1999 Isuzu RODEO problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
530 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
78,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: . 253 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip is the most frequently named component, appearing in 151 of 530 complaints (28.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 220 | 41.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 29 | 5.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 23 | 4.3% |
| Steering behavior | 16 | 3.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 14 | 2.6% |
| Engine operation | 10 | 1.9% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 151 |
| Fuel System, Other:Storage:Fuel Gauge System | 54 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 45 |
| Suspension | 35 |
| Suspension:Rear | 35 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 21 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 19 |
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 151; Fuel System, Other:Storage:Fuel Gauge System: 54; Structure:Frame And Members: 45; Suspension: 35; Suspension:Rear: 35; Vehicle Speed Control: 24; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 21; Fuel System, Gasoline: 19
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 19 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 37 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 67 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 28 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 59 |
| 150,000 and above | 43 |
Under 25,000: 19; 25,000 to 49,999: 37; 50,000 to 74,999: 67; 75,000 to 99,999: 28; 100,000 to 149,999: 59; 150,000 and above: 43
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (67). 277 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 75 |
| 2001 | 45 |
| 2002 | 43 |
| 2003 | 112 |
| 2004 | 69 |
| 2005 | 32 |
| 2006 | 21 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 12 |
| 2010 | 28 |
| 2011 | 47 |
| 2012 | 13 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
2000: 75; 2001: 45; 2002: 43; 2003: 112; 2004: 69; 2005: 32; 2006: 21; 2007: 6; 2008: 1; 2009: 12; 2010: 28; 2011: 47; 2012: 13; 2013: 5; 2014: 8; 2015: 5; 2016: 3; 2017: 2; 2018: 2; 2023: 1
Pattern summary
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 220 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 29 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 23 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10003072 · 2003-01-21 (January 21, 2003)
I HAVE A 99 ISUZU RODEO WITH ABOUT 37,500 MILES. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO (EARLY JANUARY 2003), I STARTED UP THE RODEO AND HEARD A VERY LOUD SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, WHICH CONTINUED EVEN WHEN I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND REMOVED THE KEYS. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE SOUND WAS TO UNPLUG THE ABS FUSE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED (ABOUT A $500 REPAIR.) FROM MY INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH MID- TO LATE-90S RODEOS.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003072 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10006436 · 2003-02-04 (February 4, 2003)
BRAKES WON'T ENGAGE TILL FOOT IS HAVE WAY TO THE FLOOR. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006436 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10018113 · 2003-05-02 (May 2, 2003)
THE CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE SHIFTING THE VEHICLE JUMPED INTO ANOTHER GEAR. THE VEHICLE IS A FIVE SPEED. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10018113 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10020854 · 2003-06-01 (June 1, 2003)
THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY HAD A HARD SHIFT AS IF THE CAR WAS REARENDED WHILE SHIFTING. THIS OCCURRED AT ALL SPEEDS AND GEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THE COMPUTER SHOWED NO ERRORS WHEN TESTED. *TT
Owner-reported narrative. 48,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020854 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10021048 · 2003-06-04 (June 4, 2003)
FOR THE LAST 2-3 MONTHS ANY TIME THE BACK OF THE CAR IS INCLINED DOWN, THE EMPTY FUEL TANK LIGHT ACTIVATES AND THE GAGE MOVES DOWN TO THE EMPTY POSITION. ONCE THE CAR IS INCLINED FORWARD OR FLAT, THE LIGHT TURNS OFF WITHIN A FEW SECONDS AND WITHIN 1-3 MINUTES THE GAGE MOVES BACK UP. THE GAGE IS ALSO SLOW TO RESPOND TO FILLING, AND IN GENERAL NOT EXTREMELY ACCURATE. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER/SERVICE PEOPLE, SAID THE GAGE IS ACTING ODD, HOW MUCH WORK IS INVOLVED WITH TROUBLESHOOTING THE EXACT PROBLEM. THEY SAID, WE KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT IS THE S…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10021048 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10025901 · 2003-07-11 (July 11, 2003)
I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE MY COMPLAINT ON THE ISUZU COMPANY. I HAVE (HAD) A 1999 ISUZU RODEO LX WITH 78,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED REGULARLY OIL CHANGES ETC.EVER SINCE I HIT 40,000 MILES MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF, MY GAS GAUGE WENT OUT SAYING I AM ALWAYS ON EMPTY (500.00 TO FIX) AND NOW AT ONLY 78,000 MILES MY ENGINE HAS BLOWN!!!!! $4,500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE. MY STORY HAS A LOT MORE TO IT BUT I CANNOT WRITE IT ALL. I TOKE IT IN SEVERAL TIMES TO THE ISUZU SERVICE CENTER IN AUSTELL GEORGIA TO EDDIE AND TOLD THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 78,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025901 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10031134 · 2003-08-09 (August 9, 2003)
I PURCHASED A NEW 1999 RODEO WHICH CURRENTLY HAS APPROX. 50,745 MILES. 2ND DAY OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH "FIXED" THE PROBLEM; DRIVING OUT OF THE LOT FOR THE SECOND TIME, LIGHT CAME BACK ON, TOOK THE DEALERSHIP 1 WEEK TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, THAT PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. NOW, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY FLASHES OR STAYS ON WHEN TANK IS FULL, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS REALLY IN THE TANK. NOT TO MENTION THE ANXIET…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031134 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10042227 · 2003-10-02 (October 2, 2003)
DRIVER WAS TURNING ONTO A RAMP WHEN THE STEERING BECAME STUCK IN TURNING POSITION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HIT A GUARD RAIL. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 44,553 miles reported. Look up ODI 10042227 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10010630 · 2003-03-17 (March 17, 2003)
IN AUGUST OF 2002 , I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 RODEO THAT I HAD LEASED NEW IN 2002 AND THIS RUNNING NOISE CONTINUED AFTER I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. IT WAS THE ABS MODULE. IT HAD TO BE UNPLUGGED TO KEEP THE BATTERY FROM BEING RUN DOWN. THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $500.00 AND ISUZU WANTS TO IGNORE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT. BEFORE THE NOISE STARTED,THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS VERY LONG AND THERE WAS A POPPING FEELING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD "NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT WAS THE WAY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FELT" THE AB…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010630 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10014139 · 2003-04-08 (April 8, 2003)
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2003 MY 1999 ISUZU RODEO BEGAN MAKING UNUSUAL SOUNDS FROM INSIDE THE HOOD AND THE ABS LIGHT LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD. UPON LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD, I DISCOVERED THE BRAKE MODULE WAS RUNNING DESPITE TURNING THE CAR OFF AND REMOVING THE KEY. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE MODULE FROM RUNNING WAS TO REMOVE THE NEGATIVE CABLE FROM THE BATTERY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CREST ISUZU DEALERSHIP IN PLANO, TEXAS AND SPOKE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN'S FIRST RESPONSE WAS THAT I MAY QUALIFY FOR A FREE REPLACEMENT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014139 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10030008 · 2003-07-23 (July 23, 2003)
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE WILL STALL. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10030008 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10171716 · 2006-10-24 (October 24, 2006)
THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION. CHECK THE MESSAGE BOARDS ON THE INTERNET AND YOU WILL SEE ALOT OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. ALSO THE EGR VALVE PROBLEM WHERE THE VEHICLE CLOGS WITH CARBON BUILD UP CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT. THE PROBLEMS HAPPEN TO ENOUGH OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171716 at NHTSA ↗