AI Damage1998 Isuzu Trooper: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Isuzu Trooper filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 42
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 45% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 19 complaints (45% of all).
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (14% of all).
- Tires: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 5 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 42 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
Both airbags did not deploy. I am concern with the saftey of this vehicle and I would like to file a formal complaint against the manufacturer. Thank you. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
While coming to a stop another driver rear ended consumer and pushed consumer about 70 ft. Up road. Driver's and passenge'r seat flew back, passengers seat landed in the back seat on top of ccs. Consumer broke a toe, and passenger hit foot on front windshield.
Also the check engine light is coming on, and while driving the vehicle as you start to let off the accelerator, the vehicle jerks you, almost to the point of getting whiplash. We have had in the shop at least 3-4 times and lots of times for a week at a time.
Tl contact owns a 1998 isuzu trooper. The vehicle has original bridgestone dueler 684 tires. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle began to ride as if the tires were unbalanced. The contact attempted to find a safe place to pull over and noticed that the tread completely separated from the front driver side tire.
Drove it for another week and the check engine light came on. Took it to an auto parts store and had it checked with a handheld scanner. It said low flow through egr valve. Tech said take it off and clean it, should be ok. Next day on the way home motor starts knocking. Babied it home, now knocking very bad.
This problem will persist and eventually end up in engine failure and can be a very costly problem. Thousands of dollars later and a new motor, one will still have this problem for there is no way to fix it. The drain back holes in the oils rings is what I have been told the problem is.
We quickly pulled over to see what exactly had happened and noticed that the oil leaking from the bottom of the car had caught fire and we had to quickly extinguish it. We then picked up the engine parts from the highway to not hurt other vehicles.
After smelling gas consumer inspected the vehicle and noticed gas leaking. If the vehicle is turned on the gas leaks. Vehicle is being towed to the dealer.
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 5,819 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Trooper has 31 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 42, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Trooper 19853 sources
- Trooper 198618 sources
- Trooper 19876 sources
- Trooper 198817 sources
- Trooper 198916 sources
- Trooper 199023 sources
- Trooper 199157 sources
- Trooper 199225 sources
- Trooper 199333 sources
- Trooper 199447 sources
- Trooper 199554 sources
- Trooper 199651 sources
- Trooper 199713 sources
- Trooper 199981 sources
- Trooper 200049 sources
- Trooper 200129 sources
- Trooper 200212 sources
- Trooper 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Isuzu Trooper?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, tires. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (14%), engine failure or replacement (12%), oil leak or consumption (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Isuzu Trooper?
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 Trooper 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 2026-11-05.