I did my part too, but the review is still up. When are we gonna get this off? People who buy Isuzus are usually smart and do their homework, and this is exactly the thing that turn away customers, and at such a popular site. Lets all give reviews if we can that are good, well Rodeo owners. I did my part with the Ascender .

I understand that he was a little over the top, but the guy is merely stating his frustration with his truck. This is not uncommon - check out the suv.com webpage or alot of others.

I too am extremely frustrated with my rodeo and completely understand where he is coming from. I really wish I would have paid more attention to edmunds road test before I bought my truck - I wrote it off as a probable fluke, but I guess not because I have all the same problems they describe. But Ill do the best I can because I still love her - even if she spends more time in the shop than on the road.

did my part...
I actually give it a 10....

Chase

You say you have all of the problems they describe--what problems are you having? Just curious.

hmmm...i'm torn here.
as much as i'd love to cover isuzu's back, i can't help but think about some of the major and unacceptable (in the public's perception) flaws that we 'zuheads tend to give waivers on.
2.6: cracked/warped heads
3.2: ticky, ticky, ticky
3.5: drinking oil
of course, in our eyes, there are other benefits that more than compensate (beefy frames and axles, the indestructible MUA-5, etc.) but, we are not the target audience.
i like to think that i love my trooper just as much as you all love your rigs, even if it is mostly because of the serengeti-rover looks (huge "wild kingdom" fan as a kid). but, i'd never let my girlfriend, my mom, or my sister buy a 'zu. not until isuzu proves something to me the way my 95 explorer has (170K, no leaks, no oil drinking, nothing but power and comfort).

*note: geez, i had to retype this 3 times in order to tone it down. i sure hope nobody gets any ruffled feathers. after all, won't the average land rover fan be the first to tell you what a POS they can be? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I think the main problem that zu fanatics have with the review is how undescriptive it is.



Zero description of the problems the owner had with the vehicle, and it sounds like they had more problems with the dealer than the vehicle.

I have no problem with a bad rating (I've found flaws in every vehicle I've ever driven in), but atleast give a mild description of your problem if you're going to whine about it.

People who buy Isuzus are usually smart and do their homework,

Let's not kid ourselves. A majority of people who buy cars, do not do in depth research on what they end up buying. This is even more true for those who buy used vehicles. They head down to a car lot with x-amount of dollars in mind that they want to spend and a general type of vehicle they are looking for. The former is usually more of a restriction ($$) than the later (vehicle type). The right price on any vehicle will put it above the wrong price on an exact model.

Sorry, but if we boil it down, a Rodeo is no different than an Explorer, 4-runner, CRV, Rav-4, Blazer ect, to most people. Most of the time the purchase requires two things: Having the money and some vehicle being on the lot in that price range that meets the consumers general requirements. Most times, this is almost as simple as 4 wheels and goes.

and this is exactly the thing that turn away customers, and at such a popular site.

Let's not get brand loyalty mixed up with fanaticism. We all like Isuzus. We all know lots about them, but...that does not mean that all people have had good experiences with them.Sorry, but for reasons ranging from actions by Isuzu corporate to reliability issues, I would not suggest an Isuzu to someone that was just looking for a vehicle.

Now, the real issue on this review is that the person was vague and did not really tell the readers what went wrong. He seems to have combined dealer issues with vehicle issues, but...if we really think about it, are they really that different from the perspective of someone who is looking to buy a car. A bad dealer will make vehicle ownership a nightmare, no matter what. Yes, all dealers are different, but they still represent Isuzu.

Writing Edmonds with the premise of "I have had no problems with my Isuzu, therefore this dodo-head must be lying" is not a good way to do it. Differing experiences between owners is the reasons for reviews. Good or bad, it is up to the prospective buyer to decide what they will believe. But...this guy just did not write a very good, bad review. But...also remember, he felt so bad about the experience that he did take the time to do it. Most people, good and bad experiences, do not do anything.

Michael

Your story is unusual. So unusual that I even have
doubts that it is real. Our Isuzu's problems are so smallish
comparing to the Explorer's problems. 170K on Explorer...
wow... nobody among my frinds believe it can last so long,
without major tranny/engine/electric/etc replacements.
You definitely have a champion Explorer, very much not like
others ones. People whom I know have been very unhappy
with their explorers. My fellow Ford SUV owners usually
have had first major problems (like a broken tranny in the
middle between LA and SF, or dead alternator in the Death
Valley) around 20K, and no way their trucks can last 170K.
I'd better add oil to my Rodeo up to 300K miles.

Oleg

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.

Sorry I do not understand you... Do you want to tell us that
there are some trucks over there which can "start every
other time" without oil changes and preventative
maintenance ? Let me know, I'd like to buy one...
If you cannot give us a model/year of such a truck,
than I have to name your words a BS.



Again, I do not understand you here. Does it mean
that Isuzu trucks require major maintenance from the
beginning ? Sorry, this is a BS. My Rodeo has been almost
maintenance-free from the beginning, except for regular
dealer service (you would not like to say that Toyota do not
need dealer service during warranty period, or would you ?!)
Or do you mean that Toyota (Honda ?!) trucks do NOT require some adjustments around 200K ? Sorry, this is again a BS.

I do not see any point in your statements, just emotions.

Oleg