Tl* the contact owns a 2008 suzuki forenza. While driving 25 MPH, the contact noticed smoke and flames coming out the dashboard on the driver's side of the vehicle while the daytime running lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries. An unknown dealer stated that the daytime running light module caught on fire and needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that the vehicle was repaired, but the contact thought otherwise. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,121. The vine was not available.
2008 Suzuki Forenza: fire, smoke or burning smell
8 of the 152 complaints about the 2008 Suzuki Forenza describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 99,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 1 service bulletin covers this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
I was driving home from work and smoke starting to come inside the car from the driver side vents. I pulled over and let the smoke air out as I called a tow truck. On the tow truck at the pooler parkway exit off of I-16, the car alarm was going off, the lights were flashing, and the car was completely filled with smoke. The tow truck driver pulled over, ran to the car on the tow truck bed, opened the driver side door and saw flames engulfing the panel under the steering wheel. He grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire and disconnected the battery. During this time, I was in the cab of the tow truck. Car was then considered a liability, therefor was not allowed at the tow truck yard or my apartment complex. The tow truck driver towed the car to dan vaden chevrolet, where I had been contacting them for two weeks regarding the part I got a notice on about the recall.
The car was parked in the driveway. It spontaneously caught on fire, burning the entire dash on the drivers side. The car is a total loss. The car was not running at the time and had been sitting unoccupied for a couple of hours. The smoke from the electrical fire blackened the windows on the entire car. The speedometer and all other guages on the dash were completely melted and the dash burned all the way back to the firewall. It appears to have started in or right at the steering wheel.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 suzuki forenza. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel caught fire without warning. The contact pulled over and was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,448.
My headlights all of a sudden stayed on even after the car had been turned off, and I felt a lot of heat coming from underneath the steering wheel on the left side; there was a small relay or module so hot you couldn't even touch it; I had to the headlights fuse off and let it cool down. I proceeded to take the module off and unplug it, did some research and found out that there was a recall on this module called the dlr module. I contacted the dealer but even though they have the part in stock to fix and replace this module, they refused to take care of it, saying that they still didn't have the part to fix this issue and I would be contacted by mail when they did. They're willing to sell you the part but they won't replace it. They just don't want to take responsibility! I asked to have someone from customer service call me, but they haven't. I was lucky to find the root of the problem in time, otherwise it would had caught on fire. This issue needs to be addressed immediately. Please help.
I just received a recall letter from suzuki concerning a fire possible starting in the lights....I am very concerned due to smelling a burning smell for a while now when I am driving ! ...I cannot afford a new car this is my only car what do I need to do? ...I have to drive two hours to work and back everyday does anyone know when suzuki will fix the problem?? Thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 suzuki forenza. The contact stated that while parked, the daytime running lights would not turn off and caused the battery to drain. In addition, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v262000 (steering) but did not confirm if the vehicle was included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 suzuki forenza. The contact stated that while parked, smoke started to emit inside of the vehicle and flames emerged from under the left side of the steering column. The flames spread through the entire vehicle. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician stated that the fire could have been caused by a wiring malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2008 Suzuki Forenza fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2008 Suzuki Forenza?
8 of 152 owner complaints about the 2008 Suzuki Forenza (5%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2007.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Suzuki Forenza?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Suzuki Forenza
Check engine light 46Airbag light 16Jerking 13Harsh shifting 11Transmission failure 11Slipping 9Headlights 8Stalling 8Hesitation 6Won't shift 6
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Suzuki Forenza?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history