NHTSA Complaint #10149087 — 2000 ISUZU ISUZU TRUCK

IN DECEMBER, 2005, I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE WAS KNOCKING. UPON ARRIVING HOME, I CHECKED THE OIL. IT WAS BONE DRY. I HAD JUST REPLACED THE OIL 4,500 MILES BEFORE, AND CHECKED THE OIL 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM. I REPLACED THE OIL AND THOUGHT ALL WAS WELL. I WENT TO WORK THE NEXT DAY, AND STILL HAD A MINOR KNOCKING. AFTER LEAVING WORK, I WENT TO GET GAS. UPON ENTERING THE GAS STATION, MY TROOPER SHUT DOWN. WHEN I RE-STARTED THE TROOPER, THE ENGINE HAD AN EXTREME POUNDING. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. RIGHT AWAY, WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE ENGINE, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME I HAD BLOWN MY ENGINE. WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW HE COULD TELL BE JUST SIMPLY LISTENING TO THE ENGINE, HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE HAS SEEN ENOUGH OF THE TROOPERS AND RODEOS TO KNOW THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE TROOPER TOWED TO THE LOCAL ISUZU DEALER. THEY WANTED PROOF THAT I CHANGED THE OIL IN MY TROOPER EVERY 3,000 MILES (I NEVER KEPT RECEIPTS). PLUS, THE ISUZU TROOPER OWNERS MANUAL CLEARLY STATES OIL SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 7,500, EXCEPT UNDER EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS. MY TROOPER WAS NEVER DRIVEN IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. AFTER A WEEK OR SO, THE SERVICE MANAGER OFFERED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE ($7,400 TOTAL COST OF NEW ENGINE). I TOLD HIM THAT I AM NOT ACCEPTING THIS OFFER, BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD, OR WHO ARE HAVING, THE SAME PROBLEM. PLUS, THE LOCAL ISUZU DEALER NEVER EVEN TORE THE ENGINE DOWN TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM, OR WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED IT. HOW CAN HE HAVE OFFERED TO PAY HALF OF THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE INSIDE ON MY TROOPER. I'LL TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE HE KNOWS THERE ARE, AND HAVE BEEN OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES. I THEN CALLED THE CONSUMER SERVICE DEPT. OF ISUZU AMERICA. THEY COULD HAVE CARED LESS WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS. SO HERE I AM WITH A 2000 ISUZU TROOPER, THAT ONLY HAS 49,000 MILES ON IT WITH A BLOWN ENGINE, AND I STILL OWE $13,000 ON THE VEHICLE. *NM