2008 Suzuki Reno Problems: Transmission / driveline (23 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Suzuki Reno is Transmission / driveline (39% of 23 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 23 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Suzuki Reno?

9 of 23 filings named Transmission / driveline (39% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (3 reports).

There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 55 reports on file; this year has 23. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Suzuki Reno

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 9 complaints · 39.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 9 of 23 owner complaints (39.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 9 complaints, 39.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 9 · 39.1% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 13.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 · 13.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 13.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 3 · 13.0% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 2 complaints, 8.7% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 2 · 8.7% Engine (ENGINE): 1 complaints, 4.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 · 4.4% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 4.4% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 4.4% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 1 complaints, 4.4% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 crash reports 1 · 4.4% Steering (STEERING): 1 complaints, 4.4% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 · 4.4% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 1 complaints, 4.4% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 · 4.4% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 2 complaints, 8.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 · 8.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 9 39.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 13.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 13.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 8.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 1 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 4.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 1 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 8.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2008; the first recall shown was reported in May 2014. 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2008 Oct 2017 Recall campaign 14V262000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V262000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 3
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 14V262000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 14V262000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 23 complaints · page 1 of 1
2017-11-27Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11048799
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH THE RANGE SENSOR ON MY 2008 SUZUKI RENO. I REPLACED IT LAST YEAR WITH A NEW ONE AND FAILED JULY 2016. I REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE. NOW ITS LATE NOVEMBER AND AGAIN PROBLEMS WITH THE RANGE SENSOR AGAIN!!!!!!!!! AFTER RELACING IT WITH A NEW ONE IN JULY 2017 THAT'S 4 MONTHS AFTER AND I NEED TO REPLACE AGAIN??? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE LOOKED THIS UP AND THERE ARE ALOT OF ISSUES WITH RANGE SENSOR ON THE RENO'S. I'M UNEMPLOYED AND NOT GETTING ANY BENEFITS CAN'T BE RELPACING THIS PART OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!! THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS!!!!!!!!!! THIS HAPPENS WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON AS I GO INTO DRIVE MODE I FEEL A JOLT/TUG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I COULD BE DRIVING THEN I FEEL A TUG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT UP. ALSO WHEN I TRY TO SPEED UP IT FEELS SLUGGISH IT DOES NOT PICK UP LIKE IT NORMALLY DOES. JUST YESTERDAY I WAS BRAKING AS I CAME OFF THE EXPRESSWAY AND I FELT THAT TUG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT POPS UP AND MY STOPPED!!!! WTH IF I HAD A CAR IN BACK OF ME THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT!!!!!!!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?? WHEN I REPLACE THE RANGE SENSOR THE TEETH ON THE SENSOR ARE ALL SCUFFED!!! THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF. NORMALLY I TURN MY CAR OFF WAIT A WHILE START IT BACK UP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IF OFF.
2017-04-17Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10978974
CrashFireInjuryDeath
A COUPLE DAYS AGO THE TIMING BELT BROKE ON MY GM-DAEWOO 2008 SUZUKI RENO. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS JUST UNDER 130,000 THOUSAND AND HAS BEEN VARY WELL MAINTAINED. THE BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE WITH A GATES TIMING BELT AT ABOUT 100,000 I BELIEVE. THEREFORE MEANING THE BELT BROKE WITH JUST UNDER 30,000 THOUSAND MILES ON IT, WHICH IS WAY BEFORE THE MANUFACTURE OEM CHANGE INTERVAL IN THE SERVICE GUIDE. I UNDERSTAND THE ENGINE IS A GM FAMILY 2 SERIES ENGINE 2.0 D-TEC 4CYLNDER DOHC I THINK THE ENGINE CODENAME IN THESE ENGINES IS A U20SED/ L34. AS FOR THE BELT, IT JUST SNAPPED BESIDES FOR WHERE IT HAD SNAPPED AND BROKE ITS IN GOOD SHAPE, NO RIPS, TEARS ETC.. JUST WONDERING IF GM IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, I NOT TRYING TO COMPLAIN BUT HONESTLY I FEEL THAT SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG HAD HAPPENED TO MY CAR AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT ABOUT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE FORUM PAGES ONLINE, YOUTUBE VIDEOS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAD GONE THROUGH ALL THE RECALLS AND SERVICE BULLETINS AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAVING TO DO WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED(THE BELT BROKE ON MY CAR AS WELL AS MANY OTHER RENO AND FORENZA VEHICLES. MAYBE THE TIMING SYSTEM WAS POORLY DESIGNED, MANUFACTURING DEFECT ? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO THNK THE TENSIONER MAY HAVE FAILED. I KNOW THIS IS AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE IT HAS ZERO COMPRESSION AND SO IT LIKELY HAS SOME BENT VALVES WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO HAVE THIS TAKEN CARE OF? ALSO THERE'S ONLY ONE SUZUKI SERVICE DEALER THAT'S STILL OPEN IN MY AREA, AS FOR THE RECALL IT HAS I AM PLANNING TO GET IT REPLACED, I CONTACTED THAT DEALER A WHILE BACK AND I AM PLANNING TO GET THAT FIXED VERY SOON. THE VIN FOR THE VEHICLE IS [XXX] I AM IN THE UNITED STATES, I LIVE ACROSS THE WATER FROM SEATTLE BUT IN CANADA I BELIEVE THESE WERE SOLD AS THE CHEVY OPTRA 5 THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2016-07-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10883702
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I TOOK MY CAR IN TO FIND OUT WHY THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ON BY THE CLOCK AND ON MY DASH. COME TO FIND OUT THE PART THAT I NEED TO FIX IT IS HARD TO FIND AND THAT THE PART IS ALSO BAD. IN ORDER TO FIX MY PROBLEM IT WILL COST ME $2500 TO FIX IT. SO I THINK I WILL WAIT TILL IT GETS RECALLED ALONG WITH THE AIRBAGS. SO NOW NO ONE CAN SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT!!
2016-03-20Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 10850665
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AS WELL AS THE TRANSISSION RANGE SENSOR AND THE TRANS AXLE CONTROL MODULE. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ARMS ON THE WINDSHIELD AS WELL FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAUSE THEY HAD CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAR HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME MY LIFE MULTIPLE TIMES AND IM SO SICK OF NO ONE TRYING TO FIX WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT. I KNOW THAT THEY DONT MAKE THIS MODEL ANYMORE BUT THIS CARE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE AND NOT EVERYONE CAN BUY A NEW CAR AT THIS TIME SO WE ARE LEFT TO FIX THE MISTAKES OF THE MAKER.
2015-11-14Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 10790371
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THIS REALLY SHOULD BE ENFORCED AS A RECALL. OBD2 CODES ARE P0705 AND P0705P (TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR FAILURES). WHEN SHIFTING TO D OR R, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, YOU HEAR A LOUD VOICE AND THE CAR SHAKES, IT'S SCARY. THE FAILURE STARTS SOON AFTER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY EXPIRATION DATE. I REALIZED THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF OWNERS OF SUZUKI CARS, SHARING THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCES. IT'S A SHAME SUZUKI CHARGES $500 TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TO VIRTUALLY EVERYONE. ON THE INTERNET EVERYONE COMPLAINS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS ONLY 20,550 MILES. IT REALLY SHOULD BE MANDATED AS A RECALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
2014-10-19Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 10648656
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE SWITCHING GEARS, ODOMETER SCRAMBLES WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, ODOMETER READS AS BEING IN REVERSE WHEN IT'S IN PARK, AND WHEN IT SWITCHES GEARS IT SWITCHES HARD AND STRUGGLES TO ACCELERATE. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Suzuki Reno?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 9 of 23 reports (39%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Suzuki Reno?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Suzuki Reno?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources