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Research · Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD

1998 Isuzu RodeoRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 486 owner complaints for the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo. Most complaints involve service brakes, hydraulic (207) and structure (70). The EPA rates it 16–20 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
16–20mpg
EPA · 5 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
6campaigns
Latest Sep 2010
Owner complaints
486
Top: service brakes, hydraulic
Fuel cost / yr
$3,200est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

6 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Suspension: rear

Free remedy

ISUZU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2002 ISUZU RODEO AND MODEL YEAR 2002 ISUZU AXIOM VEHICLES, AND HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN 1998-2002 HONDA PASSPORT VEHICLES, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED, IN THE STATES OF MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, AND KENTUCKY. VEHICLES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED EXPOSURE TO HIGHLY CORROSIVE MATERIALS USED IN SOME JURISDICTIONS FOR ROAD DEICING PURPOSES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE VICINITY OF THE FORWARD MOUNTING POINT BRACKET FOR THE LEFT OR RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK PRIOR TO THE TIME THAT SUCH CORROSION WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED.

SuspensionReported Sep 22, 2010NHTSA 10V436000

Service brakes

Free remedy

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), THE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES IN CERTAIN TYPES OF BRAKING EVENTS.

Service brakes, hydraulicReported Jun 3, 2002NHTSA 02I002000

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Free remedy

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1998-2000 RODEO (UE) AND AMIGO (UA) MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 2.2L 4-CYLINDER ENGINES. THE TIMING BELT COULD BREAK BEFORE THE RECOMMENDED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE.

Engine and engine coolingReported May 29, 2001NHTSA 01I002000
See all 6 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

486 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jan 1998 – Jul 2019
  1. Service brakes, hydraulic207
  2. Structure70
  3. Suspension60
  4. Engine and engine cooling39
  5. Electrical system29
  6. Vehicle speed control27
  7. Power train21
  8. Air bags16
  9. Fuel system, gasoline16

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Rodeo model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
199697
1997118
1998486
1999564
2000286
2001441
2002101
200316
200439
Crashes reported
81
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
31
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Service brakes, hydraulic

207 reports64 crashes
“I BOUGHT A 1998 2WD ISUZU RODEO FROM A PRIVATE PARTY SIX MONTHS AGO. SINCE I BOUGHT IT, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCE (EVERY DAY, MAINLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD) THAT RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES AND CONTINUOUS ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LAMP. MY GARAGE MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO THE ABS COIL INTEGRATED MODULE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON IT FOR 1998-1999 ISUZU RODEO VEHICLES (CAMPAIGN NO. 02I-002, CAMPAIGN BULLETIN SB03-09-S001D, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02I002000). I CALLED TWO ISUZU DEALERS BUT THEY TOLD ME THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE VIN#. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY 1998 ISUZU RODEO IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10300246

Structure

70 reports1 crash
“DRIVING ON HIGHWAY HIT A POTHOLE AND HEARD A LOUD THUMP FROM REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT TILL THE NEXT DAY WHEN I DROVE TO WORK. IT SEEMED EVERY BUMP I GOT THE SAME NOISE. GOT TO WORK,LOOKED UNDER CAR, ALL SEEMED FINE. JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK IN REAR CARGO ARE AND SAW LUMP IN CARPET. THE SPRING WAS POKING UP THRU THE REAR FLOOR !!!! HOW IS THIS NOT A RECALL? AFTER SEEING THE POSTS ONLINE I REALIZE THIS IS COMMON. I NEVER KNEW, BEEN DRIVING VEHICLE FOR 10 YEARS WITH NO ISSUES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 18, 2015StructureODI 10811206

Suspension

60 reports2 crashes
“I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 YEARS. ON JULY 1, 2017, I WAS TURNING LEFT IN A 30 MPH ZONE OF HIGHWAY 52 IN TN, AND HEARD A CRACK AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE THE 'THUMP' WHEN RUNNING OVER SOMETHING. I CAREFULLY GUIDED THE CAR TO THE R OADSIDE, PARKED, AND INSPECTED THE ROIAD BEHIND ME, ALL TIRES, AND CRAWLED BENEATH TO INSPECT.I COULD FIND NOTHING, SO PROCEEDED WITH CAUTION, ONLY TO PULL OVER AGAIN TWICE WITNIN BUSINESS PARKING LOTS TRYING TO PINPOINT WHERE THE ISSUE WAS CAUSING STEERING PROBLEMS. AFTER NOT SEEING ANYTHING STILL, I TURNED RIGHT ONTO HWY 52 HEADING EAST; WITHIN 500 FT , IN. THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH CROSS TRAFFIC DOING 45MPH MIN. ,TN HWY 109, I LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL, AND COULD NOT BRAKE AS I DRIFTED THRU A YELLOW SIGNAL LYING ON THE HORN AND THROWING MY HAZARDS ON. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT INTO THE MARCO LOT AND PARK AWAY FROM EVERYONE BY COASTING TO AN ALMOST STOP AND USING THE PARKING BRAKE. I HAD JUST HAD 5 NEW TIRES PUT ON THE SUV IN JUNE 2017, AND THERE WAS NOTHING NOTED ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEADLY FRAME ISSUE. I TOWER THE ISUZU TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP, KNOWING NOTHING ABOUT ANY RECALL ISSUES PRIOR. HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 31, 2017Steering, Suspension, WheelsODI 11011601
All 1998 Rodeo problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

5 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD, Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD
Engines
2.2L 4-cyl · 3.2L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 5-spd · Automatic 4-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Rodeo 2WD
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.2 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
182220$3,200444
Rodeo 2WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
161917$3,800523
Rodeo 4WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
161917$3,800523
Rodeo 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
151916$4,000555
Rodeo 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151916$4,000555
  • Rodeo 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.2 L
    18 city · 22 hwy · $3,200/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
  • Rodeo 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L
    16 city · 19 hwy · $3,800/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Rodeo 4WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L
    16 city · 19 hwy · $3,800/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Rodeo 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L
    15 city · 19 hwy · $4,000/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Rodeo 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.2 L
    15 city · 19 hwy · $4,000/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

1 tested variant
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo as of Oct 28, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 28, 2026Vehicle 3860
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

1998 Rodeo questions

How many recalls does the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo have?

6 safety recalls as of Oct 28, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 1998 Isuzu Rodeo problems?

Owners filed 486 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are service brakes, hydraulic (207), structure (70), suspension (60). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo at 16–20 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (5 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 28, 2026