Coming into a 2010 kizashi!

Introduce yourself here, also we will post links to topics we find the most valuable on the forum to help out new members.
Post Reply
stevedapirate
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 10:59 am

So long story short, mother passed two months ago, cancer and such. Real nasty. I miss her but sparing the life story.

With leftover life insurance my dad decided to pay off all their cars and make sure me and my sister had one for ourselves, im incredibly thankful.

So i got the kizashi 2010 white. 72k miles, I've never owned or even worked on one of these before or any sizuki. I've mainly been a dodge neon guy, they're cheap amd i can tear one down amd rebuild it with my eyes closed.

What can i look forward to in this little guy? What odd quirks does yours have, common issues, decent mods done to them, or even extensive engine swaps done...ive got as far as putting a v6 in a 98 neon one summer.


And lastly, what the hell do you do with a cvt? I know very little on maintenance and repair for them. All i hear is bad talk and horror stories, but thats normal woth new tech or things people aren't used to.


Thank you all! And i look forward to browsing these forums, i spent far...far...too many hours on the neon forums.
User avatar
OliverB
Posts: 104
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2018 1:32 pm
Location: Canada

Welcome!

This is a fantastic car, especially if you have an sls/sx. The list of common problem isn't very extensive. The shock absorbers tend to go out frequently (there was a recall on the bump stops) and the CVT tends to give up on life when you get into higher mileage. Someone who works on our transmission recently listed common failure points and fixes if you ever want to take that thing out. There's a well documented thread on how to change the filters and fluid as Suzuki has released a TSB despite originally claiming that the fluid never had to be serviced.

Aftermarket performance parts are pretty much limited to one company, Road Race Motorsports. They have a turbo kit for 5 grand... most other interesting items have been sold out for years as the company no longer supports Suzuki branded cars.
2007 SX4
2011 Kizashi
stevedapirate
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 10:59 am

I did just browse through that write-up on changing the oil and filter. Does not look nearly as bad as I feared it would.
User avatar
Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Hello, welcome, and sorry about your loss...it's tough especially when it's nasty as you say.

Rear shocks are the ones that go out and there's a TSB floating around for the new bump stops.
CVT fluid and filters (as opposed to engine oil and filter) is what OliverB was referring to as far as the "well documented thread" comment is concerned. If it hasn't been changed on yours, that would be the first order of mandatory business AFAIC. It's waaay overdue. CVT dies, car is junk from a dollars and cents perspective. Juice not worth the squeeze to replace it, so PM, Preventative Maint., is your friend. Few other minor PITAs things such as dealing with dead TPMS sensors (again, well documented) and the steering wheel lock no-start issue, but overall a really solid, well built and robust quazzi-sport sedan.

Read WESHOOT's several threads titled 114 Days on the lives of his Kizashis...he's currently on #3, and, there's an article on the web called something like 'Tokyo to LA the Hardway' that's a pretty interesting read.

Don't know what the other vehicle choice was, but you won't be disappointed.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
User avatar
KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Welcome.

Sorry for the loss of your mother.

As for the Kizashi, it's a significant upgrade from a Dodge Neon in refinement. However, it's not a good choice if you're looking to mod it as the car was unpopular and discontinued so aftermarket parts are very scarce. However, it's a great car by itself with better handling and composure than most others in its class, especially for the price.

The CVT is the weakest point and failures from high mileage are becoming more frequently reported. However, with preventative maintenance, you can possibly extend the life of the transmission. I'd follow Ronzuki's recommendations and replace the CVT fluid ASAP.

The others hit up on the common issues with the car such as the faulty rear shock bump stoppers and steering wheel lock module. Another complaint about the Kizashi is the thin paint that easily chips. If you have a darker color like blue, black, or red, you will likely notice it. I have a black Kizashi and even with a hood deflector, the chipping is bad. I ordered some Dr. ColorChip which I've tried on some gouges with good results. I'll try a masking of the chips the next time I detail my car. Keep in mind the paint is poor all over, including the bumpers, hood, and even the wheels. A power wash by a body shop literally caused massive flakes to come off the OE paint on the wheels of my car. They had to repaint them for free and now the wheels have the best paint on the entire car!

Again, the car is otherwise reliable and low-drama and offers a great balance of handling and comfort. I find the car great to drive whether in the canyons or on the freeway and plan to keep it as long as I can. When it's time to replace it long down the road, I will likely move on from a manual transmission and internal combustion engine.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Post Reply