About two years ago I bought a 96 rodeo with about 85,000 miles. Now, the millage is up to 110,000 and during the past six months I have had nothing but problems. I bought the truck for $8,000 two years ago and have spent another $4,500 on it in the last six months. I have had teh transmission re-built, flywheel replaced, heater core replaced after it burst in the middle of nowhere, alternatore, timeing belt, power window switch (oddly, a $200+ part), and probably some other stuff I am forgetting. I treat my rodeo will nothing but love, regularly change the oil and keep everything in good condition, but lately it has been rediculous. What other pieces of the rodeo might die soon, do I just have a lemon, or is it just the time for these components to fail. Thanks for reading the long post and for the help.

Mine is a '94 with 121K on it. No real problems with mine, that weren't caused by me. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> Although I do need to fix one power window and a few other minor things, so much to do and so little time. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Good luck with your Rodeo <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Is there really a life expectancy for any vehicle?? There is some designed in obsolesence for everything, but cars are so subjective. Who's to say, that with different maintenance for the first 85k miles the parts you listed would not have lasted longer. Every car I have ever owned usually has had some significant needs around 100-120k. Then they go for another 50-60k and then need a few more major items, and the cycle continues at about that pace for the remainder of hte vehicle's life. My '88 Trooper finally, at 313k, just developed an electrical gremlin I cannot find. I don't think your experience is atypical. Just think of it this way, all these major things probably won't need attention again for at least another 100k. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

Usually people just buy new used trannys for these things since rebuilding is often more expensive. What happened to the tranny? Did someone put gear oil in it? How did the flywheel fail? It is a big metal disc that usually doesn't need any more attention than resurfacing every clutch change. Alt, timing belt, and interior electrical components don't last forever on any vehicle, but many here just do the work themselves and replaces used with used components. I think you don't have a particularly bad rodeo, this is just an indication you might save some cash if you hang out here more often and learn to do the stuff yourself! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Besides junk yards, there are on-line parts places and even stcharlesauto.com has OEM parts for cheap. You just gotta learn where to look. good luck.

Like my father used to say, you can get any car to last forever if you just keep fixing it. My 95.5 Rodeo (about the same as a 96) has over 171k miles on it. I had to replace the alternator, starter, timing belt tensioner and that's about it. No major problems otherwise. One thing that may make a difference is that I service the car myself. No monkeys allowed under my hood.

I have 190,000 on a '95 3.2l Rodeo. That's ok, but I'm still not impressed considering I've taken an '83 Toyota PU and an '87 Accord beyond 300,000 miles. Both of those are still purring along.

As mentioned in a previous post, your vehicle might not be in the shape it is had the previous owner taken care of it OR not run it into the ground.

If you have a 4x4 and bash it in the boonies every weekend, it ain't gonna last forever.

No way to predict vehicle life expectancy unless it's a Fiat or Yugo. In that case you know it's gonna die young.

Thanks for all of your advice. Although it may sound like it, I am not a completely incompetent car owner. I did all the work on my jeep, but working on the Isuzu is a whole different story. Is it me or are these things really complicated? I obviously can't rebuild an auto tranny and althoug I probably could have swapped the old for a new, I don't have the equipment to do it where I am living now. Anyways, I know that no car has an actual life expectancy, but here is the question-If my number one priority now is to have a truck that will basically give me absolutely no problems or at least close to it, should I keep the rodeo or start looking at Toyotas? I really like the rodeo but as I have said, spent to much to keep it alive.

In my opinion brand name is about 100th on the list of criteria for saying one car will give you more/less problems than an other.

Stick with what you have-- you already fixed everything.

I don't want to sway your decision any, but remember that there is no guarantee that any car you buy will not have its own problems, whether it be a jeep, yota, or Isuzu.

Every vehicle is unique and every vehicle will have its own unique problems, no matter what the advertisers may say.

It doesn't really apply, but my '92 Rodeo just recently topped 200000 miles, and it's still going strong. I've put maybe $600 dollars in it so far (major things).

Either way, good luck with your vehicle ventures. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I hear you, my 92 has 222,000. Not the fastest on the block by any means but the longest lasting vehicle I've ever owned.