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 PREVIO…
2008 Suzuki Forenza powertrain problems
moderate 75 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
75
Recalls
0
Crashes
2
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 13 most recent
IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS, I'VE HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL PARTS OF MY CAR THAT I DON'T BELIEVE IS PART OF REGULAR SERVICE MAINTENANCE. THERMOSTAT, COOLANT HOSE, SPARK PLUGS (TWICE IN A YEAR), BRAKE LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHT BULBS (REPLACED TWICE IN A YEAR), TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND MOTOR MOUNTS BECAUSE OF THE TCM THAT MADE MY CAR JERK ALL THE TIME WHENEVER I ACCELERATE. EITHER AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR ON …
ONE DAY, WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE, IT "CLUNKED" INTO GEAR, THE GEAR DISPLAY WAS SCRAMBLED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I SHUT MY CAR OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN, THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND IT ALSO "CLUNKED" INTO DRIVE. WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM'S WERE 5-10 HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND IT TOOK A LITTLE LONGER TO "GET UP AND GO." SOMETIMES, MY CAR WIL…
THE TCM SWITCH ON MY 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER OF 2010 AND WAS FOUND BY AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER FOR SUZUKI AS BEING DEFECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT IT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SWITCH ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO FAIL ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE AT TIMES. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO THE SUZUKI DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR WITHIN 30 DAYS OF BUYING THE CAR AND COM…
HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. $140 FIX BETWEEN PARTS AND LABOR. OF COURSE IT WASN'T UNDER THE 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE RANGE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WORK NORMALLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE THE DEALER REPAIR…
TRANSMISSION REGULATION SENSOR - CAR JUMPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. DANGEROUS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS PUT ON MACHINE AND GOT A PO700 AND PO705 WHICH REQUIRED A SENSOR WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON A BRAND NEW CAR. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN DONE ON THIS BECAUSE MY WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THIS DO TO NOT BEING INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO SUZUKI'S RULES.
COMING HOME LATE NIGHT AROUND 2ISH, WAITING AT A REDLIGHT MY CAR DOES A SUDDEN JERK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND IM IN DRIVE (FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL) BUT IN THE DASH THE GEAR STARTS FLASHING AND INDICATING I WAS IN NEUTRAL BUT I WASN'T. LIGHT TURNS GREEN I GO TO PRESS DOWN ON THE ACCELERATION AND MY CAR SEEMED LIKE IT BARELY WANTED TO DRIVE, AS IF IT NEEDED A PUSH. I DIDN'T DRIVE MY CAR FOR T…
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 AGAI…
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2008 Suzuki Forenza?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 75 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?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
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.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. 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.
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