Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had issue with my '04 Isuzu Rodeo for about a year now different issues. First my engine is eating up all the oil. I got an synthetic oil change on feb7 and on mar8 the stick had no oil I took it back and they topped everything but they couldn't find a leak unless the engine was consuming the oil last year I took my car in to Suzuki dealer ship because of the oil issue and they couldn't find any problems they just change the starter. 2nd issue one day I was driving on a texas hwy going about 55 because it was a windy day and my truck just jerked like if I slammed on the brakes and all the lights lit up but the check engine, reduce speed, tire pressure and the low gas tank stayed on for a long time. When I schedule it to be look at they couldn't find anything wrong with the truck even though I had videos of the problem hopping while driving on the hwy. …
Driving at 35 MPH in heavy fog during early morning hours (vehicle had been warmed up for 5 mins prior to leaving driveway), tachometer "jolted" (up and down bouncing on the dash display) approx 3 times within a distance of one mile or less at that speed, tach needle came to rest each time at 0 RPM, then finally never registered or moved again. Never had happened before. Note: took the Rodeo through high pressure automatic carwash the evening before, noticed when the high pressure soap was applied as I sat in the vehicle, soap came through onto my heavy duty mats from under the passenger side fire wall area. The soap puddled onto the mat, was dry this morning when I got in to come to work this morning. Then the tach failure occurred. The leaking or weeping has never happened in any car wash before last night.
These incidents happened with two vehicles of the same make, model but different years. While driving at 25 MPH, the consumer applied the brake pedal and felt a thumping sensation in the pedal. When the thumping occurred the brakes failed completely. On both occasions, the consumer had to ride in the shoulder to keep from colliding with other vehicles. The first incident took place when the consumer was approaching a stop sign at a normal speed she stepped on the brakes and there was a thumping under the brake pedal and the vehicle failed stop and slid partially into an intersection. The service rep stated it was from the anti-lock brake system being activated and the brakes performed as designed. Also the vehicle failed to start, the dealer found the ground harness on the alternator loose and stripped out which caused the vehicle not to start. The temperature gauge went to the red zone.
I drive an Isuzu Rodeo which was just dianosed with a serious manufacturing malfunction. The housing which holds all the electrical connections is damaged and "could have sorted out the systems in my vehicle" and my vehicle would have stalled out. This damage is so serious, I could not drive my vehicle off the lot. My car is now down 7 -10 days while this repair is made. I was told by the dealership mechanic that this happens in 10% of the vehicles that are returned for repair. I am now out money for a rental and inconvenienced. I think this should be investigated and consumers should be warned of this dangerous and serious manufacturing error.
Dt: the contact stated while the vehicle was at a certified dealership the ABS brakes failed. The mechanic was backing the contact's vehicle out of the garage and the ABS light illuminated. When the ABS light illuminated the mechanic depressed the brake pedal. However, the ABS did not engage. The vehicle crossed the road and ran through a garage door of another business. After the crash the ignition was turned off and restarted. Once the vehicle was restarted the ABS light was not illuminating and the vehicle operated normally. The certified service dealer stated tissues an electrical problem ,and will be performing diagnostic testing on the vehicle. No repairs have been made at this time. A police a report was taken at the scene. Vehicle sustained minimum damage.
We purchased a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo on November 23 2012 we did not drive the vehicle very much and December 14 2012 I turned a corner and the reduced power light came on and I could not go over 40 MPH the code showed up for the throttle position sensor and the agr valve we replaced both and this did not correct the problem I looked up online about the problem and found out that there is a known wiring issue and we found the known area (diagram)online and we did find were someone had tried to fix the wires after moving the wires around slightly the reduced power light went off. The car was unusable for the month of December we were able to use it in jan. …
Dt*: the contact stated a fire erupted in the vehicle while driving. The vehicle had just been filled with fuel. While stopping at a stop light the vehicle began to hesitate as if it were going to stall. The fire was first noticed on the front passenger side. Based on the fire departments investigation the fire started in the engine compartment. However, an arson investigator was contacted who determined the fire was electrical and started in an electrical box located near the battery. The vehicle was totaled as a result of the incident. The police were alerted but did not arrive on the scene. Updated 04/04/06.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Isuzu Rodeo. The contact observed smoke under the hood while driving 10 MPH and immediately shut the engine off and got out of the vehicle. The fire department was called and by the time they arrived the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department confirmed that it was an electrical fire. The vehicle was destroyed. No one was injured and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home so that a representative from the manufacturer could conduct an investigation. Claim#10041003 was filed with the Isuzu manufacturer. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. A ground connection terminal was not properly crimped in the supplier's engine wiring harness manufacturing line. This improper crimping process can leave an impression on the terminal that will eventually cause a stress fracture. S
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these vehicles.
Electrical system › Alternator/generator/regulator
An integrated circuit within the voltage regulator can contain manufacturing errors.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the voltage regulator with a new regulator.
Frequently asked questions
Which Isuzu Rodeo years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (30), 1999 (27), 2001 (20), 1995 (18) and 2000 (15) model years. Electrical complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Isuzu Rodeo electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 98V-170 (front underhood, Jul 24, 1998); 97V034001 (alternator/generator/regulator, Mar 7, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Isuzu Rodeo electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles; 20% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the alternator/generator/regulator (23 mentions), followed by the ignition (20).
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.