1999 Isuzu Rodeo LSE review from North America

I should have known from the start that his would be a troublesome purchase. I hadn't even driven the Rodeo off of the dealership property and the check engine light came on. It was a bad O2 sensor. Upon picking up my car, I noticed that the ABS light was on. Someone from service checked it and determined that it was a bad wheel sensor. Upon getting it back, I drove a full week and the ABS light came on again. This time the entire ABS control module needed to be replaced along with the other 3 wheel sensors. Fortunately for me, this was all covered under warranty. At 35,200 miles, my check engine light came on once again. I took it back to the dealership and they said there was a leak in the vacuum system which warranted an entire vacuum check and replacement of the plenum gasket. While doing this, the technician damaged the seals around the fuel injectors and thus created another problem even though it did not show up right away. My check engine light was also mysteriously disconnected. Everything seemed to be running alright until at 60 mph my engine stalled and I lost breaks and power steering. I took it in for service and they charged me 100 dollars to tell me nothing was wrong. "it is probably a bad tank of gas" they said. It happened two more times on the ride home. At this point my fuel guage started acting funny by not giving me a reading. I took the rodeo home and gave it a complete overhaul: dropped the fuel tank, fixed the sensor, pulled the fuel injectors and replaced the damaged seals, oil change, spark plugs, cleaned air filter, fuse terminals and battery connection. I drained the fuel tank and put a brand new tank of fuel in as well as changed the fuel filter. I added dry gas and fuel injection cleaner. I drove it two miles and the car died again. Unfortunately for me, no lights come on and the nearest Isuzu dealership tells me that nothing is wrong. I refuse to let my wife near the car for fear that something else will fail and hurt her or my daughter. Oh, did I mention that it goes through a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Although it seems like my car is on par for oil consumption. My recommendation is to stay away from Isuzu. They are more headache and frustration than anything else.

Stick with Toyota or Nissan as they have the best reputations.

Do your own research on the Rodeo before you buy one.

Don't be swayed by its good looks or rugged characteristics, it truly is a lemon.