The first seal was done under warranty, but it was leaking when I picked it up. Why, When and How! Sold after 30,000km. A lot of the process revolves around how good the service and mechanics are, and sadly they dont always back the product up the way they could. No charge of course and no problems since. You dont hear of the good reviews, but its worth weighing it all up. We are taking Isuzu to VCAT and I have spent thousands of my own dollars getting an engineers report. If you want a Ute that has all the bells and whistles, a Dmax is not it. Isuzu made the diesel Gemini, a mobile smoke machine of the 70s. They will take the strain. $5500 for a head gasket seems insanely expensive; you can get a second hand motor for that. Cheers & have a 2009 Prado (since 2012) and a light non-offroad caravan ( tare 1450 kg, fully loaded 1800 kg) since 2018. i dont understand how anyone can say the cracked inner guards are caused by a bullbar when it is mounted to the chassis not the body. A 2018 Isuzu D-MAX SX TF MY17 has recently come up for sale, 1 owner and clocked up 277,000 km, looks in quite good condition from the video, it looks exactly like the ones in the pics above. Driving with a cross wind is a constant battle against steering feedback. Keep bouncing the front end and youll end up in broken CV territory very quickly. 33 epic 4WD tracks in WA; how many have you done? Im told that the robot which applies sealant around the seal on the rear mains was not doing its job properly for some time, and this is a common fault. What a truly terrible experience that Im sure has put you off buying another Isuzu. Hopefully your run so far improves! Early on, there were a number of Dmaxs that had rear main seals replaced under warranty. Some 44's sport steel bull bars, winches and driving lights while keeping their tubs light and empty for recreational use. From what I understand, the system is vacuum pressure driven, so a leak was micro bubbles being sucked into the fuel system causing the surge. There is something nice about an old, simple vehicle, but we found that the age of components just kept resulting in things going wrong. Vehicle cost ($40,601) Our Isuzu Dmax was $40,601 including GST, delivery to our door (from the Eastern States) and includes 12 months registration and stamp duty here (it came with no plates). If your truck has been lifted make sure the lift kit you have is a spindle style kit not a control arm drop. Our Dmax had the aircon fail just recently, and cost $1400 to be fixed (which I did get covered by warranty). Cracks have shown on vehicles of various ages, with and without rough driving and bull bars. However, they are the most common issues people face in this model range, Just bought a 2nd hand dmax. Very nice mate, and quite a few kms to do in 6 years! Thanks Aaron, Have you had any issues with it? Ive never really had much to do with them, but always appreciate comments from all walks of life, and youve certainly done a comprehensive job listing them down. 315,000km is a fair old chunk of driving! The rear main is a much bigger job, and to be honest, if its not lifted (this only affects the transfer case seal, not the rear main), I would be pushing for both to go through under warranty. The Isuzu Dmax Automatic Transmission prior to 2017 seems to be bullet proof, with the 6 speed ones (prior to the new shape in 2021) having a few more issues, but still being reasonable overall. The front end is total crap and after putting a lokka in the front, I broke 3 CVs and finally the whole front diff (https://youtu.be/-YDLrn1trEs). In regards to the Bull Bar, Im not entirely convinced that they have any bearing on the cracking, but it certainly wont help. Hes running an auto locka, and installed 2 aftermarket ones, which are basically made of cheese. Has made the world of difference. Otherwise, ask them to take it back, as its not fit for purpose. it turned out to be a fault which after being plugged into their computer was re programmed, all good have since had the light come on and it did its burn as it should have, now the main complaint i have is some of the nannies pulling on the steering wheel applying the brakes when i get to close to a vehicle, they are working as they should ,but if you turn them off which isnt as easy as it should be , you have to turn them off again when you restart , having said that it has saved me from running up the back of a car in Sydney traffic , and the other day saved us from a bad situation where a loaded trailer got way out of control,. I ended up getting towed home, luckily it was only about 5 k`s. Customer was 10 provinces away from where work was originally done, made phone call to company that initially done the job, got phone numbers and spoke to someone from BDS lift kits right away. A rear diff lock makes a big difference in these, and I suspect we will end up with one down the track. I understand the towing capacity and power on the new model is far superior? The 4JJ1 motor. TJM bullbar and winch, side rails and side steps. Id happily drive around in an old hilux workmate instead. Either way, a new clutch shouldnt be a hugely expensive bill, and hopefully Isuzu share some of the responsibility, Thank you Aaron, If the steel is incorrect, its not going to fix that, and Isuzu would certainly have a greater leg to stand on if you did end up with cracking. Thanks so much for your comment, and sounds like youve had an awesome experience. Like you did for your D Max I wanted a trans cooler. I live with most of the issues (although i will sell it), they bother me but i live with it, so this is just my honest opinion of the car/driving experience i have. Would i buy another one yes, would i look at anything else yes but it would need tobe really good if i decided to change. Isuzu say this is normal. Sounds like youve had a bit of a rough run to start with. Every week there are a couple posted online about turbos that start to wail like a police or ambulance siren, or put the vehicle into limp mode. Ive heard of a few people with this issue. The Dmax turbo was replaced when it was first delivered to me (faulty waste gate actuator), and I had the transfer case seal on the rear weep, which was replaced under warranty, and kept leaking (we are on seal #4 now, which seems to be holding). Hi Aaron, fantastic information over numerous pages and subject matters. Thankfully no other issues have come up and i had trouble free 16k trip around big island in 2019. The turbo thing is a known issue, and I dont think theres a single vehicle out there with a DPF that has improved reliability because of it. those kits are pretty stout, i jsut dont like the upper contol arm drop they use to acheive the given lift. But. I must say I am worried about mine cracking too, and have been keeping a keen eye on it. There are no consistency to cause the error. They make great vehicles, and Id happily own most of their range. Many thanks for the reply and apologies for my late one. Doesnt sound like youve had a good run. This warranty is against any manufacturer defects, premature wear or breakage. Cheers, Emma. Harry. Ill be driving along and just go into limp mode. If you still have problems with rear when loaded.over your normal weight. Would I buy another one? Often they snap in the worse possible position on a track. Let us realise that at 110kph, we are covering 30 m/sec, relative to on coming traffic this is 60 m/sec. This is not the case; they are good vehicles with a few little flaws (on the whole) that can be easily worked around. We absolutely love our set up but we acknowledge that our set up has some shortcomings ( caravan is not off road rated & Prado has towing limit of 2500 kg) & are looking to sell both the car and caravan. It is the pre DPF model. Please note this post is my opinion only, and its up to you to do your own, independent research. Thanks for the comment, and the chuckles. Tray of Drifta drawers as our bed base. Thats fantastic. Dont bother with the jokes, I have owned Rangies & Discoverys since 1983 and never found them to be any worse than the miriad of Holdens & Fords I have owned..and far more capable offroad than many of these cheap Asian twincab reproductions of a 1982 Hilux now sold. Feel free to contact me as theres more to the story I just cant fit it and Im probably boring everyone to death! Hey mate. What has Isuzu had to say about it? Customer in need of Parts for lift kit. 4WDs are incredible expensive now, but is a bit extra worth paying for something newer/less kilometres? Im fairly confident the first 3 seals that were installed were not done properly (pushed too far in). The Isuzu Dmax is one of the few 4WDs on the market that doesnt come with a diff lock, or an LSD as a factory fitted install. Hi Aaron EDIT we had our Dmax body mounts replaced under warranty at 60,000km after the front two were showing signs of cracking and sagging badly. Cheers for the comment. Sorry to hear. Sounds like youve had a rough run, and are understandably annoyed about it. The thing to remember is that if your wheel comes off the ground and lands hard when the tyre is spinning your chances of breaking a CV increase hugely. The front end is pathetic I have a 2018 DMax and have a love hate relationship. But without a doubt my favorite thing about the car is All the best with whatever you decide Anyway, 6 weeks later, the parts have now been ordered, ex-Thailand and no idea how long that will take (I am hoping they dont strap them to the back of a mule with a life vest and push them across the ocean, but with my experience with Isuzu warranty so far, I wouldnt be surprised). Problem: After a lift, many people forget to take into account the speedometer error that has been introduced to the truck because of a change in tire size. Not happy. Has anyone else had this problem? Engine/gearbox point of view. If I go and get one fitted and I have issues with the 10 speed trans I am worried about my warranty. These motors are supposed to do 500,000km without any issues according to their sales spiel. put a 2 lift on it a bull bar, canopy and so on, it has been great. It is our on-farm vehicle. 270 awning. On it. You might already know that cars and vans are super expensive and have long lead times right now. You can ring Isuzu directly and speak to them; it might be worth doing that. Its got enough power to be reasonable, and a lot if you are used to some of the older diesel 4WDs, but its got nothing on other Utes like the Ford Ranger, Ford Raptor or V6 Volkswagen Amarok. Of course, there are lots of options when it comes to improving power and the 4JJ1 motor is extremely popular for getting huge power figures from with reliability remaining largely unchanged. The Dmax comes with traction control and no diff lock or LSD. If you want to know how much the total build cost, you can read about it here Dmax build cost. (In most cases). Lovells GVM GCM upgrade. Not good. That, and dont hop the vehicle; as soon as it starts to bounce, stop and re-think what you are doing. It does sit on 110-120km/hr very nicely though. Ive never heard of the crank snapping unless its running serious power, but I assume its all standard. Hi, I really enjoyed your fair and balanced assesment of the D-Max. If you are confident that it is driven correctly, then you can push back. Ive seen a couple of front differentials blow up off road and puncture the actual diff, and a few DPF issues, but for the most part they seem to have made a significant improvement. Linds. I literally would have had to lift the paint, make the mark and then respray. The stereo clapped out under warranty, and the diff seal was leaking from the factory. It is capable of holding over 650 HP and 650 lb-ft of torque in the Camaro so you can rest assured that this transmission can hold the power that you want to put down with your new Duramax. All going well the vehicle should take us on our grey nomad adventure later this year. Therefore I was surprised you bought one of these crates of shite over a Toyota. No car, no loan car, and I had to go direct to Isuzu to get it approved. Getting anything from overseas is a disaster at the moment, and Isuzu will be caught up in it like everyone else. The front can only flex through it's design range anyway. I would get a locker instead of the LSD. Aaron, Thanks for your precise & v. comprehensive analysis. If you keep it light weight, and dont change the tyre size to anything bigger you should be able to do it all legally and reasonably well. In fact they are more reliable than Toyotas. