NHTSA Complaint #10508295 — 2008 SUZUKI FORENZA

SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS GOING BACK 4 YEARS. CAR HIT 80000 MILES AND THE TRANS RANGE SENSOR WENT OUT. CAR GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" BECAUSE THE COMPUTER THINKS THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT, WHEN THE REALITY IS A BAD SENSOR NOT AN ACTUAL MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THAT AND THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES OCCURS JUST AS CAR IS STARTED AND PUT IN GEAR, AND SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON WITH EACH INCIDENT OR NEW STARTING OF THE VEHICLE.) THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT BECAUSE IT IS IN LIMP MODE, YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE QUICKLY AND THE CAR MAY EVEN ROLL BACKWARDS ON HILLS IF YOU HAVE TO STOP, AS HAPPENED TO ME THIS MORNING WHILE TAKING SON TO SCHOOL, HAD TO HOLD THE BRAKE AND REV THE (AUTOMATIC!) ENGINE UNTIL I FELT IT PULLING TO MAKE IT UP THE HILL. CAN SOMETIME STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AND ISSUE GOES AWAY. HAVING A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT AFTER 7 YEARS OF COMPLAINTS A RECALL HASN'T ALREADY BEEN ISSUED SINCE THIS IS AN OBVIOUS BLATANT DEFECT. *TR