Isuzu Axiom

cracovian

great news but still no side airbags :-(
Even Kia has them now - what is Isuzu thinking???

axaholic

maybe, depending on my needs at the price I could get.
If you really need 4wd off roading capability it would be more of a reason to buy it.
If you just need a ride to Home Depot and work you might be better off with a car based vehicle like the Highlander,Murano or others coming out by the day.
If I had to pay close to the sticker price of $25 to $30 thousand I think you could do better. This truck does not compare to some of the more refined ones in this range mainly because of the ride, resale value and questions about Isuzu's future.
With the large rebates and a reasonable dealer, If you can get it in the low 20's, it compares more favorably in that price range even with the drawbacks. I have seen some teaser newspaper adds under $20,000, not including the mandatory dealer addons at that price.
I saw a used 02 for only $16,000.
If you take a Saturn Vue, Hyundai Santa Fe or some other entry level smaller suv's and price in all of the options that are standard on the AX they would be higher than a discounted AX.
The AX wins hands down in looks, size and value in this range.
If I had to shop again I might look around longer but the AX could still be my choice.

dgluth

I bought a used 2002 Ax in August and it is missing the little "off" button for the fan. Now the dealership tell me they are going to "take care of it" and all. Now I asked at an isuzu dealership and the service guy (a real jerk IMHO) said that Isuzu doesn't make the buttons they only replace the whole deal. Approx. 800 dollar event, now my question is this, do you really have to replace the whole thing? It just doesn't seem to make sense to me. I figured that someone on this board would know the real deal.

btw love my Axiom and my wife is currently looking for a 2002 Trooper Limited, we will be a total isuzu family.
Thanks
Dennis P.

paisan

Dennis between those 2 vehicles, you'll be set for about 150-200K miles!!!!

I actually think they might need the whole unit. As long as it's on their dime, get a whole unit.

-mike

amigo_john

I tried to buy the little thumb button that goes on the end of the emergency brake on my Amigo. Mine had been slipping off as the little plastic catch on it was bad. They told me I had to buy the whole emergency brake arm for ~$75. I plan to glue the button back on. The Amigo has really amazed me as it has held up over the last 5 years really well. My ONLY problem has been a bad 2nd gear that would occasionally pop out while downshifting (maybe 2 times a week). It was that way when I bought it new and I finally got it fixed a few weeks ago before the warranty ran out.

stever

The above post was moved here to assist a new member, thus the out of sequence date. Please send some good vibes Fhossain's way.

Steve, Host

paisan

Well, first of all, I've never seen a MPG guage read correctly, even on $90,000 BMW 750iLs.

As for rear drums? Didn't know the Axiom even had drums in the rear, I'm almost positive they are rear disc brakes.

Did they balance them on a Hunter 9000 machine? They are the best out there and should fix any unbalanced wheels.

The hp is only 230hp, not 270, that is a good reason why you are disappointed in it's performance, it's about 40hp short of what you think you have.

Finally, have you tried a different dealer? In my experience over several brands, there are good dealers and bad dealers, looks like you've got a bad dealer there. Try another dealer and I bet it'll be resolved better/quicker. I know when I had a vibrating driver's mirror it took 4x at one dealer then I finally went to another dealer and they fixed it first shot.

-mike

axguy

Hey there. I'm a newbie to this forum. A couple of months ago I traded my 00Trooper for a new 03Axiom XS, loaded including rear spoiler, 17"Chrome wheels, roof rack, and sucky Goodyear tires. lol

