2002 Trooper reliability? I don't believe

[Ramblin Fever]

they're plagued with the same oil/engine burning up issue as the '98-99 Trooper - is this correct?

What's the HP & Torque rating of the 3.5L

And, how easy is this one's engine to work on? i.e. location of the thermostat, egr & pcv valve, etc.

AND, does this one have a transmission dipstick?

Does the Trooper have the same ground clearance of the 1st generation Rodeo's?

This is very important to me, because I'm not into lifting my trucks as they generally tow a boat or horse trailer, and I live in an area that requires at least 8-9" of clearance.

I may have the opportunity to pick one up for around $9k, only has 44k miles.

Took the truck out for the whole day - nice rig. Been contemplating this Trooper idea for over a year now; first couple times I test drove one, didn't really care for it - but this one drove completely different. Probably cause everything's stock and new, and it handled great.

I've been saying for quite some time that my current Rodeo would be my last Isuzu; simply because I felt the quality of the 98+yrs have deteriorated and that parts are hard to come by. But, I can't seem to fight the urge - I love Isuzu's, one's I've had have been VERY reliable, though not easy to work on.

And they're different; they don't resemble every other thing on the street.

If I get this one; for starters those stock 245/70 16 baby-sized tires would have to go; they actually look funny up against my Rodeo with 265/75 16's.

[amigo-2k]

THe +98 3.2 and 3.5L are basically the same engine. EGR, PCV easy to get too. Thermostat you need to remove the upper intake to get to it.

No dipstick for the tranny (95.5-2003) in 2004 the Rodeo's got a different tranny with a dipstick.

2002 was the crossover year that supposibly fixed the oil buring issue. THe way to tell if you have that engine is to see if the PCV valve screws in (new engine) or does it just push in (old engine).

The only downside to the trooper is it is bigger and heavier and gets worse MPG as compaired to the Rodeo.


Other then that, I would change out the tranny fluid more frequently and you also have the TOD sensors and system to worry about too (more things to go wrong down the road ....).



HP is 215 and torque is around 205.

[Ramblin Fever]

Ok, Amigo2K - let me ask you this; if you had a 4k# boat trailer, would you feel more comfortable with the 2004 3.5L Rodeo w/Aisian Werner transmission (I think that's the name of it)

Or would you feel confident in the Trooper's transmission? - This is my biggest worry, reason I've always held back.

I know my current Rodeo w/same transmission as in the Trooper has done a fine job w/the boat - BUT, couple of things here, the Rodeo's lighter then the Trooper and it's not as powerful. Thus less daily wear/tear.

Another concern I have, is the 4L30-E is already under-rated for the capability of the Rodeo; I've heard it's even moreso for the Trooper??

I do like the cabin size of the Trooper - this is my biggest like for it. I so do wish they had built another Trooper with the same transmission as in the 2004 Rodeo's.

Changing the ATF, I can do partials every 6k or so; was just hoping for a dipstick.

How common are the issues with the TOD system, do you know?

[Ramblin Fever]

Thanks Amigo2k - after more thought and the uncertainty of ending up with a possible oil burner/engine issue, and the complication of the no-dipstick on another transmission along with the uncertainty of knowing how long this GM transmission would last in a heavier SUV with rebuilds questionable, then the complication of possible TOD issues - which, I've read on other boards can and do happen frequently.

I'm not in need of another vehicle right now, just thought it might be a good deal. For an SUV though, I still like the options available and power-output of the '05+ Nissan Xterra's - thinking of maybe picking up an '05-'06 at the end of next year.

[bishop242]

Good questions Ramblin. I'm all for brand loyalty, however.... Personally, the constant anxiety of when/if i would be replacing/repairing my Rodeos 2.8 or 4L30-E drove me to trade it in (at a loss) well before I had planned on. I have also owned two Nissan 4wd vehicles and NEVER had a problem or worry about their reliability. In fact, my 89 Nissan 4x4 now belongs to my brother and now boasts 180,000 miles with only an alternator, hoses&belts, batteries and minor suspension parts.
My 91 Trooper continues to hammer away no matter how much I abuse it.

[Ramblin Fever]

I thought your Rodeo was the 3.2L; what is the 2.8 that you mentioned?

I do believe the 3.2L's in the 93-97 Rodeo's and 96-97 Troopers were one hell of an engine; mine's taken so much crap and still keeps going, don't have a complaint on the 4L30-E tranny either, not in either Rodeo I owned.

I've personally never 2nd guessed either my current '97 Rodeo or the '91 Rodeo I had - been the most dependable vehicles I've ever owned; even tops my late 20yr old Toyota. This current Rodeo will have to crawl to it's grave, I'm not letting go of it for any reason, and I feel it's a complete shame that Isuzu owners of newer models have had to question the reliability factor.

If I could've bought an '02 Trooper brand-new, and been the original owner, as I have/was with my 2 Rodeo's - I wouldn't have question it a bit, but I'm VERY leary about getting a used one because of the relation to oil issues, and so many people are extremely rough on their drivetrains.

But heck, we were even paranoid of buying a used automatic Toyota Tacoma - just because people are so harsh and big on neglect.

What else bothers me, on this Trooper board, is the lack of response on this reliability question, although views are high through-out the Trooper forum in general. Either not many own an '02, or just don't really have an opinion so don't really care to post, which means to me, that the newer troopers haven't made a BIG impact in one's opinion enough to post about it.

One thing that I didn't want again, was a complicated transmission with the no-dipstick; however, I have twice that amount of aggravation on this '04 Tacoma with where it's oil filter is located at. So, I guess, one can't win even if the looks of another engine/drivetrain look easier.