ISUZU STYLUS · model year

1991 ISUZU STYLUS

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.

27
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

27 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY1
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20150722ENGINE

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

20041103ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

VEHICLE IDLED POORLY, IT HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES VEHICLE JUST SHUT DOWN. POWER STEERING WENT OUT. *AK

20041007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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

20020408ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

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

20011115CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

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

20010620VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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.

20010611ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

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

20010611ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

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

20010316ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

THE ECU IN THE CAR HAS BLOWN THE ORIGINAL AND A REPLACEMENT MOTOR. *AK

20000918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

EXPERIENCED ERRATIC IDLE, IDLE WAS REVVING AND DROPPING, DIPPING OFTEN WITH ENGINE ALMOST DYING. MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS SHORT IN ECU

20000914ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

EXPERIENCED ERRATIC IDLE, IDLE WAS REVVING AND DROPPING, DIPPING OFTEN WITH ENGINE ALMOST DYING. MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS SHORT IN ECU

20000630ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

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

20000630ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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

20000630VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

19991112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

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.

19990719VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

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

19990713VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

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

19990713VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

19990708VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

19990626UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ISUZU REFUSES TO FIX PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

Compare 1991ISUZUSTYLUS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1991 ISUZU STYLUS have?
The 1991 ISUZU STYLUS has 27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 ISUZU STYLUS?
The most-complained component for the 1991 ISUZU STYLUS is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1991 ISUZU STYLUS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.