AI Damage1996 Isuzu Hombre: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Isuzu Hombre filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 37
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 54% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- Visibility: 20 complaints (54% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 3 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Brakes make a grinding noise when applied and malfunction, causing vehicle to skid/slide. There have been many occurrences, one causing vehicle to rearend another vehicle.
While in an accident the driver's side air bag did not deploy. Consumer has contacted manufacturer. Please provide further information.
60mph, 12:30 on front bumper, hit barrier head on, driver's airbag failed to deploy, sustained head, neck and back injuries.
Applied the abs at 35mph and the brakes did not take, causing an accident because of a brake fluid leakage in the master cylinder. Please describe details.
Replacement of muffler and header pipe, that came loose causing a rattle and exhaust leak in cab,service center said he replaces 4 or 5 a week on 1996 chevrolet s-10's and isuzu small trucks. This replacement cost me $400.00.
Vehicle fire 1996 isuzu hombre pick up truck. Arrived home and truck engine was smoking. Thought loss of radiator, but engine area was on fire.
The windshield wiper motor on the truck would perform erratic or quit working while in use with no warning. The owner replaced the motor with another one that eventually repeated the erratical operation. The owner is concerned and feel that the manufacture should be responsible for this. Please describe details.
First time I brought this in they said if it happenes again bring it back when they fixed it I had to pay for the part and labor they said there was no recall on my model of vehicle. But they said on other models there was a recall.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,176 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Hombre has 31 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 37, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Isuzu Hombre?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, engine and cooling, service brakes. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (8%), airbags did not deploy (5%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Isuzu Hombre?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1996 Isuzu Hombre from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1996 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.