NHTSA Complaint #10093689 — 2002 ISUZU RODEO

I HAVE A 2002 ISUZU RODEO LS WITH A SIX CYLINDER ENGINE AND A 2 WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION IS SEALED AND THE OWNER'S MANUAL REQUIRES SERVICE AT 120,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THE VEHICLE UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS, AND I HAVE NEVER TOWED ANYTHING BEHIND THE VEHICLE. NONETHELESS, MY TRANSMISSION RECENTLY STARTED TO SHUDDER AND LURCH WHEN THE VEHICLE INITIALLY ACCELERATED FROM LOW TO SECOND GEAR. WHEN THIS PROBLEM BEGAN, THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 55,500. THE PROBLEM GREW PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, AND I TOOK IT FOR SERVICE AT ABOUT 56,000. THE DEALERSHIP TO WHICH I TOOK THE CAR ADVISED ME THAT A PART IN THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE BAD AND THAT THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES AND THAT ISUZU HAD A REPLACEMENT PART TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IF IT IS INDEED A DEFECTIVE PART, I THINK A RECALL MAY BE WARRANTED FOR SAFETY REASONS. MOST NOTABLY, THE PROBLEM CAUSED MY CAR TO MOMENTARILY STOP ACCELERATING IN LOW GEAR, AND ON ONE OCCASION, THE DELAYED ACCELERATION CAUSED A CLOSE CALL BECAUSE MY CAR MOMENTARILY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A LEFT-HAND TURN. THE OTHER CONCERN IS THAT AFTER SHUDDERING AND NOT ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY CATCH THE GEAR AND LURCH FORWARD, AGAIN, A SAFEY CONCERN DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE CAR.*AK