2004 Suzuki Forenza Engine Problems

I OWN A 2004 SUZUKI FORENZA AND THIS CAR IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM. IT OVER HEATS EVERYONE I DRIVE IT WHICH IS DAILY. IT STARTS ONLY WHEN THE MOTOR IS SOMEWHAT COOL. THIS CAT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED MANY TIMES. LIKE AT THE MOMENT THE CAR HAS OVER HEATED AND I'M PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF HWY 26 HEADING TO PORTLAND. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAT TO MY MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES AND UPON ITS RETURN WITHIN DAYS THE CAR IS DOING THE SAME THING. THE STEERING IS A MESS. THE CAR IS ALL OVER THE ROAD I'VE TAKEN IT TO LESSCHWAB 4 TIMES GOTTEN TWO ALIGNMENTS WITHIN A 2 MONTH PERIOD AND STILL CAR DOESN'T DRIVE RIGHT. I'VE REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET,,STARTER,BATTERY,TIRES, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THIS IS NOT AD DEPENDABLE CAR. I'M 60 MILES FROM HOME AND WONDERING HOW I'M GONNA GET BACK HOME. THANK YOU SUZUKI

NHTSA ID

10954448

Incident

Feb 14, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,520. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10775351

Incident

Sep 23, 2015

Mileage

40,520 mi

I BOUGHT MY CAR USED AND IT HAS A NEW TRANNY, CV AXLES AND EVERYTHING THE ONLY THING ORIGINAL IS THE ENGINE. SO I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE O2 SENSORS TWICE AT $60 EACH. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TPS SENSOR, THERMOSTAT AND HOUSING, IGNITION COIL, BATTERY, STARTER, FUEL PUMP AND ALTERNATOR. ALL BECAUSE I KEPT GETTING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON AND THROWING CODING ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND THE CAR STILL STALLS WHEN I STOP AT A STOP LIGHT AND RUNS AND IDLES ROUGH. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1500 FIX THIS PROBLEM AND IT STILL EXISTS I DID ALL THE WORK MYSELF I HAVE WORKED ON CARS MY WHOLE LIFE AND AM A MECHANIC. EVERY MECHANIC I TAKE IT TO CAN BOTH FIND THE PROBLEM AND SUZUKI CAN'T GIVE AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10713790

Incident

Apr 30, 2015

Mileage

110,244 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUZUKI FORENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMELLED SMOKE AND NOTICED FIRE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

NHTSA ID

10653510

Incident

Jul 1, 2014

Mileage

74,000 mi

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 SUZUKI FORENZA IN JULY OF 2004. I MUST SAY IT'S BEEN OK. IN APRIL OF 2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. I TOOK IT TO HAVE IT SERVICED AT JIFFY LUBE, AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC WITH A COMPUTER TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AS IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC SHOP, WAS TOLD THE COOLANT WAS LOW, AND THEY SAW A SPOT ON THE ENGINE AND MAYBE THE ENGINE WAS SUCKING UP THE COOLANT, TO BRING IT BACK IN 2 WEEKS AND THEY WOULD CHECK THIS. IN THE MEANTIME I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND TOOK IT TO A SUZUKI DEALER AFTER I HEARD THE WORDS COULD BE AN ENGINE PROBLEM. THE SUZUKI REPAIR SHOP INITIALLY SAID, THE CAR NEEDED A COMPUTER UPDATE, AND THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SAME DAY, I PICKED THE CAR UP, AND IT WAS DRIVING WORSE THAN BEFORE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CAR WAS NOT STARTING IN THE MORNING . I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN, THE NEXT WEEK, PAID $244.00 FOR A $20.00 PART, THEY KEPT THE CAR 3 DAYS, (WAITING THE $20.00 PART TO COME IN SUPPOSEDLY), PICKED THE CAR UP ON FRIDAY 5/16, SUNDAY 5/18, SAME PROBLEM BACK AGAIN, CALLED SUZUKI DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD TO BRING CAR BACK IN AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. IN THE MEANTIME MY EXTENDED WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED (OR COURSE) AND I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET FOR OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MODEL CAR AND READ 7 PRIOR COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS MENTIONED NO ONE COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IT APPEARS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE PAYOFF OF THE CAR, AND IT NO ONE CAN FIND THE PROBLEM, HOW IS THE CONSUMER TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM. THE PRIOR COMPLAINTS ALSO NOTED THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP 4 OR 5 TIMES, STILL NO SOLUTIONS. WITH OUR ECONOMY THE WAY IT IS TODAY, ISSUES WITH OUR CARS JUST ADD TO THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIX/ADVISE/CONSULT OR SOMETHING ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS ISSUE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND CAR NOT STARTING IN THE MORNING RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10228171

Incident

Apr 9, 2008

Mileage

60,000 mi

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR NOT STARTING AND THEN DYING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT A STOP LIGHT AND SUCH. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TWICE AND ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING THEY THINK IT COULD BE AND STILL WITH NO SUCCESS. I'M WORRIED THAT I COULD GET SERIOUSLY HURT AND AM MAD AT THE FACT THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. NOT EVEN THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209683

Incident

Nov 22, 2007

OUR CAR KEEPS CUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS BEEN INTO A SUZUKI DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES AND IS NOW IN FOR A 5TH TIME (ALL IN 2 MONTHS). IT HAS CUT OFF IN AN INTERSECTION, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10197146

Incident

May 31, 2007

Mileage

35,821 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH AND OCCASIONALLY WOULD NOT START. THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ETHANOL BEING PUT IN THE GASOLINE WAS AFFECTING THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING, BUT COULD NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. UPDATED 9/15/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID

10165030

Incident

Aug 9, 2006

Mileage

27,400 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON 5 OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE WAS RESET AFTER EACH INCIDENT. ON 3 OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RE ILLUMINATED AFTER 45 MINUTES, THE 4TH TIME AFTER A FEW WEEKS AND THE LAST TIME AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10158128

Incident

May 23, 2006

Mileage

23,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH CONSMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. ALSO, IT WAS HARD TO DOWN SHIFT THE GEARS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10117248

Incident

Mar 21, 2005

Mileage

5,000 mi

THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON ITS OWN. THE AIR BAG CHECK LIGHT IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON AFTER THIS OCCURRED. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED BY CONSUMER. *NM

NHTSA ID

10113036

Incident

Feb 24, 2005

THE CHECK ENGINE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND RODE ROUGHLY. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CAP WAS NOT SCREWED ON PROPERLY. THIS CAUSED AIR TO ESCAPE INTO THE CAP. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10110913

Incident

Feb 4, 2005

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10099870

Incident

Sep 19, 2004

Mileage

135,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN. *MR THE CONSUMER REQUESTED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE COMPUTER. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10089124

Incident

Aug 1, 2004