2000 Isuzu Rodeo LS from North America - Comments

ABS light on the dash stays on.

Vibration at speeds above 70+ that have never been resolved by alignments or balancing.

Transmission started acting up at 61,000 miles, 1,000 miles after the drive train warranty expired.

Had to replace a gasket at 57,000 miles that caused my truck to stall out occasionally at stops and/or the rpm's would fluctuate between 300 and 3500 at stops.

I have had my 2000 Rodeo LS 4x4 for about 18 months now and it currently has 63,000 miles on it. Recently I have begun experiencing issues with the trucks transmission seeming to 'slip' as it engages first gear. I will place it in drive and give it gas and the truck will hesitate and then once the gear catches, the truck lurches forward and the rear tires squeal. Right now, this is the only problem I have with the transmission, but from what I have read here I am beginning to get nervous since my drive train warranty ran out 3k miles ago.

I have had it in before for the check engine light that kept coming on and the vehicle randomly stalling at lights and such and the tachometer dropping very low and then jumping up the rpm's. Fortunately this issue was covered under the drive train warranty at the time. I am also having the issue with the ABS light on the dashboard staying on all the time and the dealership has said that it is a faulty sensor. There seems to be no immediate issues with the brakes and until I can find another repair center to fix this issue I am just ignoring it. My local Isuzu dealer\repair shop was extremely unaccommodating following the replacement of my gasket and the discover of an aerosol can that was left in my engine rubbing up against my belt.

Overall, my Isuzu has been a great vehicle. Regular oil changes have kept it running pretty smoothly and a gas additive here and there to clean the fuel injectors has tended to smooth it out a bit when it starts feeling rough. My experiences with it in snow have been great as it handles well and I feel much safer than I did in my little Celica. I find the vehicle very fun to drive and quite peppy compared to the Xterra and Explorer that I test drove prior to purchasing my Rodeo.

I have a 2000 Rodeo LSE with 85K miles. I had been experiencing the same transmission problems you described, with the gear slipping and then catching, lurching the car forward. I had to pay over $2000 for a rebuild from Aamco.

This vehicle's transmission is completely sealed, you cannot even check/add fluid on your own. It must taken out and taken apart to do anything.

Just FYI, I would get it checked out immediately, before the slipping gears get worse. Mine runs smoothly now and I hope it will until I run it into the ground.

I also have a brake light that comes on intermittently. (not ABS, but the parking brake light)

I think it is just a faulty sensor because if you jiggle the parking brake, it goes off.

My 2000 Rodeo LS has been a great vehicle. I did have to have the transmission replaced (not rebuilt) at about 78,000 miles. It was still under warranty at the time. Bought it new and now have over 112,000 miles on it. I have the same problem with the ABS light that many others seem to have. We take the Rodeo to the North Georgia Mountains quite a bit where we are constantly going up and down the mountain sides and it handles really well. It also makes it across the small creeks we have to ford through to get to some of our favorite hiking spots. Plan on keeping it for another 112,000 miles.

I have had my rodeo now for a year I bought it used with 60ish K miles it now has 78,000 I have had to have some work done on the transmission pan and some other fix in there, but since then it has been a great little ride, I am very happy with my Rodeo, it's great for long and short distances and every day running around, my kids love it to. I would consider having another.

I have a 2000 Rodeo LS. Bought it used, a lease return I think. Had 33K on it and now it has 93K. It has taken me a lot of places, great vehicle, fun to drive. But now I am experiencing transmission slip also. Kinda scared at the thought that it might cost me over 2K to get it fixed. But I need a vehicle.

Overall it's a great vehicle and I get a lot of compliments on it.

Add another one to the list. I just bought my 2000 Rodeo with 64500 miles and now at 68000 the transmission has gone downhill fast with the same slipping problem. It sounds like the best thing to do is pony up the cash for the repair bill and enjoy this great truck for years to come. I certainly would not have purchased it had I seen this page beforehand.

I purchaced an Isuzu Rodeo in year 2002 with 11,000 miles on it from a dealer in Dallas first impression very tight and reliable, but very rough riding, then at about 50,000 miles the G.M. sourced E.G.R. valve needed cleaning out to prevent stalling and rough idling. Then at 67,000 some jolly funny trouble with the brake lights and tail lights, and then my daughter called me with the bad news, the frightful transmission started leaking and making some expensive noises, about 2000 dollars! Actually this model transmission is not sealed as some would believe, but has no dipstick to check the transmission level, but rather a plug or bolt located of all places on the very bottom of the pan Apparently one has to have this vehicle up on a ramp and then romove this bolt and if oil comes out it's OK if not try and "stuff" some oil in there some how! some have said this a G.M. design who knows, but it "smacks" of cheap I would say. After this little let down no more Isuzu for me!

We bought our 2000 Rodeo brand new and my wife has currently put 90k miles on it. One of the reason that I bought it was because of the 12 years\120k warranty that Isuzu offered for a short time. The only problem that I had with it was around 50k the transmission leaked oil due to the the faulty seals, which the dealer covered under the warranty, but since then I have not had any major issues. Just recently I had serviced and my mechanic suggested that I do the maintenance on the transmission since he noticed that the filter was dirty. I drove it several weeks after that the truck did not feel right when shifting (automatic). I just had the maintenance done a couple of weeks ago and ever since I have noticed the improvement while driving. The only other thing issue I have with the truck is the lost of about 20 to 25 miles on a full tank of gas, but I an sure that if I have the fuel injectors clean my issue will be resolved.

Just bought 2000 V6 LS and had to fix transmission seal leak, transmission shifts fine, but, it has a kinda bump in the rear when taking off... It does have 162,000 miles on it and overall is a good running truck. The brakes are terrible but, not sure if that is because of previous owner or faulty equipment, shocks are pretty bad also. We'll see...