Faults:

- Gas gauge does not work at about 50K miles.

- Car seems to keep moving forward when braking over a bumpy pavement.

- Rattling noise, which cannot be determined by the repair shop or by a muffler repair shop.

- Loses oil.

- Rear differential needs replacement (recent problem starting at about 75K miles).

Links for general help:

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.htm?id=116&Replacing_the_Fuel_Sending_Unit_on_a_2nd_Gen_Isuzu_Rodeo

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t201477.html

General Comments:

Adequate performance, poor gas mileage.

Faults:

Fuel pump went out.

Check engine light says on all the time, sometimes blinks and cuts engine power.

Starter failed.

Cuts off coming to a stop, won't idle or idles 3000 rpm's.

ABS light on. No ABS.

Backfires through intake.

Last check of codes revealed 11. Parts guy said there's no way 11 things could be wrong simultaneously. He says computer.

General Comments:

When it runs right, it's great, but it very seldom runs right. Anyone want to buy?

Faults:

At 90,000 miles, the fuel level sensor failed, replaced at dealer for 246.00.

Replaced the alternator at 111,489 miles, that is a given for any car really!

Have had continuous problems with the ABS from 90,000 miles to current.

Had a cylinder head fail at 141,000 miles due to antifreeze coolant getting into the oil, replaced right cylinder head for 2911.00.

One wire on fan control switch nearly caught on fire, had to replace the wire, connector and switch at 144,000 miles.

Coolant has been consistently disappearing since before the failure of right cylinder head, and have confirmed by oil analysis and sludge in PVC system that coolant is still leaking into the oil via a crack in the left head or even the block. Note that both head gaskets were replaced when right cylinder head was replaced.

As of 153,443, the vehicle has been traded in to avoid confrontation with another major engine failure.

General Comments:

This vehicle was alright and felt nice when I first purchased it, and as a professional mechanic, I didn't mind doing the small repairs to it and the maintenance, but when the engine suffered a major failure at 141,000, I paid 2911.00 for a repair, and when I realized that the same problem that caused it to fail the first time was still happening, I decided it was time to throw in the towel on this vehicle.

After all of the problems I have had with this vehicle, and I see happening with other people who own it, it's my opinion as a mechanic and a consumer that Isuzu Rodeos are just not well made vehicles. Not what you would expect from a Japanese Automaker. I would assume that it's a big part of the reason why they are no longer producing passenger cars in the US.

Faults:

My Check engine light has been on for the last eight months. I have had induction flushes done and no one can seem to fix it.

It idles rough when I am coming to a stop or just leaving a stop. The engine also cuts out when I go to turn it on periodically. Once again no one has been able to fix it.

Any advice would be great!

General Comments:

It's a good car, but no one seems to know how to work on it.

Faults:

Gas gauge broke.

Takes oil.

Transmission gone out twice.

6 disc CD player broken.

Engine problems.

General Comments:

The current problem occurred 2 weeks after replacing the clutch. I started to hear a low rattle/shuffling noise in the engine after it had warmed up, - between 2000-2500 rpm.

After returning it to the dealership where I had the clutch replaced; they told me it was a rod knocking. Not feeling confident in the diagnosis by a young, seemingly ignorant new hire mechanic, I took the Rodeo to a highly recommended import auto shop.

They did not believe it was a rod knocking, and began taking things apart. They found a loose timing belt and bad tensioner. Fairly certain that this was the culprit of the noise, these parts were replaced. This work did not fix the noise.

I was then told that without taking the engine apart, they could not pinpoint the problem, and that would be an expense that would not be worth doing. They left it at either a piston slap, or a piston screw.

Anyone with any similar problem?