What the hell? Isuzu pulling out?

[bentcipher]

http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/...next-year.html

http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/bl...ket-whos-next/

Did you guys know about this?

[Thmstec]

Unfortunately...yea. This is months old. The wait for parts is getting longer and longer.

[VehiGAZ]

Yeah, this is pretty old news at this point. The announcement was just a formality - they started to let parts inventories dry up here in the US a couple of years ago.

[VX4EJR]

This is old news....but, I'm still not sure of something...is Isuzu simply "promising" or is it "required" under some sort of federal or consumer law to uphold its commitment to vehicle warranties and service....and in doing so, going to have in some way the parts either on hand or in some production means to cover that?

[VehiGAZ]

Yes, they are commited (and probably required) to maintaining warranty coverage and repair functions in the US. The problem is that they will do that from Japan!

So if you need a brake rotor (my favorite example), your Isuzu dealer will get you one, but it will be shipped from Japan and cost you $250 each and it will take a month for it to get to your dealer. If they don't have a particular part, they may choose to manufacture it, so you could wait months for it to be made and shipped. Or they may not, and you are screwed.

So you can still get your Isuzu serviced (if you can find a dealer) and you can get parts (if you are willing to wait), but it will cost you a lot more than you bargained for, both in time and money.

And since so many of our VX's parts are shared with other Isuzus, and because some Isuzus were sold in good numbers as Hondas & Acuras, there is a fairly healthy supply of aftermarket parts available.

But God help you if you need something only available from Isuzu and they don't have any handy!

[bentcipher]

Crap. That sucks.

[blacksambo]

Look at it this way...it's like owning somethig rare... like an Alfa Romeo or a Lancia. You will get along with some patience...." you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you can get what you need etc"...

[WormGod]

Eventually, in the future, your VX will have so much aftermarket gear on it, that it will only LOOK like a VX, heh. No thanks to the dried up domestic parts stock and prices to have items shipped here.

Regardless, the ONLY local dealer since ISUZU dropped out of the bottom that will even touch my VX is a Mazda dealer now. And even they frowned when I asked about warranty work being covered. Apparently, they don't want to deal with the politics of a manufacturer that they aren't associated with. I can totally understand that, especially since they have their own make to deal with. Not that it's a big deal for me since I do most of my own work, but in extreme cases, I maintain a good relationship with a specialty shop.

[VehiGAZ]

Crap - my prefered local (of 2) dealer is cutting the cord to Isuzu! The are going to continue servicing Isuzu's, but without Isuzu support, which means they won't do warranty work, and they will have to rely on aftermarket parts. Well, hell - I don't need to pay stealership labor rates for them to install Autozone parts!

The irony of this situation is that the other local dealer is actually in my town, but the further one was more convenient for me in terms of getting to work after dropping off a car (plus we bought our Audi from them too).

Oh well... the beginning of the end...

[Ldub]

Crap - my prefered local (of 2) dealer is cutting the cord to Isuzu! The are going to continue servicing Isuzu's, but without Isuzu support, which means they won't do warranty work, and they will have to rely on aftermarket parts. Well, hell - I don't need to pay stealership labor rates for them to install Autozone parts!

The irony of this situation is that the other local dealer is actually in my town, but the further one was more convenient for me in terms of getting to work after dropping off a car (plus we bought our Audi from them too).

Oh well... the beginning of the end...

You still have A dealership??? Lucky you!

The local Isuzu dealer here in Fargo dropped the passenger line, for both sales & service, about two days before I bought my VX...
And since then, closed completely.

I've visited the next nearest one (Bismarck) once, in the spring of 04', to get my FPR replaced under warranty.

I don't really mind, it's given me reason to get re-aquainted with my hand tools & the satisfaction of doing all my own work since...

[WormGod]

Yep, the woes have been felt around here for a while. That's why I just have relied on local private owned speed shops for any maintenance that I don't want to do myself. Parts, well, that's a whole different story. I typically just get my stuff from isuzuparts.com and deal with it minus the extinct dealers.

[VehiGAZ]

Yeah, I realize I've been suffering from an embarassment of riches, as the saying goes, for having two local Isuzu dealers. Looks like I'll be doing more work myself, I guess. Next up is the front brake rotor and pad change plus bearing repack. That's gotta get done - I hate the frigging pulsing and vibration from my warped rotor!!

Larry, your "local" dealer is 200 miles away?!?! Wow!! Or does that count as "two towns over" in North Dakota terms?? ;-)

[circmand]

still happy to do Isuzu work the only problem seems to be competence

[Ldub]

Larry, your "local" dealer is 200 miles away?!?! Wow!! Or does that count as "two towns over" in North Dakota terms?? ;-)

I can't remember the local equasion for two hunnert miles exactly...

It's either "a two day buggy ride"

.............."a far piece off"

Or..........."a tough shot with a limb in the way"...which makes NO sense whatsoever...

[Scott Harness]

I can't remember the local equasion for two hunnert miles exactly...

It's either "a two day buggy ride"

.............."a far piece off"

Or..........."a tough shot with a limb in the way"...which makes NO sence whatsoever...

two hunnert miles as the crow flies