I love this SUV! I have a few rattles that I'll address another time, but other than that it seems like a great vehicle. I've lurked around this board for the last couple of weeks reading all the posts. Seems like most of the common problems are rattles and poor ride. I'm about to get my rattles fixed and I've become accustomed to the ride. I usually keep it on SPORT. I find the comfort mode to be a little bouncy. I also keep the power button pushed and find there is plenty of power in this engine.
Fhossain: Try putting the suspension in Sport mode and the engine in power mode. As far as your brake pulsation, has the dealer worked on your front brakes? The vibrating problem from 40 and above sounds like your front rotors need to be turned. If your dealer won't try that, you can go to any brake shop and have them turned for very little $. Also, sounds like you need to try a new dealer. On my 00Trooper, I took it to 3 different dealers before I found one that did decent work and subsequently bought my new Axiom from them. My mileage on the driver information center seems to be very accurate. Since your's isn't, and your display freezes, I would think you have a bad display or computer problem which would be an easy fix at a competant dealership...replace the display or computer!
Good Luck,
Jeff

k2rm

2WD have rear drums and 4WD have rear disks.

adrew777

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone on the board because it helped us make up our minds on the new Axiom. Last week we replaced both cars with a 2003 Murano SL for long trips and the 2003 Axiom XS. I had some reservations based on some of the same reasons listed above (company uncertain future, no side airbags, etc) but we were able to get a fully loaded XS with leather, sunroof and chrome wheels for just a bit over $22,000. That's a deal you can't beat and it's proving to be a great vehicle (although a fog light burned out on day #2 of ownership - is this a sign?)

stever

Pricing has been updated but we don't have invoice pricing yet.

Steve, Host

edf100

just sold my 03 ax.could not stand the seats,fuel economy,suspension(horrible),tires,stereo and many other annoyances.hope you guys have better luck than me.bought an 02 subaru outback LL bean edition I got my heated seats and other things that my ax did not have. I should have never sold my wrx in the first place to buy the ax.
took a bath on this isuzu,but my friend managed the dealership where I bought the subaru,so the damage was not as bad as it could have been.

paisan

Weird, why would you buy a Truck when you wanted a Car? It always amazes me when people are let down by a Car or Truck, when they wanted the opposite of what they bought.

-mike

sowr

In a perfect world this would all make sense, however, Isuzu marketed the Axiom as a hybrid having the ride of a European sports sedan! Not really. It's basically a lowered designer SUV with a car like driving position, good handling (thanks to the stiff suspension), but still quite capable in the rough stuff.

The Ax had an identity crisis from day 1. Isuzu still don't know how to market it. What they should have done is emphasize its capabilities in a commercial (remember the Vehicross ad?)and see who buys it, then adjust accordingly, expecting a soccer mom to pick the Ax over a Highlander or Outback was asking for a little too much.

paisan

I never saw it billed as a crossover, it doesn't even have unibody, it's got a truck frame, how could you think it was a crossover? Also it has a solid rear axle, another item not found on any crossovers I've ever seen.

-mike

sowr

That's easy, it was marketed as a crossover.

Don't get me wrong, I own an Ax and (as a NASA Engineer) walked into the deal knowing exactly what I was getting; a very cool and well equipped truck, with off-road savvy. Others in this forum were not so well informed, and probably became a little disappointed with their truck, expecting a unibody style ride.

My main beef is that Isuzu just doesn't seem to know what to do with their wunderkind.

paisan

GM has their hands tied It's a bummer, most isuzu owners can run their marketing department far better than Isuzu has.

-mike

axiomlover

Hey, I just came back from vacation in Europe. I rented and drove for two weeks a 2003 Opel Vectra (sedan). Very cool looking car, kinda resembling the new Cadillac CTS. The ride, however, was very un-sedan. When I came back to the states and drove my Axiom, I didn't think the ride was that bad anymore. I also feel a little cheated by the looks of Axiom and Isuzu's commercials marketing this truck as a crossover and since this is my first truck, I was disappointed in the ride and handling, but I got used to it now.

cptsesso

Isuzu may market the Axiom as a hybrid or crossover vehicle, but if you seriously test drive the vehicle before buying you would know it is has a somewhat truck like ride. Granted, imho, it rides much better than a lot of "body on frame" trucks but not anywere near as smooth as a "unibody" hybrid.

