Isuzu Axiom Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

WHY WERE THE LAST TWO YEARS OF PRODUCTION(2003-2004) OF THESE VEHICLES NOT RECALLED TO BE TREATED TO SLOW RUSTING COMPONENTS IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE/FRAME ON ALL ISUZU RODEOS, HONDA PASSPORTS AND ISUZU AXIOMS. ALTHOUGH A LIMITED PRODUCTION, THE FINAL TWO YEARS ARE STILL GOING TO FAIL FROM SALT/CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION. I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2004. IT WAS ADVERTISED AS BEING FROM NORTH CAROLINA. I LATER DISCOVERED THE OWNER ALSO LIVED AND USED THE VEHICLE FOR MOST OF IT'S ROAD USE IN NEW YORK AND MASSACHSETTS. IT TOO HAS HAD A LARGE DOSE OF ROAD CHEMICALS. THE RECALL CURRENTLY CALLS FOR ISUZU TO INSPECT AND APPLY A RUST PREVENTIVE COATING TO SLOW/DELAY CORROSION THAT WILL CAUSE THE FRAME TO FAIL. WHY NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THESE FRAMES IN THE SAFETY RECALL? THE EXISTING ISUZU DEALER NETWORK IS EXITING THE AUTOMOTIVE MARKET. IF THE LAST TWO PRODUCTION YEARS FAIL IN A YEAR OR TWO, THERE WILL NOT BE A DEALER NETWORK THAT WILL SERVICE AN ISUZU PRODUCT. *TR

AT 66000 MILES ON MY 2004 ISUZU AXIOM, I STARTED HEARING A NOISE THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY HEARD A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE IN THE PAST 4 YEARS. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THERE WASN'T A DROP OF OIL IN THE CAR. I WAS STILL 1500 MILES AWAY FROM AN OIL CHANGE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED--NOT A DROP OF OIL IN THE CAR WITH A 1000 MILES OR MORE FROM AN OIL CHANGE. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ONLY FIX IS A NEW ENGINE. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA. I LIVE IN COLUMBIA SC AND THAT IS THE CLOSET PLACE I COULD TAKE IT TO HAVE WARRANTY WORK DONE. WHEN IT GOT THERE THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED AND SAID, YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE--I AM GOING TO ORDER IT AND IT WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK OR SO. A FEW DAYS LATER HE CALLED BACK AND SAID ISUZU WOULDN'T SEND AN ENGINE WITHOUT DOING AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. CLEARLY THE CAR IS BURNING OIL BECAUSE THERE IS NO LEAK. WHEY SHOULD I HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AFTER TWO MECHANICS HAVE SAID--YOU NEED AN ENGINE IN THE CAR. WHY CAN'T ISUZU STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCTS AND WARRANTY AGREEMENTS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE PUT IN THE CAR. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR BURNING OIL? *TR

I HAVE A 2004 AXIOM PURCHASED FROM HANCOCK ISUZU IN COLUMBIA SC AND APP. 1 YEAR AGO MY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I GO TO PULL OFF THE TACHOMETER JUMPS TO 3 OR 4 RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. FINALLY,IT WILL GET GAS AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. IT FEELS THAT THE GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE OR EITHER THE TRANSMISSION IS STICKING. IT DOES THIS ON OCCASIONS, BUT WHO KNOW WHEN IT WILL DO IT NEXT. MY FEAR IS IT WILL DO IT WHEN I PULL OUT ON A BUSY ROAD AND NOT TAKE OFF IN TIME AND THEN ANOTHER CAR WILL HIT ME. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF NOT FIXED. I SEE OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TOO AND I THINK ISUZU SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE IT GETS FIXED. *TR

THE ENGINE MAKES "CLACKING" TYPE SOUND WHEN STARTED AND CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES. ONCE THE ENGINE IS WARM THE CLACKING STOPS. I'VE COMPLAINED TWICE ABOUT THIS NOISE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD ENGINE IS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL. OIL IS NORMAL. IT'S MADE THIS SOUND SINCE WE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT NEW. EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR DEALER THINKS THIS IS NOT NORMAL! EVERYONE TELLS ME TO CHECK MY OIL EVERYTIME I START UP AND THEY HEAR THE NOISE. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS FOR 4004 ISUZU AXIOM? *TR

