Problems · NHTSA complaints
2002 Isuzu Trooper problems
Owners filed 12 complaints about the 2002 Isuzu Trooper with NHTSA between Aug 2002 and Dec 2016. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (4).
Complaints
12
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Vehicle speed control3
- Power train2
- Tires1
- Electrical system1
- Structure1
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
4
1
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine and engine cooling
4 reports
“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. *TR”
Vehicle speed control
3 reports
“WHEN CHANGING GEARS AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK”
Power train
2 reports1 crash
“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. DEALER SENT SOMEONE OUT BUT STILL NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT PROBLEM, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, AND DID NOT SEEM TO FOLLOW ANY PATTERN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WANTED VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. *AK”
Tires
1 report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ISUZU TROOPER EQUIPPED WITH BF GOODRICH MUD TERRAIN T/A KM2 TIRES, SIZE: LT265/75R16. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-65 MPH, THREE OF THE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THERE WERE MOMENTARY VIBRATIONS JUST BEFORE THE FAILURES. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER WHERE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE DEEMED DEFECTIVE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES WITH ONLY 12,000 MILES ON THEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN AND DOT NUMBER WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR”
Electrical system
1 report
“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). I HOPE THIS IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF THAT GM IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM.....BUT CERTAINLY HAS THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS OF IT. BUT IT IS VERY SCARY LOOSING COMPLETE POWER LIKE THAT. *TR”
Structure
1 report
“I TOOK MY 2002 ISUZU TROOPER LTD. TO THE DEALER (FITZGERALD DODGE ISUZU, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, COMPLAINING OF A GROWLING NOISE. WHILE IT WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED, THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE UNDERPLATING ON THE CAR WAS SUFFERING FROM FAULTY WELDS, AND THAT IF I DIDN'T HAVE IT REMOVED IT WOULD FALL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD TO PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THIS TO BE PERFORMED. I NOW HAVE NO UNDERPLATING TO PROTECT THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND THE OWNER SHOULD NOT BE OBLIGATED TO REMOVE PORTIONS OF HER AUTOMOBILE TO CORRECT FAULTY MANUFACTURE, AND BE SUBJECTED TO RISK OF POTENTIAL DEATH OR INJURY TO HERSELF OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THE TROOPER ONLY HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT AND IS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD. *JB”
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.