2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport

I OWN A 2001 ISUZU RODEO SPORT WITH ABOUT 144,000 MILES ON IT WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN JULY 2001. THE REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES IN SOME AREAS AND THE LOWER LINK SUPPORTS ARE ALSO RUSTING OFF. I CALLED ISUZU MOTORS AMERICA OWNERS RELATION DEPARTMENT (800) 255-6727 AND SPOKE TO KAREN WHO INDICATED THAT SHE IS THEIR 'NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER' IN ANAHEIM CA. (KAREN WOULD NOT PROVIDE HER LAST NAME, STATING THAT SHE IS THE ONLY KAREN EMPLOYED BY ISUZU(?), NOR WOULD SHE ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE WHEN I ASKED). KAREN INFORMED ME THAT ISUZU ALONG WITH THE NHTSA HAVE DECIDED THAT THEIR RECALL CAMPAIGN # 10V436000 DOES NOT INCLUDE RODEO SPORTS, EVEN THOUGH THE SPORT IS LISTED ON THE ODI REPORT. (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE09030). SHE STATED THAT THE FRAMES ARE DIFFERENT ON THE RODEO SPORT VS. THE REGULAR RODEO (I ALSO OWN A 2003 RODEO LS). WHEN I ASKED HER WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS, SHE COULD NOT TELL ME. WHEN I ASKED HER WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN MATERIALS USED WAS, SHE COULD NOT TELL ME. SHE PRETTY MUCH WAS NOT CARING OF MY COMPLAINT AND DID NOTHING MORE THAN TAKING MY NAME AND TELLING ME THAT SHE'LL OPEN A FILE AND TELLING ME NOT TO EXPECT ANYTHING ELSE TO HAPPEN. I SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS HERE FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON RODEO SPORTS AND WONDER WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS. WHY ARE THEY ONLY COVERING THE RODEO AND NOT THE RODEO SPORT?? THE WHOLE EXCUSE ABOUT DIFFERENT FRAMES IS A MOOT POINT SINCE THE RODEO SPORT FRAME IS ALSO RUSTING THROUGH. WHY DO WE, AS CONSUMERS HAVE TO LOSE THE USE OF OUR VEHICLES BECAUSE OF POOR QUALITY MATERIALS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE MAINTAINED MY RODEO SPORT VERY WELL AND EXPECTED TO DRIVE IT AT LEAST 200,000 MILES OR MORE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE INTEREST OF US CONSUMERS BY ISUZU AND THE NHTSA. I HOPE TO HEAR BACK ABOUT A SUITABLE RESOLUTION SOON. *TR

I OWNED A 2001 ISUZU RODEO THAT I JUST HAD TO GET RID OF BECAUSE OF THE FRAME ROTTING IN HALF. I AM NOW IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAVE TO HAVE CAR PAYMENT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FRAME, I WOULD STILL HAVE THE ISUZU BECAUSE MECHANICALLY IT WAS FINE BUT IMAGINE MY HORROR WHEN THE GARAGE TOLD ME I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE FRAME ROTTING IN HALF. *TR

MY BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. IN THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES AND ON THE NEXT OCCASION, THE REAR BRAKES. THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE OF A NEAR ACCIDENT WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE AND IT FAILING TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. EVENTUALLY STOPPING. THE NEXT TIME, IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T STOP UNTIL I HIT THE BACK OF A MINIVAN, THEN A SEDAN AND SUV CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. WHEN I GOT MY BRAKES REPLACED AFTER THAT, I ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN LESS THAN A BLOCK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. THEN DRIVING TO WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES STILL WEREN'T RESPONDING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY, AND HAD THE MECHANIC DRIVE AROUND AND DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME. HE FELT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. IT KEPT HAPPENING. I PRESS DOWN ON THE BRAKE. IT STIFFENS UP, THEN MAKES SOME CLICKING SOUNDS, AND THE CAR JUST GLIDES, I.E. KEEPS ON MOVING. THAT IS NOT SAFE!! I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR OR TAKE ANY LONG DISTANCE TRIPS BECAUSE OF THE APPREHENSION OF MY BRAKES FAILING AS USUAL. FINALLY, I WENT BACK ONCE AGAIN TO THE MECHANICS AND EXPLAINED WHAT EXACTLY THE BRAKES ARE DOING, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE THINKS THAT IT IS THE "BRAKE SENSOR" DUE TO THE RUST AROUND IT. AND THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE ON THESE MODEL SUVS. SO FOR THE PAST YEAR, I CAME IN THERE WITH SENSOR "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT (2X), AND BRAKE PROBLEMS (2X) BOTH OF WHICH CAUSED ME TO NOT GET AN INSPECTION PASS UNTIL THEY WERE FIXED. I THINK THAT IT ALL HAD TO DO WITH THE SENSOR NOT WORKING ON MY BRAKES. I JUST SAW AN INVESTIGATION DONE ON MY LOCAL NEWS STATION ABOUT THE BOTTOMS OF THESE SUVS COMING APART WITH NO WARNING. ONE WOMAN EVEN PULLED SOMETHING OFF WITH HER BARE HANDS. I BOUGHT MY CARE IN 2001 WITH 9000 MILES ON IT. I DID NOT NOTICE UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER, THAT THE BOTTOM JOINTS SHOWED A LOT OF RUST. I WAS SHOCKED AND EMBARRASSED. I ASKED ABOUT THE RUST THEN AND CONTINUE TO, AND THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS, THAT'S LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND. BUT I GOT THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR USED. ALREADY RUSTED. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 RODEO SPORT, V-6. THERE APPARENTLY IS A FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT. THE GAS GAUGE DOES WORK PROPERLY, MOVING ON IT'S OWN, EVEN IF THE TANK IS FULL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND CONTINUES TO STAY ON AS THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES. OCCASIONALLY, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SHOW FULL, UPON FILL UP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO OFF BUT AS THE FUEL LEVEL DROPS, THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE STARTS TO FLIP OUT, MOVING FROM FULL TO EMPTY AND BACK TO FULL AGAIN, IT CAN SHOW ANY AMOUNT OF FUEL AT ANYTIME. AS SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE POINTED OUT, ISUZU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. ALL BET THERE IS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, BY REPLACING THE SENDING UNIT, THIS INVOLVES DROPPING THE GAS TANK AND REMOVING THE FUEL PUMP AND REPLACING THE SENDING UNIT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT EASY FOR THE WEEKEND MECHANIC WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS. I ALSO HAVE A OIL PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO LEAKS OF THE ENGINE BUT ABOUT EVERY 1500 MILES, I USE 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS FROM OTHER OWNERS. APPARENTLY, ISUZU DOESN'T CONSIDER THIS AN ISSUE UNTIL IT BECOMES A QUART EVERY 1000 MILES. THERE IS NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE EXCESSIVE USAGE, EXCEPT FOR BLOW BY OR BURNING IT IN THE CYLINDERS. THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY ISUZU, THERE IS NO REASON WHY AN ENGINE, WHICH I HAVE OWNED AND SERVICED REGULARLY SINCE NEW, SHOULD BE BURNING OIL LIKE THIS. THE TAILPIPE IS CLEAN AND THERE IS NO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE AND AS I HAVE ALREADY STATED THERE AREN'T ANY LEAKS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LOSS OF OIL. THIS HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND RODEO I HAVE OWNED AND THE FIRST NEVER USED ANY OIL. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OIL USAGE IS NORMAL BUT NOT EVERY 1500 MILES ON A NEW ENGINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ISUZU RODEO SPORT. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 70 MPH, THE LOSS OF POWER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND THE CONTACT CROSSED OVER FIVE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SAFETY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS SENSOR FAILURE AND THEY REPLACED THEM SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE HARNESS AND WIRING BE REPLACED FOR THE ENGINE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE REPAIR COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $1,100. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. UPDATED 3/17/09*LJ ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. UPDATED 03/17/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ISUZU RODEO SPORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY UNCONTROLLABLY WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. A MECHANIC INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE TORQUE WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 52,000.