Googled on website, and found lots of people complained that the transmission range sensor is broken prematurely, which clearly indicate the such part is a defective one. My such claim was also supported by what technician told me who fixed my car as they are authorized Suzuki service dealership. He told me there is around 4-5 fix for this part out of this model around this mileage. My car is…
2007 Suzuki Forenza powertrain problems
moderate Owners of the 2007 Suzuki Forenza have filed 113 NHTSA complaints about the powertrain, typically surfacing around 58,000 miles at roughly $2,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
113
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
| Model year | powertrain complaints |
|---|---|
| 2005 Forenza | 26 |
| 2006 Forenza | 105 |
| 2007 Forenza (this page) | 113 |
| 2008 Forenza | 75 |
3crashes
When does it fail?
Of the 113 powertrain complaints filed for the 2007 Suzuki Forenza, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 4 model years of Suzuki Forenza we track for powertrain problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 113.
Powertrain accounts for 44% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 11 categories tracked.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2007 Forenza's transmission range sensor is failing systematically across the entire model year, with owners reporting initial failures as early as 14,000 miles and recurrent failures into 100,000+ miles. When the sensor fails, the dashboard gear indicator displays a slashed symbol or scrambled letters, the check engine light (P0700/P0705 codes) comes on, and the car either refuses to move or suddenly loses all power while driving—at speeds as high as 65 mph in heavy traffic.
The failure mode is dangerous: the vehicle may drop into neutral unexpectedly, lurch between gears, accelerate to only 5–20 mph regardless of pedal pressure, or run at 3,000–4,000 RPM on the highway while barely moving. Owners report near-accidents and rear-end collisions caused by slow acceleration in traffic.
Suzuki dealers acknowledge this is "extremely common"—one dealership reportedly handles 4–5 of these failures monthly—but refuse to cover the sensor under powertrain warranty. Repair costs run $215–$300 in labor plus parts, which are sold exclusively through Suzuki dealers. The real problem: replacement sensors fail again within 14 months to a few years, with some owners needing three to six replacements. One owner replaced the sensor every 14 months over seven years. A technical service bulletin exists, but no recall has been issued despite numerous owner complaints spanning years.
Same Suzuki Forenza powertrain reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Transmission Range Sensor (TRS) Malfunction
The transmission range sensor fails intermittently or permanently, causing the vehicle to either refuse to accelerate, drop to neutral unexpectedly, or become stuck in a lower gear. The instrument cluster displays a slashed gear indicator (D with a line through it, or all gears showing slashed). Check engine light (P0700, P0705 codes) typically illuminates. Failures range from occasional hesitation to complete loss of power while driving, including on highways and in heavy traffic. Multiple owners report the sensor failing repeatedly—sometimes within months of replacement—suggesting either a defective part design or an underlying electrical/wiring issue that ruins successive sensor replacements.
When: Mileage varies widely: reported failures between 14,000 and 126,000 miles; clusters around 40,000–75,000 miles. One owner replaced the sensor every 14 months over 7 years of ownership. Failures often occur when shifting from park to drive or reverse, or during acceleration on highways.
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light illuminates with codes P0700 or P0705; Gear indicator display shows slashed symbols or scrambled letters instead of correct gear; Vehicle refuses to accelerate or accelerates extremely slowly (5–20 mph maximum); Vehicle drops unexpectedly into neutral during highway driving, causing sudden loss of power and RPM surge; Hard jerking or loud clunking when shifting gears; Engine runs at elevated RPMs (3000–4000 RPM) at normal highway speeds, causing poor fuel economy; Hesitation or shuddering during acceleration, especially when hot; Difficulty shifting from reverse to drive or becoming stuck in one gear until engine is restarted
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report transmission range sensor replacement costs ranging from $215–$300+ labor plus parts. Parts are sold exclusively through Suzuki dealerships; aftermarket availability is extremely limited or non-existent, preventing owner or independent-mechanic repair at competitive prices. Multiple owners report having to replace the sensor 2–6 times, with one owner needing replacement every 14 months. One dealership reportedly services 4–5 of these failures per month on 2007 Forenzas. After initial replacement, some owners report the new sensor burns out or fails again within months. One failed repair involved wiring harness replacement at the dealership, which did not permanently solve the problem.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No factory recalls exist for this issue despite numerous complaints. One owner mentions a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) exists but no recall. Suzuki headquarters has claimed no knowledge of the issue when contacted by owners. The defective part is typically excluded from powertrain warranty coverage (e.g., one dealer quoted $300 repair but excluded from warranty; another confirmed TSB exists but no recall and no warranty coverage). One owner's warranty (3 years/36,000 miles) covered the repair with only 3,000 miles remaining on the contract.
