TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. THE ELECTRONIC D STARTS FLASHING AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS N OVER THE D ON THE DASH. THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE UNLESS I DOWN SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR AND THE POWER TRAIN IS AUTOMATIC. *KB
2008 Suzuki Reno powertrain problems
moderate 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 11 most recent
THIS REALLY SHOULD BE ENFORCED AS A RECALL. OBD2 CODES ARE P0705 AND P0705P (TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR FAILURES). WHEN SHIFTING TO D OR R, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, YOU HEAR A LOUD VOICE AND THE CAR SHAKES, IT'S SCARY. THE FAILURE STARTS SOON AFTER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY EXPIRATION DATE. I REALIZED THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF OWNERS OF SUZUKI CARS, SHARING THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCES. IT'S A SHAME …
TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE SWITCHING GEARS, ODOMETER SCRAMBLES WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, ODOMETER READS AS BEING IN REVERSE WHEN IT'S IN PARK, AND WHEN IT SWITCHES GEARS IT SWITCHES HARD AND STRUGGLES TO ACCELERATE. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD GOING 50 MPHS THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON LOSES ALL POWER GOES INTO LUMP HOME MODE. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. 3 MONTHS LATER LIGHT COMES BACK ON TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THIS TIME IT IS THE SAME THING THEY DID A TRANSMISSION FLUSH AND REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN. 3 MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN THIS TIME ITS THE THROTTLE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI RENO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT NOTICED A WHINING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. *TR
VEHICLE LURCHED AND HOPPED OUT OF GEAR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, HE STATED THE CODE INDICATED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR WAS HAVING AN ISSUE, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I HAD IT REPLACED AT A LATER DATE. THE FIX LASTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AND THE SENSOR AGAIN WENT BAD, I JUST HAD IT REPLACED AGAIN BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE ALL OF THE ISSUES, I HAVE TO DRIVE IN 3 TO KEEP THE CAR SHIFTING AND …
DRIVING AT 50MPH AND THE CAR JOLTS INTO 4TH GEAR AND STAYS THERE. MAKING ANY TAKE OFF FROM STOP TERRIBLE. IT MUST BE VERY HARD ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THE POWER TRAIN. I HAVE REPLACE THIS PART TWICE NOW AND IT STILL CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. A RECALL IS NEEDED SEVERELY. *TR
PULLING OUT AT A RED LIGHT THE CAR HAD NO POWER LIKE IT STOPPED WORKING OR WAS OUT OF GEAR HESITATION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TRANSMISSION CODE P0705. HAD IT REPLACED AT A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN 3/28/2013 GIVEN A REPLACEMENT PART FREE. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN 4/15/2013 GOING TO SUZUKI 4/18/2013 FOR THEM TO CHECK THE CAR. STRESSING ME OUT, I HOPE I DON'T GET KILLED BE…
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THIS WILL COST + OR - 250.00. THE CAR IS STILL COVERED BY THE 100,000 MILE 10 YEAR WARRANTY AND HAS ONLY 38,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON SUZUKI RENOS AND FORENZAS. . . IS THIS A DEFECTIVE PART. IT IS DANGEROUS- *TR
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AS WELL AS THE TRANSISSION RANGE SENSOR AND THE TRANS AXLE CONTROL MODULE. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ARMS ON THE WINDSHIELD AS WELL FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAUSE THEY HAD CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAR HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME MY LIFE MULTIPLE TIMES AND IM SO SICK OF NO ONE TRYING TO FIX WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT. I KNOW THAT THEY DONT MAKE THIS MODEL ANY…
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2008 Suzuki Reno?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 12 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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