Complaint Review: Isuzu Motors - Cerritos California

Try using the internet by seasrching "Isuzu Amigo problems" and seeing what comes up. If you're not shy, ask other Amigo owners where they get their work done. I do it all the time. People like to talk about their cars and mechanics, good and bad. In your initial post you said you have detailed repair receipts, and the mechanics say, "none of it's my fault." None of what? What are they fixing yet leaving the car still broken?

Here is the thing, I have taken it to 4 different mechanics. Are they really all bad?? I don't have anyone else in the area to take it to. I took it to the Isuzu dealer. I have taken it to another local mechanic. And another. Now it's at a garage that deals mostly in newer vehicles like mine. I don't live in a big city, so what am I supposed to do?

This report should be filed under "Auto Dealer Repairs." Robert is right that NOTHING on a car cannot be fixed. That is just silly that anyone would accept that answer. This Isuzu is not a lemon. The repairs are very suspect. If the Amigo really had a problem with timing belts breaking repeatedly, you wouldn't be the only one experiencing it. Rather than brushing off Marc and Robert, you should be taking their advice. Your "mechanic" is screwing you over. Whether it is fraud or lack of skill, you need to find another repair facility.

Technically, the cam gear is a "cog". It's like a "motor" is electric, while an "engine" uses fuel. Just nitpicking ;)

It sounds like a lot of your problems are related. Your timing gear broke, they replaced it. Then the belt broke, they replaced it. The you broke the belt a couple more times, probrably because of a faulty belt tensioner. Each time you paid to have the engine opened up and then buttoned up. A MECHANIC such as Robert would have insisted you replace ALL those worn-out parts the first time, as they are related, and saved you a hell of a lot of money in labor. A lot of customers will simply not let it be done because we're trying to "rip them off." Like Aefes said, there's nothing wrong with buying a used car, but I would add, IF you have at least some automotive knowledge in the house, and have an ample repair budget. I drive a fifteen year old car, but my wife drives new and I wouldn't let her drive the clunkers that I drive, but I can always get home.

It sounds like a lot of your problems are related. Your timing gear broke, they replaced it. Then the belt broke, they replaced it. The you broke the belt a couple more times, probrably because of a faulty belt tensioner. Each time you paid to have the engine opened up and then buttoned up. A MECHANIC such as Robert would have insisted you replace ALL those worn-out parts the first time, as they are related, and saved you a hell of a lot of money in labor. A lot of customers will simply not let it be done because we're trying to "rip them off." Like Aefes said, there's nothing wrong with buying a used car, but I would add, IF you have at least some automotive knowledge in the house, and have an ample repair budget. I drive a fifteen year old car, but my wife drives new and I wouldn't let her drive the clunkers that I drive, but I can always get home.

It sounds like a lot of your problems are related. Your timing gear broke, they replaced it. Then the belt broke, they replaced it. The you broke the belt a couple more times, probrably because of a faulty belt tensioner. Each time you paid to have the engine opened up and then buttoned up. A MECHANIC such as Robert would have insisted you replace ALL those worn-out parts the first time, as they are related, and saved you a hell of a lot of money in labor. A lot of customers will simply not let it be done because we're trying to "rip them off." Like Aefes said, there's nothing wrong with buying a used car, but I would add, IF you have at least some automotive knowledge in the house, and have an ample repair budget. I drive a fifteen year old car, but my wife drives new and I wouldn't let her drive the clunkers that I drive, but I can always get home.

There is nothing wrong with buying a used car. I would, however, hesitate to buy one from a new car dealer's lot. They will take ANYTHING in trade because they write the trade in value back into the loan in almost every case. They get a free trade in to resell or wholesale to a used car dealer. Many will tell you the car has been "XX point inspected". It more likely has simply been detailed and put back on the lot for sale. If you want to buy a used car from an individual or new/used dealer agree to buy only on the condition they allow you to take the car to a trusted mechanic and have it thoroughly inspected. Most won't do it, as they know they haven't checked the car and don't want to be caught in a lie. This is why at most dealerships you see a window sticker the car is sold "As Is". I don't fault you for buying a used car Kristy, I am faulting the "so called mechanics" who cannot properly diagnose and repair the vehicle's problems. Good mechanics are hard to find as most are satisfied with knowing a little and charging a lot. A good mechanic will know a lot and charge fairly. Often a good mechanic will honestly tell you of alternatives to an expensive repair or that the car is simply not worth a repair cost.