ENGINE MAKES "CLACKING OR PINGING TYPE SOUND" WHEN INITIALLY STARTED FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES. ONCE ENGINE IS WARM (OR AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE) THE ENGINE SOUND IS NORMAL. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE ENGINE OIL TAKES TIME TO CIRCULATE TO ALL ENGINE PARTS OR PERHAPS VALVES ARE LOOSE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT EXCESSIVE ENGINE WEAR IF OIL IS NOT REACHING INTERNAL PARTS PROPERLY. DEALER SAYS ENGINE IS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL. ALSO, DEALER NO LONGER SERVICES WARRANTY ON VEHICLE I.E. NO LONER AN ISUZU DEALER. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2004 ISUZU AXIOM IN THE SPRING OF 2004. PURCHASED FROM STOKES MAZDA ISUZU AND APP. 6 MONTHS AGO MY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I GO TO PULL OFF THE TACHOMETER JUMPS TO 3 OR 4 RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. FINALLY,IT WILL GET GAS AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE AT 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY PUT IT ON THEIR DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG BECAUSE THE OTHER DAY AS I WAS PULLING ACROSS THE ROAD IT DID THIS TO ME AND I WAS ALMOST T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT FEELS THAT THE GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE OR EITHER THE TRANSMISSION IS STICKING. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYTIME I GET IN IT BUT THE DEALER IS SAYING IT IS NOT HAPPENING WHILE PUTTING IT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE OR WHEN THEY TEST DRIVE IT. I EVEN SUGGESTED THAT I GO WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY SUGGESTION. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING?*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING AT 10MPH AND ABOVE. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 03/09/06. *JB

PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE. *JB

WE HAVE OWNED OUR AXIOM FOR 3 MONTHS, AFTER APPROX 1000 MILES WE NOTICED THAT WHEN STARTING THE CAR OCCASIONALLY RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE STARTED IT WOULD BUCK, BACK FIRE,SMOKE AND HAVE NO POWER AT ALL FOR APPROX THE FIRST 1-2 MINUTES OF RUNNING. WE DID'NT THINK TO MUCH OF AS IT WAS BRAND NEW AND HAD NOT BEEN BROKEN IN AS OF YET. THEN IT STARTED TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN AND WOULD EVEN STALL BEFORE WE GOT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY.WE BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE 1ST OIL CHANGE AT 4000 MILES AND HAD THEM CHECK IT AND THE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO CODE ON THE COMPUTER SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN BAD GAS (I DON'T THINK SO) ALSO WHEN THIS OCCURS GOING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRANSMISSION ACTS UP AFTER IT CLEARS UP LIKE IT SURGES FORWARD AND BACK. I'M WRITING THIS TODAY BECAUSE ON 8/19/04 I WENT TO DINNER AND LEAVING I HAD TO CROSS 3 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GO HOME. WHEN I PULLED OUT THE CAR BUCKED,BACKFIRED AND CLOSE TO NO POWER AT ALL, I WAS ALMOST "T" BONED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER AND ANOTHER CAR. THE CAR STRAIGHTENED IT SELF OUT JUST IN TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THERE WAY. MY WIFE SAID IT DID IT TO HER WHEN SHE TRIED TO PASS A CAR BUT THAT SHE PUT THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT PICKED UP AND RAN OK AFTER THAT. I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINT TO HAVE SUSPENSION CHECKED AND I HOPE THEY WILL LOOK AT THIS TO. 2ND THING IS A REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR HAS 2 ADULTS, 2 CHILDREN AND 3 SUIT CASES IN THE REAR AND TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY. WHEN THE ROAD SURFACE CHANGES LIKE GOING ON TO A BRIDGE THE REAR END WILL BOUNCE AND BOUNCE SEVERAL TIME UNTIL IT STOPS, I ALSO HAD THIS CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STRUTS SO THERES NOTHING THEY CAN DO. NOW I HAVE TO WATCH MY SPEED WHEN I SEE THE ROAD SURFACE CHANGE BECAUSE IT HAS BOUNCED VERY, VERY BADLY. THIS TO WILL BE CHECKED AGAIN WHEN I BRING IT BACK. *AK

AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AND STOPPING FOR 1 HOUR; WHEN RESTARTING, THE ENGINE STALLS AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, NEARLY HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THIS BEGAN ON 5-18-2004 WITH 3563 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THE MILAGE IS NOW 4203. I AM STILL DRIVING A LOANER VEHICLE SINCE JUNE 6 2004. AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALER SINCE THAT DATE.*AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ISUZU AXIOM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, A FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CAME TO THE RESIDENCE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,716.

THE FUEL PUMP STOP WORKING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE SENSOR