Should I buy it? Have you owned one? What the hell should I do????

So one of my clients has a ( Isuzu Rodeo Ls, TWIN STICKS, 4x4 ) that she is letting me test drive for 2 weeks and then buy it if I want it. I have had it 3 days now and took it to the car wash today and it cleaned up with amazing results and all I did was run it thru the automatic wash.

It has been sitting at her place for the last 6 months ( with out driving it ) so when my wife and I went over there and I had to jump start it with my ranger and it fired right up and so far the battery is holding a charge.

She has owned it since 2003 but hardly ever drives it because she has her main car and her husband has his car the rodeo was mainly a second vehicle to just drive in case the weather got bad.It has 121,000 with absolutely NO rust any place on the body I mean literally none including the running boards, door jams, fenders,wheel wells etc etc.

The body is in near mint condition along with the paint!! It drives and handles great with no rattles or squeaks, when you let go of the wheel driving 70 mph it keeps going perfectly straight.

I took it to a back road here in town out by the town lagoon and put it in 4x4 hi and had zero issues then I put it in 4x4 low and took it up a VERY steep grassy hill and it climbed right up it.

I looked underneath really good from front to back before I ran it thru the car wash and saw no wet spots or seepage and nothing looked out of place.

The interior is also in great shape and EVERYTHING works as it should including all lights,gauges,dash,etc etc

I checked all the fluids/levels and found nothing suspicious

It has a solid rear axle with coil springs and shocks in the rear. Yes I said coil springs!! ( The ride is amazing for a 4 wheel drive vehicle )

Here is what it has.

V6, 3.2 Liter 205 HP DOHC 24V
5 speed manual tranny
4 wheel ABS
4x4 hi / low
Cruise
tilt
power windows / doors / side view
Ac
running boards
Premium sound
6 disc changer
16 inch wheels
luggage rack
remote key less entry with factory alarm x2

So when my two weeks are up should I buy this thing or what???

Here are some pics I took a few hours ago at the car wash in lawrence kansas.

I'd say go for it. I have a buddy that has one theyre nice suvs.

For the shape it sounds like its in why not?

They are wonderful until they need front wheel bearings. Those are getting hard to come by. I have a friend who just got rid of his because he couldn't find the parts to replace the front bearings that it needed for inspection. I think a tone-ring got messed up and that was the big issue, but it was still and expensive proposition either way.

My dad just bought a beater Honda Passport (same as the Isuzu I think). Been running it a few weeks and we are very pleased with it.

Check the frame out. His is nearly as nice as yours but the frame was BAD!! We welded in several patches and saw where others had also been put in.

If its as good of a car as you make it sound can you really go wrong???

I believe the 3.2 V6 is known for oil consumption.

I have know only 2 people who have owned them since new. My uncle has one still and has over 130,000 mile on it all trouble free and one buddy who has owned his and never had any issues with it after 140,000 miles. I never have drove one so I can't say how they drive. My uncle uses it for camping and taking his boat way out in the boondocks a lot.

I like them, but everyone i have ever found has needed a motor. I have probably checked out 30+ that needed motors. So i won't touch them, but i'm sure it's a maintence thing.

adsm08 said:

They are wonderful until they need

front wheel bearings

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. Those are getting hard to come by. I have a friend who just got rid of his because he couldn't find the parts to replace the front bearings that it needed for inspection. I think a tone-ring got messed up and that was the big issue, but it was still and expensive proposition either way.

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Hmmm, Just for shits and giggles I called autozone near me and asked about front wheel bearings and he said they have them in stock and the inner bearing was like 31 bucks and the outer bearing was like 27 bucks.

I can't imagine getting rid of a vehicle because I could not FIND / BUY front wheel bearings are you sure he was talking about front wheel bearings??

Around me, the ones for sale always need transmissions. My brother bought one with a bad transmission, that came with a new one, but he hasn't gotten around to putting it in.

I used to have a 95 Rodeo with the same set up as that one. 3.2L 5spd 4x4. I really liked it. I'd probably still have it now if my wife's brother didn't wreck it. I say get it.

Twister said:

Around me, the ones for sale

always need transmissions

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. My brother bought one with a bad transmission, that came with a new one, but he hasn't gotten around to putting it in.

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Automatics? / Manuals? / Both? / You don't remember?

RICO9 said:

I used to have a 95 Rodeo with the same set up as that one. 3.2L 5spd 4x4. I really liked it. I'd probably still have it now if my wife's brother didn't wreck it. I say get it.

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K.Strong said:

I'd say go for it. I have a buddy that has one theyre nice suvs.

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