What breaks most · 2001 to 2004 model years
Isuzu Axiom problems by year
Owners have filed 157 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Isuzu Axiom across model years 2001 to 2004. One year stands out: 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2001.
- Years to check closely: 2002
- Fewest complaints: 2001
- Complaints on file
- 1572001 to 2004, all trims
- Worst year
- 2002123 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 182 fires · 14 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 82kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 123 | 13 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (35) | |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 17 | 2 | 2 | Engine and cooling (9) |
What fails on the 2002 Isuzu Axiom
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 28% |
35 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 25% |
31 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 20% |
24 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 17% |
21 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 7% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
| Tires | 7% |
8 | 3 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 6% |
7 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
6 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2002 Isuzu Axiom |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
My 2002 isuzu axiom has 47,000 gentle miles on it and the transmission began to slip. Within a week of that starting it completely stopped shifting out of 1st gear. This is a commonly reported issue and from what my mechanic has said 'it's just a poor piece of equipment. '
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Isuzu Axiom years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002 carries the most filings on the Isuzu Axiom. The 2002 alone has 123 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Isuzu Axiom problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 35 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Isuzu Axiom problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Isuzu Axiom complaints that include mileage is about 82,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.