever. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 25000 | 1 | 09/03/2005 |
| I took my car into the dealership in the beginning of january 2008 for the 2 safety recalls to be repaired. the very next day my car struggled to shift 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears. i called the dealership and told them what was going on and they set up an appointment for the next day. they drove the car and said it wasn't doing anything. so, i left the dealership and my car continued to do this. my car progressively got worse with the engine revving high and not wanting to shift gears. it eventually began jerking violently when trying to shift all gears! i made another appointment with suzuki on february 26, 2008 and drove the car while the manager rode along with me. my car was having a very mild day as far as the jerking and hard shifting and only did it once while he was with me. they reset the computer part of the transmission and sent me on my way. well, the very next day the car went right back to it's old way of jerking and shifting hard. on march 1, 2008 i was pulling out from a side road onto a main road and my car did not want to go! the engine just revved very high and wouldn't shift gears! i didn't know what to do other than to floor it! it eventually shifted gears and went on down the road. now that i am doing a little more research i see that others are having similar problems (odi 10211177, odi 10145983, odi 10144874). i really feel like suzuki is just trying to hold off until i pass the 36,000 mile mark so they don't have to worry about it. this vehicle is unsafe to drive and the dealership in my area does not give loaner cars anymore because of insurance liability reasons. well, this is my only vehicle so i don't have a choice but to drive an unsafe vehicle. i really thought suzuki's customer service was much better than this! *tr | |||
| 04/10/2007 | 15000 | 6 | 10/29/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2005 suzuki forenza with a current mileage of 18,000 miles. the contact stated that once the vehicle pasted the 15,000 mile mark it had difficulty starting in cold weather. the contact stated that when the temperature was below 20 degrees the vehicle would not start. once the vehicle started under these cold conditions it would stall while driving at any speed. the contact had the vehicle taken to the dealer, but they were unable to find out what had been causing the problem. *ak | |||
| 02/26/2006 | 113 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine lamp illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer numerous times. the dealer replaced the transmission and a sensor in the engine; however the problem remains. | |||
| 12/22/2005 | 5 | 06/22/2005 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/04/2005 | 2 | 06/08/2005 | |
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 02/15/2006 | 9770 | 1 | 08/25/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/22/2005 | 5 | 06/22/2005 | |
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 09/18/2006 | 1 | 1 | 09/09/2005 |
| I tried to renew my tags but was denied pending verification of completion of manufacturers recall. i bought this car new from a dealer 09/05. i called suzuki with the vin. they had all the correct information on record but i was never notified of this recall which effects the smog system of my car. they told me on the phone there is an open recall on my 2005 suzuki forenza, recall #dg. it involves the fuel vapor valves, so obviously california won't issue me tags until it is fixed. you don't even list this recall on your site and you are the representatives of the us government! why do you not list it? suzuki told me to check your site to confirm the recall. i can't trust either suzuki or the nhtsa? please research this and update your site today. *jb | |||