Banchi,
IÆm going to go out on a limb here, and (in part) support one of the negative things that you said about the 2nd gen Rodeo/Passportà
For quite a while now, Joe has been experiencing an annoying rattle on his`98 æRodeoPortÆ, coming from the front passenger side, up in-and-around the dashboard/windshield area. --- Last week, while he was taking me to get my replacement alternator (
My third in two years û WHAT OF IT? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> ), I did my absolute level-best to isolate the source of the noiseà and within a minute or so, I found it.
All of this time, he believed that it had been coming from somewhere inside of the vehicleà Not soà ItÆs actually the passenger-side hood mounting bracket thatÆs to blame. --- While I was searching, I just happened to look past the dashboard, through the windshield, and noticed that the rear-most portion of the hood was moving up-and-down, ever so slightlyà and that its movement perfectly coincided with the noise.
When we got back to his house, we popped the hood, and quickly confirmed - beyond all doubt - that this was actually what had been rattling all that time.
Later, when I was back to the task of installing my alternator, I had the hood up on my`97 Rodeoà and I noticed something. --- My 1st gen has a substantially larger and sturdier-looking hood mounting bracket. --- Comparing the two, everything else looked more-or-less the same in that part of the vehicle, but the bracket itself was almost twice as long, and notably beefier on mine.
[*Flame Suit ON*]
In some ways, however slight, I believe you may be correct in the assertion that Isuzu cut a few corners here-and-there when they redesigned the Rodeo for the 1998 model year.
Still, even with that said, I nonetheless have to wholeheartedly agree with everyone here whoÆs been singing the many praises of Isuzus in general.
If you rely on published and/or reported information alone to support the notion that Isuzus are somehow a lesser breed, youÆre most likely basing your hypothesis upon flawed data. --- More than once we have seen reports here that one or another website was proliferating woefully incorrect æfactsÆ and æfiguresÆ about Isuzus. (Be it: Towing capacity, engine size and/or performance, any number of available options, etc.) --- And letÆs face ità Any statistician who is worth their salt can tell you that you can alter the parameters of any study or survey to make the final figures prove pretty much whatever point you care to makeà so citing such things as æfactsÆ really proves nothing in the end.
It all comes down to this: YOU possess a vehicle that YOU are dissatisfied with, and that YOU feel it does not live up to the standards that YOU have set.
I canÆt argue that pointà Hell, no one can. --- From what IÆve read, it appears that you believe your Isuzu is costing you more than it is worth to continue maintaining it, and that things have been failing to last as long as you believe they ought to last.
It would seem that thereÆs really nothing that anyone here can say that will change how you feel.
While I am very sorry that your Isuzu ownership experiences have been rather less enjoyable than you had hoped, personally, I believe MY Isuzu to be the best damned vehicle IÆve ever had... and as such, despite your feelings about yours, I will not be swayed from my opinions about mine, or of those that I hold for the moniker as a whole.
Like so many others here, I believe my Isuzu to be
AT LEAST as capable, well-constructed, and durable as any other vehicle out there today, be they Japanese or otherwiseà So, it truly pains me to see where someone believes that an Isuzu is somehow an inferior vehicle. --- I-for-one vehemently disagree.
It is the basic nature of all-things-mechanical to actively seek a state of disrepairà and this tendency toward dysfunction hastens exponentially if you fail to stay ahead of it.
A used vehicle is therefore often a far more uncertain bet than a new one, mainly because you are seldom able to ascertain the degree of dedication that the previous owner had toward preventative maintenance. --- More often than not, itÆs a Crap-Shootà and as much as I wish it were otherwise, unfortunately it appears as though you may have shot Snake Eyes on your first roll this time.
On the bright side, as many have pointed-out already, piece-by-piece you are nearing the point where you will soon be ahead of the game. --- There are only so many things that can possibly go wrongà and you have already replaced or repaired most of them. --- If you throw-in the towel now, you run the risk of starting the process all over again on another vehicle.
By starting this thread, you effectively were seeking opinionsà So (Finally!) hereÆs mine:
If I were you, despite any reservations that I had to the contrary, given all of the repairs that have been made thus far, I would definitely keep what I had. --- If I didnÆt (assuming that your luck is anything like mine), the next vehicle I got would undoubtedly be fraught with all of the same problems, and IÆd have to go through the same costly ordeal all over again. --- IÆm a very strong proponent of the idiom æDo it ONCE, and do it RIGHTÆ, and IÆm also a very stubborn cuss, so the idea of giving-up and starting from scratch again holds no appeal for me. --- Despite the many things that I have had to repair or replace on mine, itÆs not going anywhere any time soon.
Well, thatÆs my protracted two-cents worth, anyhow.
Good luck to you, Sirà Whatever it is that happens next, I wish you the very best.
Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley
