1999 Isuzu Trooper

I OWN A 1999 ISUZU TROOPER WITH AROUND 77000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I AND MY FAMILY ENJOYED THE VEHICLE UNTILL ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO (10-03) WHEN, ON A 250 MILE RUN FROM SAN ANTONIO TO MY HOME, WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS, STRANGE SOUNDS OR ROUGH RUNNING, I HEARD A LOUD WHINE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, EVERYTHING LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR A SECOND AND THEN WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. AFTER A LONG. HOT WAIT AND AN EVEN LONGER TOW, I HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED UP TIGHT AS A DRUM AND THAT THERE WAS AROUND 1 QUART OF OIL IN THE PAN. DURING MY OWNERSHIP OF THE TRUCK, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE DIPSTICK WOULD OCCASIONALLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY READ LOW - BUT IT NEVER VISIBLY BURNED ANY OIL. I CHALKED IT UP TO A 'DIPSTICK MALFUNCTION' AND KEPT UP WITH MY OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. I HAVE OWNED MANY CLASSIC AND HIGH PERFORMANCE VEHICLES IN THE PAST AND AM A STICKLER FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS THAT MY PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN DONE INCORRECTLY - BUT MY OWN DILIGENCE IN CHECKING THE OIL PRIOR TO MY TRIP AND ADDING A NEEDED QUART STEERED ME AWAY FROM THAT AS A SOLUTION. NOW, AFTER AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT ENGINE FOR THE TRUCK ONLINE, I FIND THAT I'M NOT ALONE BY ANY MEANS. BEING OUT OF WARRANTY (JUST) LEAVES ME WITH THE BELIEF THAT I WILL JUST HAVE TO EAT THE COST OF GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE ROAD, BUT I FEEL THAT, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR STORIES OUT THERE, ISUZU SHOULD PONY UP AND ASSIST THOSE WHO CAN PROVE THEIR STORIES. AFTER 1 FULL YEAR WITHOUT A SECOND VEHICLE AND MINUS THE INITIAL $159 FOR TOWING AND INITIAL DIAGNOSIS, MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY BEING RE-DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED AT A TRUSTED FACILITY AFTER A SECOND COSTLY TOW. INITIAL ESTIMATES HAVE INDICATED THAT IF A REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS REQUIRED, I WILL BE OUT AROUND $3000-$4000 FOR THE ENGINE PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $1000-$2000 IN LABOR. I WILL LODGE A SECOND REPORT ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED INDICATING THE ACCURATE TOTAL BILLING.

1999 TROOPER WITH 3.5L ENGINE. AFTER 60,000 MILES I NOTICED THAT AT REGULAR OIL CHANGE INTERVALS, @3000 MILES, THAT THE ENGINE WAS BURING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, I DROVE FROM ST.LOUIS TO KANSAS CITY, ABOUT 240 MILES ONE WAY. ON THE RETURN TRIP, 60 MILES FROM HOME, THE TROOPER SIEZED UP. NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO LOW OIL LIGHT, IT JUST QUIT. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER IN ST.CHARLES AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT HAD HARDLY ANY OIL IN THE CRANKCASE AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUINED. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER AFTER LISTENING TO THE PRICE FOR AN ENGINE FROM THE DEALER $9500 AND REBUILT ENGINES THAT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS BECAUSE BLOCKS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, I WITH THE AID OF A MECHANIC FOUND A TROOPER THAT HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND REPLACED THE OLD ENGINE WITH ONE THAT HAD AROUND 72K MILES ON IT. IT BURNS THE SAME AMOUNT OF OIL!!!!!!! I CHECK IT WEEKLY AND ADD TO IT ABOUT THE SAME. ISUZU NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS PIECE OF CRAP. I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND NOW I COULDN'T GET RID OF THIS THING FOR 1/25TH OF WHAT I PAID FOR IT, EXCEPT TO SOMEONE LOOKING FOR PARTS FOR THEIR SOON TO BE BROKEN DOWN 1999 TROOPER.

I HAVE A 99 TROOPER WITH 70K MILES ON IT. THE ENGINE STARTS TO BURN OIL AND NOW IT BURNS 5 QUARTS OF OIL WITHIN 3 MONTHS. NO WARNING LIGHT. I HEARD THE TICKING SOUND. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE, I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS BONE DRY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENS. LAST TIME IT RUNS OUT OF OIL IN 4 MONTHS. I DO OIL CHANGE ON A REGULAR 30K MILES BASIS AND I DO OTHER MAINTENANCE TOO. I FEEL I AM RISKING LOSING THE ENGINE ANY TIME IF I DON'T CHECK THE DIPSTICK EVERY WEEK. THIS IS AWFUL. ISUZU SHOULD RECALL THIS MODEL OR AT LEAST DO SOMETHING. IT IS SO UNFAIR FOR CAR OWNERS LIKE ME.

