NHTSA Complaint #10131863 — 1998 ISUZU TROOPER

WE WERE DRIVING IN MY 1998 ISUZU TROOPER WITH THE 3.5 LITER ENGINE AND ABOUT 90,000 MILES ON A FAMILY VACATION TO MONTANA, AS WE CAME TO OUR DESTINATION WE WERE IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS BEING USED IN OUR VEHICLE AND WAS SET AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE MONTANA SPEED LIMIT. THE VEHICLE HAD TO DOWNSHIFT TO GO UP THE MOUNTAIN SIDE UPON GETTING TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN THE VEHICLE QUICKLY BEGAN TO MAKE A STRANGE NOISE. SECONDS LATER THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM AND ENGINE PARTS WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE, WE HAD DROPPED 2 PISTONS OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR FROM SUCH BAD DAMAGE. WE QUICKLY PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY HAD HAPPENED AND NOTICED THAT THE OIL LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND WE HAD TO QUICKLY EXTINGUISH IT. WE THEN PICKED UP THE ENGINE PARTS FROM THE HIGHWAY TO NOT HURT OTHER VEHICLES. WE CONTACTED THE LOCAL POLICE AND THEY AIDED US IN GETTING TO THE NEAREST DEALER 110 MILES AWAY. THE DEALER TOOK OVER A WEEK TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OTHER COMPONENTS FOR A COST OF OVER $6,000. THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OTHER DAMAGED PARTS WERE DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. UPON RETURNING HOME AND INVESTIGATING I FOUND THAT THIS INCIDENT IS VERY COMMON AND HAS COST MANY PEOPLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I BELIEVE THAT ISUZU IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD FIX IT OR REIMBURSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS. THIS PUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY AND LIVES IN HARM AND I THINK ISUZU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *NM