AI Damage1991 Isuzu Stylus: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Isuzu Stylus filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 29% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 19% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 6 complaints (29% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (19% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 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.
Driver side air bag did not deploy upon a head- on collision.
While driving, at approx. 50mph, wet pavement, vehicle started pulling to right, then suddenly front axle broke, went down an embankment.
While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle would stall without warning and then restart. The contact mentioned that sometimes the vehicle would fail to start for days. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was due to a factory defect.
Vehicle idled poorly, it happened intermittently. Sometimes vehicle just shut down. Power steering went out.
1991 isuzu stylus ecm failure; for no apparent reason and without any warning, the car fails to start. Has left wife stranded in dangerous situations. Since this problem has been known about for years, to the point of mandating changes in manufacturing techniques, I would like either gm or isuzu to mail me the…
The car surges without warning when idling. This appears sporadically and unpredictably. If the clutch is engaged, the car will lurch forward and stall. If not engaged, then the engine suddenly rev's very high.
Experienced erratic idle, idle was revving and dropping, dipping often with engine almost dying. Mechanic says there is short in ecu
They indicated that they couldn't find a problem, but on the way home it stalled again. When I slow down or come to a stop the car will shake and idle high and then stall. If I press the gas and keep the car reved up it will eventually return to regular idle, but sometimes still stalls.
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 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Stylus has 7 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 21, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- 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 1991 Isuzu Stylus?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (14%), won't start (10%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Isuzu Stylus?
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 1991 Isuzu Stylus 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 1991 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.