Hard Shifting and Transmission Jerking
Owners report violent jerking, clunking, or grinding when the transmission shifts, particularly when changing from park to reverse or reverse to drive. The jerking is sometimes accompanied by loud knocking or clattering from the transmission area. This occurs intermittently and may be related to the TRS failure or a separate transmission-control issue (some diagnostics point to transmission shift solenoid failure in addition to TRS).
When: Reported at various mileages, often concurrent with TRS failure symptoms. Occurs both cold and when the car is parked for extended periods.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent jerking when shifting from park to reverse or reverse to drive; Loud clunking or knocking noise from transmission area during gear shifts; Transmission shift solenoid implicated in at least one diagnostic (complaint #2); Marked delay in acceleration after shifting; Sluggish performance and failure to progress beyond third gear
Codes mentioned: Transmission shift solenoid fault (mentioned in complaint #2, specific code not provided)
Repairs/costs cited: One mechanic-owner (complaint #2) noted that transmission range sensor and transmission shift solenoid both failed, with parts only available through dealership at costs exceeding $500 for a 1.5-hour job. No specific repair costs provided for shift solenoid alone.
Engine Stalling While Driving
Engine stalls unexpectedly while driving at speed or while attempting to shift gears. Stalling occurs in both neutral and loaded (driving) conditions. One complaint suggests the gear shaft spring fractured, rendering the vehicle unable to shift gears at all. Stalling may be secondary to TRS failure or indicate a separate electrical/fuel system failure.
When: Complaints #46 and #49–50 report stalling; complaint #40 reports gear shaft spring fracture. Mileages vary (69,000–126,000 miles).
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stalls while driving at 40–60 mph; Engine stalls while attempting to shift gears; Inability to restart immediately; requires waiting several minutes before restart succeeds; Gear shaft spring fracture, rendering transmission inoperable
Codes mentioned: P0705 (in complaint #49 context)
Repairs/costs cited: Complaint #40 mentions a mechanic advised against freeway driving due to the gear shaft spring fracture. No repair costs provided; vehicle was not repaired in that case.
Failure to Start or Start Delay
Vehicle fails to start or exhibits extreme difficulty starting after normal operation. One owner's car would not turn over at all despite battery and starter appearing functional; service lights illuminated but engine would not crank. This may be related to the TRS failure or to a separate electrical system issue triggered by TRS-related faults.
When: Complaint #1: occurred after the vehicle had driven and been parked for less than 5 minutes. No mileage specified.
Symptoms owners cite: No engine cranking despite key being turned fully; Service lights illuminate but engine does not attempt to turn over; Battery jump-start has no effect
Repairs/costs cited: Owner suspected starter but believed TRS failure was the root cause. No repair completed; complaint was submitted before resolution.
Synthesized from 113 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
Car loses power during highway driving. Seems to jump to neutral. Loss of speed and at the same time the engine will rev and RPM's will increase. This happens mostly on highway, sometimes on streets. This never happens when accelerating from a stop. This happened for weeks without a check engine light indicator on. When the light came on the mechanic said the codes(p0700 and p0705) indicate…
Transmission would sometimes slip what feels like neutral (no power) while in drive. Other times transmission would stay in drive and would not down shift auto or manual. Frequency is increasing. Cost at dealer is financially prohibitive at this time. Research indicates problem is common to this and prior year manufacture. *tr
The transmission sensor went out on my 2007 forenza at 77000 miles. This also happened to my sisters 2006 forenza at 50000 miles. The warranty says it covers engine and transmission but when we took it to the dealer, they informed us that the transmission sensor is not covered. I have done significant research and this seems to be extremely common among Suzuki cars. *tr
I have a 2007 forenza and yesterday as I was putting the car into reverse, it made a loud clunking noise. The gear selector display on the dash seemed to go haywire displaying all the letters (d, r, n, etc) with a diagonal line through it. It then went back to normal, then the "check engine" light came on. This morning as I was getting ready to take the car to autozone, it did not make any noise.…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Suzuki forenza. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated as the vehicle began to surge, shimmy and shake abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission range sensor would need to be replaced. The transmission range sensor had been replaced twice before the most…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Suzuki forenza. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle also stalled while the contact was driving in reverse. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic. The mechanic replaced the throttle body but the repair did not remedy the stalling issue. The contact called the dealer and explained the failure. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Suzuki forenza. The contact stated that the transmission would slip or would become stuck in one gear with the check engine warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission range sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the…
When operating in drive position the vehicle went into neutral with loss of traction, drive power could only be restored by selecting drive position 3. There were several subsequent occurrences of the problem one of which nearly resulted in a rear end collision. A transmission repair shop diagnosed a neutral safety / transmission position switch failure. This appears to be a repeating complaint…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2007 Suzuki Forenza?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2007 Suzuki Forenza?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 113 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 98 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 40,000 and 80,000 miles, with the median around 58,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 40,000; a quarter make it past 80,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Suzuki/Forenza.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.