Overview & Reviews

For now, Isuzu SUVs and trucks are all that you'll see at your local Isuzu dealer; it's been quite a few years since there's been an Isuzu car. The company's specialized lineup is more a function of circumstance than choice. In recent years, Isuzu has seen its share of hard times; a lack of funding for both new product investment and marketing has forced the company to rely heavily on its partnership with GM. Both of the models in its line are derived from existing GM products.

Isuzu, which means "50 bells," is the name of a river that flows through a province dotted with ancient Shinto shrines in Japan. The company's roots date back to 1916, when Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Company first decided to broaden its business to include automobile manufacturing. The company forged a technical union with the U.K.-based Wolseley Motor Company in 1918. Its debut licensed offering, the A9 car, soon followed, as did its first truck, the CP. By 1949, the company's name had been changed to the more succinct Isuzu.

In the postwar years, production of Isuzu trucks boomed. The company's vehicles played a significant role in Japan's reconstruction effort, and were used to ferry clothes, food and other essentials. In 1953, Isuzu rolled out the Hillman Minx passenger car, the product of a technical union with Rootes, a U.K. outfit.

The 1960s saw the launch of passenger cars like the Florian, the Bellett and the 117 Coupe, as well as trucks like the WASP. In 1971, Isuzu entered into a partnership with General Motors. The Gemini, released a couple of years later, was the first Isuzu vehicle to be produced from the pairing.

By the 1980s, Isuzu had landed on American shores. The Pup was the first Isuzu sold in the U.S. market. The Trooper, an SUV available in two- or four-door form, was introduced in 1983 and quickly became popular in that new market segment. The company entered into a joint venture with Subaru in 1987, a union that spawned the Isuzu Rodeo and the Isuzu Pickup. Less popular than the trucks were the cars, such as the dated I-Mark sedan and the handsome, Italian-designed Impulse sport coupe.

The company's sales were relatively strong in the 1990s, thanks in part to the increasing success of the Trooper, which by that time had grown in size and luxury. The Trooper was one of the models responsible for the massive popularity of the SUV vehicle category during that decade. In 1999, GM upped its stake in Isuzu to assume the role of majority shareholder.

The new millennium brought bad news, however. Previous bestsellers like the Rodeo and the Trooper were outclassed by newer, fresher competition, and sales plummeted. The Rodeo and the Axiom (a crossover SUV) were dropped from the lineup in 2004. Currently, Isuzu's lineup comprises just two vehicles — a truck and an SUV, both of which are based on GM products.

User Reviews:

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  Nice ride, easy to park and fun - 2003 Isuzu Axiom
  By beeves - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Wed never heard of Axiom. We only test drove Honda Pilot and Element, Lexus RX 330, Nissan Pathfinder and Mercury Mountaineer. Once we test drove the Axiom, we were amazed with its drive quality. It was easy to park even in the tightest space at work. I personally think its comparable to a Honda Pilot in terms of drive comfort and ride quality.

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  Reliable with caveats - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Tory97 - November 17 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely no problems for 69,000 miles. Great off road and TOD system works well. Air conditioning unit cannot cool vehicle when temps get to 85. Poor gas mileage (15 MPG overall)

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  I Dont Know What Happened? - 1998 Isuzu Rodeo
  By ANGIE KING - November 15 - 1:30 am

  When I bought my Rodeo a little over a year ago it was running fine, no problems when we bought it. It had 85000 miles on it. We did the regular maintenance. Well when the thing hit 100,000 miles we decided to change the timing belt as recommended; everything went down hill from there. First the belt was done wrong so the valves were smashed. ItÂ’s been 10,000 miles since the belt was changed. We have since replaced the water pump, the thermostat 3 times, the radiator, the drive belt, the belt tensioner, the hoses, we have had the head resurfaced and let me tell you the parts for these things dont come cheap. I love the look of my Rodeo - it is a very rare orange color, if it would just run!

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  WHAT, NOT UNDER WARRANTY? - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By greg masinelli - November 14 - 10:00 am

  they will not fix warranty work. they tell me at 25000 miles that it is all maintenance work. ignition sticks,idles at 1600rpms all the time, it clunks in the rear end when you leave a stop light. I took it in two other times for ignition sticking and they said nothing then about thats the way it is designed. very poor quality and will never buy another one ,ever!

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  isuzus are lemons - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo Sport
  By ripped off - November 12 - 10:00 am

  Neither the isuzu coperation nor the dealerships were willing to accomidated the customer after you give them the check. After 50000 mi had to have a transmission replaced, even after we took it in because the tran. was slipping. They held my car hostage for 2 weeks without rental, compensation, or concern. It had the wrong spare tire cover, so we asked for the right one. Isuzu and the dealership said no. It leaks. After 60000 the ac/heat fan quit (out of warranty of course). Most of the interior plastic molding pieces broke or came off. After 50000 the cd player broke (again just out of warranty).

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  Great Find - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By C.P. - November 12 - 10:00 am

  After I had been in an accident that rolled my van, I went looking for a good reliable vehicle with low miles. I found a Rodeo and instantly new this was the vehicle. The ride is great. Being in the south we have some rough roads and big hills. This vehicle is able to navigate the terrain well. It feels very stable on the road. After about 3 months and pushing up the miles I still love the vehicle and have found it only starts to get uncomfortable after riding in it for about 5 hours. As my friends and fam have checked it out they too have found it to be a great vehicle and might be getting one of their own.

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  POOR MANs TOYOTA LANDCRUISER! - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By go-to-ak - November 7 - 10:00 am

  My 2nd Trooper and sixth SUV of varying makes. Good V6 power, comfortable, nice conservative look. Good handling on the street, but surprisingly off road can leave most "real" SUVs (like Jeep, Range Rover in the dust). Huge interior olume for storage, camping gear, big dogs, etc. Overall reliablity of these is excellent- you may have a few minor problems but not ones that will actually strand you. Known problems in this car are oil consumption if PCV and EGR valve are not kept clean every 30K miles, also running synthetic oil seems to prevent this. Mine burns no oil. MPG average for this class. Factory shocks were weak - suggest Ranchos- dramatic improvemen

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  I am Happy I Bought it - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Happyone - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Rodeo in August 2002. I must say I am really happy with it. Aside from the poor gas mileage (city), I am happy I bought it. The interior of the vehichle is cheaply built, but the power is awesome. It is really dependable and affordable.

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  Good Truck - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By jsh - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Good truck. Make sure you pay proper price

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  Great Vehicle - 2000 Isuzu VehiCROSS
  By jasik - November 3 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is as unique as it is fun to drive. The reliability has been great. This is the only car out there that I can honestly say, successfully blends off road capability with sports car ability.