"Well, since no one is actually interested in helping me, I guess I'll indulge you, since I'm not really getting anywhere on here." You have to give the pertinent information about the problem in order to recieve it. It's like going to a Doctor and saying "I'm sick, heal me". If you don't tell the Doc where it hurts, he cannot help you. Marc is right. Marc is a MECHANIC. I have a customer who was told for several years his engine was bad, and needed replacement(about $4000). He could never afford that, so he kept driving with this awful vibration. He took it to one shop after another, including 2 different Chevy dealers. They all told him it was the "engine out of balance". Right. The vibration only came at certain speeds, NOT engine rpms. I had a new driveshaft made, and installed it for $400. No more vibrations. The factory shaft was made wrong...yokes slightly off center. This was so simple a FIX, I was embarrassed for him. He spent several hundred dollars at these other shops being told the same thing again, and again. The other Wannabes just KNEW the factory shaft was perfect, so it had to be the engine. Right. ...... Please fax me ALL of your repair records to 904-381-1270 ........ This will help me look for a better solution to your repair problems. REAL mechanics fix stuff. Techs don't. A REAL mechanic will think outside of the box and look for what is causing the issue, not just the issue itself. I have a feeling you,ve been robbed repeatedly, and brutally. Three timing belts? You were robbed. The belt is good for 60,000 miles(generally break at about twice that range). Unless you're really driving that many miles(and from what you've written, you have not), these experts you're trusting up there are just flat out STEALING your money. If the belt is breaking, it's because these geniuses are not doing the job correctly. If the tensioner is bad, or the pulley bearings are bad, they have to be replaced. This goes back to MECHANIC vs Wannabe. The Wannabe just slaps another belt on without checking the rest of the components. BTW, how does your belt break when it sits in one shop after another? A gear in the engine? The only gears in the engine are the oil pump. They do not break. Again, they STOLE your money. Too much air? That would be the intake manifold gasket. THAT is the ONLY repair that has made sense so far. Transmission went out? I'll assume it's an automatic. They do have issue when they have very high miles on them. I am very leery about this one too. Amigo's don't have the problems you are being told about. A sensor may have gone bad on the tranny, but that does not cause the entire transmission to need replacement. These issues just do not make sense at all. Please fax me your work orders. I will look at them and send you back my recommendations. I'll also point out where you were "taken" by these guys.

Well, since no one is actually interested in helping me, I guess I'll indulge you, since I'm not really getting anywhere on here. Starting at somewhere around 40,000 miles.... First, some gear froze up in the engine and shattered, throwing parts into the engine, causing other things to break. Second, it was an seal in the engine that let too much air in. Then, the transmission went out. It was replaced. As of late, I've had the engine repaired 2 more times...right now it's in the shop again for a timing belt....Oh did I mention that's the third timing belt that it's broken? And it has gone to the Isuzu dealer, that is 2 hours from my home, and it has also been to other mechanics in my area, all of which I know personally, that have been formally trained and have years of experience working on these kinds of vehicles. It's not like I took it to a bargin garage. I have paid thousands of dollars to repair this thing. And it just will not stay running. And I didn't agree with the comment of "you bought a car that someone else dumped. what did you expect?" Are you saying no one should ever buy a used car? Because the only reason they were traded was because they are junk?

Firstly, Robert is correct. There is no vehicle problem that cannot be repaired. A little info on mechanics. There is a big difference in a good auto mechanic and a "technician". Many, many auto repair shops, including those that "specialize" in certain types of cars employ technicians as the core of their workforce. A technician has been trained in certain areas of auto repair but most do not have the experience and ability to repair a vehicle from engine to muffler. A good mechanic has the experience and ability to do exactly this. Whatever is wrong with a vehicle from the radiator to the muffler is something he can find and repair. What is very likely happening to your car. You go into a shop and they are hooking it up to the diagnostic computer. The computer tells them "A" is a problem with the engine. They repair "A" and send you on your way. "A" was never really the problem, you go merrily on your way and the car stops after a while. You go back, now they again use the computer, "B" is the problem. The cycle begins again. A good mechanic may use a diagnostic computer, but often can determine the problem by your description of what is occurring. The car may be a "lemon" due to the repeated maintenance and expense thereof, but it could be repaired once and for all by a real mechanic.

Firstly, Robert is correct. There is no vehicle problem that cannot be repaired. A little info on mechanics. There is a big difference in a good auto mechanic and a "technician". Many, many auto repair shops, including those that "specialize" in certain types of cars employ technicians as the core of their workforce. A technician has been trained in certain areas of auto repair but most do not have the experience and ability to repair a vehicle from engine to muffler. A good mechanic has the experience and ability to do exactly this. Whatever is wrong with a vehicle from the radiator to the muffler is something he can find and repair. What is very likely happening to your car. You go into a shop and they are hooking it up to the diagnostic computer. The computer tells them "A" is a problem with the engine. They repair "A" and send you on your way. "A" was never really the problem, you go merrily on your way and the car stops after a while. You go back, now they again use the computer, "B" is the problem. The cycle begins again. A good mechanic may use a diagnostic computer, but often can determine the problem by your description of what is occurring. The car may be a "lemon" due to the repeated maintenance and expense thereof, but it could be repaired once and for all by a real mechanic.

