NHTSA Complaint #701452 — 1995 ISUZU TROOPER

I CONTACTED ISUZU OF AMERICA CUSTOMER RELATIONS HOTLINE AND WAS "BRUSHED OFF". MY ISUZU TROOPER WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION PRIOR TO THE CRASH AND THE COMPUTER FAILURE WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE ISUZU MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE PCM IS MALFUNCTIONING AND CAN CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. IN FACT, I WHEN IN THE "DRIVE" MODE ON THE SELCTOR, THE COMPUTER PUTS THE TRANSMISSION IN "REVERSE". IN ORDER TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE, THE GEAR SELECTOR HAS TO BE IN "NEUTRAL". THERE IS NO "PARK" GEAR. THE COMPUTER WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND TOLD THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO "REVERSE" MODE. THE FLOOR SHIFTER LEVER DID NOT MOVE AND REMAINED IN THE "DRIVE" MODE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE CRASH. THE "DRIVE" MODE IS NOW "REVERSE". I WAS TOLD BY THE ISUZU MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A COMMON IN TROOPERS AND RODEOS WITH ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND MOST PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY ECM IS IN THE "DEFAULT MODE" AND SENDING ERROR SIGNALS TO MY ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO RANDOMLY SHIFT OUT OF "DRIVE" INTO "REVERSE" WHILE TRAVELLING AT 50-55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE INFORMATION ON SIMILAR CRASHES INVILVING THE 1994-1998 ISUZU TROOPERS, RODEOS, HONDA PASSPORTS AND ACURA SLXS. SOME HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES AND DEATHS. HOW MANY MUST DIE BEFORE ISUZU TAKES AN INTEREST IN THIS PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY ISUZU OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIER ECMS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH WARNS CONSUMERS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THE ECM COULD CAUSE, NOR IS THERE INFORMATION ON SERVICING. THERE IS ONE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF TROOPERS AND RODEOS, BUT IT DOESNT PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT EXACTLY WHIC COMPONENT IS AFFECTED. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.