Isuzu recalls Rodeo Sport, Amigo SUVs

[July 10, 2012]  DETROIT (AP) -- More than 11,000 Isuzu SUVs are being recalled because parts in the rear suspension can rust and break away from the frame.

The recall affects Amigo SUVs from the 1998 to 2001 model years and Rodeo Sport SUVs sold as 2001 and 2002 models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted on its website.

Isuzu said the rear suspension link brackets can rust and become detached from the frame. The problem can hurt the vehicle's handling and cause a crash, but it was unclear if there have been any wrecks or injuries. Isuzu officials were not immediately available for comment Monday.

The recall covers SUVs sold or registered in 21 states and Washington, D.C. Those are places where salt is used to clear the roads. Salt can cause metal to rust. Affected states include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky.

Isuzu dealers will inspect the suspensions and treat them with a rust-resistant compound or install a reinforcing bracket free of charge. In rare cases when the rust is so severe that the reinforcement bracket won't work, Isuzu will buy the vehicles back based on the Kelley Blue Book private party sale price, the company said in a letter to NHTSA.

Isuzu will notify owners by mail and start the recall later this month. NHTSA acknowledged the recall in a letter to Isuzu on Friday.

Isuzu Motors Ltd., famous for developing one of the first mid-sized sport utility vehicles and an ad campaign that featured a salesman telling lies, stopped selling new pickup trucks and SUVs in North America in 2009 due to financial problems. The company remains in the U.S. with commercial vehicles, and it said at the time that it will back its products and dealers for years to come, honoring all product warranties.

[Associated Press]

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