Faults:

Starter went bad at 40,000.

Valve covers leaked a little (fixed under warranty).

Exhaust leaks at the flexible mesh joint.

Rear window wouldn't latch (fixed under warranty).

Dash lights burn out a little too often.

General Comments:

I've beat the heck out of my 1995.5 Rodeo LS since I bought it new in 1996 and it keeps coming back for more. NO major mechanical failures of any kind. I replaced the starter myself (although you have to take the starter apart to get it around the header pipe). But other than that, with any kind of regular maintenance, the '95 is one of the most reliable SUVs on the road. The paint alone is incredible after 12 years.

Faults:

Transmission fluid needed replacing @ 129,878 miles.

Rattling sound from something or other when the engine is @ 3,500 rpm's. Used to do that @ 3,000 rpm's, but regular oil changes have helped bring that up to a higher rpm, and will hopefully eventually eliminate this small problem.

Driver's seat is worn.

Spare tire cover was only worn out a little... got vandalized in June of this year. I can see why they eventually did away with having a spare tire in the back of the car like that...it's too easy to have it get vandalized and have to spend $70 for a new spare tire cover (by the way, the dealer told me they don't even carrry them anymore for this car).

General Comments:

Overall, I can't complain about this car. What I have had go wrong has been due to poor maintenance, or lack of maintenance, despite the slightly high mileage.

Steering seems to have too much free play, even after we adjusted that!

And suspension seems a little too wobbly for my tastes, though putting KYB shocks on in place of the Gabriel shocks seems to be a BIG improvement!

I do like the extra room in the center console, though I don't care for how my center console seems to be very worn out for a 10 year-old car.

Faults:

Body hardware - specifically the locking mechanisms in the doors. (See below for greater detail).

Replaced shocks (routine maintenance) @ 95,000 miles.

Alternator was replaced at 85,000 before I bought it.

Heater/AC control wouldn't switch blower to any position besides floor vent even though control could be moved.

Dash light bulb behind speedometer went out.

Reviews are correct about brakes being sub-par. They haven't failed or anything though. I'm usually depressing the pedal for about a second before the power-assist braking kicks in. I had to have the rotors turned even though pads were not even worn through - perhaps that was from the previous owner though.

General Comments:

For those who like SUVs that ride like a truck - before they started making them feel like cars - this may be your vehicle. Isuzu changed the Rodeo after 97 into a less impressive off-road machine, but with a more comfortable city ride.

A lot of wind and road noise on the highway.

I don't like the low mounted stereo - it's hard to reach. (they moved it up with a dash re-styling in mid 1995) - look for the 1995 1/2 or later models for a nicer dash arrangement (similar to a 1998 4-runner dash).

Although I've only had the car for about 8000 miles, it is obvious that the body hardware lacks integrity. I've had to replace a plastic piece of the door locking mechanism in 3 of the 4 doors. Additionally, I've had to overhaul the locking mechanism in the tailgate.

I usually get about 15 miles per gallon with about 60% of the miles in city driving.

The seating is not very comfortable - not much padding.

I love the car when it snows and it is very fun to take up in the hills or out in the dirt. The 4WD has good gear ratios - it gets pretty low in 4 low. No shift on the fly doesn't bother me. My parents had a car that shifted on the fly and they always had problems getting it to lock in 4-wheel. This car locks in everytime and I've had no problem with unlocking the auto hubs by backing up a few feet.