Faults:

Bought the truck with a blown engine and a bad alternator and starter.

Rear brake calipers seized.

Master cylinder needed replaced at 152,000 miles.

Front hubs are automatic, and are permanently engaged. They need to be replaced with high-quality manual hubs.

Rebuilt engine blew up again at 157,000 miles, through no fault of the original manufacturer of the engine. This was taken care of at a leisurely pace by the guy who rebuilt it, who claimed engine parts were hard to find, which they are NOT.

General Comments:

The truck is sparse and utilitarian, which is what I like in a 4x4, the styling is perfect for what it is. I bought it for $50 with a blown engine, which I had rebuilt, and I've done all the other work on it myself. It's very easy to work on, and very little has gone wrong with it, considering the price, mileage, and age. The exterior is beat up, but that's mostly from my off-road abuse, which it handles without skipping a beat. At approximately 159,000 miles I ran over a log on a trail, which liberated the muffler and tailpipe from the rest of the exhaust system. Now it's pretty darn loud. It has a powerful aftermarket stereo system though, so I can compensate for this easily. (That's a joke, get it? ha ha)

The five-speed manual transmission and 4.56:1 gears and 2.66:1 low range in the transfer case make crawling up steep grades not only simple, but a pleasure, which is helped by the torque-laden V6 engine.

Faults:

Clutch cable slipped.

Replaced the fuel filter, I believe for the first time.

General Comments:

The four cylinder engine has good pickup and can keep a constant highway speed with ease.

The seats are comfortable.

Lots of room for trips. Everyone has space and there is defiantly enough room for everything, plus a roof rack.

The automatic locking hubs are easily locked, even when stuck.

Great for anytime anywhere driving!

Faults:

The odometer cable melted and needed to be replaced (approx. $50).

The starter motor also needed to be replaced. (approx. $400).

At such high mileage the car is losing power... does not like to go over mountain passes at speeds over 45 m/hr, even with the V-6 engine.

Amazingly this car has the original clutch, however it makes a horrible screeching noise in 5th gear and sometimes is difficult to put into reverse.

General Comments:

I really love the styling of this vehicle, it's very practical and works great for camping and off-roading.

I find the front seats extremely comfortable and the rear seat more utilitarian, but OK for trips that aren't more than a couple hours.

The engine of the 89 Troopers is actually a Chevy engine and they seem to work great with the car.

The transmission is in great condition.

Although I live at high altitude, I'm sure if I lived at sea level I'd get another 80,000 out of this vehicle.

The interior is extremely roomy with tons of room for cargo... the rear seat folds right up to the back of the front seats.

A co-worker has the exact same model with 60,000 miles and I've begged him to sell it to me. He won't budge, especially after seeing how many miles I have on my car.

I'm thinking of purchasing a Jeep Wrangler but, will be VERY sad to sell my Trooper.

I only paid $2400 and it was worth every cent!

Faults:

The brake pads needed replacing and I am currently looking to purchase new shocks.

General Comments:

I am a first time owner of a Isuzu Trooper and would like any information on what I can do to keep the performance of this vehicle at its top.

Also would like any information on shocks, glass packs for a Trooper (is it advisable), what is the best grade of gas (I use 92 octane), and dealerships that are in Los Angeles, CA. that have affordable accessories and service.

I would like to know if there are any 1989 Trooper owners out there that can give me advice on how I can upgrade/service the vehicle to give the best performance possible.

My e-mail is: fatcatjive@earthlink.net