NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Isuzu Ascender. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on Sep 8, 2026
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE IS BROKEN DOWN. THE SPEEDOMETER JUMPS FROM 0 MPH TO 120MPH AND NEVER SHOWS THE CORRECT SPEED. AIRBAG SIGN FLICKERS AND TURNS ON AND OFF AT TIMES. THE GEAR STICK JAMS ON ONE MODE AND CAR STARTS STALLING. DEALERSHIP DOESN'T WANT TO ACCEPT IT AS A LEMON CAR THAT IS EATING AWAY OUR MONEY. AND WANTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IN FOR CHECK. DEALER REPAIRED. LEFT DEALER AND INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 15 MINUTES. RETURNED TO DEALER AND HAD TO WAIT FOR (8) DAYS FOR REPLACEMENT DASH MODULE. CAR WAS UNSAFE AND UNDRIVABLE AS NO INFORMATION (SPEED, GEAR LOCATION, ETC.) WAS AVAILABLE TO DRIVER. THIS VEHICLE IS A GM PRODUCT AND IS THE SAME AS TRAILBLAZER, ENVOY, ETC. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ENVOY OWNERS THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM,TRAILBLAZERS ALSO. DEALER SERVICE REP STATED TO ME THAT GM KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT MODULES. THIS COMPLAINT FORM DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS VEHICLE. IT IS MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS. I HAD TO SELECT ISUZU MANUFACTURING DUE TO YOUR ERROR IN PROGRAMMING DROP DOWNS CORRECTLY. ISUZU HAS NO MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN NORTH AMERICA. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION. IF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT CLASSIFIED AS A GM PRODUCT IT WILL REDUCE THE FAILURE INCIDENCE OF THE GM INSTRUMENT PANELS. *NM
THE RADIO, ANTI THEFT DEVICE, REMOTE DOOR LOCKS AND TAIL LIGHTS DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE CONSUMER'S 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. *TS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE SERVICE DEALER SINCE DEC 16, 2005 AND THE CONSUMER WAS NOT GIVEN A TIME FRAME FOR REPAIRS. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE WITH THE MULTI-RELAY AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *NM
THE SAFETY BELTS ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN YOU PUT THE SEAT BELTS ON THEY RIDE ON THE NEXT OF THE PERSON WEARING THEM. THEY ALSO DO NOT FIT PROPERLY ACROSS THE CHEST OF THE PERSON WEARING THEM. THEY CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALLER OR SHORTER. WHEN I PUT THE SEAT BELT ON IT APPLIES PRESSURE TO MY NECK IT CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED TO RIDE OVER MY HIPS INSTEAD OF MY STOMACH. *JB
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE VEHICLE WAS IDLING. TOOK TO DEALER AND HE HAD TO REPROGRAM OR REBOOT THE COMPUTER. (1 DAY AT DEALER) SUBSEQUENTLY (APPROX. 6 MONTHS) THE DASH LIGHTS FAILED (NO WARNING LIGHTS) DEALER REPROGRAMMED/REBOOTED COMPUTER. PROBLEM RECURRED ON TRIP HOME SO I RETURNED CAR TO DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS BAD INSTRUMENT PANEL - TOOK 6 DAYS TO GET REPLACEMENT PART. PARTS FOR ISUZU HAVE TO BE ORDERED FROM ISUZU. THE EXACT SAME PART IS AVAILABLE FROM CHEVROLET, GMC, BUICK AND WAS READILY AVAILABLE FROM ANY OF THESE BUT WE LOST USE OF OUR VEHICLE FOR 6 DAYS WAITING ON ISUZU TO DELIVER THE PART. *NM
I OWN A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THERE HAS BEEN A HOST OF PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN THE MINIMAL 10 MONTHS THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. TWO OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE YET TO RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF FIX FROM THE LOCAL ISUZU SERVICE CENTER. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE BELT SCREAMING EVERY DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN THREE TIMES FOR THE BELT AND THEY FINALLY FIXED IT. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS ALL FOUR DOOR WINDOWS. DEBRIS CONSISTENTLY MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE DOOR AND ANY TIME I ROLL DOWN OR ROLL UP MY WINDOWS MY WINDOWS GET SEVERLY SCRATCHED. I ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT AND THAT IT IS NOT A PRODUCT MALFUNCTION. