2001 Isuzu Rodeo Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe severe rear-frame and rear-suspension corrosion, frequently discovered at state inspection or when a bracket or control arm separates from the frame while driving. Most reports arrive well past 70,000 miles, and many note that the body and interior still look good, which makes the underside damage easy to miss. Smaller clusters of complaints cover stalling and wiring faults, fuel gauge readings, and the usual wear items.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Rear frame rust-through and broken suspension mounts

   • 259 complaints (67%)
   • median 114,000 mi at 9.9 yrs old (221 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,400 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2020

   Complaints describe the rear half of the frame rusting through, often with holes large enough to push a finger through, while the body still looks clean. Owners report that stabilizer bar mounts, control arms, trailing arms and shock mounts separate from the frame, sometimes while driving at low speed, causing the vehicle to swerve or the rear to drop. Many say the vehicle failed state inspection because of the frame, and that dealers or the manufacturer declined further repairs, in some cases offering to buy the vehicle back. Several owners mention a recall bracket repair that they felt did not address corrosion elsewhere on the frame. Most reports fall between roughly 70,000 and 150,000 miles, and many come from vehicles used in states that salt roads in winter.

   Recall 10V4360001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Get underneath and probe the rear frame rails, stabilizer bar mounts and control arm brackets with a screwdriver, especially where the recall brackets were welded on. Ask for paperwork showing whether recall 10V436000 was performed and what the inspection found.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2001 Isuzu Rodeo the frame rusted causing the rear suspension to fall off during driving. The vehicle then swerved out of control. Luckily due to myemergency vehicle driver training I was able to avoid and accident. This needs to be addressed before someone gets seriously injured or killed. I have pictures of faulty frame and suspension connection.”

   NHTSA complaint #10343817, filed 2010-07, 97,000 miles

   “The frame of my 2001 Rodeo rotted right through and broke while I was driving, thank god I was not on the highway. I now have a vehicle that is useless, the body and interior are brand new. I am out a trade and very upset especially since my husband has a 73 delta 88 oldsmobile that is like perfect. What can I do. Can you help me?”

   NHTSA complaint #10263850, filed 2009-04, 130,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Rear suspension brackets and links separating

   • 154 complaints (40%)
   • median 113,000 mi at 10.1 yrs old (133 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,800 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2020

   Owners describe the vehicle suddenly swerving or fishtailing at ordinary road speeds, then finding a rear bracket, control arm or axle mount cracked or separated from the frame. Some report rear coil springs found fractured, and others note excessive bouncing above 30 mph that continued after new rear shocks. Where the vehicle was taken in under the rear-suspension recall, owners say the repair was limited to brackets and that technicians sometimes told them the vehicle was beyond repair. Typically reported between about 70,000 and 190,000 miles, with several failures occurring during normal driving rather than after a known impact.

   Recall 10V4360001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have a shop put the vehicle on a lift and inspect the rear brackets, control arms and spring seats for cracking and corrosion, and confirm whether the rear-suspension recall work was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car is a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo. I am its 2nd owner and I purchased it from the estate of a deceased woman. It had very low mileage. A few days ago I noticed a jarring sound coming from the left rear side of metal making contact. I planned to take it to my mechanic for inspection early this week as I was intending to go on a long trip. On saturday, august 28, my car swerved and I could tell that there was a major problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10352675, filed 2010-08, 133,970 miles

   “While driving the vehicle the rear suspension broke causing the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic. Luckily there was no accident and the vehicle was towed to a friends home until we could determine what needed to be done. I had known about the recall since late december but was unable to get the vehicle in to be checked that quickly. The closest repair facility was 95 miles away from where I lived. Bill colwell ford in hudson, iowa was contacted and the vehicle was towed from my friends home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10397099, filed 2011-04, 125,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Stalling and wiring harness faults

   • 26 complaints (7%)
   • median 75,065 mi at 8.6 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2020

   Complaints describe the engine stalling in traffic or at an intersection, sometimes with a loss of throttle response and all warning lights coming on. Owners say dealers replaced sensors repeatedly before finding a short or burned wiring harness tied to the electronic throttle control, and one owner reported a substantial repair bill. A separate complaint describes the vehicle surging forward while stopping or driving. Reported from about 17,000 to 70,000 miles in the sampled complaints, with some vehicles stalling more than once.

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle control wiring or computer has been replaced, and watch for intermittent stalling or warning-light flicker during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 12/27/2005, our 2001 Isuzu Rodeo stalled in the middle of an intersection. After towing it to crest Isuzu in plano, tx, the service representative informed me there was a short in the wiring harness. The cost of repair (labor included) is $1,300. After speaking with the repair technician (mechanic), he informed me this is a common problem with isuzus and they have yet placed a recall. He informed me the wiring harness controls the electronic throttle control, which tells the engine how much gas/acceleration is needed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10146296, filed 2005-12, 70,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate but the vehicle decelerated to about 5 MPH and continued to coast at that speed. All of the warning lights on the instrument panel were illuminated. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and turned the vehicle off. When she attempted to restart the vehicle, the failure occurred again. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where it was recalibrated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10325978, filed 2010-04, 17,000 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.