TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ISUZU RODEO. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 107,684. UPDATED 06/05/12*LJ NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 10V436000. UPDATED 06/06/2012*JS
2000
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
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