2004 Suzuki Forenza

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 SUZUKI FORENZA IN JULY OF 2004. I MUST SAY IT'S BEEN OK. IN APRIL OF 2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. I TOOK IT TO HAVE IT SERVICED AT JIFFY LUBE, AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC WITH A COMPUTER TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AS IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC SHOP, WAS TOLD THE COOLANT WAS LOW, AND THEY SAW A SPOT ON THE ENGINE AND MAYBE THE ENGINE WAS SUCKING UP THE COOLANT, TO BRING IT BACK IN 2 WEEKS AND THEY WOULD CHECK THIS. IN THE MEANTIME I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND TOOK IT TO A SUZUKI DEALER AFTER I HEARD THE WORDS COULD BE AN ENGINE PROBLEM. THE SUZUKI REPAIR SHOP INITIALLY SAID, THE CAR NEEDED A COMPUTER UPDATE, AND THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SAME DAY, I PICKED THE CAR UP, AND IT WAS DRIVING WORSE THAN BEFORE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CAR WAS NOT STARTING IN THE MORNING . I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN, THE NEXT WEEK, PAID $244.00 FOR A $20.00 PART, THEY KEPT THE CAR 3 DAYS, (WAITING THE $20.00 PART TO COME IN SUPPOSEDLY), PICKED THE CAR UP ON FRIDAY 5/16, SUNDAY 5/18, SAME PROBLEM BACK AGAIN, CALLED SUZUKI DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD TO BRING CAR BACK IN AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. IN THE MEANTIME MY EXTENDED WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED (OR COURSE) AND I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET FOR OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MODEL CAR AND READ 7 PRIOR COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS MENTIONED NO ONE COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IT APPEARS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE PAYOFF OF THE CAR, AND IT NO ONE CAN FIND THE PROBLEM, HOW IS THE CONSUMER TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM. THE PRIOR COMPLAINTS ALSO NOTED THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP 4 OR 5 TIMES, STILL NO SOLUTIONS. WITH OUR ECONOMY THE WAY IT IS TODAY, ISSUES WITH OUR CARS JUST ADD TO THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIX/ADVISE/CONSULT OR SOMETHING ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS ISSUE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND CAR NOT STARTING IN THE MORNING RESOLVED. *TR

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR NOT STARTING AND THEN DYING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT A STOP LIGHT AND SUCH. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TWICE AND ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING THEY THINK IT COULD BE AND STILL WITH NO SUCCESS. I'M WORRIED THAT I COULD GET SERIOUSLY HURT AND AM MAD AT THE FACT THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. NOT EVEN THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH AND OCCASIONALLY WOULD NOT START. THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ETHANOL BEING PUT IN THE GASOLINE WAS AFFECTING THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING, BUT COULD NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. UPDATED 9/15/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON 5 OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE WAS RESET AFTER EACH INCIDENT. ON 3 OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RE ILLUMINATED AFTER 45 MINUTES, THE 4TH TIME AFTER A FEW WEEKS AND THE LAST TIME AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. *AK

THE CHECK ENGINE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND RODE ROUGHLY. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CAP WAS NOT SCREWED ON PROPERLY. THIS CAUSED AIR TO ESCAPE INTO THE CAP. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK