Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Isuzu Rodeo problems

Owners filed 441 complaints about the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo with NHTSA between Jan 2001 and Oct 2020. The most-cited component is structure (236).

Complaints
441
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
16
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Structure236
  2. Suspension129
  3. Engine and engine cooling26
  4. Electrical system25
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic22
  6. Power train20
  7. Fuel system, gasoline19
  8. Fuel system, other13
  9. Steering11
  10. Vehicle speed control11
  11. Tires11
  12. Air bags8
  13. Equipment8
  14. Fuel/propulsion system5

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200116
200213
200315
200413
200519
200610
20079
200821
200937
2010119
201188
201221
201315
201415
201513
20166
20174
20183
20192
20202

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Structure

236 reports6 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ISUZU RODEO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE SERVICE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND KEPT REFERRING THE CONTACT TO DEALERS THAT NO LONGER SERVICED ISUZU VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 8, 2019StructureODI 11206235

Suspension

129 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING IN THE BACK LIKE IT WAS HYDROPLANING. SAME THING HAPPENED ON WAY HOME. DIDN'T DRIVE IT DURING THE NEXT TWO DAYS, SAME THING HAPPENED THE NEXT TIME. ON FOURTH DAY, I NOTICED A BRACKET HAD COME APART FROM THE RUSTED FRAME. CAR WAS BOUGHT IN 2018, AND AM STILL PAYING FOR IT. DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 20, 2019SuspensionODI 11290311

Engine and engine cooling

26 reports1 crash1 fire
“MY BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. IN THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES AND ON THE NEXT OCCASION, THE REAR BRAKES. THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE OF A NEAR ACCIDENT WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE AND IT FAILING TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. EVENTUALLY STOPPING. THE NEXT TIME, IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T STOP UNTIL I HIT THE BACK OF A MINIVAN, THEN A SEDAN AND SUV CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. WHEN I GOT MY BRAKES REPLACED AFTER THAT, I ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN LESS THAN A BLOCK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. THEN DRIVING TO WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES STILL WEREN'T RESPONDING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY, AND HAD THE MECHANIC DRIVE AROUND AND DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME. HE FELT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. IT KEPT HAPPENING. I PRESS DOWN ON THE BRAKE. IT STIFFENS UP, THEN MAKES SOME CLICKING SOUNDS, AND THE CAR JUST GLIDES, I.E. KEEPS ON MOVING. THAT IS NOT SAFE!! I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR OR TAKE ANY LONG DISTANCE TRIPS BECAUSE OF THE APPREHENSION OF MY BRAKES FAILING AS USUAL. FINALLY, I WENT BACK ONCE AGAIN TO THE MECHANICS AND EXPLAINED WHAT EXACTLY THE BRAKES ARE DOING, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE THINKS THAT IT IS THE "BRAKE SENSOR" DUE TO THE RUST AROUND IT.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 6, 2010Steering, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, StructureCrash reportedODI 10329206

Electrical system

25 reports1 crash
“STATIONARY AT PARK DRIVEWAY, WOKE UP EARLY MORNING TO GO TO WORK AS I GO TO MY CAR MY KEY REMOTE WILL NOT WORK I HAVE TO MANUALLY KEY IN CAR TO OPEN DOOR.PUT THE KEY AND START THE CAR NOTHING HAPPENED. FOUND OUT BATTERY WAS DEAD, BUY NEW ONE STILL NOT STARTING FOUND OUT THE ALTERNATOR NOR WORKING AND THE MAIN FUSE WAS BLOWN. REPLACED NEW FUSE AND ALTERNATOR AND TRY TO START, 15AMP FUSE BLOWN ON MY PANEL CLUSTER GAUGE NOT WORKING ALTHOUGH CAR START AND THE BATTERY WAS NOT CHARGING. EVERYTIME I PUT A NEW 15AMP FUSE FOR PANEL IT WILL BLOWN. I GUESS THERE MUST BE SOMETHING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OR GROUND THAT BLOW FUSE ON PANEL AND ALSO NOT CHARGING THE BATTERIES. ANY HELP ON RECALL I HAD MY CAR FOR 15 YEARS I NEVER BEEN TO ANY RECALL ON THIS CAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 14, 2017Electrical system, Engine, Visibility/wiperODI 10985654

Service brakes, hydraulic

22 reports5 crashes
“I PURCHASED MY 2001 ISUZU RODEO USED IN APRIL 2012, ABOUT A WEEK AFTER I HAD THE VEHICLE IT STARTED STALLING OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING, LOOSING COMPLETE POWER FOR A FEW MOMENTS THEN WOULD JERK AND CONTINUE GOING. I ALSO NOTICED WHEN I WOULD HIT A SMALL BUMP AND TRY TO APPLY THE BRAKES I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE AND IT WOULD NOT STOP FOR A FEW FEET, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. ALSO WHEN I STOP I HEAR A POPPING NOISE IN THE REAR, EVERYTIME I STOP. NOW THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY DYING AT RANDOM TIMES. IT WILL DIE WHEN I AM ON THE INTERSTATE GOING A STEADY SPEED, OR ACCELERATING. ALSO WHEN I COME CLOSE TO A COMPLETE STOP TO TURN THE VEHICLE WILL DIE. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AND JERKS WHILE SPEEDING UP. I HAVE ALMOST T-BONED SOMEONE DUE TO THE CAR DYING AND THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. ALSO I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE OF THE CAR STALLING OUT AND ALSO DYING. ALSO AFTER HAVING THE CAR A COUPLE WEEKS THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER QUIT WORKING AND THE LIGHT FOR THE SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT WORK EITHER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 3, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10457355

Power train

20 reports
“TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND SOMETIMES BANG INTO GEAR. THE SHIFTER LINKAGES GET STUCK AND HAVE TO SHUT OFF CAR AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO UNJAM SHIFTER. WHEN GOING TO TAKE OFF REAR END JAMS UP.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2018Suspension, Power trainODI 11085157
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

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