AI Damage1998 Isuzu Rodeo Sport: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo Sport filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 38% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 13% of all complaints
- Suspension: 3 complaints (38% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
On july 1, 2017, I was turning left in a 30 mph zone of highway 52 in tn, and heard a crack and what sounded like the 'thump' when running over something. I carefully guided the car to the r oadside, parked, and inspected the roiad behind me, all tires, and crawled beneath to inspect.I could find nothing, so proceeded…
Not long ago I learned that there is a recall for the isuzu rodeo 1998 to 2000. So far I have not seen any defects in my car, but only a mechanic can tell the difference. The car that I have is an isuzu sport rodeo 1998 and it falls in the recall.
Frame and rear suspension components completely rusted through .
I have a 1998 isuzu rodeo and was recently driving it and heard a loud knocking made it home the two blocks and realized my engine was shot basically. I have taken it to a auto mechanic and he has stated that there was some sort of a safety recall or problem with the engine and the way the oil gets to it not getting…
While driving our isuzu rodeo at freeway speed, our rear passenger tire (bridgestone dueler 684) steel belt came unraveled and proceeded to destroy our rear lights, side rear panel and bumper. The tire never lost pressure, it simply came unraveled.
I have a 98 isuzu rodeo that had a recall done in january 2004 (on the ehcv coil integrated module for my abs) at braley & graham in beaverton, or. I took care of this re-call, even though I was not having any issues with the vehicle, but since I had received the paper work on this, I did the responsible thing and had…
When fill car to the max with gasoline at +2.00/gal. I'll drive to work about driving 60 highway miles, the gas gauge reads half fulled. It will stay at half full for about another 60 miles then go down as normal. I mention this to auto repair guys and the never seen anything like it.
I got two recalls on my 1998 isuzu rodeo and when I went to take it to get it repair everything was fine and after I took it in it seems like what they worked on got worst. They worked on rewiring the rear defroster and after that it hasn't work since also they did something to the abs and now the abs light stays on.
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 11,899 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Rodeo Sport has 18 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 8, below average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (25%), rust, corrosion (25%), rollaway, parking brake (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Isuzu Rodeo Sport?
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 1998 Isuzu Rodeo Sport 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 1998 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 2026-11-06.