The 2008 Suzuki Reno is one of two of the maker's models covered by the new recall.
It’s been gone from the U.S. market for two years but Suzuki is still facing the safety-related callback of 184,000 vehicles, the latest maker tagged by what has been dubbed the automotive recall crisis.
The Japanese maker’s Forenza and Reno models could experience fires as a result of problems with defective lighting modules. The problem is actually linked to a recall announced this week by General Motors which built the Forenza and Reno models for Suzuki.
The problem is the result of excess heat generated by the two vehicles’ headlamp and daytime running light modules. That could melt some of the lighting components and lead to a possible fire. The recall covers Suzuki Forenza models produced between 2004 and 2008, and 2005 to 2008 Reno models.
Those compact models were produced in Korea by Daewoo, the General Motors subsidiary now renamed GM Korea. The two Suzuki vehicles share most of their components with the Chevrolet Aveo and Pontiac Wave and G3 models sold in North America, and the Chevy Optra sold in some U.S. territories. Those products are covered by two recent GM recalls.
The Detroit maker has announced a total of 29 safety-related callbacks since the beginning of the year covering more than 13.5 million vehicles sold in the U.S., and 15.8 million worldwide. That includes more than 285,000 vehicles due to the lighting problem.
(Click Here for details about GM’s latest recalls.)
GM said it is “aware of some fires” in the vehicles covered by the lighting recall, “but no injuries or fatalities.” Suzuki has not said if it has experienced any fires in the vehicles sold under its brand.
Suzuki first entered the U.S., albeit indirectly, in 1985, providing a 3-door hatchback sold by GM as the Chevrolet Sprint. It soon launched its own distribution network and debuted with the Suzuki Samurai, one of the first imported compact SUVs. But the maker never was able to grow beyond a small niche player and American Suzuki Motor Corp. filed for bankruptcy and abandoned the U.S. automotive market in November 2012, though it has continued to offer other products, such as motorcycles, ATVs and marine products.
(For more on Toyota’s three new recalls, Click Here.)
But under U.S. law, automakers are required to continue covering safety-related problems even if they pull out of the market.
Suzuki says it is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a plan to make repairs at no cost to owners.