In the latter part of the 1990s, Honda and Isuzu had a joint effort to create SUVs, namely the Honda Passport and Isuzu Rodeo. The Isuzu Axiom used a lot of underpinnings for the aforementioned SUVs, so it too suffers from the same malady causing the recall. It turns out that vehicles exposed to “highly corrosive materials,” such as the road salt used in more northern states, experience premature wear and possible breaking of the rear suspension brackets. Click past the jump for the model years, more details, and the press release.
First, a bit of background knowledge, which should help explain why this is such an issue. Every car’s suspension is bolted to its frame, usually through the use of brackets. This makes it easy to remove the entire front or rear suspension in one piece. But if those brackets don’t hold up to being coated with road salt each winter, they could fail, causing the suspension to become detached from the car, which then causes a lack of control, and possibly a crash.
The fix for this is new brackets, of course, and both Honda and Isuzu have the new piece ready to be installed on any affected vehicles. As usual, owners will be notified and their dealers will inspect the vehicle, but here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of just replacing the brackets on all the vehicles affected by the recall, they’re going to apply an anti-corrosion compound to the brackets in cases where the damage is minimal, which probably means just surface rust. Otherwise, they’ll have to go to Plan B, where they replace the bracket.
In a surprising twist, if the damage to the area is so severe that the new bracket remedy wouldn’t work, Honda or Isuzu will have to develop a new fix, which leads me to believe that the corrosion the recall mentions isn’t just on the bracket, but the whole area. Sounds like a lack of rustproof coating, which has been going onto cars for decades.
The list of vehicles is as follows:
| Make and Model | Years |
|---|---|
| Honda Passport | 1998-2002 |
| Isuzu Axiom | 2002 |
| Isuzu Rodeo | 1998-2002 |
The list of states where those vehicles can be found:
Connecticut, D.C., Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Isuzu owners may contact Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.
Honda owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
ISUZU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2002 ISUZU RODEO AND MODEL YEAR 2002 ISUZU AXIOM VEHICLES, AND HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN 1998-2002 HONDA PASSPORT VEHICLES, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED, IN THE STATES OF MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, AND KENTUCKY. VEHICLES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED EXPOSURE TO HIGHLY CORROSIVE MATERIALS USED IN SOME JURISDICTIONS FOR ROAD DEICING PURPOSES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE VICINITY OF THE FORWARD MOUNTING POINT BRACKET FOR THE LEFT OR RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION LOWER LINK PRIOR TO THE TIME THAT SUCH CORROSION WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED.by John Suit
Source: NHTSA
I own an Isuzu Rodeo 98 and the frame at the forward rear end mounting bracket is rusted through on both sides of the vehicle and after Ricart automotive made my wife and I sit for 6 hours we did not get an answer except that they don’t know yet. Isuzu’s fix is either to spray a rust stopper on the frame where the rust is or to put a sandwich bracket to bolt the rear end to over the rust and bolt that to the rusty frame. This is NOT I repeat NOT a fix and could become DEADLY and ALL Isuzu wants is for the owner to sign off on this worthless fix so they can’t be sued if someone dies.
Once you sign their paper work you sign your right to sue them if something goes wrong. We the owners need to stand up for our rights!!! This is a BAD design and cheap steel.
America these are not the only vehicles at risk. if you own a Ford Winstar or any other vehicle with bowed frames in the Rust Belt States. Get use to it it’s just going to get worse.
Sorry some of my words were misspelled they are BOXED Frames
and Most of the sport 4x4s today are made with this construction and even though it is Stronger (or so they say)
it is a bad design due to the fact that dirt and road salts can become lodged inside the BOX and eat the metal from the inside out. These Sport Utility Vehicles and Trucks and also some vans (Ford Windstar) are at risk DEADLY RISK !!!! Stand up people!! Fight for your rights you Pay lots of money for your ride the manufactures should build them right. DO NOT SIGN OFF ON ANY FIX YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT !!!
I have the same problem with my 2001 isuzu rodeo, body looks just prefect, but look underneath and frame looks like swiss cheese. Almost was in a accident, went in for repairs being I was losing control of car, he found suspension bars real bad, and the frame, even my gas tank is starting to fall. How bad is that. I have almost a new looking car out in our yard, with underside looking 20 years old. Not drivable. I have written letters to several agencies. Isuzu wanted to pay me very little. Even after 1998 they still won’t take responsibility for frames too, they used laminated steel defective steel. I did everything right to keep my car in great shape, paid for all the warranties, it didn’t do me any good. we need to stick together and form a large voice let senators, tell radio stations, tell whomever will listen. I just found out april of 2012. get in touch with me if you have a voice too.
Go to you tube, channel 4 news Pittsburgh…they show the underside of the vehicles rusted and falling apart. If you start a petition I will sign.I agree we need to stand up for what is right. I have included 2 email addresses, mine and my girlfriends. Any info to fight this can be sent to both.
jag.1960@hotmail.com
luvwizards@hotmail.com