Firstly, Robert is correct. There is no vehicle problem that cannot be repaired. A little info on mechanics. There is a big difference in a good auto mechanic and a "technician". Many, many auto repair shops, including those that "specialize" in certain types of cars employ technicians as the core of their workforce. A technician has been trained in certain areas of auto repair but most do not have the experience and ability to repair a vehicle from engine to muffler. A good mechanic has the experience and ability to do exactly this. Whatever is wrong with a vehicle from the radiator to the muffler is something he can find and repair. What is very likely happening to your car. You go into a shop and they are hooking it up to the diagnostic computer. The computer tells them "A" is a problem with the engine. They repair "A" and send you on your way. "A" was never really the problem, you go merrily on your way and the car stops after a while. You go back, now they again use the computer, "B" is the problem. The cycle begins again. A good mechanic may use a diagnostic computer, but often can determine the problem by your description of what is occurring. The car may be a "lemon" due to the repeated maintenance and expense thereof, but it could be repaired once and for all by a real mechanic.

Why not tell us what the EXACT problem is supposed to be and maybe Robert could help you right here? Many times we see cars with "defects" that are really nothing more than a shorted wire or a loose bolt, and your mechanic didn't see it because he was looking for a big problem and missed the obvious. I recently "solved" two major problems for customers. One was a Corvette that was eating alternators and batteries, according to her dealer. It was simply a shorted #1 plug wire, but she had changed alternator and battery four times, at great profit to the dealer. Another was a Honda that the dealer said the engine was "blown." Turned out the starter bolts were loose. Dealers will hire one mechanic and a lot of helpers. Some good, some not so good. Also, you drove the car four months, but some unknown person drove the car for four YEARS before you bought it, and it may have already been abused when he sold it. The fact is that you bought a car that someone else dumped, what did you expect?

Please leave me alone. I don't appreciate your attitude in this situation. I am having enough problems right now, and dealing with some sarcastic @****** on here is not what I had in mind when I filed this report. So please go find something else to read.

A REAL mechanic can repair your vehicle...PERIOD! You still have not said what it is these wannabes are unable to fix. As I said already, Dealership mechanics are NOT that great. If they were, you would not be posting here about them not being able to fix your truck. The same goes for whoever else you took it to. There is NOTHING about your Amigo that is ANY different from ANY other vehicle. Sure, the part numbers are different, but that's it. EVERY internal cumbustion engine operates on the same principle. So do ALL transmissions, A/C systems, etc. They are ALL the same when it comes down to HOW they work. Now, WHAT is it that these Jabronies cannot fix?

Look, it is a REAL repair shop. I took it to Fiore Isuzu in Altoona PA. Since then, I have taken it to other garages that specialize in vehicles like mine. I have done everything I can. The vehicle is a L-E-M-O-N. It just keeps breaking. It has been fixed for the same problems, all by different garages, and the same things keep breaking.

There is not one problem with ANY vehicle that cannot be fixed. ALL problems have a proper repair. What repair shop is your Amigo in? Apparently, they have no clue about repairing automobiles. The fact that you/they keep doing the same thing, over and over, while expecting different results each time, is the very definition of insanity. Stop allowing that shop to touch your truck. Find a shop that has REAL mechanics, who know how to FIX cars/trucks. And no, Dealership mechanics are NOT the greatest. In fact, very few of them could ever hold a job in an independent shop. That "factory trained" line they give you? It's a lie. I worked at a dealership once. I never saw a factory. I have met ONE mechanic in 30 years who ever got "factory training". He got it after spending 20 years at the same Dealership. Then he quit. What is the problem this shop cannot fix? You've paid $6000 to have your truck stored at that place. Find a REAL repair shop, get it fixed, and then sue these other clowns for everything you've paid them, to NOT fix your truck. You're being robbed, and you're going along with it. CHANGE the situation, or just keep paying.

My husband contacted a service technician for Isuzu Motors, and while he would not give us his name, he stated that all the problems I've been having with my Amigo have been happening to MANY other owners of the vehicles. He said Isuzu won't allow them to fix it under warranty, but it's definately a defect in the vehicle itself. That it's been there from day one. It just usually takes about 50,000 miles to finally give out.