Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Isuzu Ascender owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Isuzu Ascender. The contact stated that the gauges and lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The contact also noticed smoke and flames coming from the control panel of the arm rest on the front driver side door. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V035000 (visibility) even though the windshield of the vehicle had shifted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Had auto towed to midas after inability to start, attempted jump start, unsuccessful. Battery replaced on 12/28/15. Drove auto next several days and on 12/30/15 drove to pick up my husband, shut off car in park. Unable to start vehicle again, keys could not be removed. Keys were in lock position in battery mode, able to turn to engine on but not turnover. Battery running all lights. Had auto towed again to midas but unable to diagnose. Spoke with auto shop and given this info to check recall for this vehicle. VIN [redacted]. 2004 Isuzu Ascender. Will require another tow to different facility for diagnostics plus more fees for repairs,towing. Auto was in park on side street 4 pm 12/30/15 after driving vehicle all day.
Vehicle headlights work very erratically both when vehicle is parked or in motion. Low-beam lights will go off on a moment's notice and only high-beam lights will work. More recently, even the high-bean lights have been acting up and turning off. Headlights sockets were replaced at some point but problem persists. This condition is extremely dangerous, especially when driving at night and all the headlights go out.
Cluster panel does not work. The low beam lights have stopped working regularly whether stationary or driving.. They work intermittently causing the use of high beams. It has become a night time driving safety issue. Car will turn off in the middle of driving causing my daughter to have to pull over for safety.
While driving my cars brakelight came on and the car started to accelerate faster and faster. Pullled over as soon as I could and stopped the car and turned the engine off. The check gauges warning light comes on even when the car is sitting idle or when I pull up and stop at a red light it comes on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Isuzu Ascender. After stopping the vehicle, the contact was unable to shift gears and the ignition key failed to remove from the ignition. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Instrument panel began working intermittently. Took in for check. Dealer repaired. Left dealer and instrument panel failed again within 15 minutes. Returned to dealer and had to wait for (8) days for replacement dash module. Car was unsafe and undrivable as no information (speed, gear location, etc.) was available to driver. This vehicle is a GM product and is the same as trailblazer, envoy, etc. I have been told by envoy owners that they have experienced the same problem,trailblazers also. Dealer service rep stated to me that GM knows there is a problem with the instrument modules. This complaint form does not allow for the identification of the manufacturer of this vehicle. It is manufactured by general motors. I had to select Isuzu manufacturing due to your error in programming drop downs correctly. Isuzu has no manufacturing facilities in north America. …
There has been ungoing electrical issues since buying this vehicle new. The headlights have stopped working and there is an intermittent problem with the lights and the internal chime. Sometimes the lights don't come on or the chimes can not be heard and then it is working properly again. The engine in the vehicle ihad to be orepalced just before it went to 60000 miles so, it has an 2005 engine. This engine has a hard revv when shifting gears. There are gas fumes coming into the cabin. The vehicle has been taken to the mechanic several times and they have not been able to find the leak. I don't live in the salt belt area. I live in northern fl and this is not the only place that the vehicle has been, but it has not been where there are salted roads like the nort east and midatlantic. Request your assistance.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Isuzu Ascender. The contact stated that the speedometer moved back and forth and does not show the correct speed. The speedometer will read over 100 MPH and then become stuck. The vehicle had to be turned on and off in order to get the speedometer to read correctly. The dealer stated that there was a problem with the computer, but the contact was convinced that it was an electrical problem. The contact stated that when the fan was set below level five, the instrument panel began to function. When the failure occurred all of the warning lights began to flash on the instrument panel until the fan was placed on level 5. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 92,000. Updated 03/14/11
While driving one night, my left headlight went out, first the dim, then the bright. My wife and I both smelled a smell like rubber burning, so I stopped the car and checked under the hood to detect the origin of the smell, but to no avail. Not much later that same night, my right headlight also burned out. Luckily, we were only 1 mile from our house and limped home. When I checked under the hood the next day, I found that the electrical connections to both headlights had burned and melted the wires at the point where they attach to the back of the headlight assembly. Has this been a common problem for other Ascender owners?
Electrical complaints in other Ascender years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Isuzu Ascender?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Isuzu Ascender, 53% of the model year's 64 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Isuzu Ascender electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 Isuzu Ascender, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Isuzu Ascender electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.