NHTSA Complaint #10287038 — 2000 ISUZU RODEO

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE ARE SIMPLE. LEAVING OUR DRIVEWAY AND WITHIN TWO TENTHS OF A MILE THERE WAS A REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK FAILURE ON OUR ISUZU RODEO JUST AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA ACTION PE09030. HERE ARE THE ACTIONS / MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. WE SIMPLY GATHERED IN OUR RODEO. PULLED FROM OUR DRIVEWAY ON TO A RURAL COUNTRY ROAD. SINGLE LANE AND TRAVELING A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 10MPH (LUCKILY). IT IS ON THIS ROAD AND WITH IN TWO TENTHS OF A MILE FROM LEAVING OUR HOME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED THERE WAS A LOSS OF CONTROL, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN SWERVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN A TRACK ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE ORIGINAL LINE OF TRAVEL. BECAUSE WE WERE NOT YET ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, STOPPING THE VEHICLE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NO CRASH, HOWEVER, WE CAN'T BARE THE THOUGHTS OF WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN IF WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AGAIN, LUCKILY WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO HOME. TOWING THE VEHICLE WAS NOT NECESSARY AS WE WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY BACK THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO OUR HOME AT NOTHING MORE THAN AN IDLING SPEED. THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE IS THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION BAR BREAKING FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPAIR ATTEMPTED AS THE FRAME IS IN NO CONDITION TO REMOUNT THE SUSPENSION BAR. AFTER THIS INCIDENT WE HAVE LOOKED MORE AT THE CONDITION OF FRAME ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE ARE OTHER PLACES ON THE FRAME WERE THERE IS TOTAL RUST THROUGH. BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT AND BECAUSE OF WHAT WE ARE NOW SEEING WE DEEM THE FRAME UNSAFE. *TR