NHTSA Complaint #746497 — 1998 ISUZU RODEO

THE FIRST INCIDENT I REPORTED FOR THE WATER PUMP FAILURE, I KEPT HEARING A RATTLE AND AIR ESCAPING SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND LEAKED ONTO THE TIMING BELT CAUSING IT TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE NEXT INCIDENT WITH THE TIMING BELT IN JUNE, 2000 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND HAD STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE RODEO JUST STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT START UP AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE TIMING BELT AND THEY HAD JUST REPLACED IT 23,000 MILES AGO. IT WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THEY HAD TO BASICALLY REBUILD THE ENGINE AND REPLACED MANY ITEMS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE TIMING BELT BREAKING. THE THIRD INCIDENT WITH THE TIMING BELT HAPPENED THIS MORING ON MY WAY TO WORK I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AND I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. ISUZU SAYS IT IS THE TIMING BELT AGAIN AND IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE AND I WILL PROBABLY END UP PAYING OUT OF MY OUW POCKET TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED THIS TIME.*AK