Your vehicle report
2008 Suzuki Forenza
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 152
- Received Aug 2008 to Sep 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips18 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking12 complaints · 7.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on11 complaints · 7.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V262000Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 10 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 8 |
| 2010 | 9 |
| 2011 | 20 |
| 2012 | 14 |
| 2013 | 33 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 17 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 152 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 12% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 12 | 7.9% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 7.2% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 10 | 6.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 5.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #14V262000 |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 6 | 4.0% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 3 | 2.0% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 3 | 2.0% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 3 | 2.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V262000May 19, 2014184,244 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module.
If the heat generated within the headlamp switch or DRL module located on the left side of the steering column melts the headlamp switch or DRL module, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy
Suzuki will replace the signal switch and add a jumper relay kit and will replace the DRL Module in teh instrument panel harness. Suzuki distributed to owners an interim letter on July 30, 2014. The recall began October 29, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is XA.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2008 Suzuki Forenza.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN