Suzuki Forenza won't shift problems

Filed Sep 23, 2014 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 61,500 miles · FL

Gears started shifting on their own, and at times did not shift at all...thank god I was already arriving home when it suddenly jumped into park, bringing the car to a screeching halt, at this point I was already slowing down to get into the driveway. This happened after I had a 1hrs drive on a highway, it would have been a huge accident if this would have happened while on the road. Since this happened, I did my research online and found out this is a very common problem with this vehicle. The bad part is the transmission range sensor. I since then had the car inspected by a mechanic and read the codes p0700 and p0705 that is for that part.

Filed May 25, 2014 · Electrical, Transmission · 104,000 miles · TX

When trying to shift from park to reverse the vehicle jumped and would not accelerate out of drive. When trying to accelerate forward it took a massive amount of power to go 10 MPH. The vehicle will not shift properly and the check engine light will not stay on while the problem is occurring.

Filed Mar 30, 2014 · Transmission · 147,000 miles · AL

The transmission feels like it is slipping it will not shift gears and will not go above 20mph without the car bucking and kicking like it is fixing to shut off. It only does this when the car is not hot. Changed the range sensor and that was the problem.

Filed Oct 15, 2013 · Engine, Transmission · 99,120 miles · MO

I will be driving and the shift gear will automatically shift into another gear. Or I can start the car and the gear will not go into drive and it will not go forward. I have called about getting this fixed and I was told that alot of complaints has been made for this problem on this type of car, and it is very dangerous...this will cause a automatic accident if not death.

Filed Aug 10, 2013 · Acceleration, Engine · 78,000 miles · NC

While sitting at a stop sign, I decided I was a little to far into the road. I shifted into reverse and noticed it shifted really hard. I put it into drive and pulled out onto the road - again it shifted hard. When trying to speed up, the car wouldn't shift out of 1st gear, the check engine light came on and I couldn't speed up. I've been told it is a bad transmission range sensor.

Filed Jul 17, 2013 · Acceleration, Transmission · 42,677 miles · TX

The car will not shift correctly. Displays a scrambled message on the dash information console. Dangerous almost caused me to be struck and killed by a 18 wheeler. Something must be done by this. Is a serious problem.

Filed Apr 15, 2013 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · TN

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.

Filed Feb 5, 2013 · Acceleration · 55,000 miles · GA

I noticed after purchasing the car with 40,000 miles on it after owing the car for 5 months I put the car it reverse and it made a loud clunk when it was shifting in gear and repeated the same noise when putting the car in drive. After putting the car in drive the car would not accelerate like it was not shifting into gear. The issue has persisted and I had my brother, a licensed mechanic look at the car and he determined that it is a sensor in the transmission causing the problem. The car will not shift into gear until it reaches 45mph until it shifts into gear the rpms will jump like the car is straining to get into gear. After researching the problem I have learned that a lot of suzuki owners have this same problem.

Filed Jan 21, 2013 · Transmission · 19,000 miles · VT

My first exp. With this problem happened as I was backing out of a parking space . I put the car in reverse and it went back, but I put in drive it would not move, so I put in 3rd gear and it move forward slowly until put in drive again and it worked. Second time a was driving about 40 MPH and all of a sudden the car goes into neutral and I lose power , again I put in 3rd and power catches luckily no one behind me to slam into me. I took it to the dealer and asked if there had been a recall on this problem ,they said no but would check it out for 90 dollars! They could not reproduce the problem and didn't do anything. Third time tonight 1-20-13 im leaving work and the car gets me to the grocery sore alright, but leaving for home it goes from drive to neutral and no power again put it 3rd and I get home driving 15 MPH .when trying to park it wont go into park I have to put in neutral ,turn key off and hand brake . Turned the car back on to see if it would work right and all I would get was a slash over the p and the d.

Filed Nov 13, 2012 · Acceleration, Transmission · 103,000 miles · FL

I thought my vehicle was stalling but the engine was still running and my tachometer was accelerating. It would stop while I was driving and the engine would rev,I tried to move but could not. I drive a busy highway speed limit 65, I had to pull off the road so I would not get hit by a semi. One day pulling out of my community, accelerating at 45mph the vehicle just stopped in the middle of two lanes, another vehicle swerved to avoid a crash. A police officer pulled over, I explained the car just stopped. He saw the symbol flashing on dash, a rectangle with line through it. Went home in 3rd or 2nd gear, that symbol is not in manual. Had a diagnosis and only o2 sensor I was having replaced. I received recall notice from suzuki . I was scared to drive the car but had no choice, so drove slow in 3rd or 2nd, when d failed again. I had appointment for recall repairs, while at dealership was asked if I had trouble with the shifter going into gear, I said it had been happening,that I tried to get it checked, it didn't show on diagnostic performed earlier and it was dangerous. They said I need a transmission range sensor, they could fix it. I wanted to take it elsewhere, to save but I was scared to death to drive it. They said they have been seeing this in forenza's. This is dangerous, life threatening issue. There are tsb's issued and have been incidents like mine and nothing has been done. Someone is going to cause a huge accident if they have not already, would anyone even know if a car is burned up or completely wrecked? I did contact american suzuki to advise them of my problem so they would have it on record. I advised them that before this dangerous situation developed the shifter was getting stuck in park and that I had reported that to the original dealer and was told they could find no problem so nothing was done.