There are 9 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2004 Isuzu Axiom in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP BLOCKING TRAFFIC. SHOP ULTIMATELY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE BOLT HOLDING THE CRANKSHAFT SHEARED OFF, DESTROYING AN ENGINE HEAD IN THE PROCESS. THIS SHOP SPECIALIZES IN WORKING WITH JAPANESE ENGINES AND SAID "THERE ARE REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY" WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. SHOP SAID THE BOLT ISN'T OF HIGH ENOUGH QUALITY TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM USE AND NOW RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE BOLT EVERY 80,000 MILES. TOTAL REPAIR COST MORE THAN $2000.
AT 66000 MILES ON MY 2004 ISUZU AXIOM, I STARTED HEARING A NOISE THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY HEARD A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE IN THE PAST 4 YEARS. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THERE WASN'T A DROP OF OIL IN THE CAR. I WAS STILL 1500 MILES AWAY FROM AN OIL CHANGE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED--NOT A DROP OF OIL IN THE CAR WITH A 1000 MILES OR MORE FROM AN OIL CHANGE. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ONLY FIX IS A NEW ENGINE. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA. I LIVE IN COLUMBIA SC AND THAT IS THE CLOSET PLACE I COULD TAKE IT TO HAVE WARRANTY WORK DONE. WHEN IT GOT THERE THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED AND SAID, YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE--I AM GOING TO ORDER IT AND IT WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK OR SO. A FEW DAYS LATER HE CALLED BACK AND SAID ISUZU WOULDN'T SEND AN ENGINE WITHOUT DOING AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. CLEARLY THE CAR IS BURNING OIL BECAUSE THERE IS NO LEAK. WHEY SHOULD I HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AFTER TWO MECHANICS HAVE SAID--YOU NEED AN ENGINE IN THE CAR. WHY CAN'T ISUZU STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCTS AND WARRANTY AGREEMENTS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE PUT IN THE CAR. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR BURNING OIL? *TR
ABOUT 1 1/2 YRS AGO THE CHECK ENGINE CAME ON IN MY 04 AXIOM. I TOOK TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS MISFIRING. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED, AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. WE THEN REPLACED 2 OF THE COILS, THEN THE SPARK PLUGS AGAIN, WITH NO LUCK. I HAVE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN, RESULTING IN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS FOR ACCIDENTS. THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS I HAVE ALSO FOUND OIL SPOTS BEHIND MY EXHAUST WHEN THE VEHICLE IDLES, AND I GO THROUGH ALMOST 3 QTS OF OIL A WEEK! THE ENGINE HAS BEEN KNOCKING FOR WELL OVER A YEAR, AND WHILE I'VE HAD 4 MECHANICS LOOK AT IT , NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TO LET THE VEHICLE RUN FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING TO TRY AND AVOID THE ENGINE STALLING, AND I STILL HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT STALLING. THIS HAS BECOME A VERY EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH NO APPARENT END IN SIGHT. IF I WASN'T UPSIDE DOWN ON THE LOAN I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF IT BY NOW. I HAVE FOUND MANY ARTICLES ONLINE REGARDING THE OIL CONSUMPTION AND ENGINE STALLING PROBLEMS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 AXIOM PURCHASED FROM HANCOCK ISUZU IN COLUMBIA SC AND APP. 1 YEAR AGO MY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I GO TO PULL OFF THE TACHOMETER JUMPS TO 3 OR 4 RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. FINALLY,IT WILL GET GAS AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. IT FEELS THAT THE GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE OR EITHER THE TRANSMISSION IS STICKING. IT DOES THIS ON OCCASIONS, BUT WHO KNOW WHEN IT WILL DO IT NEXT. MY FEAR IS IT WILL DO IT WHEN I PULL OUT ON A BUSY ROAD AND NOT TAKE OFF IN TIME AND THEN ANOTHER CAR WILL HIT ME. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF NOT FIXED. I SEE OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TOO AND I THINK ISUZU SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE IT GETS FIXED. *TR
ENGINE MAKES "CLACKING OR PINGING TYPE SOUND" WHEN INITIALLY STARTED FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES. ONCE ENGINE IS WARM (OR AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE) THE ENGINE SOUND IS NORMAL. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE ENGINE OIL TAKES TIME TO CIRCULATE TO ALL ENGINE PARTS OR PERHAPS VALVES ARE LOOSE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT EXCESSIVE ENGINE WEAR IF OIL IS NOT REACHING INTERNAL PARTS PROPERLY. DEALER SAYS ENGINE IS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL. ALSO, DEALER NO LONGER SERVICES WARRANTY ON VEHICLE I.E. NO LONER AN ISUZU DEALER. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING AT 10MPH AND ABOVE. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 03/09/06. *JB
THE ENGINE MAKES "CLACKING" TYPE SOUND WHEN STARTED AND CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES. ONCE THE ENGINE IS WARM THE CLACKING STOPS. I'VE COMPLAINED TWICE ABOUT THIS NOISE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD ENGINE IS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL. OIL IS NORMAL. IT'S MADE THIS SOUND SINCE WE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT NEW. EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR DEALER THINKS THIS IS NOT NORMAL! EVERYONE TELLS ME TO CHECK MY OIL EVERYTIME I START UP AND THEY HEAR THE NOISE. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS FOR 4004 ISUZU AXIOM? *TR
I PURCHASED MY 2004 ISUZU AXIOM IN THE SPRING OF 2004. PURCHASED FROM STOKES MAZDA ISUZU AND APP. 6 MONTHS AGO MY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I GO TO PULL OFF THE TACHOMETER JUMPS TO 3 OR 4 RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. FINALLY,IT WILL GET GAS AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE AT 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY PUT IT ON THEIR DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG BECAUSE THE OTHER DAY AS I WAS PULLING ACROSS THE ROAD IT DID THIS TO ME AND I WAS ALMOST T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT FEELS THAT THE GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE OR EITHER THE TRANSMISSION IS STICKING. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYTIME I GET IN IT BUT THE DEALER IS SAYING IT IS NOT HAPPENING WHILE PUTTING IT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE OR WHEN THEY TEST DRIVE IT. I EVEN SUGGESTED THAT I GO WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY SUGGESTION. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING?*JB
AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AND STOPPING FOR 1 HOUR; WHEN RESTARTING, THE ENGINE STALLS AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, NEARLY HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THIS BEGAN ON 5-18-2004 WITH 3563 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THE MILAGE IS NOW 4203. I AM STILL DRIVING A LOANER VEHICLE SINCE JUNE 6 2004. AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALER SINCE THAT DATE.*AK
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