NHTSA Complaint #10379668 — 2001 ISUZU RODEO

WITHIN THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON OUR 2001 ISUZU RODEO. I CALLED THE LOCAL ISUZU DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE "TECH BULLETIN" NOR THE PARTS TO FIX THE VEHICLE BUT THEY WOULD CALL ME WHEN THEY COULD GET OUR VEHICLE IN. THEY SAID IT WAS ONLY A MINOR ISSUE THAT REQUIRED SPRAYING AN ANTI RUST SPRAY ON A PART OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. YESTERDAY, 01/30/2011 THE LEFT FORWARD MOUNTING BRACKET RIPPED AWAY FROM THE FRAME CAUSING OUR VEHICLE TO GO INTO A IRRECOVERABLE CLOCKWISE SPIN. MY WIFE AND 2 YEAR OLD SON WERE IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME. MY WIFE WAS STRUCK BY FLYING DEBRIS AND GOT SOME SCRATCHES AND BRUISES. MY SON WAS SECURED IN HIS CAR SEAT BUT WAS STRUCK BY FLYING DEBRIS AND HE GOT A CONTUSION ON HIS FOREHEAD AND A BLACK EYE. I WAS ABLE TO FIGHT THROUGH THE SPIN AND WE ENDED UP IN A DITCH WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED. WE WERE 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM BEING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IF THIS WERE THE CASE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO AVOID A LIFE THREATENING CRASH. THESE VEHICLES ARE UNSAFE AND ARE ROLLING DEATH TRAPS. ISUZU HAS TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A LEVEL 4 FAILURE AND PROBABLY MY VEHICLE WILL NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CORROSION. THEY STATE IN THEIR RECALL NOTICE THAT THERE WILL BE AN ALTERNATIVE REMEDY FOR THESE SITUATIONS. WHEN I ASKED WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE REMEDY WAS I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY WILL BE DOING YET. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR