NHTSA Complaint #763524 — 2000 ISUZU RODEO

THE RODEO STARTED ACTING SLUGGISH ON 6/21, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT JUST BE DUE TO BAD GAS. I FILLED-UP WITH A BETTER QUALITY GAS, & THOUGHT THINGS WOULD GET BETTER. IT PROCEEDED TO GET MORE & MORE SLUGGISH. I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR THE NEXT DAY AT ALL, BUT THE NEXT DAY, HOWEVER, I HAD TO DRIVE IT. I DROVE IT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES, & THEN I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO FOLLOW ME HOME AFTERWARDS. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE OFF THE LIGHTS, & I WAS AFRAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS ABOUT TO DROP-OUT. I COULDN'T GET IT ABOVE 40 MPH, & IT KEPT STALLING. INSTEAD OF DRIVING IT HOME, I DROVE IT TO MY WORK (WHICH WAS CLOSER) & LEFT IT IN THE PARKING LOT OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING, I HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK IT UP TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT MY CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HEREIN LIES THE MAJOR PROBLEM. I JUST HAD THE CLUTCH REPLACED AT 12,600 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP IS WANTING $720 TO REPLACE THE SECOND CLUTCH, BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AFTER 12,000 MILES. THEY SAID THEY REPLACED IT THE FIRST TIME AS A "GOODWILL" ACT, SINCE IT WAS JUST OVER THE WARRANTY. I HAVE DRIVEN A STANDARD FOR OVER 10 YEARS, & I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A CLUTCH BEFORE. YOU CAN NOT TELL ME THAT MY DRIVING HABITS HAVE CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M GOING THROUGH TWO CLUTCHES IN TWO YEARS!? I'M CONVINCED THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CLUTCH KITS THEY ARE INSTALLING IN THE 2000 RODEO. I CAN NOT BE CONVINCED THAT IT IS CONSIDERED "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" FOR THEM TO WEAR-OUT AFTER 12,000 MILES. I AM HASHING THIS OUT WITH THE DEALER AND WITH ISUZU, BUT I'M NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS. NO ONE THERE SEEMS TO CARE THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL. IN THE MEANTIME, I WANTED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE SAFETY ISSUES OF DRIVING WITH THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*AK