2002 Isuzu Trooper Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Isuzu Trooper, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine433.3%
- Driver assistance325.0%
- Transmission216.7%
- Body & structure18.3%
- Electrical18.3%
- Tires & wheels18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE IN MY 2002 ISUZU TROOPER BURNED UP THE MAIN ROD BEARING IN PISTON ONE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT OIL PRESSURE. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. TRUCK HAS 79K MILES ON IT AND WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. ISUZU OF NORTH AMERICA STATED NOTHING WOULD BE DONE VIA THE MANUFACTURER. I REPLACED THE ENGINE MYSELF AT A COST OF $4800. *TR
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. 1 QT. EVERY 600 MILES OR SO. 5 QTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES (3000 MILES!) *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN CHANGING GEARS AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
MOTOR WILL REV UP WHEN SITTING STILL AT A RED LIGHT AND TRY TO LUNGE FORWARD. I HAVE EVEN HAD IT GO 35 MILES AN HOUR WITHOUT MY FOOT EVEN BEING ON THE ACCELERATOR. I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES NOW AND THEY KEEP SAYING THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. UNLESS THEY CAN SEE THE VEHICLE DO IT THEY CAN'T FIX IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON AND THEY SAY UNTIL THAT HAPPENS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG. DEALER REFUSES TO KEEP VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT UNTIL IT DOES IT SO THEY CAN SEE IT. THEY MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I AM MAKING THIS UP. THERE IS A PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. I DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A ACCIDENT THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. THE STATE POLICE SAYS IT IS ILLEGAL TO DRIVE A UNSAFE VEHICLE ON THE STATE HIGHWAYS. I OWNED A BRAND NEW VEHICLE THAT IS ILLEGAL FOR ME TO DRIVE ON THE STATE HIGHWAY AND ISUZU WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE CONTACTED ISUZU CORPORATION AS WELL AS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES AND IT IS STILL DOING IT.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: CONSUMER OWNS A 2002 ISUZU TROOPER. CONSUMER SAYS THAT WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE INDICATOR POSITION WILL READ PARK, BUT THE VEHICLE WILL BE IN A NEUTRAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE CAN ROLE FREELY FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, BUT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SHE WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. CALLED WHEN VEHICLE WAS AT CONSUMER'S HOUSE AND PROBLEM WAS RECURRING. DEALER SENT SOMEONE OUT BUT STILL NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT PROBLEM, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, AND DID NOT SEEM TO FOLLOW ANY PATTERN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WANTED VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. *AK
WHEN THE CONSUMER APPROACHED A TRAIN TRACK, ANOTHER VEHICLE BEGAN TO APPROACH FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE CONSUMER STOPPED AND SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE TO CLEAR UP THE ROAD WAY. THE TRANSMISSION JUMPED TO PARK AND LOCKED PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. A TRAIN APPROACHED AND STRUCK THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
I TOOK MY 2002 ISUZU TROOPER LTD. TO THE DEALER (FITZGERALD DODGE ISUZU, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, COMPLAINING OF A GROWLING NOISE. WHILE IT WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED, THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE UNDERPLATING ON THE CAR WAS SUFFERING FROM FAULTY WELDS, AND THAT IF I DIDN'T HAVE IT REMOVED IT WOULD FALL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD TO PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THIS TO BE PERFORMED. I NOW HAVE NO UNDERPLATING TO PROTECT THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND THE OWNER SHOULD NOT BE OBLIGATED TO REMOVE PORTIONS OF HER AUTOMOBILE TO CORRECT FAULTY MANUFACTURE, AND BE SUBJECTED TO RISK OF POTENTIAL DEATH OR INJURY TO HERSELF OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THE TROOPER ONLY HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT AND IS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH ON A RURAL ROAD AND I NOTICED THAT UPON GIVING SOME GAS THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AT ALL. THEN I NOTICED THAT ALL MY INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE OUT....EVERYTHING GONE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WITH DIFFICULTY IN STEERING (THERE WAS NO POWER), I PULLED TO STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I THEN PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF, THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE AWAY. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED (LAST WEEK).....A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. I KNOW ISUZU SHARES PARTS WITH GM (E.G. MY TRANSMISSION IS GM). I HOPE THIS IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF THAT GM IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM.....BUT CERTAINLY HAS THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS OF IT. BUT IT IS VERY SCARY LOOSING COMPLETE POWER LIKE THAT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ISUZU TROOPER EQUIPPED WITH BF GOODRICH MUD TERRAIN T/A KM2 TIRES, SIZE: LT265/75R16. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-65 MPH, THREE OF THE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THERE WERE MOMENTARY VIBRATIONS JUST BEFORE THE FAILURES. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER WHERE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE DEEMED DEFECTIVE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES WITH ONLY 12,000 MILES ON THEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN AND DOT NUMBER WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .