Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Not sure if you can tell us what to do but we bout a 2005 Suzuki Forenza last April for our 18 year old for graduation and we only bout it for $1200 and was never told about a recall at all. Long story short my son was about to leave one night and within a matter of minutes of him leaving he runs in the house yelling his car is on fire so we ran out put the fire out and then looked it up and found a recall on the part that caught fire. Headlamp switch drl module. Thanks god he was not driving down the street or the other cars or house caught fire. So after I put in the ven number and find this info within a week we received a recall letter from Suzuki. Now my question is will this get paid for like the wiring that got burnt up and who pays to get it to another town to get fixed? …
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 …
Dear NHTSA - I really appreciate your agency in the us and world. You do great work for the value of safety! So, I received safety recall notice in the mail from Suzuki and I called the Suzuki headquarters to find out where/how to get it fixed. They told me to call this 1 dealer in oahu since I am on oahu to get the recall repair done. When I called that specific dealer, the dealer refused to fix it stating that they didn't have all the equipment and tools or some other reason. All they could do was put my name on a list. Then, when I called Suzuki headquarters to confirm this inability to fix my recall, Suzuki repeated the dealer info and phone number and told me that my problem was something else. They didn't believe me when I told them the dealer wasn't fixing it! I told them that their process was not accurate and Suzuki headquarters stated that there was nothing they could do. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. Two weeks after the vehicle was purchased, the service engine light illuminated frequently. The vehicle was returned to the dealer for repair. The dealer could not find any failures the first time. Two weeks later, the light illuminated again and the vehicle jerked during acceleration. The vehicle was returned to the dealer so the computer component could be updated. One week later, the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. A fire report was filed. The contact received a recall notice regarding the failure after the fire occurred. The powertrain and recall number were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 15,000. Updated 01-10-08.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power while driving through an intersection. The contact stated that the vehicle also experienced an issue with starting. The dealer (germain Toyota of naples, 13315 tamiami trail n, naples, fl 34110) was contacted, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The manufacturer was notified. The contact noted that the vehicle operated as intended prior to being repaired per NHTSA campaign numbers: 14V262000 (exterior lighting) and 12V397000 (electrical system, exterior lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. On January 29, 2007 the interior of the vehicle caught on fire in the steering column while she tried to start the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. The fire department stated that the cause of the fire was electrical. There were no warning indicator lights on the instrument panel during or prior to the fire. Also, there was no prior maintenance worked performed on the vehicle. The current and failure milege were 32,000. Phone interview update (8-May-2007): the complainant indicated that the high beams headlights often came on instead of the low beams.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. The contact stated that there were exposed wires near the steering wheel and the dashboard was not secured. In addition, the contact stated that the interior trunk light remained illuminated. As a result, the battery was replaced by the contact on more than two occasions. The contact stated that the failures occurred after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V262000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 111,125.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. While the vehicle was parked, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition as it remained in the off position. In addition, the air bag warning light illuminated. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Suzuki Forenza. The contact stated that after the vehicle was being serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V262000 (exterior lighting), the daytime running lights began to flicker. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Fuse for engine cooling system blew and caused the radiator to blow into pieces. Replaced radiator, replaced both cooling system fans, checked relays, 3 different mechanics have looked at it and cannot figure it out. It has gotten so bad that now it blows the cooling system fuse as soon as you turn the key to start the car.
Electrical complaints in other Forenza years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Suzuki Forenza?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Suzuki Forenza, 24% of the model year's 156 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Suzuki Forenza electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.