Suzuki Sedan Range

Transmissions that are sealed for life always seem like a pretty big statement of faith from a manufacturer, don’t they? Unfortunately, that faith sometimes seems to be misplaced, at which point the car-maker has to issue a service bulletin and change the rules, usually after a number of failures. And automatic or CVT transmissions are a classic case.

That’s exactly what happened to Suzuki in the USA when it issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to cover the US-market version of your car after enough owners reported CVT problems, usually in hot weather when the unit would start to act erratically. The TSB included the new information that, if the car was used in tough conditions, perhaps a CVT fluid change every 50,000km might not be a bad idea.

Given that Australia has similar levels of ambient heat to the US, I don’t think that’s bad advice for an Aussie Kizashi owner, either. Plenty of other car-makers have had to change their recommendations mid-stride, so it’s not just a Suzuki thing. But as any transmission specialist will tell you, heat kills automatics and CVTs, and that starts with a break-down of the fluid which, as well as providing the drive, also cost and lubricates the transmission. For the sake of the few dollars involved, I’d have the fluid in my CVT changed every 50,000km.

There are still plenty of great small cars around within your budget, Agnes, and they all have good safety packages (or we wouldn’t recommend them). Look at offerings such as the Suzuki Swift Navigator (with the optional autonomous emergency braking) for around $17,000 (plus on-road costs) or the Kia Rio S at around $19,000 or Kia Picanto S (one size smaller than the Rio) at closer to $16,000. Both the Kias also feature the brand’s excellent seven-year warranty, capped-price servicing and free roadside assistance which is great peace of mind.

The Volkswagen Polo is a classy drive but a little more expensive at closer to $21,000 for the 85TSi Comfortline. Actually, to be honest, you’ve missed the boat on bargain small cars by a couple of years. Firm favourites such as the Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 have both been updated relatively recently and have recorded big price jumps in the process. The cheapest Yaris with an automatic transmission is now around $23,000 (it was less than $17,000 back in 2018) while the Mazda 2 Maxx went from being a sub-$17,000 proposition in 2018 to a $23,000 car by the time you add an automatic transmission in 2020.

It is likely to be the fuel vaporising after you turn the engine off, it’s called hot soak. Look for anything that might be causing the fuel to heat up and vaporise anywhere between the fuel tank and the engine.

Check the fuel pump; also make sure the fuel return line is working.