Ultimately, it is the buyers responsibility to make that distinction for themselves and decide if they find the ride vs styling acceptable before signing on the dotted line.

scoobyax

Has anyone replaced a bulb yet for their fog lights? No instructions were in the kit and the lamps came with the bulbs pre-installed. I know these are Hella units and I tried their site, no luck. The silver bezel on the front wont budge, and I'm not sure even if thats the right way to get to the bulb. The back part just has access to the wiring. I'm hoping there is a way to replace the bulb without taking the entire bracket out. Any help would be appreciated... Had to give up once the rain started... figures.

cptsesso

I had to do mine a few months ago. One blew out so I replaced both for good measure. They are not any special "Hella" bulbs. I just used regular 55 watt H3's from the auto store. The bulb goes in from the back side where the wiring is. I don't remember how the back cover comes off though. I just remember it was a bit of a pain to reach them. I think it may be easier to do it from the underside and reach up. I don't know.

sbcooke

If they are regular H3's you may consider different brands. I recently did my headlights (H4's) with the latest Sylvania Silverstar's and they seem much better than just regular ones. Do a little shopping...the "acme" brand may not be as good as others on the shelf.

scoobyax

Thanks for the feedback. I was able to get the back cover off with no problem, its rubber and just pops off. From that point though all you can see from the top is a wire or two going into the housing, basically working blind and by touch. From the bottom it's a dead end, my Ax has a plastic panel running the length of the front bumper just under where the lights are mounted.

cptesso: do you remember how the bulb gets mounted? plug in, twist in? thanks again.

dgluth

Does anyone know if you can adjust it so the seat goes back a little bit farther. I am 5-11 and I could use a little more leg room.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dennis

mitikd

Has anybody "repack front wheels bearings"? It's a maintenance item, according to manual, has to be done every 30K miles. I took Ax to repair shop, they said that it's 2.5 hours job and it would cost $220 including gaskets. They also said that according to their computer it's really a maintenance and should be done every 30K miles. I've never heard of anybody doing it and just questioning neccessity of it. Thanks

ryanendres

Sounds about the right price and the right time. I'm not planning on re-packing mine untill I need brakes done (~60K). I think the key is, if you don't live in a dusty area, and don't make deep water crossing, you can wait a bit longer on the packing. But get that tranny and diffy's flushed!
-Ryan

paisan

Those are both about right.

I'm doing the trooper ones when I hit 75K or 80K, even with some deep water crossing and offroading, about the time I'll need front rotors.

-mike

sandman18

I had the 15K service done at my mechanic rather than at the dealer. Yes, he did the same stuff as listed in the owners manual. However he couldn't figure out how to reset the indicator that says the number of miles until service is necessary. Any idea how to do that? Thanks!

twocar

You need to merely hold down the "service" button on the multi-info display panel and it will beep and then you can reset it in increments of 500 starting at 7,500 all the way down to 2,000. Each time you depress the "service" button it drops another 500 miles from 7,500. When done, depress the "service" button and hold until you hear another beep.

sandman18

I had the 15K service done at my mechanic rather than at the dealer. Yes, he did the same stuff as listed in the owners manual. However he couldn't figure out how to reset the indicator that says the number of miles until service is necessary. Any idea how to do that? Thanks!

twocar

I must be confused or not have this feature or it isn't working. The only service indicator I have is on the MID (multi-information display) in the center of the dash. I have a 2002 Axiom 4WD. Do you have a light or something in the instrument panel?

k2rm

Well, I finally got tired of the poor traction and performance of the Good Year Integrities and had some Cross Terrains installed yesterday morning. Their handing and ride were fantastic yesterday. I couldn't believe how much difference a set of tires could make. So that was the good news.

