1998 Isuzu Amigo problems & reliability
78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Isuzu Amigo, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 20 | 26% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 16 | 21% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 9% |
| Visibility | 7 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 6% |
| Structure | 5 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 5% |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% |
| Steering | 4 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 19 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Rear trailing arms of vehicle ripped off from the frame and caused the rear axle to drive up under the vehicle. Lost control of vehicle and drove into the center median of highway. Failure due to corrosion and insufficient weld of control arm bracket.”
Structure · filed Aug 4, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 isuzu amigo. The contact stated that the radius arm brackets, cross members, and brake lines were completely corroded. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 12v306000 (suspension). The manufacturer was contacted and the dealer refused to perform the recall…”
Structure · filed Aug 14, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 isuzu amigo. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 12v306000 (suspension) and stated that the manufacturer was notified and advised that the recall had expired on august 3, 2013. The manufacturer refused to honor the recall even though it had only been one week after the…”
Suspension · filed Aug 9, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKING SYSTEM/ABS
Engineering Analysis EA99008 · opened Mar 31, 1999 · closed Jul 31, 2002 · led to recall 02I002001
- SUNSHADE RETAINER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE98046 · opened Aug 19, 1998 · closed Oct 28, 1998 · led to recall 98V260000
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Isuzu Amigo. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin outlines the procedures for using the Alpine Exchange Program (the "Exchange Program"). The Exchange Program must be used when any Alpine radio or other component covered by this bulletin is repaired under…
IB13-R-001G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 8, 2023
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural recommendations to improve dealer efficiency when submitting Parts Warranty claims. We strongly recommend dealers follow these…
WB13-X-001B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 30, 2022
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural recommendations to improve dealer efficiency when submitting Parts Warranty claims. We strongly recommend dealers follow these…
WB13-X-001A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 2, 2022
The Isuzu Commercial Truck of America (ICTA) Service Technical Assistance Center (TAC) provides diagnostic support to Isuzu dealer technicians repairing Isuzu vehicles in and out of vehicle warranty. A TAC case number…
IB09-X-004C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 20, 2022
The following is a list of the Isuzu-recommended Threebond product part numbers identified in the various Isuzu Workshop Manuals and bulletins. If a Threebond product is unavailable, we recommend that you utilize the…
IB09-X-002B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 20, 2022
REAR BRAKE ROTORS. *KB
0709002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2007
Ignition switch does not turn to the lock position and the ignition key cannot be removed. *tt
0304S003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2003
Poor and/or loose door weatherstrip position. *tt
0311S004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2003
Abs (anti-locking brake) system, coil integrated module replacement phase 3 announcement. *tt
0309S001C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2003
Abs (anti-locking brake) system, coil integrated module replacement safety improvement campaign 02i-002 phase 3 of a 4 phase release. *tt
0309S001C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Isuzu Amigo has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Isuzu Amigo?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.