Faults:

OK, bought this Trooper in Jan 2009 with a full service history, and all appeared fine.

The day after buying it, it wouldn't start! Was a week in garage and was fitted with new glow plugs and relay switch.

Came back fine for about 4 weeks. Turbo charger blew and was in garage again for three weeks!!!

Got it back for another 3 weeks, and won't start yet again!! Fuel rail switch renewed and now told the turbo that was just put in is faulty!!! Now waiting for another charger. Have had nothing but trouble with it since buying at end of January.

General Comments:

When it runs without engine problems, it is really quick and nice to drive!

Faults:

It's very picky on motor oil, only agrees on the oil specified by Isuzu, if not it would leak and cause injector problems, which we so narrowly escaped.

The turbo had to be replaced somewhere around 54000kms.

The brakes seem to wear quickly, having been replaced several times already.

Center link assembly was replaced at 56000kms.

General Comments:

Having owned this car for five years (since October 2003) I can say that it's quite reliable in general. However, maintenance is not exactly what you would call cheap. It's perfectly screwed together though.

The performance is great, having 160 horses and 333N-m of torque and coupled with a good automatic transmission, it can easily outrun any compact sedan. And all that while still returning approximately 7.5km/l mileage, which is quite acceptable by my count.

The exterior may have been just an evolution of the original 1992 model, but it still looks fresh and brand-new.

The interior is really great with supportive and comfortable seats. That is except the 3rd row which consists of 2 side facing benches that seats 4 in a pinch. The beige interior color, though looks rather classy, easily gets dirty.

The handling is, as expected in this kind of vehicle, nothing like a sedan. And it feels like it is leaning to the side when turned, but is actually quite firmly planted to the ground.

Faults:

The tires sold with the vehicle were passenger tires which after (Firestone) 400 miles I experienced a blow out on the highway... dealer said I hit something which caused a puncture in the sidewall and they would not replace it... They are history (tires and the dealership)... bought my Michelin tires, same kind as the ones I had on my 94 trooper and that has been my only repair cost beside a fan belt...

General Comments:

Its performance in the sand on the beach is second to none... compared to my 94 Trooper it was like I was gliding on top of the sand...

My complaints are they changed the placement of the horn on me, and it seems my 94 was wider.

The gas mileage has never been to my liking; 13-17mpg, mostly 13-14 mpg...

The headroom and the driver's seat that allows for the knees to bend is one of my favorites.

The cargo room is tops, and off road it has been a beast (absolute 10).

Faults:

Other than a little squeak in the left rear window, absolutely nothing at all.

General Comments:

The previous Isuzu Rodeo that we had was absolute junk that broke down all the time & cost a fortune in repairs. It was built in Indiana & not in Japan like the Trooper. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN QUALITY!!! No oil leaks, no smoke coming from the hood or ticking noises from the engine. It's kind of sad that the Troopers built in Japan are so much better in quality versus the Rodeo that's built right here in the U.S. If you want a great bargain & have the money to spend on gas, the Trooper is a much cheaper alternative to buying a Toyota 4Runner. I hope the new Troopers that Isuzu comes out with in the near future are built in Japan as well.