Skip to content
Isuzu TrooperModel year report

2002 Isuzu Trooper Problems

Complaints
12filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
47,000miles, 6 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
15 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl RWD · 14 city / 18 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Isuzu Trooper (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2002 Isuzu Trooper. The part named most often is engine cooling, with 4 complaints (33% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control (3) and transmission and drivetrain (2). 6 of the complaints include a mileage, and 67% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 47,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 37 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine cooling complaints overlap with 10 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “Engine in my 2002 Isuzu Trooper burned up the main rod bearing in piston one due to insufficient oil pressure. Engine had to be replaced. Truck has 79k miles on it and was out of warranty. Isuzu of north america stated nothing would be done via the manufacturer. I replaced the engine myself at a cost of $4800.”

NHTSA complaint #10192928, filed 2007-06, 79,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Motor will rev up when sitting still at a red light and try to lunge forward. I have even had it go 35 miles an hour without my foot even being on the accelerator. I have had my truck to the dealer 3 times now and they keep saying they can not find anything wrong. Unless they can see the vehicle do it they can't fix it. The check engine light does not come on and they say until that happens they don't know what is wrong. Dealer refuses to keep vehicle and drive it until it does it so they can see it. They make it sound like I am making this up. There is a problem and it needs to be fixed. …”

NHTSA complaint #765678, filed 2002-08

Transmission and drivetrain: “Dt: consumer owns a 2002 Isuzu Trooper. Consumer says that when putting the vehicle in park the indicator position will read park, but the vehicle will be in a neutral position. The vehicle can role freely forward or backwards. This problem has been going on for about a year. Vehicle had been to dealer 3 times, but could not do anything to fix the problem. She was told they could not duplicate the problem. Called when vehicle was at consumer's house and problem was recurring. …”

NHTSA complaint #10133105, filed 2005-08, 38,000 miles

Electrical system: “I was driving about 35 MPH on a rural road and I noticed that upon giving some gas the vehicle did not respond at all. Then I noticed that all my instrument panel lights were out....everything gone. I applied the brakes and with difficulty in steering (there was no power), I pulled to stop at the side of the road. I then put the vehicle into park and turned the ignition key off, then restarted the vehicle and drove away. This is the only time this happened (last week).....a complete loss of power. I know Isuzu shares parts with GM (e.g. My transmission is GM). …”

NHTSA complaint #10578533, filed 2014-04, 81,897 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

67% of the 6 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 38,000 and 79,000 miles.

17%0–100%10–2550%25–500%50–7533%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (6 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 47,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

200242003200420052006200720142016
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Isuzu Trooper version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Trooper 2WD3.5L 6-cyl4-speed automatic141815$4,450
Trooper 4WD3.5L 6-cyl4-speed automatic141815$4,450
Trooper 4WD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed manual141715$4,450

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2002 Isuzu Trooper in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 37 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 37 bulletins →

Other model years of the Isuzu Trooper

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20021247,0000—15—Not enough data
20012980,0001—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20004970,5502—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19998171,5000—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19984252,5001—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19971365,0002—15—Not enough data
199651118,5002—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199554118,0001—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19944785,1502—15Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19933322,3002—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199225179,0002—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199157135,0002—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199023130,0002—15—Stable
198916—0—15—Stable
198817—1—15—Stable
19876—2—17—Not enough data
198618226,0001—17—Stable

All Isuzu Trooper model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Isuzu Trooper have?

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2002 Isuzu Trooper as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Isuzu Trooper is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 4 complaints (33% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 3.

Has the 2002 Isuzu Trooper been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Isuzu Trooper get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Isuzu Trooper (Trooper 2WD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 15 mpg combined, 14 city and 18 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,450 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Isuzu Trooper reported?

Among the 6 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 47,000 miles and the middle half falls between 38,000 and 79,000 miles; 67% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.