Isuzu I 280 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Isuzu I 280 options? We analyzed 1 model years (2006–2006) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
ISUZU I 280 (2006) has 11 NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls. Top issues are exterior lighting and electrical system, each with 4 complaints. No crash-related complaints were reported. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Make
- Isuzu
- Model
- I 280
- Model years analyzed
- 2006–2006 (1 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 11
- Safety recall campaigns
- 2
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2006 (11 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Reliability signal
- Average
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
AverageBased on NHTSA complaint data, the 2006 Isuzu i-280 received 11 complaints and 2 recalls. The top complaint areas are exterior lighting and electrical system, each with 4 complaints. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Exterior lighting received 4 complaints, the highest count.
- Electrical system also had 4 complaints, tied for most.
- There were 0 crash-related complaints reported.
- Exterior lighting issues may include headlights or taillights.
- Electrical system problems could affect starting or accessories.
- Fuel/propulsion system had 1 complaint, worth noting.
The 2006 model year is the only one analyzed, so it cannot be compared to worse years.
No other years were analyzed, so no best year can be identified from this data.
- Inspect exterior lighting for functionality and damage.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- Request service records for electrical and lighting repairs.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase.
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
2 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2006–2006. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 11 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
11 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
COUPLE OF WKS. AGO I HAD TO REPLACE FRONT LEFT HUB WHEEL ASSEMBLY WHICH AFFECTED DRIVE SHAFT, ABS, EMER. BRAKE. THAT WAS FIXED . NOW TONIGHT DRIVING FROM A FRIENDS I HEAR A CLICKING NOISE SOUNDS LIKE UNDERNEATH GEAR BOX OR BEHIND HEATER WHAT IS IT. ALSO INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN CONTROL & HAVE TO HIT AROUND LIGHT FOR IT TO TURN ON, AND AROUND FACING OF HEATER TO ILLUMINATE HEATER CONTROLS! WHAT'S GOING ON? THIS ONLY HAPPENED IN GEAR NOT IN NEUTRAL.HIGHWAY & CITY.
STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM TRUCK. LEAK APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CHEVY COLORADO PICKUPS AND A FEW OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE ISUZU I280. I DID REPLACE THE GAS CAP, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY NEXT STEP WILL BE REMOVING THE TANK AND REPAIRING THE FAULTY PART (LEAKING GASOLINE). WITH ALL THE ONLINE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE, I WOULD THINK THAT THERE SHOULD'VE BEEN A RECALL ISSUED. I DID CONTACT ISUZU, BUT THEY REPORT NO SUCH RECALL. I THEN CONTACTED CHEVY TO SEE IF THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE COLORADO (SAME TRUCK, DIFFERENT BADGE) BUT THEY WOULDN'T TELL ME IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT PROBLEM. CHEVY INFORMED ME THAT THEY CAN ONLY TRACE RECALLS THROUGH A VIN NUMBER AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY I280 IS A GM PRODUCT, THEIR LIST OF RECALLS COULDN'T BE SEARCHED USING MY VIN NUMBER. THE GASOLINE ODOR IS QUITE STRONG, BUT WILL DISSIPATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LEFT SITTING (NOT RUNNING) FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE ODOR CAN STILL BE DETECTED AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF NOT USING THE VEHICLE - IT'S JUST FAINT. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS QUITE DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY DUE TO EITHER FAULTY PARTS OR A FAULTY DESIGN. THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, REGARDING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND DUE TO A FAULTY PART OR DESIGN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ISUZU I-280. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 196,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS TURNED ON AND REMAINS ON PERMANENTLY. QUESTIONABLE IF AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY. NO ACCIDENTS IN VEHICLE OR ANY OTHER INCIDENT THAT MIGHT IN SOME WAY LEAD TO DAMAGE TO AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELT CONNECTIONS, ETC. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ISUZU I-280. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE SECURITY PASS LOCK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AFTER WAITING TEN MINUTES, THE ENGINE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER, THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ISUZU I280. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI THEFT LOCK DEVICE WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CONTACT TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT OVER 20 MINUTES FOR THE ENGINE TO OPERATE, WHICH CAUSED THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO DIM. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 8/8/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED IN READ IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, WHERE THE PASSLOCK ANTI-THEFT DEVICE COULD CUT OFF THE FUEL AND NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START, AS SOMETHING WAS TRIPPING IT. AFTER A MONTH OF CONSTANT PROBLEMS, HE DISCOVERED HIS WIFE'S CAR KEY TO HER NEW VEHICLE THAT HE WAS CARRYING IN HIS POCKET WAS TRIPPING IT. HE STATED HE STOPPED CARRYING THE KEY AND NOTICED THE PROBLEM LESSENED.
Read 5 more owner reports
COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKE LIGHTS / CRUISE CONTROL / KEEPS BLOWING FUSES. LEARNED OF RECALL ID # 52989 DATED 7/29/2009 - SO I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ( COURTESY GMC - 205.836.2000 ) THEIR SERVICE MANAGER SENT ME AWAY - SAID TRUCK HAD RECALL #06030 PERFORMED ON 11/27/2006. I HAD A TRUSTED MECHANIC I KNOW CHECK BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ( WHICH CHECKED OUT OK ) REPLACED IT ANYWAY WITH NEW ONE PURCHASED AT DEALER. BRAKE LIGHTS WORKED 5 MINUTES THEN BLEW FUSE AGAIN. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WIRING FROM PREVIOUS RECALL WAS A BAD JOB - NOT DONE BY A PRO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ISUZU I280. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND A MESSAGE DISPLAYED FAULTY BRAKES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSED. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V139000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: BRAKE LIGHTS: SWITCH); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ISUZU I-280. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE ENGINE RESTARTED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO AUTO ZONE FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE EXHAUST CRANKSHAFT POSITION CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
(1) SIDE WALL / TREAD WEAR (2) & (3) TIRE ROTATION OF UNWORN TIRES, UNWORN TIRES ALSO BEGAN TO WEAR AFTER ROTATION. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO STEER. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WAS WORN ON THE INSIDE AND DETERMINED THE FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS WERE OFF. *AK
Showing 11 of 11 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
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Before you buy, check the exact Isuzu I 280
These pages show model-year patterns across 1 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Isuzu I 280, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Isuzu I 280 has 11 complaints on record across 1 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Isuzu I 280 has 2 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the Isuzu I 280's 11 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Isuzu I 280 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Isuzu I 280 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Isuzu I 280 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
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Isuzu I 280 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Isuzu I 280 reliable?
Average. The Isuzu I 280 has 11 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Isuzu I 280 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2006 (11 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Isuzu I 280 problems?
Top reported issues: EXTERIOR LIGHTING (4 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (4 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (2 complaints).
Does the Isuzu I 280 have recalls?
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Isuzu I 280. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.