Most common 2002 Isuzu Rodeo problems
Share of the 101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Isuzu Rodeo complaints by model year
Best Rodeo years: 2003, 2004, 2002. Years to avoid: 1999, 1998, 2001, 2000, 1995. Compare all years →
2002 Isuzu Rodeo recalls (2)
Suspension › Rear
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…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear suspension lower link bracket area. For vehicles in which little or no corrosion is found, the area will be treated with an anti-corrosive compound.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Certain sport utility vehicles that have been exposed to fuel contaminated with silicon May develop small pin holes in the fuel pump feed port. Silicon has been identified in the fuel systems of affected vehicles and in certain fuel available in the region of tyler, texas.
Remedy: For vehicles registered in the states identified above, dealers will provide a new cover over the existing feed port on the fuel pump or, if the existing feed port has already been damaged, dealers will install a new…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2002 Isuzu Rodeo:
Rear suspension lower link failure
During preliminary evaluation pe09-030, Isuzu motors America, inc (Isuzu) noted two primary differences once the rear suspension lower link separation occurs between the alleged defect (separation of the lower link from the frame) of this investigation and a safety defect involving lower link separation from the rear axle addressed by Isuzu in safety recall 00v-058.in the case of the defect condition identified in…
Rear Suspension Lower Link Detachment
On September 22, 2010, Isuzu Manufacturing Services of America, Inc (Isuzu) submitted a Defect Information Report (NHTSA Recall 10V-436) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affecting approximately 120,000 model year (MY) 1998-2002 Isuzu Rodeo and Honda Passport vehicles and MY 2002 Isuzu Axiom vehicles originally sold, or currently operated, in the following states:Connecticut, Delaware, the…
Fuel Tank Retention Failure
On April 10, 2018, NHTSA received a petition from Mr. Kevin Byrne (the Petitioner) requesting that the Agency ?undertake a defects investigation? of ?rust-related detachment of Isuzu Rodeo fuel tanks? (NHTSA ID 11091788). The Petitioner experienced a partial fuel tank detachment in his model year (MY) 2004 Isuzu Rodeo in July 2017.
What 2002 Isuzu Rodeo owners say
Body & structure all 22 →
The contact owns a 2002 Isuzu Rodeo. The contact recently became aware of severe corrosion on the frame of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V436000 (Suspension) approximately 10 years ago. The contact believed that the recall repair should have covered more than just the rear suspension and that the entire subframe should have been included. The vehicle was taken to two independent Collision Centers and was advised that the cost of repair exceeded the value of the vehicle, and the vehicle was declined to be repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,819.
Daughter was driving call and steering suddenly seemed "funny". Pulled over, had car towed and was told the mounting bracket for the rear driver side sway bar rusted from the mainframe of the car and the car cannot be driven. Researched on web and Isuzu had a recall on this issue. Called Honda and they suggested we tow the car over 110 miles to the nearest dealership. If at that time they inspected it and determine Isuzu is at fault the May or May not offer any compensation. I feel it is unreasonable to require me to tow the car 110 miles. I examined receipts from the previous owner and Isuzu issued a recall on this car. The car was inspected on 11/10/11 and this was typed on the receipt: cau inspect found stage 1. Treat per recall. Complete operates as design. Labeled a stage 1 fix. Obviously, they did not fix the issue. Since Isuzu has recalled this car do I have any options? …
Transmission & drivetrain
I have a 2002 Isuzu Rodeo ls with a six cylinder engine and a 2 wheel drive automatic transmission. The transmission is sealed and the owner's manual requires service at 120,000 miles. I have never driven the vehicle under extreme conditions, and I have never towed anything behind the vehicle. Nonetheless, my transmission recently started to shudder and lurch when the vehicle initially accelerated from low to second gear. When this problem began, the vehicle had about 55,500. The problem grew progressively worse, and I took it for service at about 56,000. The dealership to which I took the car advised me that a part in the transmission had gone bad and that they had seen similar problems with similar vehicles and that Isuzu had a replacement part to correct this problem. If it is indeed a defective part, I think a recall May be warranted for safety reasons. …
Vehicle's automatic transmission unpredictably and uncontrollably, on more than one occasion while driving on the highway at 60 MPH, shifted out of "drive" and into "park" on the control panel indicator, while the stick shift was still engaged in "drive." this resulted in a very alarming jerking feeling and loss of forward velocity. The only way to stop this situation and return to normal was to brake, pull over into the highway's shoulder, put the gear shift into "park," turn off the vehicle's ignition, wait a few seconds, and then turn the vehicle back on. After this occurred two or three times, I became concerned that this could lead to a serious safety problem and potential accident so I took the vehicle to an Isuzu dealer for repairs and they replaced the transmission mode switch and cleared the code for a total cost of $350. …
Brakes
I pulled into a handicap parking spot in front of a supermarket, put it in park, set the emergency brake. Got out out vehicle, locked the doors. Started to walk away and a guy that was sitting at a table in front of store yelled there goes your car. I ran beside the car to try to open the door to no avail. The car crashed backwards into another vehicle. The police were called and was told by them to call insurance company and to leave if both vehicles were okay to drive. I feel the park gear failed and the emergency brake failed. This has happened before just in park a couple of months ago.
I have 110,000 miles on vehicle and was just told frame is rusting out. Not safe to drive this car has many miles left on engine, not happy about rusted frame I have heard about , also ABS light goes off and on.
2002 Isuzu Rodeo engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 21 / 18 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Isuzu Rodeo a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Rodeo rates better than average: 53% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Rodeo at the same age. It is one of the best Rodeo years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Isuzu Rodeo?
The body & structure — 22 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frame and members. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (18) and brakes (18).
How many recalls does the 2002 Isuzu Rodeo have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 Isuzu Rodeo, the most recent from September 22, 2010 (rear). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Isuzu Rodeo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2004 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 1998, 2001, 2000 and 1995. See the full Isuzu Rodeo years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Isuzu Rodeo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 86,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.