Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Suzuki Forenza owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. While stopped at a stop sign, another vehicle crashed into the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the left leg, back, and waist.the contact did not receive medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. While driving 50 MPH, the contact's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and towed from the scene. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the throat, left wrist, and knee. Medical attention was required. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Back in nov 2012 I took my 2005 Suzuki Forenza in for a recall repair as suggested the recall was on the wiring harness that put the headlights on and off (I had been having trouble with my headlights popping on and off at random times) so after I obeyed the recall I noticed that the problem was fixed so in jan 12 2013 my car was sitting at a local applebees parking lot completely turned off nothing plugged in no lighters in the car just sitting there when someone ran into the restaurant and shouted "whose gold Suzuki is that? Its on fire" needless to say when I ran out the dashboard was completely in flames the fire dept came to rescue and at my request a fire investigator investigated the incident and concluded that the fire started as a result of a electrical short in the wiring harness...(yes the "recalled'' "fixed" part) the actually dealership that "fixed" the recalled part has …
I bought a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. I had no idea that these cars are so hazardous. On the second day after my purchase, the car suddenly went into reverse on the highway in rush hour traffic. I was lucky enough to get it out of reverse and coast to the shoulder. I have since found out this is an ongoing defect that, and that there are many more. I also found out that Suzuki has been made aware but sits back and does nothing about it. This car has the potential of being deadly and needs to be removed from the market so that people like me aren't forced to drive something so unsafe. I can't afford the costly repairs and I can't sell this car. I am scared to death that in one of the many stalls some one is going to hit me. It should have never been on the market to start with. I am confident that if someone hasn't already been killed because of this defective car that they will be.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. While driving 40 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The front air bags failed to deploy in both vehicles. The contact was not wearing her seat belt and struck the steering wheel. The steering wheel bent into the dashboard and struck the windshield. Both vehicles were destroyed and a police report was filed. The contact sustained facial abrasions, chipped teeth, cuts, and bruises. She did not know what injuries the driver and passenger received in the other vehicle. The rear ended vehicle struck another vehicle, which sustained minor damage. The number of persons injured in that vehicle could be three or more. The contact has pictures of both herself and her vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 52,000 updated 12-12-07. Updated
The vehicle has suffered from an intermittent airbag light for the past 10K miles but at 110K miles the light has come on and will not go off. I have attempted some of the Suzuki owners recommendations of disconnecting and then reconnecting the connectors under the seats to no avail. This appears to be a very common issue with the Forenza's and certainly a safety one.
Air bag light stays on since 07-2014 approx. 55,000 miles on car at that time. Dealer says that there is not a recall and Suzuki will not cover under warrenty, but they will be happy to take my money. There is a service bulletin # ts050115b.its a safety issue that a lot of people are having.
I got my car in February 2006, and a few months later after the car is still only a year old, the airbag light came on. It has not turned off since. I have been to the dealer four separate times, three of those times having diagnostics run. The first two times they could not tell me anything at all as to the problem, they had no idea. The third time I was told that I would need to pay for a more in-depth diagnostic to determine if the problem was in the wiring, the computer system, or the actual airbag. I refused to pay for this because my vehicle is under warranty and obviously this is of no fault of my own as the vehicle has never been in any type of accident. They told me this problem wasn't covered under warranty, but the way I see it, it is. This is a manufacturer's defect, which is obviously being experienced by many other parties. …
June 2010 air bag defect -- I own a 2005 Suzuki Forenza wagon. In May 2010 I listed this vehicle for sale only to find (through a check up) that there was a faulty air bag on the passenger side front. At the time of this discovery the car had a little less than 32,000 miles. The dealership said that it would cost $1,500/$1,600 to replace the problem seat. It was also told to me that there exist an "out of warranty assistance" program for safety related problems. After three weeks of waiting for an answer, Suzuki denied any assistance. I feel that since this is a "no maintenance safety system" (that is defective as of no fault of mine) that the airbag should be replaced or fixed by the manufacture. After all they have a 3 year - 36,000 mile warranty. (my car has 32,000 miles) how do I proceed against Suzuki before some one is injured because of a lack of safe air bag? …
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the air bag light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer who performed diagnostic testing which was connected to a scanner to retrieve codes; b1382, pass side inj. And reset to 0 high. There were unknown repairs performed at the dealer however, the air bag light remained illuminated. The manufacturer was contacted who advised that the vehicle should be taken to another service dealership. The second dealer determined that the driver side and passenger side resistance was too high. The terminals were cleaned and the cable ties under the seats were removed. After the second repair, the problem persisted. When the manufacturer was called, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to another service dealer. The third dealer implemented a temporary repair remedy, which was unknown. …
Airbag complaints in other Forenza years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Suzuki Forenza?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Suzuki Forenza, 29% of the model year's 156 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Suzuki Forenza airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Suzuki Forenza, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Suzuki Forenza airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 6 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.