NHTSA Complaint #10478168 — 2006 SUZUKI FORENZA

FOR APPROXIMATELY YEAR PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT DATE INDICATED ON THIS FORM, 06/05/2012, MY VEHICLE HAS MALFUNCTIONED SPORADICALLY IN THE WAY(S) I AM ABOUT TO DESCRIBE. SINCE 6/05/2012, THE MALFUNCTION HAS OCCURRED AND WORSENED EVERY TIME I DRIVE. UPON THE INITIAL GEAR SHIFT FROM "PARK" TO "REVERSE," MY SUZUKI FORENZA JERKS. AFTER THE SHIFT, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS A "P," DESPITE BEING IN REVERSE. WHEN I SHIFT TO DRIVE, I FEEL A JERK, AND MY DASHBOARD DISPLAYS A MULTITUDE OF THINGS; AT TIMES IT REMAINS A "P," AND AT OTHER TIMES IT SHOWS "N" FOR NEUTRAL, "R" FOR REVERSE, A SIMPLE "D," OR A FLASHING "D" WITH A DIAGONAL LINE THROUGH IT. AS I PRESS THE GAS TO ACCELERATE, MY RPM'S INCREASE, THE ENGINE REVS, BUT MY CAR DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD FOR A PERIOD OF ANYWHERE FROM 10 SECONDS TO A FULL MINUTE. THE VEHICLE THEN JERKS AND SHOOTS FORWARD VERY QUICKLY, WHICH IS GREATLY HAZARDOUS AND ALARMING. ONCE MY VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON THE ROAD, A SEPARATE BUT SEEMINGLY RELATED INCIDENT OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS- I CAN BE ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET OR THE INTERSTATE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT FEELS AS IF MY CAR IS SHIFTING ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND IS STILL MOVING DUE TO MOMENTUM. ALTHOUGH I IMMEDIATELY REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, MY RPM'S SHOOT UP INTO THE 6/7 RANGE, THE ENGINE SOUNDS AS IF IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE, AND THE VEHICLE JERKS. AT THIS TIME, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SHIFTS, ALTERNATING FROM THE FLASHING "D," TO, "P," AND SO ON. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SUZUKI FORENZA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME MALFUNCTION, DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR. IT MAY BE A RELATIVELY EASY AND INEXPENSIVE FIX, BUT THAT DOESN'T LESSON THE SEVERITY. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD 4 OTHER SAFETY RECALLS THUS FAR, AND I AM ENRAGED THAT IT IS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED ENTIRELY DUE TO THIS WIDESPREAD AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION. *TR