NHTSA Complaint #10121223 — 1999 ISUZU TROOPER

I TOOK MY '99 ISUZU TROOPER FOR ITS REGULAR OIL CHANGE AT ALMOST 3000 MILES TO JIFFY LUBE IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO ON THE 10TH OF MAY 2005. WHILE IN THE BAY OF JIFFY LUBE THE WORKERS' REPLACED THE AIR FILTER, OIL FILTER AND TOPPED OFF ALL OTHER FLUIDS. WHEN ASKED TO TURN VEHICLE ON, I TURNED THE KEY AND THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK SOUND AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ENGINE OFF AND ASKED WORKERS' WHAT WAS THAT NOISE AND THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING THEY DIDN'T KNOW AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. THEY PROCEEDED TO PUT MORE OIL IN THE ENGINE, APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 3/4'S OF A QUART AND TOLD ME TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHARGES FOR THE OIL CHANGE, WHICH I DID. MY VEHICLE WAS MOVED OUTSIDE AND LEFT WITH THE ENGINE OFF. WHEN I STARTED IT, THERE WAS A MILD TO MODERATE RAPPING NOISE. I PROCEEDED WITH MY ACTIVITY AND ON MY WAY HOME I STOPPED AT ANOTHER JIFFY LUBE BECAUSE THE NOISE SEEMED TO BE GETTING LOADER AND THEY CHECKED IT AND SAID THAT THE OIL WAS FULL AND THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE RAPPING. I DROVE HOME AND PARKED IT OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE IT TO TOWN AGAIN AND THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. ON THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO DRIVE IT TO TOWN AND AFTER STARTING IT AND DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE THE ENGINE LITE CAME ON AND WHITE SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE EXHAUST AND FILLED THE CAB. I TURNED AROUND AND TOOK IT HOME IMMEDIATELY AND IT HAS BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS AND TODAY A MECHANIC FROM JIFFY LUBE CAME OUT AND EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND ALL THE PARTS INVOLVED IN THE OIL CHANGE AND THOSE PARTS ARE FINE EXCEPT THAT THE RADIATOR FUILD IS EXTREMELY LOW AND IT HAS USE 1 QUART OF OIL ALREADY. THERE ARE NO LEAKING SPOTS ANYWHERE ON THE VEHICLE. HE STATES THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE HEAD IS BLOWN AND THE METAL PARTS IN THAT AREA ARE DAMAGED AND THAT THE ENGINE HAS TO BE TAKEN APART. IT HAS ONLY 77,000 MILES ON IT AND UNTIL THIS TIME THERE HAS BEEN NO KNOWN PROBLEMS.