1997 Isuzu Rodeo LS review from North America
"It's a good little SUV with some strange traits"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
1.Paint keep pealing on front bumper.
2.Both rear windows do not go down.
3.Dash lights were half way out at purchase, soon after (1 week later) they went completely out.
4.Engine won't stop ticking no matter what I have done to it.
5. Seats are uncomfortable, and have started to wear at the creases.
General comments?
The 1997 Isuzu Rodeo isn't a bad car, actually it is one of the better SUV's on the market. The Rodeo just has some very strange traits that they all seem to have. The notorious ticking from the engine is horrible, and embarrassing. I get so tired of people telling me that I need to put some oil in it, or one of my lifters are bad. I have not come across any 1991-1997 Rodeo that does not tick. Shortly after the purchase of my vehicle my dash lights went completely out, on a late night trip to work on the freeway. Even having replaced them the still aren't, very bright in certain spots. My rear windows have never went completely down, but now the don't even budge. My front bumper is pealing and I don't know whether to paint it, or get another one, its hard to find a used one particularly because that are pealing to. It makes the car look older than it really is. When driving high speeds there is constant wind noise as if a window is down. I know know if its just me or simply because this is my first SUV, but the gas mileage this thing gets is horrible, $25 dollars worth of gas will disappear seems if you just drive up the road. But all is not bad with this vehicle, it really is a maintenance free vehicle, though I was hoping the engine might have been built by Honda, now I'm a little worried to find out it might be a GM engine. I would recommend one to someone that has a troublesome Ford or Chevy SUV, but I will stick to cars as soon as I can find someone who will give me close to what I payed for it... poor resale value.
Recommended reviews
| VERY faithfull, reliable |
| 1997 - Rodeo S 3.2L 190HP 24v V6 Very reliable, good on/off road, love this thing |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.2L V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 90000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 113000 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Millenia |
| Date of Entry | 12th May, 2006 |