The Suzuki Forenza has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2004–2008. On average a defect was admitted 4.93 years after the car was built, the slowest took 10 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 698 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Suzuki Forenza
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 3 Read
What's wrong. Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module
Risk. If the heat generated within the headlamp switch or DRL module located on the left side of the steering column melts the headlamp switch or DRL module, there is an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Suzuki will replace the signal switch and add a jumper relay kit and will replace the DRL Module in teh instrument panel harness. Suzuki distributed to owners an interim letter on July 30, 2014. The recall began October 29, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is XA
What's wrong. Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module
Risk. If the heat generated within the headlamp switch or DRL module located on the left side of the steering column melts the headlamp switch or DRL module, there is an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Suzuki will replace the signal switch and add a jumper relay kit and will replace the DRL Module in teh instrument panel harness. Suzuki distributed to owners an interim letter on July 30, 2014. The recall began October 29, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is XA
What's wrong. Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Forenza vehicles, and 2005-2008 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2003, through July 30, 2008. In the affected vehicles, heat may be generated in the headlamp switch or daytime running light (DRL) module which could melt the headlamp switch or the DRL module
Risk. If the heat generated within the headlamp switch or DRL module located on the left side of the steering column melts the headlamp switch or DRL module, there is an increased risk of a fire
Fix. Suzuki will replace the signal switch and add a jumper relay kit and will replace the DRL Module in teh instrument panel harness. Suzuki distributed to owners an interim letter on July 30, 2014. The recall began October 29, 2014. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934. Suzuki's number for this recall is XA
Seat Belts 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the front seat belt tongue will not latch into the buckle and, in rare cases, even the locked tongue will pop out by low stretching force. If the buckle does not latch completely, the buckle could release without pressing the release button
Risk. These buckle malfunctions, which could prevent a person from using the seat belt or could cause the seat belt to fail to function as designed, can increase the risk of injury in a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger seat belt buckles with the improved part free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2007. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the front seat belt tongue will not latch into the buckle and, in rare cases, even the locked tongue will pop out by low stretching force. If the buckle does not latch completely, the buckle could release without pressing the release button
Risk. These buckle malfunctions, which could prevent a person from using the seat belt or could cause the seat belt to fail to function as designed, can increase the risk of injury in a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger seat belt buckles with the improved part free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2007. Owners may contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Forenza and model year 2005-2006 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 23, 2003, through March 7, 2006. Increased resistance due to poor contact between the terminals of certain wires can generate heat that can melt the splice pack used to connect the power circuit wires for the headlamps. This can result in intermittent or total loss of low/high beam headlamp function
Risk. If the headlamps fail to function, this will lead to reduced driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Suzuki will notify owners, and Suzuki dealers will reconnect the affected wires with two heat-shrink crimps, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 25, 2012. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-877-697-8985
What's wrong. Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Forenza and model year 2005-2006 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 23, 2003, through March 7, 2006. Increased resistance due to poor contact between the terminals of certain wires can generate heat that can melt the splice pack used to connect the power circuit wires for the headlamps. This can result in intermittent or total loss of low/high beam headlamp function
Risk. If the headlamps fail to function, this will lead to reduced driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Suzuki will notify owners, and Suzuki dealers will reconnect the affected wires with two heat-shrink crimps, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 25, 2012. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-877-697-8985
What's wrong. Suzuki is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Forenza and model year 2005-2006 Reno vehicles manufactured from September 23, 2003, through March 7, 2006. Increased resistance due to poor contact between the terminals of certain wires can generate heat that can melt the splice pack used to connect the power circuit wires for the headlamps. This can result in intermittent or total loss of low/high beam headlamp function
Risk. If the headlamps fail to function, this will lead to reduced driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Suzuki will notify owners, and Suzuki dealers will reconnect the affected wires with two heat-shrink crimps, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 25, 2012. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-877-697-8985
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger cars, the dual stage driver's air bag deploys in an improper sequence
Risk. If the driver's air bag deploys improperly during a frontal vehicle crash, the driver could be severely injured or killed
Fix. Dealers will install an adapting wiring harness. Owner notification began on october 30, 2003, to verona vehicle owners. All forenza vehicles were repaired at the port of entry. There are no owner notifications necessary for the forenza model vehicles. Owners should contact suzuki at 1-800-934-0934
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.93 years |
| Slowest campaign | 10 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 57.1% |
| Campaigns on record | 6 |
Which Forenza years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2007 | Seat Belts | |
| 2006 | Seat Belts | |
| 2005 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2004 | Air Bags |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Suzuki Forenza have?
6 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2004–2008. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Forenza still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.93 years, and the slowest campaign came 10 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.