There are 3 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2003 Isuzu Ascender in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS DRIVING ON 1-88W BOUND ON 2-1-2008, MY CAR STARTED TO MAKE SQUEAKING NOISE AND VERY HARD TO DRIVE. LUCKILY, 2 BLOCKS FROM RT 31 EXIT, THERE WAS A FIRESTONE AUTO CARE, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT AXEL BROKE AND IT IS AFFECTING THE DIFFERENTIAL. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO ISUZU DEALER IN ELGIN THE NEXT DAY.THE MECHANIC FROM BIGGER ISUZU CALLED MONDAY, 2-5-07, CLAIMING THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF LACK OF GEAR OIL. COST--$4,800 TO BE REPAIRED. THE CAR MILEAGE WAS 77,000 MILES. I CALLED ISUZU TO COMPLAINED AND THEY SAID, THEY WON'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I WENT TO NHTSA, THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING 2003 ISUZU ASCENDER POWER TRAIN-DRIVE DIFFERENTIAL. NHTSA ITEM #10016589 AND SERVICE BULLETIN #0507002. DATE OF BULLETIN 08/01/2005. *TR
I PURCHASED A 2003 ISUZU ASCENDER IN FEBRUARY 2004. IN AROUND MARCH 2006, THE TRANSMISSION BEGIN SLIPPING. AT THE TIME THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH MEANT IS WAS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY THE DEALER AT CLAY COOLEY MOTORS THAT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT TRANSFERABLE. THEREFORE, I HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH TRYING TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION. I CONTACTED THE ISUZU COMPANY AND THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP AND STATED THAT THEY DO NOT REGULATE THE DEALERSHIPS THAT CARRY AND SELL THEIR BRAND VEHICLE. *JB
VIBRATION IN DRIVE TRAIN
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Sep 8, 2026