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Isuzu Prices Paid and Buying Experience
arktrooper1
Member Posts: 101
Have scheduled my first appointment with the dealer to have the oil changed at 5K mi. as well as the other things I listed above.
It is not the dealer I purchased from (they're in Kansas City) and I am hoping to get decent service at least. They are part of a large automotive group that sells a # of brands and I've heard mixed reviews. The other brand they sell at the Isuzu store is Daewoo.
The service manager told me that the fuel line mod would take 4+ hours which seems like a lot so if any of you could tell me if this is consistent with what you've heard or experienced on this recall I would appreciate hearing from you.
BTW, I would have prefered to buy locally but this dealer (Fayetteville) wanted $2K more than the dealer in KCK for the same vehicle but not in the color I wanted. I even offered to pay $500 more than I paid in KCK just to buy locally and they turned my offer down!
It is not the dealer I purchased from (they're in Kansas City) and I am hoping to get decent service at least. They are part of a large automotive group that sells a # of brands and I've heard mixed reviews. The other brand they sell at the Isuzu store is Daewoo.
The service manager told me that the fuel line mod would take 4+ hours which seems like a lot so if any of you could tell me if this is consistent with what you've heard or experienced on this recall I would appreciate hearing from you.
BTW, I would have prefered to buy locally but this dealer (Fayetteville) wanted $2K more than the dealer in KCK for the same vehicle but not in the color I wanted. I even offered to pay $500 more than I paid in KCK just to buy locally and they turned my offer down!
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Comments
-mike
mike@iace.com
Someone from the States was saying that he got them from WarrantyGold.Com and maybe they sell internationally as well?
-Dave
-mike
BTW, I got my 2000 S for $22,309.50 /w/ TOD/Auto, 6-disc CD changer, bug deflector, rear cargo mat and black tube side steps.
The dealer wss Don Stein Buick/Isuzu in Overland Park, Ks. (Kansas City) and the salesperson, Laura Rafferty was great to deal with. They're an old dealer (since 1958) with a great reputaion in that area. Too bad I live nearly 250 mi. away or I'd take the Trooper there for service!
Now here is where it gets nasty: I took it to the dealer and it requires a 5 day wait to get the parts from Isuzu. They are willing to give me a loaner while they fix it (minimum 2 -3 days fixing time) but ONLY once it is in the shop under repair, and since they haven't gotten the part in yet, they don't want to accept the car. The reason this is bad is that I was told it is fine for local driving, but that it wouldn't be a good idea to drive the car long distances since the transmission theoretically could lock up. Unfortunately I need to drive to NY this weekend so I am still working on their supplying us with a rental car so I don't have to pay for one. Also forgot to mention that if I drive on city streets, if I keep the car in 3rd gear, it is fine even when going uphill @ those mph; it only makes the noise when the car is in "drive."
The tech said that this is a MAJORIFIC fix. They basically have to tear apart the entire transmission to get to the parts that need replacing - he was worried that they might have to replace the whole transmission if tearing it apart proved too difficult. Fortunately this is not *my* problem! But I am disturbed that this car left the factory with the defect - this has been happening almost since day 1, but it took me awhile before I was systematically able to reproduce the problem for an accurate diagnosis. Will let you know how it goes.
If anyone wants to try to reproduce the problem in their own truck: drive up a hill between 34 - 39 mph, putting your foot on the gas pedal only lightly.
Possibly the whooshing you are referring to is the fan noise due to the cold-start fast idle.
-mike
-mike
If anyone is interested let me know and I will post their phone #.
eanreves@hotmail.com
If so, maybe Isuzu is ready to address one of the Trooper's weakest points-- its sound system.
-mike
The first stereo modification I have is to replace the rear speakers with some kind of coaxial setup, I believe the stock are just 4" woofers, if you put the balance to rear only while listening to music they sound terrible. The tweeters up front really make a difference. I have begun looking into replacing my rear's but it is down on the list (bumpers and shocks are more fun!).
The stock leather in my Ltd. is a little lose, and solid - no holes. I treat it regularly with mcguires gold class leather cleaner/conditioner. That stuff is great - really softens it up and makes it brighter (tan leather interior).
Just my opinion - our dealers add on leather is not as good as factory.
Andy
The stock speakers, both front and rear, are crap. Even swapping them out for $50 a pair speakers will net you a noticeable sound improvement. I put Polk Audio EX602 in front ($100 a pair) and 402 in the rear ($80 a pair) and the results were dramatic. The replacements are the same diameter as the factory speakers and install easily, with zero mods.
paisan, I think even YOU would notice the difference that a minor mod like swapping the speakers would make. I was pleasantly surprised at how much it helped. Actually, you could probably get away with just doing the front speakers since they are closer to your ears and they are responsible for most of the bass (the rears are just too small to generate anything approaching real bass).
-mike
I've seen lower numbers posted but not anywhere close to where I live. The SUV market is pretty strong here and there's not many Isuzu dealers.
I drove everything on the market and had up to 35K to spend - nothing else even came close for the money.
-mike
I'm torn, however, between that and a Pathfinder LE with everything. The main advantages for the Pathy is a better stereo, memory seats w/ lumbar support, selectable 4wheel drive, built in garage door opener. Interior space difference, which the Trooper has more is not a crushing issue. Anybody have advice for my dilemma?
LSD is optional on PF
Rear Discs are not available on PF (Standard on Trooper)
Skid Plates not available on PF
Rear wind deflector (to keep dust off rear window) optional on PF (Std on Trooper)
All Wheel Drive system on PF cannot be turned off to std 2wd. Trooper can be 2wd, 4wd TOD (dry or wet pavement) or 4wd Lo
No Powered Folding Mirrors on PF (yes they both have heated power controlled mirrors, but the Trooper can be retracted from inside)
No Arm rest "Captain's Chair" type seat in the PF
The stereo does seem better in the PF, but for $200-$500 more on the Trooper you can have a good aftermarket one installed that will put it above the PF one.
