Sorry - I have to agree with Michael on this. Let's not act like it's forbidden to discuss how reliable Isuzu's are, or we're not going to be able to get good, open communication about issues that a lot of us have had to deal with over the course of our Isuzu ownership life span.

My sister-in-law wants to dump her Grand Cherokee for a more reliable mode of transportation. She got to borrow my Trooper (1991) for a while when I was out of town and loved it, though I'm not sure why. Would I tell her to go out and buy one used? No. She's hard on cars: few oil changes, little to no preventative maintenance, just wants something that'll start every single time, be comfortable, and look/drive good.

Unfortunately, that describes 99% of vehicle buyers out there, IMHO. When I bought this Trooper, I kinda knew what I was getting into. My father, the king of oil changes and rotating your tires, would never attempt a timing belt change like I did a couple of weeks ago, nor would the majority of car buyers out there.

Look at it this way: take every issue/repair you've had with your 'zu, from ticking to warped heads to valve adjustments, and imagine yourself paying a mechanic to fix it for you. Now you've put yourself in the average owner's shoes. Does Isuzu stand up to a Honda or Toyata in reliability that way? No.

Are they made like tanks? Yes. Are they schweet for 4x4'ing? Yes. Are the majority of people going to care about that? No.