Is Isuzu abandoning the US market? I can't get simple parts anymore!

[CowboyErik]

Is Isuzu abandoning the US parts market and it's support of it's drivers? I own several 80's Fiats, and I can get NEW parts like lights, sidemarkers, even body panels, but with my 2000 VX, I can't get a turn signal lamp! I have tried several of the isuzu parts places, even my local here in Cincinnati and their phone is disconnected! Other vendors accept orders then tell me everything on my order is disconnected. I guess VX owners are going to all be parts scavengers. I needs both left and right turn signal lamps. I hit a shopping cart a few weeks ago and shattered the lens! Missed the body, thanksfully! What isuzu distributors still have parts?!?!

[YellowVX]

Isuzu hasn't made an car or SUV for many years for the US market. It certainly is getting harder and harder to find parts. Most VX'ers have to resort to aftermarket, used or worse yet, selling their beloved VX since the part(s) they need is no longer available. Ebay is widely used for this crowd plus there's a couple folks here who buy used VXes and cannibalize to help others. You can PM Lizardmen3477...he might have the lens you need. If you want new, here is a couple Isuzu dealers who sell parts: http://www.isuzupartscenter.com/ and http://www.isuzuparts.com/partscat.html. I hope this helps...Good Luck!

[Mile High VX]

Also some of the old Isuzu dealers can still get parts and Isuzuparts.com is where I go. It's a dealer in WA that sells Ford products but used to also sell Isuzu.

[WormGod]

Yep, IsuzuParts still tends to have a decent stock. They even subbed out an order of mine when they didnt have it, but they were cool enough to hunt it down and get it for me.

Very true though. Parts are diminishing. Not long ago, I ordered a front bumper brace since mine was rusty swiss cheese. Turns out, there were only 2 in stock.... IN THE US. Someone else on here managed to snag the other one when I ordered mine. Luck.

Always check on here though. Lots of folks have cannibalized (that's right, I said it! :P )their VXs for offroad use and have the OEM parts lying around. Could be they will sell them. Always worth the try....

[nfpgasmask]

So, I met the guy in charge of ALL Isuzu parts in the United States at JCCS a few years ago. He still has his original JR Impulse. I talked to him at length about parts availability. Basically, he made it sound like once the parts are gone, they're gone. Isuzu is not going to manufacture new parts for vehicles that are over 10 years old, except for in some rare cases where they are required to contractually (like for Honda Passports). And I think that contract had a time limit as well, like 10 or 15 years and then they are no longer required to maintain inventory.

With just about all Isuzu dealerships closed up now, I think the best thing to do is buddy up with Jerry Lemond on PlanetIsuzoo.com. His username is JLEMOND. Jerry is a really nice guy and very helpful. He has his own stockpile of NOS Isuzu parts and he also has access to the Isuzu corporate ordering system so he can pull parts from Japan.

HTH,

Bart

PS - I still have a NOS hood insert for sale!!!!

[Mile High VX]

I've been thinking about buying a parts car...just can't pull the trigger yet...but someday.

[Lizardmen3477]

Ya can buy one of mine haha. Hard to find

[blacksambo]

So, I met the guy in charge of ALL Isuzu parts in the United States at JCCS a few years ago. He still has his original JR Impulse. I talked to him at length about parts availability. Basically, he made it sound like once the parts are gone, they're gone. Isuzu is not going to manufacture new parts for vehicles that are over 10 years old, except for in some rare cases where they are required to contractually (like for Honda Passports). And I think that contract had a time limit as well, like 10 or 15 years and then they are no longer required to maintain inventory.

With just about all Isuzu dealerships closed up now, I think the best thing to do is buddy up with Jerry Lemond on PlanetIsuzoo.com. His username is JLEMOND. Jerry is a really nice guy and very helpful. He has his own stockpile of NOS Isuzu parts and he also has access to the Isuzu corporate ordering system so he can pull parts from Japan.

HTH,

Bart

PS - I still have a NOS hood insert for sale!!!!


I wouldn't worry so much about mechanical parts. The V x is ninety percent Trooper and they made a million of those so the parts business for them is going to go on for a long long time. Isuzu Parts Center can get you pretty much anything as long as you can wait for Japanese delivery. Don't panic.

[nfpgasmask]

I'm not panicking at all. Just passing on info.

Bart

[ipd]

Can the 3.5L be rebuilt in such a way as to eliminate the oil issues?

[MSHardeman]

ipd, the short answer is yes. You can rebuild the 3.5L to eliminate the oil issues.

The dominant theory is that the oil drain back holes that are in the pistons of the original 3.5's are both too small and too few so they get clogged up and don't allow the oil to drain back down into the engine so the oil gets burned during combustion instead. You can take your engine apart (or have it taken apart) and drill bigger/ more drain back holes to allow the oil to drain back into the engine. I think you can get a new piston set for the 3.5 with the larger holes already drilled in them too. The larger holes should take care of the oil burning issue.

Some of the newer Isuzu 3.5 engines had the larger drain back holes already in them so they don't experience the oil burning issue. I actually had to replace my engine, as my original one burned a couple of valves, and I ended up buying a new Isuzu crate motor that had the updated pistons already installed in it. Before the engine swap, my old engine was burning up to 3/4 of a quart of oil every 350 miles (every fuel fill up) which it did from the day I bought it with 35,000 miles on it. After the swap, the new engine has not burned a drop of oil in over 40,000 miles.

Here is a thread that I started about drilling the oil drain holes with information that I got from Jerry Lemond:
http://www.vehicross.info/showthread.php/23047-How-to-drill-oil-drain-holes-in-3-5L-pistons?highlight=oil+drain+holes

[tysamigo]

This might be of some help to anyone still looking for parts...

http://www.vehicross.info/showthread.php/27312-VehiCross-parts-are-still-around-Scott-(the-new-Merlin)?p=309691#post309691