The biggest thing in the above list IMHO would be the rear disc brakes on the Trooper over the PF. That is a safety issue that shouldn't be overlooked. Good luck with your decision and keep us posted!
-mike
I get generally 12-14mpg in the city.
15-16mpg @ 77mph, hilly interstate w/Tire Pressure 5lbs above MSTP.
17-20mpg @ 55-65mph, hilly interstate w/TP @ 5lbs over MSTP
Once you go above 65 the MPG drops dramatically. So if you can keep it below 65, you are golden.
-mike
I own a 99 Trooper which basically is same as 00 and 01.
You should take test drive both Pathfinder and Trooper and make decisiion yourself.
In my opinion, I'll buy Pathfinder. Following are Pathfinder's advantages over Trooper. It has a superior dealership network with far better customer services. I disagree that Pathfinder is less reliable than Trooper. It has an equal or more powerful engine. It's aerodynamic shape yield less crosswind disturbance. It bounce and sway less. It has a roof rack. Just name a few.
Check out these Edmunds Trooper's Owners Websites where many people worship Trooper for their comments, complaints (such as burning 1 quart of oil every 1000 mi., vibrating side mirrors, whinning TOD, clinking tranmission, etc...) and their wish list for a Trooper.
A Trooper may cost a little less, but after you get it and if you want to change sway bars, bushings, shocks, tires, or add roof racks, it'll be a lot more expensive!!!
I didn't buy a Pathfinder because it didn't come with the big 3.5l then.
Good luck Bob,
> Looking for advice on a new Trooper. Found a 2001 demo with 1700 miles at 30K. Driven by the owner of the dealership. > > It's a LSD. with the gold package.
If you mean limited slip differential (meaning 2WD), the dealer isn't offering you any kind of a deal - unless the gold package is actually gold! I bought a 2WD '01 LS w/sunroof & side steps and paid invoice ($27,164) for a vehicle that had MSRP of just over $30,000. I can't find the window sticker right this minute (it's around here somewhere) but $30,054 sticks in my mind.
If you mean the Limited package, then that may be a good price - depending on what Edmunds says is invoice for it.
Charlie
-mike
People are doing modifications to get a stiffer sway bar for better more sports car like handling on-road. The stock setup is decent w/o a doubt. I personally am going to be switching to the Rancho 9000s adjustable shocks so that i can have it soft for off-roading and stiff for higway/spirited driving, and replacing the rear springs with progressive rate ones so that i can put more stuff in the trailer w/o having any saging. (also i usually carry a lot of heavy tools in the trunk)
Also whoever posted that the Nissan engine has the same reliablility as the trooper is off base cause the Nissan 3.5 just came out this year so it's unknown how good it is. The trooper one has been around since the mid 90s
Also with a 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warrnaty and 120K powertrain, you are looking at a lot of faith in their vehicles.
-mike
For the same logic, if Trooper has been around for long and it's must be so good that Acura branded it with different name; so is Pathfinder, it's been around since 1980's and it's now twin to Infiniti Q4!
Anyway, I just want to tell Bob (or anyone else) that Trooper is not a super vehicle, it's just a good one as any others. Do yourself a favor, test drive and research reliability and maintenance history carefully. Another important factor is dealer network and how dealers want to help you.
Check out throroughly Edmunds Troopers Part III through Part IV to judge yourself.
Good luck Bob!
I would say that all of these problems have no bearing on the reliability/durability of the vehicle over the long term.
For me, the Trooper rides just fine on the stock shocks, even at 40k miles in my 1998 Trooper. I guess I don't know what I'm missing by not having aftermarket shocks and/or sway bars & bushings. I don't have the gearbox whine. I don't have any squeaks/rattles/clunks/etc. (a couple rattles have disappeared finally). My engine consumes a quart of oil every 2,000 miles or so. Based on what I've heard from Isuzu, a master Isuzu mechanic, and many other owners, there is no cause for concern if oil consumption is up to a quart every 1,000 miles. Does it mean I have to check my oil more often and occasionally add a quart? Yes. Does it bother me? No. My truck is solid and reliable.
As for the Trooper 3.5L V6, it's based on the 3.2L 6 that has existed on Trooper since the 1992 model year. That engine has a couple trouble areas (leaky valve covers/seals) but is otherwise very durable and reliable.
I have nothing bad to say about the Pathfinder's 3.5L 6. Its specs look impressive, though I saw one review that indicated the truck isn't as fast as the numbers would imply. Actually, I thought the manual transmission-equipped Pathfinder has 250hp, vs. 240hp for the automatic.
Also the trooper recieved an excellent repair rating from Consumer reports. I'm not sure what the rating of the pathfinder was.
I'd also be wondering a little bit about a company that none of the major car manufacturers would even buy (Nissan) and a company who's future is unknown.
At the very least 1/2 of Isuzu is owned by GM. The 6.6l Duramax engine in the new GM pickups is 100% Isuzu, and the upcoming generation of S10/S15/Hombre pickups is being designed and built by Isuzu.
-mike
I'm so bothered by those Trooper worshipper. They make Troopers sounds like Super SUVs, while complaint about gearbox whining, clinking, body swaying rolling, no roof rack, no 3rd seat, on and on! Such idiots (very few acting like Mr know-it-all teenager always have to answer everyone's questions immediately although they've never experienced the problems) buy inexpensive but good SUV then want to turn it into a Lexus 470 (have you ever seen all their wishes for a perfect Trooper!)
So, my only intention was to tell potential buyers like Bob truthful opinions, and let them make their own decisions.