The bad news is that my right rear went flat on my way to work this morning. I had to drive a few blocks to get to the side of the road so I could change it. Of course, this means that the side walls are all scuffed up on a brand new tire. I took the tire to Big O where I bought them. They inspected the tire and found nothing wrong with it. I want a new tire since it hadn't even been installed for 24 hours before it goes flat and looks like crap. They say they won't give me a new tire since they say the integrity of the tire is fine and they don't warranty for cosmetic issues. I say that it must have been a faulty installation that led to the flat considering there was less than fifty miles on the tire and so they should stand by their service and replace the tire regardless on whether it is under warranty or not. I am fuming right now. The sad thing is that I bought the road hazard warranty and if I just simply driven a few miles on the flat, the tire would have been ruined and they would have had to replace it under warranty. If this had happend at a few thousand miles I could understand their argument, but this happend in less than 50 miles.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a new tire considering I just spent almost $800 for the tires and an alignment at Big O. Anybody ever have such an issue before that could offer advice on any recourse I may have?
Thanks

axiom_tx

Hello, I am new to this forum, so please bear with me.

I have an '02 AXIOM 2WD with around 33K miles (I bought this vehicle new). No problems whatsoever until about a month or so ago. Erratically and inconsistently, whenever braking, I would get this weird vibration emanating from the carriage of the AX. The vibrations would not come through the steering wheel, but seemed to come from the frame. Sometimes it would be faint, sometimes it would be a tremendous resonance. Sometimes it wouldn't do it at all. It doesn't affect the braking performance of the vehicle, but it worried me. I thought perhaps the ABS is malfunctioning, but there was no ABS indicator on the dash being lit up. Also, the rotors aren't warped, as I've had that happen on another vehicle, and this instance is nothing like that.

I took it into the dealer yesterday, and so far, they are looking the AX over. They had to keep it overnight. They said something about the transmission not downshifting correctly when I am decelerating from braking. I'll let you know what I find out.

axguy

Sorry about your tire. What did they say caused it to go flat? I'd call BigO's main office and talk to someone there in customer service. I think it should be replaced..i'd be pretty mad if they didn't replace it.
   Did the new tires make the ride that much better? I hate the Goodyear tires I have, but since they are new, I'll just keep em till they wear out.
Jeff

scoobyax

If they are telling you the integrity of the tire is fine I would speak to the Manager about the integrity of the installer who worked on your truck and the integrity of Big O for sending a customer on his way with a tire that went flat for no apparent reason who is lucky he didn't end up in an accident. Gauge the managers responsiveness to you, if he acts like he is blowing you off, you can get a great reaction by firmly raising your voice little by little. This really works great in a crowded shop. He'll give you the tire just to shut you up before he loses any business. Then if needed tell him you demand a full refund. If you paid by credit card this is even better because you can dispute the charge very easily based on the poor quality of the work performed and the potential driving hazard the other tires may cause if they too were installed improperly. Sucks to be stuck in this situation but I never had a tire go flat for no reason. Sounds like someone screwed up at Big O.

Ironic all this talk about "integrity" and the entire cause of this mess is the crappy Goodyear Integrity's the Axiom comes with.

Keep us informed of how you make out and how the Cross Terrains perform. Those are what I'm switching to once I burn off a few more miles on the "Last Set of Goodyears I'll Ever Own".

k2rm

Thanks for the advice guys. Big O did the right thing, although hesitantly, and replaced the tire. I brought up the issue that it had to be an installation issue, which they say has a 90 day warranty, and they finally seemed to give in. I was never able to speak with the manager since he never showed up to work, but I assume that the salesman was able to relay my dissatisfaction and that I wasn't going to accept anything less than a new tire.

We just had our first rain of the season here in the SF bay area and I must say that the axiom is very sure footed now. The reason why I wanted new tires so soon is that I didn't want to go through another wet season with the good years. With the good years, it was so easy to squeal the tires during modest acceleration or turns. Anytime it rained I would put the axiom in TOD for safety because the rear end would break loose so easy on wet roads in just 2wd. I don't have the same problem now with the cross terrains.

These cross terrains just stick to the road in wet or dry conditions, I am truly impressed with traction. Road noise seems lower as well. The ride difference is amazing though. I would definitely recommend these tires. I hope that they have good snow traction for the ski trips this winter. I never had a problem with the good years in the snow, but that probably had more to do with the TOD system.

axiom_tx

UPDATE: I got my AX back from the dealer. They said something about the transmission was causing the vibrations, and that there was a technical bulletin out about it. The write up said the drive-line wasn't compressing properly (???) and they lubricated the yoke. I drove it around some yesterday afternoon and did not notice any more vibrations.

