When I leave for work, I approach the Rodeo from the side. When I go home from work, I approach the Rodeo from the rear, but it's usually dark.

I was walking out to my Rodeo today about 6:30 pm when I got to wondering why I could see so much of tow bar. Then I noticed I saw daylight between the tow bar and the ground.

I checked the rear door for damage (it blocks the lowering mechanism)--none. Whoever did it had to get the rear door open to get the tire. The chain is pulled back up and the extra wrapped neatly (i.e. it's not dangling down or I would have noticed it immediately). Not too many curbside thieves take the time to clean up after a theft.

Obviously, I suspect mechanic error. When the dealer said they'd rotate the tires, I figured it was a little bill paddling, but does also need to be done. I just didn't expect this much padding. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

In their defense, power went out while they were working on my car, and they were proud to tell me they found power tools and were working by hand. It caused confusion at the dealership. But their bays are open (it's AZ) and they had plenty of sunlight. I had to come back the next day for my receipt. Assuming it was a mistake, I would expect someone to say, "Hey, we found a spare tire for a Rodeo from yesterday--let's check yours!"

I will be calling first thing tomorrow. We'll see what they say, but I'm not optimistic. If they didn't say something the next day, they probably won't admit to it weeks later. They don't have a whole lot of late-model Rodeo's rolling through any more (Did the 4x4 or DI's have different rims? That would narrow it down more)--I wouldn't be hard to track down. I have a nagging feeling the mechanic made a mistake, realized it later, and covered it up.
(edited per post below to give more benefit of the doubt)

I see why Isuzu dealers rank last--I've tried the only one in Tucson, and a bigger one (Chapman) in Tempe (Phoenix area), and so far have met with what I can only describe as
- Bad attitude (Tucson mechanic). I wrote a letter to the dealer to complain.
- ______ (insert your word here) (Tempe mechanic). Spare tire missing.