2004 Isuzu Rodeo problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Isuzu Rodeo, 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Isuzu Rodeo vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 8 | 21% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 13% |
| Equipment | 4 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 10% |
| Power Train | 4 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 10% |
| Engine | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 8% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,691 miles (middle 50% between 13,820 and 145,160 miles), based on 26 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My car continues to smell like gas despite fuel pump and lines having been replaced. The smell is very strong. Don’t see any type of leakage”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 31, 2024
“In Florida, I purchased my 2004 Isuzu Rodeo March 2005 at 134 miles. I've always had issues, but didn't know how to articulate the issues. My truck sits/leans to the right and low in the back. It is uneven as if the shocks or struts are off. Driving one night, the truck slams down/drops low out of no where while…”
Engine · filed May 27, 2023
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 isuzi rodeo. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 13v547000 (suspension). The contact stated that he experienced great difficulty having his vehicle serviced. The contact stated that isuzu sent the remedy parts to lupient buick gmc (7100 wayzata blvd, golden…”
Suspension · filed Nov 20, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel Tank Retention Failure
Defect Petition DP18001 · opened May 23, 2018 · closed Mar 5, 2020
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Isuzu Rodeo. 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
This service bulletin provides service information on new torque specification and installation procedure for ACDelco Spin-On Oil Filters.
22NA009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2022
This Preliminary information communicates to the technician the need to inspect the induction system for potential icing issues in very cold ambient temperatures. To allow the ice to melt so that it can be drained from…
PIP5540D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 19, 2019
This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308 and/or P050D
PIP5628 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 18, 2019
This preliminary information document communicates a tip on the way to diagnose possible induction or exhaust air leaks using the evaporative emission cart smoke machine and ultrasonic leak detector tools.
PIP4925B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2018
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about connectivity concerns when connecting an Apple device via USB cord. Technician should insure the customer is using an original…
PIT5399A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 23, 2018
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 2004 Isuzu Rodeo 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 2004 Isuzu Rodeo?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,691 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.