Total Complaints
27 filings
ISUZU STYLUS · model year
27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991ISUZUSTYLUS carries 27 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 STYLUS is vehicle speed control with 4 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (3) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1991 STYLUS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
27 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 ISUZU STYLUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND THEN RESTART. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO START FOR DAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FACTORY DEFECT. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SPRAYED ANTI HEAT SPRAY ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD, CAUSING EXCESSIVE SHRINKAGE OF THE BOARD DURING THE SUMMER AND WINTER WEATHER. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE SHRINKAGE CAUSED THE STRUTTER TO SEPARATE, RESULTING IN THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
Mileage: 100,000
VEHICLE IDLED POORLY, IT HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES VEHICLE JUST SHUT DOWN. POWER STEERING WENT OUT. *AK
1991 ISUZU STYLUS ECM FAILURE; FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE CAR FAILS TO START. HAS LEFT WIFE STRANDED IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS, TO THE POINT OF MANDATING CHANGES IN MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES, I WOULD LIKE EITHER GM OR ISUZU TO MAIL ME THE REPLACEMENT. *NM
THE ECU IS 500 DOLLARS AND THE DEALER WONT FIX IT BECAUSE OF THE VIN # NOT BEING CORRECT. I JUST WANT IT FIXED BECAUSE I DONT HAVE 500 DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE ECU THAT WAS A RECALLED PART.*AK
VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN AND RAN INTO UR HOUSE AT 7:30 AM NO KEYS, NO ONE AROUND, WE HAVE VIDEO OF IT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES. NO SAFETYD EFEC TLISTED. *AK
THE CAR SURGES WITHOUT WARNING WHEN IDLING. THIS APPEARS SPORADICALLY AND UNPREDICTABLY. IF THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD AND STALL. IF NOT ENGAGED, THEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REV'S VERY HIGH. AT TIMES THE ENGINE IDLES HIGH FROM START CONSISTENTLY FOR 5 OR MORE MINUTES AFTER STARTING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED OR NOT. WHEN THE ENGINE REVS HIGH, THE CAR LURCHES AND DRIVES ERRATICALLY WHEN IN MOTION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OTHER ISUZU STYLUS OWNERS WHO REPORT SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT THIS IS AN ECU ISSUE AND THAT THE PART SHOULD BE REPLACED, AS IT IS A DESIGN FAULT.
VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION. BRAKES WERE ON AND VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. OWNER HAD STARTER REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION. BRAKES WERE ON AND VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. OWNER HAD STARTER REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
THE ECU IN THE CAR HAS BLOWN THE ORIGINAL AND A REPLACEMENT MOTOR. *AK
EXPERIENCED ERRATIC IDLE, IDLE WAS REVVING AND DROPPING, DIPPING OFTEN WITH ENGINE ALMOST DYING. MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS SHORT IN ECU
EXPERIENCED ERRATIC IDLE, IDLE WAS REVVING AND DROPPING, DIPPING OFTEN WITH ENGINE ALMOST DYING. MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS SHORT IN ECU
MY REGULAR MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM, BUT ON THE WAY HOME IT STALLED AGAIN. WHEN I SLOW DOWN OR COME TO A STOP THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND IDLE HIGH AND THEN STALL. IF I PRESS THE GAS AND KEEP THE CAR REVED UP IT WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN TO REGULAR IDLE, BUT SOMETIMES STILL STALLS.*AK
MY REGULAR MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM, BUT ON THE WAY HOME IT STALLED AGAIN. WHEN I SLOW DOWN OR COME TO A STOP THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND IDLE HIGH AND THEN STALL. IF I PRESS THE GAS AND KEEP THE CAR REVED UP IT WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN TO REGULAR IDLE, BUT SOMETIMES STILL STALLS.*AK
MY REGULAR MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM, BUT ON THE WAY HOME IT STALLED AGAIN. WHEN I SLOW DOWN OR COME TO A STOP THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND IDLE HIGH AND THEN STALL. IF I PRESS THE GAS AND KEEP THE CAR REVED UP IT WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN TO REGULAR IDLE, BUT SOMETIMES STILL STALLS.*AK
ECU IS DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE TYPE OF ADHESIVE USED INSIDE THE COMPONENT. THIS FAILURE IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH/HIGH/AND SLOW. COULD BE DANGEROUS IF CONDITION PERSISTS. WOULD LIKE MANUFACTURER TO ISSUE A RECALL ON ALL AC DELCO ECU'S EMPLOYED IN 1991 ISUZU AND GEO CARS.
ERRATIC IDLE SPEED, REVVING AND DROPPING, SPORADIC DYING OF THE ENGINE, HOVERING IDLE SPEED AOURN 2,000 - 3,000 RPM WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT RETURN TO NORMAL, UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION UNDER LOAD ON MANUAL TRANS. DUE TO UNCONTROLLABLE ENGINE SPEED. *AK
THE CONCERN WE ALL HAVE IS WITH THE UNPREDICTABLE ERRATIC IDLE. WHILE SITTING AT A STOP, THE RPMS WILL JUMP FROM A STEADY 900 TO BETWEEN 2000-3000 UNEXPECTEDLY. THERE IS NO WARNING. I HAVE HAD TWO 90+ ISUZU CARS AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS. AS THEY WERE BOTH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, I WAS NOT AS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS SINCE WHEN IT WOULD OCCUR I WOULD EITHER HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE ON AND BE IN NEUTRAL, OR THE CLUTCH WOULD BE ENGAGED. OUR MAJOR CONCERN IS WITH HOW THIS AFFECTS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES. THE VERY POPULAR GEO STORM IS INCLUED IN THIS GROUP OF CARS, SINCE IT SHARES THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE ISUZUS IN QUESTION. THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED NOTES FROM OWNERS OF THESE CARS WITH THE AUTO TRANSMISSIONS WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING AT A LIGHT WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR AND SUDDENLY THEIR CARS WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. LUCKILY, THESE DRIVERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THE ACTIONS OF THEIR CARS BEFORE THERE WAS ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE. WE HAVE FOUND
THE CONCERN WE ALL HAVE IS WITH THE UNPREDICTABLE ERRATIC IDLE. WHILE SITTING AT A STOP, THE RPMS WILL JUMP FROM A STEADY 900 TO BETWEEN 2000-3000 UNEXPECTEDLY. THERE IS NO WARNING. I HAVE HAD TWO 90+ ISUZU CARS AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS. AS THEY WERE BOTH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, I WAS NOT AS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS SINCE WHEN IT WOULD OCCUR I WOULD EITHER HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE ON AND BE IN NEUTRAL, OR THE CLUTCH WOULD BE ENGAGED. OUR MAJOR CONCERN IS WITH HOW THIS AFFECTS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES. THE VERY POPULAR GEO STORM IS INCLUED IN THIS GROUP OF CARS, SINCE IT SHARES THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE ISUZUS IN QUESTION. THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED NOTES FROM OWNERS OF THESE CARS WITH THE AUTO TRANSMISSIONS WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING AT A LIGHT WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR AND SUDDENLY THEIR CARS WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. LUCKILY, THESE DRIVERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THE ACTIONS OF THEIR CARS BEFORE THERE WAS ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE. WE HAVE FOUND
I EXPERIENCE UNCONTROLLABLE ENGINE IDLE SPEED WHICH CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN MODULATING ACCELERATION WHEN LEAVING A STOP. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL FO CAUSING UNAVOIDABLE COLLISIONS WITH OTHER VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS.*AK
ISUZU REFUSES TO FIX PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.