1991 Daihatsu Rocky Reviews

Fuel breather valve above filler cap in cabin cracked and needed gluing to stop a fuel smell in the car. Common fault on these.

Radiator top tank cracked, needed fixing.

Whistling noise in exhaust, a bit annoying, but doesn't affect reliability etc.

Otherwise, nothing.

Very well built, heavy construction, chassis underneath. Well made for going off road. Not the fastest thing on the open road, but is very capable off road.

High and Low ratio gearing, and the sunroof tilts or comes off, and the entire rear of the roof can be taken off. Very versatile car.

Tows well, even though it's just 1600cc.

Would love another one, but they seem to have gone up in value lately!

Timing belt at 187k.

New clutch plate at 177k.

New brakes/shocks at 125k and 230k.

Rebuild alternator at 159k and 210k.

That is all the repairs except oil changes (I use synthetic only).

This is probably the best car I have ever had. I live in the mountains and people don't believe how it just climbs over things. It's true it could use more power, but I pull my 1300 lb boat, 1100 lb camper, and also a box utility trailer with it all the time through thousands of miles.

It is boxy, but I doubt seriously anything made today could replace it for reliability, toughness, and overall utility at the cost. I have a grand total of around 6500 in it over the last almost six years, including the purchase price.

I wish I could buy a new one, but you can't get new Daihatsus in the United States.

Like my 1996 Jag (before Ford bought them), you can have it when you pry out of my crying fingers.

Rattly thrust bearing in the clutch. It is not a real problem, has no effect on anything. Will be there till I sell the vehicle.

Overheating - my fault, neglected the radiator, got it cleaned out, all good.

This is an excellent vehicle.

It has OK power with the turbo.

It is good offroad, reliable and TOUGH. As well as having good capabilities... unstoppable on sand with tyres on 12psi. I've also found it loves rocks, suppose that's why it's called a rocky.

It does have a 'bone jarring ride'. That is the 2 inch heavy duty lift I installed. They look like scania (truck) leaf springs.

Inside the cab when cruising is surprisingly quiet for what it is.

When I first got this Rocky it wasn't working I had to open the engine and see what was wrong with it. The head gasket was blown and the pistons were gone. I had to look for any used engine because a new one was impossible to find. I paid $200 dollars for this jeep and the used engine was $400. There was no service installing the used engine since me and my friend did the work ourselves. If you have a car garage get it inside because rust is a common problem. Asides that nothing serious or expensive has gone wrong with the car.

This jeep is serious fun and very comfortable despite its size. The engine is a bit slow, but the thanks to its 5 speed transmission it doesn't seems that way. Considering that I only used around 600-700 dollars for it, this jeep is the best car I have ever own. Parts are quite difficult to find due to the fact that Daihatsu only sold around 18,000 back in 91' and the following year they stopped sales. I wish Daihatsu was still here in America. This jeep turns a lot of heads and it's actually a good 4x4. I have driven this jeep for around 35,000 miles on a used engine and nothing serious has gone wrong. I definitely recommend this vehicle for anyone who is a do it yourself guy/girl.

Tires exploded, worn on one side.

Interior mirror became ridiculously loose.

This is the best car I've ever owned, superb performance and economy.

Although it is not a speed machine it has mountains of torque and can outperform most faster cars on the hills.

Sometimes a bit shakey on the road, but that is what you expect for what is essentially a truck design.

Looks great and goes on and on forever off-road.

Well spec-ed, with all the goodies you'd want and enough room for 4 adults and all their gear; plus performance is not affected by loading.

Parts and accessories a little hard to find.