However, this morning, I did notice a slight vibration again, just like before. (!) So I guess they didn't fix the problem, they just reduced the frequency of it occurring. The dealer said to bring it back if the problem was still there. I think I'll just drive it around for a while to see how much it is doing it now.

dgluth

Has anyone tried these air deflectors that go on you roof. It's supposed to cut down on wind noise and air flow when the sunroof is open. At the dealer (Brandon florida) it was priced at 70$ and the guy said it was easy to install. My question is how do they work and are they really that easy to install? Thanks in advance.

Dennis P.

socalsteve

Has anyone seen one of the new Axioms with the direct injection engine at a dealer yet? We're hoping to get one after the first of the year. We had an 86 Trooper (Lord, I miss that truck!) and a 91 Rodeo, now we want to go back to Isuzus

axguy

I put one on my axiom. It does cut down on wind noise and airflow. It took about 5 minutes to put on. You just clean off two little areas with alcohol, put on two little peices of plastic paint protector, then put on two clips. The deflector screws onto the two clips. Very easy to install. There are no holes or anything to mess up your Axiom. If you ever want to take it off, it will be just like it was before you installed it.
Jeff

axiomlover

I am 6' tall and it gets on my nerves that I need to duck every time I open up the rear hatch, because it does not open high enough. I discovered, by taking down the hydraulic supports, that the hatch can be easily lifted a few inches higher withough causing any damage - enough to clear it for anybody up to 6'2". Have any of you tried to replace the supports with longer ones? Any other ideas to lift the gate?

dgluth

Where did you buy yours at? the dealership has them for 70$ but similiar ones at JC Whitney are only 35$ Any advice?
Dennis P.

axguy

I decided to get the factory one so I'd know it would fit properly and not screw anything up on the AX. 70.00 is a good price. My local dealer wanted around 100.00. I ordered mine online and paid 86.00.
Jeff

robert122

Has anbody tried to upgrade thier exhaust system on the axiom I am thinking about putting on a PV muffler has anyone upgraded thanks.

4reelance

I just spent $600 to get a defective EGR Valve replaced on my 2002 Isuzu Axiom. The dealer and factory rep said it was not covered under warranty because the car is 23 months old with 36,000 miles. So much for the Basic 3-year, 50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Anyone have a similar problem and/or suggestions for satisfactory resolution?
One unhappy car owner.

paisan

It's covered under the 3/50K warranty. Why would you pay for it to be repaired?

-mike

twocar

I had to hold my dealer's feet to the fire and complain that bumper to bumper is just that as long as it was something installed by Isuzu or the dealership. At issue was the foglight bulb on the driver's side. I complained enough about it being a component of the vehicle that the gopher finally told me that his service manager said that they would go ahead and consider it warranty. Needless to say, when the passenger side foglight failed...there was no question. BTW, these foglights were dealer installed so the EGR was definitely part of the OEM parts.

paisan

Was that an isuzu part or dealer part? IE: if it's an official isuzu dealer installed option, it's covered, if it's just that particular dealer, then you have to deal with the dealer directly on it.

In the case of the EGR, that is definitely part of the OEM package. Some items aren't covered (wear and tear wipers, tires, brake pads, etc)

-mike

raydahs

Attached is a link to the official 1999 Isuzu warranty, see page 5, line IV "Exhaust Gas Recirculation System", notice the header "2/24". Unfortunately, it's one of the misleading items to the warranty coverage. What's interesting is the 3-way converter, line item VI is under 2/24 and again below in the 8/80 coverage, so which is it?
http://isuzu-suvs.com/images/99trooperwarranty.PDF

It's too bad companies have to hide this stuff until the consumer is blindsided!

shogren

My heated seats do not get very warm. I have been in other manufacturer cars with heated seats on the high setting and they were much warmer than my Axiom. Your comments would be appreciated.