Vehicles / Isuzu / Rodeo / 1994

1994 Isuzu RodeoUNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION

82 federal complaints (122 component records) · 4 recall campaigns on file · 2 federal investigations · 6 service bulletins · 3 Canadian recalls
See all 15 model years of the Isuzu Rodeo →
Engine
2.6L 4-cyl
Fuel
Regular
Drive
RWD
EPA economy
15 city / 18 hwy
Federal complaints
82
Recall campaigns
4
Specifications show one example EPA configuration for this model year; other engines, drivetrains, and trims exist and the records below cover all of them.
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.

Fault profile

Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.

Power train
16
Engine & cooling
15
Electrical system
13
Wheels
10
Brakes
10
Latches & locks
9
Glass & wipers
8
Speed control
8
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.

When it fails

The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.

Vehicle age when the failure occurred

0 years old: 6 complaints01 years old: 16 complaints2 years old: 8 complaints3 years old: 4 complaints4 years old: 1 complaints5 years old: 3 complaints56 years old: 4 complaints7 years old: 7 complaints8 years old: 0 complaints9 years old: 5 complaints10 years old: 1 complaints1011 years old: 1 complaints12 years old: 2 complaints13 years old: 1 complaints14 years old: 2 complaints15 years old: 0 complaints1516 years old: 3 complaints17 years old: 1 complaints18 years old: 1 complaints19 years old: 0 complaints20+ years old: 0 complaints20+
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 66 of 82 complaints with a usable failure date.

Known issues

The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.

Power train

16 complaint records2 crash reports
"AUTO-TRANSMISSION; WHEN LEFT IN IDLE IN PARK, VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE BACKWARDS DUE TO GEAR SHIFT POPPED IN REVERSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →

Engine & cooling

15 complaint records
"NHTSA CAMPAIGN 94V132000; ISUZU ISSUED A CAM SHAFT RECALL ON THE ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL LEAKING OIL, EVEN AFTER REPAIRED TWICE FOR THAT RECALL.*AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse engine & cooling parts in the directory →

Electrical system

13 complaint records1 fire report
"SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT REGISTER , ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL INTERMITTENLEY COME ON, VEHICLE WILL ALSO STALL, CAUSING POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →

Federal defect investigations

Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.

InvestigationStatusComponentSubject
SQ96009
opened Jan 1996
OPENUnknown Or OtherBRUSH/GRILLE GUARD CAMPAIGN
ADDITION INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE NATURE AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SUBJECT BULLETIN.LOSS OF AN ITEM THIS SIZE WOULD HAVE SAFETY COSEQUENCES.THIS SQ IS OPENED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
RQ02009
opened Apr 2002
closed Dec 2002Seat BeltsSEAT BELT LATCH FAILURES - led to recall 02V281000
TAKATA/NISSAN/ISUZU HAVE DETERMINED THAT DURING THE INITIAL RECALL CAMPAIGN (96V-170), SOME VEHICLES THAT CONTAIN DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT BUCKLES WERE INADVERTENTLY OMITTED FROM THE CAMPAIGN.

Recall campaigns

Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.

CampaignComponentSummaryRemedy
02V281000Seat BeltsON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUP TRUCKS, THE LATCH PLATE USED IN THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED ACCORDING TO DESIGN DIMENSIONS.Normally free
97V034001Electrical SystemAN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WITHIN THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR CAN CONTAIN MANUFACTURING ERRORS.Normally free
96V170002Seat BeltsTHE LATCH PLATE USED IN THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED ACCORDING TO DESIGN DIMENSIONS. IF THE SEAT BELT TONGUE IS INSERTED SLOWLY AT AN ANGLE INTO THE BUCKLE, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT.Normally free
94V132000Engine And Engine CoolingCONSTANT EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSES THE CAMSHAFT SEAL END PLUG CAN BECOME DISLODGED FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. THIS ALLOWS OIL TO LEAK FROM THE CAMSHAFT.Normally free

Transport Canada recalls

Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.

RecallSystemUnits (CA)Summary
1997101
1997-05-20
Electrical792THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR MAY CONTAIN MANUFACTURING ERRORS IN AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT. THIS MAY CAUSE EXCESSIVE ELECTRICAL CHARGING OF THE ALTERNATOR (OVERCHARGE), RESULTING IN ENGINE CONTROL MALFUNCTION, AND/OR IN THE WORST CASE, EVENTUAL...
1996164
1996-10-11
Seats And Restraints288VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION IN WHICH THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATCH PLATE INTO THE TYPE-521 MODEL SEAT BELT BUCKLE (FALSE LATCH).
1994124
1994-07-29
Engine2,600VEHICLES WITH 3.2 LITRE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE DISLODGING OF THE CAMSHAFT END PLUG(S) FROM THE CYLINDER HEADS CAUSING RAPID OIL LOSS. OIL SPILLING ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Service bulletins and warranty extensions

Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.

BulletinTypeComponentSummary
IB13-R-001G
May 2023
Unknown Or OtherThis bulletin outlines the procedures for using the Alpine Exchange Program (the "Exchange Program"). The Exchange Program must be used when any Alpine radio or other component covered by this bulletin is repaired under warranty and may also be used for radio and component...
WB13-X-001B
Aug 2022
EquipmentIsuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural recommendations to improve dealer efficiency when submitting Parts Warranty claims.
WB13-X-001A
Aug 2022
EquipmentIsuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural recommendations to improve dealer efficiency when submitting Parts Warranty claims.
0211S007
Dec 2002
Seat BeltsTAKATA SEAT BELT SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 02V281. *TT
SB9914S007
Apr 1999
SeatsINFORMATION REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHOR KIT. *TT
Show 1 more bulletins
BulletinTypeComponentSummary
SB9505L002
May 1995
Power TrainUNKNOWN

Before you buy this vehicle

A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.

  1. Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
  2. Cold-start it yourself and listen for the first thirty seconds.Knocking, ticking that fades as it warms, or blue or white smoke on startup are the sounds of this vehicle's engine cluster. Check the oil level and the coolant color, and ask whether the engine or its head gaskets have ever been out.
  3. Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
  4. Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 4 recall campaigns on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
  5. Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.

Parts search directory

The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.

Open the parts directory for this Isuzu Rodeo →