What breaks most · 1998 to 2003 model years
Isuzu Rodeo Sport problems by year
Owners have filed 107 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Isuzu Rodeo Sport across model years 1998 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2001 for body and structure complaints, 2002 for suspension complaints and 1999 for fuel system, other complaints. The quietest years are 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2002, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 1998
- Complaints on file
- 1071998 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200149 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 61 fires · 5 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 100kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 5Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (3) | |
| 14 | 2 | 0 | Fuel System, Other (4) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (4) | |
| 49 | 3 | 1 | Body and structure (20) | |
| 23 | 1 | 2 | Suspension (9) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 41% |
20 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 27% |
13 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| Fuel System, Other | 10% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
5 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
4 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
2 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport |
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.
-
Eroding frame underneath car. My car shakes and squeaks horribly! My car is so badly rusted that i have holes and i can see through the car underneath!
-
While driving at any speed or coming to a complete stop vehicle will continuously stall out without warning. Dealership cannot locate cause of problem. *ak
-
The frame rusted and the arm that holds the rear right tire broke car could not be driven towing co told me could not be fixed, just junk it.
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 Rodeo Sport years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 1999 carry the most filings on the Isuzu Rodeo Sport. The 2001 alone has 49 complaints, led by body and structure.
What is the most common Isuzu Rodeo Sport problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is body and structure with 20 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Isuzu Rodeo Sport problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Isuzu Rodeo Sport complaints that include mileage is about 100,000 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.