My Kizashi Dilemma

If it has an S on the front you can talk about it here.
passport1
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2019 12:07 am

I enjoy all the informative posts. I have had several previous Suzuki cars and motorcycles . I think they generally make well engineered products. Like many others I think the Kizashi is perhaps the most underrated car of all times. I have a 2012 SLS awd. It has very low mileage and is pristine. I am the only driver except for my wife. It is not my only vehicle.

I appreciate how rare this car was when it was for sale and that is only getting more so. I may or may not keep it forever but occasionally I get a notion to trade it. The Kizashi has been very trouble free except for a couple of times the CVT overheated and left me motionless. My issues;

the CVT reliability
OEM parts availability
severe depreciation

What would you do?
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

the CVT reliability - do the fluid change dance and see how it behaves from there.
OEM parts availability - typical of all my Suzuki autos, at 80-some tho miles it hasn't needed anything I had to pay for except tires and a battery...no biggie. Any other car/brand, and I'd ditch it because of this perceived problem.
severe depreciation - that ship sailed 5-6 years ago, it is what it is, you own it.
rarity is a non-issue in my mind.

My situation is identical to yours 'cept mine is not exactly pristine. I'm keeping until it will no longer move on its own, or, it gets wrecked and totaled. Wife if of the same opinion regarding her SX4.
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)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

I agree with Ronzuki on the points.
The CVT can be serviced for better performance and reliability. While the automaker treated it like a "lifetime" fluid, it's now coming out that CVT fluid really should be treated like conventional ATF in terms of service life.

Parts are and will be a challenge but the internet makes things much easier. Other than for Kizashi-specific parts or accessories, it's quite easy to find the parts necessary to maintain the car. Even for genuine parts, there are some websites that specialize in Suzuki parts, including one that ships from Japan where the Kizashi was made. I think most people have a hard time finding replacement body parts rather than mechanical components.

Lastly, as Ronzuki stated, the Kizashi can't really get worse in value from this point. Suzuki left the US and Canadian market over five years ago and most people aren't even aware the Kizashi even existed. It's a vehicle with high intrinsic value and dismal resale value. It's already at rock bottom. The best thing you can possibly do with cars like these is to hang on to them if you actually like the car. If there is ever a need to sell it, you will certainly want to sell it to a private party over a trade-in. A private buyer will care far more about the unique car and its driving characteristics than a dealer who will offer you a pathetically low amount for the trade-in and then act like they did you a favor.

I personally plan to keep mine for a long time given it's reliable, rewarding to drive, painless to own, and I really can't think of other vehicles significantly better to replace it with that will be worth the extra cost. Given nearly all cars diminish in value, it makes little sense to me to ditch a satisfying car to replace it with something else that costs more as it loses its value simultaneously unless it's a necessity.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1975
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

I personally plan to keep mine for a long time given it's reliable, rewarding to drive, painless to own, and I really can't think of other vehicles significantly better to replace it with that will be worth the extra cost. Given nearly all cars diminish in value, it makes little sense to me to ditch a satisfying car to replace it with something else that costs more as it loses its value simultaneously unless it's a necessity.


Utterly this.
bdleonard
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:39 am

passport1 wrote:I enjoy all the informative posts. I have had several previous Suzuki cars and motorcycles . I think they generally make well engineered products. Like many others I think the Kizashi is perhaps the most underrated car of all times. I have a 2012 SLS awd. It has very low mileage and is pristine. I am the only driver except for my wife. It is not my only vehicle.

I appreciate how rare this car was when it was for sale and that is only getting more so. I may or may not keep it forever but occasionally I get a notion to trade it. The Kizashi has been very trouble free except for a couple of times the CVT overheated and left me motionless. My issues;

the CVT reliability
OEM parts availability
severe depreciation

What would you do?
You have a 2012, which depending on its production date may be subject to a service campaign for TCM reprogramming (campaign SQ) : http://www.suzukiauto.com/~/media/Auto/ ... %20SQ.ashx

I believe the latest TSB on CVT overheating is here: viewtopic.php?p=44646#p44646

If it is only overheating under stress, I'd replace the CVT fluid with one rated for Suzuki / Shell Green 1v / Nissan NS-2 (and ideally the external filter) See: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4657

As far as the other concerns, wear / service items (filters, fluids, belts, brakes, etc) should remain available in the aftermarket, though with more limited selection than for more popular vehicles. OEM parts may become tougher to find, but should seldom be needed and in the worst case you can use something like MegaZip to order parts from Japan. Depreciation? It has already happened, so if you like the car you're far better off financially to hold on to it.
Kilo_SSK
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2019 11:45 am

Okay, so, 2012 models should be avoided?
Because I was planning to buy a Kizashi, and of course, I want to avoid any possible issue related to it; that's why I registered on this forum.
Which other manufacturing years can be problematic? I've heard that the 2010 vintage ones have encountered issues as well.
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

:) There aren't that many years to begin with. The model is pretty much the same from 2010 to 2013. Minor ticky-tack stuff here and there. The Jatco CVT is the only real problem w/ some of the cars across the years. That and rear shocks. Some people have been having steering wheel lock issues and the useless TPMS sensors/system can be an annoying PITA. Depending on how you drive the car, it can eat tires, rears especially.
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)
bdleonard
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:39 am

Kilo_SSK wrote:Okay, so, 2012 models should be avoided?
Because I was planning to buy a Kizashi, and of course, I want to avoid any possible issue related to it; that's why I registered on this forum.
Which other manufacturing years can be problematic? I've heard that the 2010 vintage ones have encountered issues as well.
Nope, nothing in particular wrong with the 2012s. Recalls are not an indication of greater problems, just specific safety relevant issues that were identified and have known fixes. If a car (any car) has open recalls, you can make an appointment and have them taken care of for free. The only notable running change that I'm aware of in the Kizashi is that the 2012-2013 models have a slightly revised version of the CVT, compared to the 2010-2011 models.
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Like the others said, the Kizashi didn't really differ much from model year to model year. The biggest differences are in the styling (Sport models debuted for MY 2011) and packaging. Some features got added or deleted depending on trim/model year combo. Given how rare the car is, you likely can't be too picky as there isn't a big pool of Kizashis to choose from.

As for reliability, like Ronzuki said, the biggest issue with these cars is the CVT. Some with over 100K are starting to fail. These can probably be saved with new fluid changes if problems haven't started yet. Most of the other issues the car was known to have likely got remedied by previous owners given the recalls, Technical Service Bulletins, and scheduled maintenance like alignments.

If you want ultimate reliability and longevity from a Kizashi, get a 6 speed manual version like mine. I'm convinced these will run well past 200,000 miles on regular maintenance given the build quality and reliability of this car.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

KuroNekko wrote: If you want ultimate reliability and longevity from a Kizashi, get a 6 speed manual version like mine. I'm convinced these will run well past 200,000 miles on regular maintenance given the build quality and reliability of this car.
Agreed.
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)
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