1995 Isuzu Trooper S review from North America
"An extremely reliable, rugged vehicle"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Starter motor began failing in cold weather (well below freezing) just after purchase. Immediately replaced by the dealer.
The radiator disintegrated at around 75000 miles. To be fair, the car spent the first five years of its life near the ocean and the salt probably contributed to this.
One rear brake caliper seized at 87000 miles.
General comments?
Overall this has been an outstanding, very reliable car. It took a 65MPH impact with a 150lb whitetail deer, and all that happened was a fender and some plastic shrouds were obliterated by the impact.
From a service standpoint, it just runs with little service. I'm fanatical about oil changes and other regular maintenance, and as a result have had very few real problems.
Isuzu are also great to deal with; when the starter motor failed in very cold weather, they instructed a local garage (I was in the middle of Vermont at the time with no nearby dealer) to do whatever it took to keep me on the road until I could drive it home; this involved pull-starting the car each morning after bitterly cold nights.
Body and interior have held up well overall, and there's very little rust (none on the body, little on the frame).
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| It's the best vehicle I've ever owned |
|
| I love a car that you can count on |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.2L DOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 16000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 89000 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Protege |
| Date of Entry | 17th March, 2004 |