Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 Isuzu Trooper problems

Owners filed 49 complaints about the 2000 Isuzu Trooper with NHTSA between Oct 2000 and Jun 2017. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (23).

Complaints
49
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling23
  2. Power train6
  3. Air bags4
  4. Fuel system, gasoline4
  5. Tires3
  6. Vehicle speed control2
  7. Wheels2
  8. Engine2
  9. Electrical system2
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  11. Fuel system, other1
  12. Suspension1
  13. Equipment1
  14. Steering1

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
20004
20016
20026
20036
20047
20055
20062
20076
20081
20091
20102
20110
20121
20130
20140
20151
20160
20171

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

Engine and engine cooling

23 reports1 related recall
“I CHECKED MY OIL LEVEL 3 WEEKS AGO AND IT WAS FINE. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. I ADDED A QUART 3 DAYS AGO FOR A LONG TRIP I WAS TAKING. WHILE DRIVING DOWN TO BILLINGS, MT, MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. IT HAD NOT OVERHEATED OR SHOWN A WARNING SIGN. MY CAR WAS BONE DRY OF OIL! THE ENGINE HAS SEIZED. I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT...THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 7, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, otherODI 10354112

Power train

6 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 ISUZU TROOPER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LUNGED FORWARD. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE GASKET TRANSMISSION PAN HAD A LEAK AND THE GASKET WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TWO TRANSMISSION PANS AND THE SECOND GASKET SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE GASKET WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE ACCUMULATOR COVER AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT. AS OF DECEMBER 4, 2007, THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS NO TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK TO DETERMINE WHEN THE FLUID IS LOW. THE ONLY INDICATOR IS WHEN THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,558 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,708.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2007Power trainODI 10210795

Air bags

4 reports4 crashes
“AT HIGHWAY SPEED (75MPH) A BOOM NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE JUST AFTER CONTACTING THE WARNING STRIP ON THE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE AND FISHTAIL THEN FLIPPED END OVER END 3-4 TIMES APPROX. ONE - TWO HUNDRED YARDS DOWN THE HIGHWAY. INJURED BUT EXPERIENCED DRIVER WAS SUSPICIOUS OF A POSSIBLE SUSPENSION OR STEERING FAILURE AND CONCERNED THAT AIR-BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2010Suspension, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10315888

Fuel system, gasoline

4 reports1 related recall
“DEALER SOLD ME VEHICLE WITH OPEN CAMPAIGN 00V253000 & 00V376000 AND DID NOT INFORM PRIOR TO PURCHASE. NOW ADVISES AN ISUZU DEALER TO HANDLE REPL'MNT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 21, 2001Fuel system, gasolineODI 741280

Tires

3 reports
“I HAD MY TRUCK SERVICED AND WAS TOLD BY GARAGE THAT MY SIDEWALL ON ALL 4 OF MY TIRES ARE SPLITTING. I TOLD HIM THEY ONLY HAD A LITTLE OVER 20000 MILES ON THEM AND THE TRUCK WAS ALWAYS GARAGED THAT THEY COULD NOT BE SPLITTING. HE SHOWED ME AND THE SIDEWALL IS INDEED SPLITTING. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING WITH THESE TIRES RESULTING IN CRASHES. *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 20, 2012TiresODI 10455900

Vehicle speed control

2 reports
“PERFORATION WHICH HAS CAUSED BACK BRACKET UNDERNEATH TO DETACH. BOLT IS IN PLACE. ENGINE LIGHT ON WBICH IS CSUSED BY THE ENGINE AN ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. I HAVE PRINT OUT FROM ORIELLYS WHICH HAS MESSED UP THE TRANSMISSION ONCE AGAIN. PAPERS ON NEW TRANSMISSION PLACED. TRANSMISSION LIGHT ON. SMELL OF GAS IN ENGINE WHICH IS CAUSED BY THE FUEL SYSTEM. NOTE THIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS EPAAN OR I/M TEST. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT MAKE AN MODEL ARE STILL BEING SOLD. VERY DANGEROUS. I AM 31 YEARS OLD I DO NOT WANT TO DIE OF DEFECTS. CANNOT DRIVE ON HIGHWAY, ALSO CAN'T GET IT LEVAL BECAUSE IT WILL NOT PASS EXPECTION.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2017Vehicle speed control, Wheels, EngineODI 11002329
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.