Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Suzuki Forenza problems

Owners filed 152 complaints about the 2008 Suzuki Forenza with NHTSA between Aug 2008 and Sep 2022. The most-cited component is power train (79).

Complaints
152
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
10
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train79
  2. Electrical system32
  3. Air bags32
  4. Engine22
  5. Vehicle speed control18
  6. Exterior lighting10
  7. Engine and engine cooling7
  8. Steering4
  9. Seat belts4
  10. Tires4
  11. Service brakes3
  12. Wheels3
  13. Equipment3
  14. Seats2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20082
20098
20109
201120
201214
201333
201430
201517
201611
20174
20182
20191
20200
20210
20221

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

79 reports2 crashes1 fire
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 25, 2022Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 11486246

Electrical system

32 reports6 fires
“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 YARD OR MY APARTMENT COMPLEX. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOWED THE CAR TO DAN VADEN CHEVROLET, WHERE I HAD BEEN CONTACTING THEM FOR TWO WEEKS REGARDING THE PART I GOT A NOTICE ON ABOUT THE RECALL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2017Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11025101

Air bags

32 reports8 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2017Power train, Air bags, SeatsODI 11006019

Engine

22 reports1 crash
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 20, 2019Power train, Exterior lighting, EngineODI 11208565

Vehicle speed control

18 reports4 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND FAILED TO RESPOND AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS AND THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,844. UPDATED 6/11/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS. UPDATED 7/16/2015*JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 8, 2015Power train, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10704488

Exterior lighting

10 reports4 fires1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 24, 2018Exterior lightingFire reportedODI 11113326
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.