NHTSA Complaint #10288862 — 2005 SUZUKI FORENZA

I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND IT NOW HAS 37,500 MILES. I BARELY DRIVE IT AND KEEP IT GARAGED AND REGULARLY MAINTAINED. AFTER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY EXPIRED AND WHEN IT PAST THE 36,000 MILES (WARRANTY EXPIRED BEFORE MILEAGE REACHED) I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE HARD DOWNSHIFT AND HESITATING SHIFTS UPWARD (REACHES OR GOES ABOVE 3000 RPMS BEFORE IT SHIFTS). THESE HARD SHIFTS ARE MOSTLY BETWEEN 30-20 MPH AND ALSO OCCUR BETWEEN 5-20 MPH BUT SOMEWHAT SOFTER BUT STILL EASILY NOTABLE. THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY IS FOR 100,000MILES/7YRS SO I TOOK IT THE DEALER AND TOLD HIM MY COMPLAINT. RIGHT OFF THE BACK THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REALLY CHECK IT OUT AND THAT ALL THEY COULD DO IS DRIVE. ALSO, HE TOLD ME THAT MY WARRANTY (BUMPER TO BUMPER) EXPIRED AND THAT IF THE GUY HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT IT WAS OTHERWISE I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $80+$8 TAX FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THAT IF IT IS ANYTHING ELECTRICAL WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT IT WASN'T COVERED. OF COURSE AS I EXPECTED HE DIDN'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND TOLD ME TO SCHEDULE THE $88 DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT SUZUKI FORENZAS ARE KNOWN FOR DOWNSHIFTING HARD BUT I TOLD HIM THAT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT BEFORE THE 36,000 MILE MARKER. I CAME BACK HOME THOUGH WITHOUT MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS APPOINTMENT AND READ MY WARRANTY DETAILS. UNDER "...WHAT IS NOT COVERED" FOR POWERTRAIN, NO WHERE DID IT SAY TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICS, INFACT IT COVERS 'TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE' WHICH IS AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER TRANSMISSION PARTS! I GUESS THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM SINCE HE TRIED TO CONVINCE THAT IS NORMAL AND THAT HE RIGHT OFF THE BACK TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T COVER TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICS AND THAT THERE IS A CHARGE OF $88 FOR DIAGNOSIS. AFTER READING SOME OF THE POWERTRAIN COMPLAINTS ONLINE, IT SEEMS LIKE SUZUKI KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE A BIG PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS AND ARE WAITING UNTIL WARRANTIES EXP. *TR