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE DO THIS AND NOR DO I KNOW ANYONE THAT HAS HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE. LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON A ROUTINE DRIVE BACK FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND THE ROADS WERE OF TYPICAL NEW ENGLAND REPAIR. A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF OURS AND IN REACTION I APPLIED HEAVY, NOT EXCESSIVE, PRESSURE TO THE BREAK PEDAL. THE PETAL STARTED TO CLICK, MOST LIKELY THE ABS, BUT NOTHING KICKED IN TO STOP MY VEHICLE. WHEN I SAY NOTHING, IT WAS LIKE I NEVER STEPPED ON THE BREAK AT ALL. I HAD TO SWERVE IN TO THE OTHER LANE OF TRAFFIC TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO BE LOOKED AT AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SENT MYSELF AND A MECHANIC OUT ON A ROAD TEST IN HOPES TO DUPLICATE THE MALFUNCTION. I DID NOT HAVE ANY REAL LUCK WITH DUPLICATING THE MALFUNCTION BUT I KNOW IT EXISTS. IT HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE THREE TIMES AND MYSELF ONCE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO RIGHT NOW AND TO WAIT FOR A GM CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE. THE BREAKS HAVE GONE UNCHECKED SINCE THE LATEST INCIDENT AND MY CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE WAVERS MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY.
DT: WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP. PULLED OVER ,AND TIRE HAD EXPLODED. HAD TOWED TO HOME. CALLED AAA TO COME OUT AND CHANGE TIRE AND PUT ON SPARE TIRE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF RUNNING OVER OR STRIKING AN OBJECT. WHEN WENT TO SERVICE DEALER FOR TIRES, DEALER SAID TIRE SHOULD NOT HAVE DETERIORATED. DEALER SUGGESTED CONSUMER TAKE PICTURE OF THIS UNIQUE DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. NO PROBLEMS SINCE THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT THERE WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE REMAINING TIRES WERE CONTINENTIAL BRAND TIRES ,AND THE VEHICLE STILL SHOOK, EVEN AFTERALANCING TIRES AND ALIGNMENT.*AK
DT: WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULDN'T START BECAUSE LIGHT IN DASHBOARD WOULD SAY UNKNOWN DRIVER,. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE FIRST TIME IT WAS THE WIRING. SECOND TIME SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION, AND PUT IN A NEW IGITION. FOR 3 NIGHTS AFTER GETTING IT BACK IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN.*AK
THE REAR WINDOW POPPED AND EXPLODE ON ITS OWN, POSSIBLY INJURING THE BACK PASSENGER. TOOK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS TWICE, BUT THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, LIQUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
I HAVE A CONCERN ON MY NEW 2004 ISUZU ASCESDER SEAT BELTS. MY WIFE IS 5'4" TALL, AND THE SEAT BELT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSAGERS SLIDES UP AROUND HER NECK AND RIGHT UNDERARM. CAN NOT KEEP THE SEAT BELTS IS PLACE. NO ADJUSTMENT FOR SEAT BELTS FOR HEIGHT. IT IS ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF THE SEATS. THE CONCERN IS IF WE HAD TO MAKE A HARD STOP, THEN THE SEAT BELT WOULD CAUSE INJURY FOR SURE. PRESENTLY SHE HOLDS THE SEAT BELT AWAY FROM HER NECK WHEN DRIVING THE SUV, AND IT IS HER CAR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT TO DO. INCIDENT DATE I NOTE AS TODAY, BUT PROBLEM WAS NOTED JUST AFTER WE PURCHASED THE SUV. *AK
TIRES ARE OF POOR QAULITY, FREQUENTLY NEEDS TO BE FORCE BALANCED.*AK
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED AS HE WAS DRIVING 25 MPH COMING TO A STOP SIGN ,SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ALMOST HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND INFORM THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 02/17/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING AS HE WOULD APPROACH A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, HE WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS TO DOWN SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 02/18/10.
CONCERNS REGARDING VEHICLE SEATBELTS.*MR THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE'S SEAT BELTS ARE INADEQUATE FOR SHORT OR SMALL PEOPLE. THE SHOULDER BELT CUTS ACROSS THE NECK INSTEAD OF THE SHOULDER WHICH IS A CONCERN FOR THE CONSUMER.*MR