Faults:

Problems:

- fog lights are easy to damage on dirt roads with flying rocks... and very expensive to replace. Better off to go with aftermarket fogs.

- blew head gasket after overheating the engine badly (the throttle stuck, and there wasn't much I could do in a traffic jam). Currently having head polished & ported for performance gains.

General Comments:

This is an update to my previous comments:

I have owned the car for nearly a year and have nothing but good things to say about it!

Beyond oil changes (and the mentioned head gasket), I've had zero maintenance costs. The car was excellent on gas for a 2500 km trip, and it held up without any problems. I've driven the car extremely hard the last 10,000 km.. and the worst that's happened was balding the tires quickly... and tires can be an expensive replacement.

Faults:

The entire exhaust system below the manifold has been replaced once, and the muffler three times.

The ignition module was replaced around 130 000 km.

The timing belt was replaced around 131 000 km. This caused some concern because the mechanic thought that a piston had blown out, but soon discovered the timing belt problem.

The entire front brakes were replaced (calipers, rotors and hubs) around 90 000 km. I have just been informed that both the front and rear brakes need replacing. This may be due to the amount of inner-city driving we do.

The rear struts need replacing.

Rust has been a significant problem with this car, and it has been repaired and repainted once already. After this was completed the car was rust-proofed, although the rust returned to the door jambs and rear wheel-wells within 6 months. Really annoying.

The door locks tend to freeze up during the winters here in Canada, as do the door levers themselves. Very frustrating!

Keeping the windows clear when it's cold and wet outside can be a problem, as the vents for the side windows are poorly positioned. Moisture buildup, particularly when it freezes during the winter, can be aggravating to say the least.

General Comments:

The car drives really well. It is quick and nimble when you need to get out of tight spots or short traffic lights. It is also a nice highway car for cruising, although the lack of cruise control is tiresome on long trips.

Our babyseat continues to fit well in the backseat, although getting the little guy in and out is sometimes amusing (our son is almost 14 months).

With a good set of tires, the car is a tank in the snow -- very important when you live in Canada. Stable and predictable, snowstorms don't scare me when I'm driving this car.

Despite all the problems that we've had with this car, we still love it very much!

Faults:

Rust building underneath wheel wells. Sanded and repainted by the previous owner.

Exhaust system replaced by the previous owner.

Rear-right strut mount making a noise; needs replacement.

Very, very tough to find aftermarket/performance parts for it.

General Comments:

Mechanically, the car is in perfect shape.

Great off-the-line power. Wipes out most other rice burners.

I strongly suggest checking out the Isuzu Impulse owners' web sites for performance upgrades (ie. http://www.isuzuperformance.com)

After reading reviews and talking to other owners for 2 months, Impulses/Sunfires are mechanically reliable cars. Most owners experience suspension & timing belt replacement after the car hits the 150,000 miles (230,000 km) mark.

Strongly suggest checking this out for anyone who wants a reliable sports car.

Faults:

I blew a rod in my engine, although it is from the way I drive.

I had a hole in my front-pipe, easily fixable.

I burned out one clutch, my first standard.

I broke two clips in my transmission, from power shifting.

General Comments:

I love my car. Even though I have spent quite a bit of money on repairs, it is from racing the car every Friday and Saturday night.

The car is incredibly quick off the line, the handling is amazing, and it looks great.

This is one of the best sports cars you can buy for it's price. It is also one of the quickest cars you can buy for under $10000.

Faults:

I had to get a new suspension, besides that nothing. This was not the car's fault or anything, it just had tons of k's on it.

General Comments:

This is my first car, but I have driven several and so far it has been great. It is a rare brand so that makes it much cheaper. However it is still an excellent car, made by Isuzu in Japan. I would suggest if you found one of these to snap it up like I did to mine.

Faults:

Nothing for moment...

General Comments:

I bought this car from a dealer, I put in some new parts, it's very hard to find some pieces, and they cost a lot of money...

This car is so awesome, 140 hp and only 1100 kg. I can beat all the Acura Integras easy on the start, so funny for a cheap car?!!!