There are 28 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2004 Isuzu Ascender in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE GAUGE CLUSTER IS MALFUNCTIONING
WHILE DRIVING MY CARS BRAKELIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE FASTER AND FASTER. PULLLED OVER AS SOON AS I COULD AND STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE CHECK GAUGES WARNING LIGHT COMES ON EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING IDLE OR WHEN I PULL UP AND STOP AT A RED LIGHT IT COMES ON.
CAR PAID IS PILLING OFF WE PAINT THIS CAR 3 TIMES AND A THOSES THE SAMETHING ALL CLEAR PAINT WHIT IN 3-5 MONTH START TO COME OFF CAN ANY BODY TELL ME IS GM HAD A RECAL FOR THIS
CLUSTER PANEL DOES NOT WORK. THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING REGULARLY WHETHER STATIONARY OR DRIVING.. THEY WORK INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE USE OF HIGH BEAMS. IT HAS BECOME A NIGHT TIME DRIVING SAFETY ISSUE. CAR WILL TURN OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING CAUSING MY DAUGHTER TO HAVE TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAUGES AND LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE CONTROL PANEL OF THE ARM REST ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V035000 (VISIBILITY) EVEN THOUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE VEHICLE HAD SHIFTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS WORK VERY ERRATICALLY BOTH WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED OR IN MOTION. LOW-BEAM LIGHTS WILL GO OFF ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE AND ONLY HIGH-BEAM LIGHTS WILL WORK. MORE RECENTLY, EVEN THE HIGH-BEAN LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ACTING UP AND TURNING OFF. HEADLIGHTS SOCKETS WERE REPLACED AT SOME POINT BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND ALL THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT DARK. AFTER TWENTY MINUTES, IT RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CONTROL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CONTROL MODULE EXHIBITED A SHORT AND AS A RESULT, WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.
SPEEDOMETER SHOWING DIFFERENT SPEED THAN ACTUAL. CAR WILL SHOW IT IS GOING 50 MPH AND WILL BE ACTUALLY GOING 60MPH. CAR WILL SHOW GOING 45MPH AND WILL BE GOING AROUND 56MPH. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND HE SAID WAS PROBABLY STEPPER MOTOR. ESTIMATED COST TO FIX IS $365.00. 2ND PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH DASH!! *TR
THERE HAS BEEN UNGOING ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE BUYING THIS VEHICLE NEW. THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING AND THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS AND THE INTERNAL CHIME. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS DON'T COME ON OR THE CHIMES CAN NOT BE HEARD AND THEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN. THE ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE IHAD TO BE OREPALCED JUST BEFORE IT WENT TO 60000 MILES SO, IT HAS AN 2005 ENGINE. THIS ENGINE HAS A HARD REVV WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. THERE ARE GAS FUMES COMING INTO THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE LEAK. I DON'T LIVE IN THE SALT BELT AREA. I LIVE IN NORTHERN FL AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN WHERE THERE ARE SALTED ROADS LIKE THE NORT EAST AND MIDATLANTIC. REQUEST YOUR ASSISTANCE. *TR
I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR THREE YEARS AND IN THAT TIME HERES THE ISSUES, RPM, OIL, TEMPATURE, SPEEDOMTER GAUGES HAVE QUIT. THE CAR VIRBRATES EXTEMEMLY HARD WHEN SITTING STILL. IF THE AC IS ON, ITS VIRBRATING HARDER, THE FRONT VENTS HAVE QUIT WORKING AND ONLY THE DEFROSTERS AND REAR VENTS WORK. THE CAR LIKES TO DIE AT RED LIGHTS. I SEE THE OIL AND TEMPATURE GAUGE AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE WILL BE NO WARNING IF THE CAR IS TOO HOT AND THE OIL PRESSURE IS TO HIGH.THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON NO MATTER WHAT WE FIX. IT SAYS THE CAR HAD A CYLINDER ONE MISSFIRE. CAN BE CAUSED BY A BAD SPARK PLUG, A BAD COIL OR VACUUM LEAK. REPLACED THE FIRST TWO AND HAD IT INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC FOR THE SECOND. NOTHING. THE COLD TO HOT SETTING ON THE HEAT, ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE LIGHT WORKS, BUT IF I SLIDE THE KNOB UP AND DOWN FAST, THE LIGHT COMES ON. SIGN OF A SHORT. *TR
INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER PERFORMED ERRATICALLY AND THEN STUCK AT 30 MPH. RESTARTING THE CAR THEN RESET TO 0 MPH. NO GAUGES ARE WORKING INCLUDING FUEL AND SPEEDOMETER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE - ALL GAUGES HAVE FAILED INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ONE NIGHT, MY LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, FIRST THE DIM, THEN THE BRIGHT. MY WIFE AND I BOTH SMELLED A SMELL LIKE RUBBER BURNING, SO I STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD TO DETECT THE ORIGIN OF THE SMELL, BUT TO NO AVAIL. NOT MUCH LATER THAT SAME NIGHT, MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT ALSO BURNED OUT. LUCKILY, WE WERE ONLY 1 MILE FROM OUR HOUSE AND LIMPED HOME. WHEN I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD THE NEXT DAY, I FOUND THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAD BURNED AND MELTED THE WIRES AT THE POINT WHERE THEY ATTACH TO THE BACK OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. HAS THIS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM FOR OTHER ASCENDER OWNERS? *TR
HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND HAD CHECKED OUT. CODE BROUGHT UP SAID GAS CAP PROBLEM. REPLACED GAS CAP AND WENT AWAY FOR A WEEK. HAD PROBLEM COME BACK AND ASKED MECHANIC AND SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES. MECHANIC ALSO SAID IT COULD BE CONNECTION TO FUEL TANK FROM GAS FILL TUBE. HAD CHECKED OUT AND WAS OK. PUT ON NEW GAS CAP AGAIN AND WENT AWAY FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND CAME BACK. DONE WITH IT. TIRED OF PUTTING MONEY INTO A PROBLEM THAT WON'T GO AWAY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND DOES NOT SHOW THE CORRECT SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL READ OVER 100 MPH AND THEN BECOME STUCK. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED ON AND OFF IN ORDER TO GET THE SPEEDOMETER TO READ CORRECTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER, BUT THE CONTACT WAS CONVINCED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE FAN WAS SET BELOW LEVEL FIVE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO FUNCTION. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL UNTIL THE FAN WAS PLACED ON LEVEL 5. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000. UPDATED 03/14/11
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND NOTICED THAT THE DIGITAL ODOMETER AND GEAR GAUGES WERE INOPERATIVE. ALSO, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS WERE NOT WORKING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INTERMITTENT FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SCHEDULED FOR AN APPOINTMENT AT THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000. UPDATED 8/25/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/27/10 UPDATED 08/30/10*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED EACH TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. *TR
TACHOMETER NEEDLE WENT STRAIGHT DOWN AND GAVE INCORRECT READINGS, THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SPEEDOMETER DID THE SAME THING THEN A WEEK LATER THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE BEGAN TO GIVE INCORRECT READINGS. MY MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS ALREADY HAD ONE 2004 GM VEHICLE IN FOR THE SAME THING. *CN
THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER WHICH IS A GM PRODUCT IS GIVING FALSE READINGS AND SHOWS HIGHER AND/OR SLOWER SPEEDS THAN THE CORRECT SPEED. I AM AWARE THAT THIS IS A NATIONWIDE COMPLAINT AMONG OTHER GM PRODUCT OWNERS. THE DEALERSHIPS ARE REFUSING TO FIX IT, CITING "OUT OF WARRANTY" EXCUSES AND SAYING THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS IN FACT, A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 28 complaints
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