AI Damage2008 Suzuki Reno: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Suzuki Reno filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 23
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 52% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 26% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 22% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (52% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 6 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 5 complaints (22% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When a 2008 suzuki reno about 30 miles went into a skid from being broadsided, it turned around and hit a pole cement pillar on the drivers side front finder by tire, the seat belt did not do any thing I went up engines door and roof and back down and stained neck ,, seat belt did nothing to stop the flying up and out…
The vehicle jerked forward and began to accelerate automatically. The contact applied the emergency brake, but the acceleration continued. She struck the preceding vehicle and damaged the passenger side of her vehicle. Prior to the crash, the vehicle began to automatically accelerate when the engine was started.
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.
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.
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.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the head lights suddenly malfunctioned and stopped operating. The contact indicated while driving at night only the high beam lights would operate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
My car suzuki reno 2008 was parking at my driveway and it caught fire under the driver steering column. The day after I reported the incident to suzuki motors corp and three days after I received in the mail a safety recall "xa".
Vehicle lurched and hopped out of gear. I took the vehicle to the mechanic, he stated the code indicated the transmission range sensor was having an issue, not covered by warranty. I had it replaced at a later date.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,735 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Reno has 43 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 23, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Suzuki Reno?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, vehicle speed control, engine. Total complaints: 23. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (30%), jerking, harsh shifts (13%), airbag warning light (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Suzuki Reno?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Suzuki Reno from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.