I BOUGHT A 1999 ISUZU TROOPER IN FEBRUARY WITH ALMOST 45,000 MILES. MY WIFE AND I HAD OUR BABIES IN FEBRAUARY AND THIS WAS TO BE HER CAR. ON JULY 3 THE ENGINE BLEW. THE CAR AT THIS POINT HAD 47,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAD A 5 YEAR, 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST $7,000 TO $8,000 TO GET A NEW MOTOR. I HAVE SINCE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT QUITE A FEW TROOPER'S HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, WHEREBY THE ENGINE EITHER LOSES ALL OF IT'S OIL VERY QUICKLY OR USES IT AT A RATE IT SHOULD NOT. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 ISUZU TROOPER THAT HAS A CHRONIC OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. I HAD THE DEALER REPLACE PISTON RINGS AT 22,000 MILES BUT IT DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE PROBLEM. NO, I AM NOTICING A NUMBER OF TROOPER OWNS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM OR EVEN WITH ENGINES THAT HAVE SEIZED FROM A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PROBLEM. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL ISUZU SERVICE REP IN NEW JERSEY AND HE FINALLY OWNED UP TO THE FACT THAT MY PARTICULAR YEAR HAS A KNOW ENGINE DEFECT THAT WILL CAUSE IT TO BURN OIL. I BURN IT AT A RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES TO A QUART OF OIL. THE REP HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD REPLACE THE ENGINE BUT WITH THE REPLACEMENT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE I WOULD GET BETTER THAN 1000 MILES PER QUART OF OIL. *LA

1999 ISUZU TROOPER PURCHASED NEW. BEGAN EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION BETWEEN OIL CHANGES AROUND 50K MILES. REGULARLY TOOK A QT OF OIL EVERY 1K MILES. OIL AND FILTER CHANGED EVERY 3K. DEALER SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL OIL USE FOR THIS ENGINE. AT 128K ENGINE FAILS 4 HRS FROM HOME (SEPT 2003). NEAREST DEALER IS CALLED AND SAYS IT HAS THROWN A PISTON DUE TO LACK OF OIL. WE PAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ENGINE IS REPLACED AT OUR COST. WE HAVE ENGINE DISMANTLED BY ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND THE FAILURE WAS A SPUN ROD BEARING. NO EVIDENCE OF LACK OF OIL. THIS IS A TERRIBLE ENGINE AND WOULD RECOMMEND ANYONE DRIVING AN ISUZU WITH THIS ENGINE GET RID OF IT ASAP.*AK

I HAVE A 99 ISUZU TROOPER S, AND HAVE OWNED IT LESS THAN ONE YEAR. I BOUGHT IT WITH ABOUT 51.500 MILES. IT NOW HAS 8000 MILES ON. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND I USE THIS VEHICLE FOR MINIMAL PURPOSES. GETTING MAIL, GROCERIES, ETC. SMALL ERRANDS OF THE SORT. I WAS ON THE WAY OVER TO MY IN-LAWS AND NOTICED A TICKING SOUND AND THEN THE OIL LIGHT FLASHED. THEY LIVE ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY. MY FATHER-IN-LAW CHECKED THE OIL AND THEN ADDED FOUR QUARTS BEFORE IT EVEN REGISTERED. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY HUSBAND HAVE EVER NOTICED AN OIL STAIN OR ANY EVIDENCE OF OIL LOSS. AFTER HE ADDED THE OIL, THE KNOCKING SUBSIDED AND IT SEEMED FINE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS I USED IT AROUND TOWN. THEN ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN, IN ABOUT 20 MI, I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND, BUT THE TEMPERATURE WAS FINE AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON. I DECIDED TO STOP ANYWAY AND TO CALL A TOW TRUCK IN FEAR OF ANY FURTHER DAMAGE THAT DRIVING MAY CAUSE. THE SERVICE STATION THAT LOOKED AT IT HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE IS SHOT. THE ISUZU COMPANY HAS A POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY FOR A PERIOD OF 60 MO/60000, WHICHEVER IS EARLIER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY LOCAL ISUZU DEALERSHIP THAT THE "IN-SERVICE" DATE IS 03-03-99, AND THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER THE 60KMI AND ONLY FOUR MONTHS OVER THE 60 MONTHS, THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. I ALSO CONTACTED THE ISUZU OWNER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT AND RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE. IN MY FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS, I HAVE FOUND NUMOROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS . IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THIS MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING OIL PROBLEM OCCURS IN THE 98 AND 99 MODELS. I'M CURRENTLY AT A STAND STILL ON WHAT PATH TO TAKE. MY VEHICLE IS AT THE LOCAL SERVICE GARAGE, UNFIXED . I HAVE CONTACTED THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WITH A COMPLAINT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. MEANWHILE, COULD YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*AK

BOUGHT USED 1999 ISUZU TROOPER WITH 48,000 MILES. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC BECAUSE IT HAD A PROBLEM STARTING. DISCOVERED ENGINE LEAKED MORE THAN 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES. ISUZU REPLACED ENGINE JUST BEFORE 60,000 MILES, BUT STILL HAS PROBLEM STARTING. MECHANIC DETERMINED 3 OR 6 FUEL INJECTORS ARE BAD, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TROOPER STALLS AT SLOW SPEEDS, AND ENGINE WILL REV WHILE IDLING.*AK