NHTSA Complaint #10392594 — 1998 ISUZU RODEO

MY 1998 ISUZU RODEO, 94,000 MI, HAS A LARGE (6") HOLE IN THE FRAME BEHIND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THIS HOLE WAS DISCOVERED YESTERDAY WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO LIBERTY MAZDA IN WAKEFIELD, MA FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THIS FRAME DAMAGE WAS NOT PRESENT ON DECEMBER 20, 2010 WHEN I HAD WORK DONE FOR SAFETY RECALL NO. 10V-436 AT CORNERSTONE MITSUBISHI IN WILMINGTON, MA. THE HOLE IN THE FRAME SHOWS EXTENSIVE RUST AND A LARGE CHUNK SIMPLY FELL OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR NEEDS A NEW FRAME OR IS UNDRIVABLE AS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $8000 TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF LESS THAN HALF THAT AMOUNT. OTHER THAN THE FRAME, THE CAR RUNS GREAT AND I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS (AT LEAST 8000) TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MAY, 2008 (CRACKS IN CYLINDER), REPLACE THE RADIATOR (TWICE; 2007 AND 2010), BRAKE WORK, AMONG OTHER EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. NOW THE CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND I AM WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION UNLESS THE FRAME IS REPLACED. *TR