NHTSA Complaint #10129032 — 1999 ISUZU TROOPER

1999 ISUZU TROOPER RUNS OUT OF OIL. MY 1999 TROOPER THAT I BOUGHT NEW IN FEBRUARY OF 2000 AND HAVE MAINTAINED THROUGH REGULAR OIL AND FILTER CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES SUDDENLY WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO OIL IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER HAD A LOW OIL PROBLEM OR NEVER SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF LEAKING. ON MAY 30TH OF THIS YEAR AS I WAS DRIVING UP MY DRIVEWAY LEAVING MY HOUSE IN THE MORNING THE OIL LIGHT FLASHED ON AND THEN WENT OFF WHEN I REACHED LEVEL GROUND. I HAD RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT 72K AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74.5K SO I STOPPED TO CHECK THE STICK. WHEN I PULLED THE STICK IT WAS DRY! AFTER DUMPING 4 QUARTS OF OIL INTO THE VEHICLE THE OIL FINALLY REGISTERED ON THE STICK! I POURED ANOTHER QUART IN TO MAKE IT 5 QUARTS AND COULDN'T BELIEVE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF OVER HEATING AND NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. I CALLED ISUZU TO ASK THEM WHY THE OIL LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS BONE DRY OF OIL. THEY STATED THAT THE LIGHT IS A OIL PRESSURE LIGHT AND NOT A OIL GAUGE. I DROVE THE TRUCK FOR ONE WEEK AND CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER MYSELF JUST TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE OIL AND FILTER. SINCE THEN I HAVE LOGGED ANOTHER 3K ON THE TRUCK AND HAVE FOUND THE VEHICLE BURNS 1 QUART PER 500 MILES. AFTER REVIEWING THE NHTSA WEBSITE I FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT ALONE. APPARENTLY ISUZU DOES KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM AND ELECTS NOT TO INFORM ANY OF IT'S CUSTOMERS. ISUZU SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR NOT INFORMING ALL ISUZU TROOPER OWNERS THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 70K THAT THE 99 TROOPER COULD HAVE A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF OIL RESULTING IN ENGINE DESTRUCTION. THE MANUFACTURER IS ALSO NEGLIGENT FOR NOT HAVING A WARNING SYSTEM (LIKE A $2 LIGHT) ON THE DASH THAT TELLS YOU WHEN YOUR OIL IS LOW. I WOULD LIKE TO SELL OR TRADE THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER IN GOOD CONSCIENCE I DON'T THINK SOME UNSUSPECTING PERSON SHOULD GET SADDLED WITH THIS UNFORTUNATE CONDITION. (DT)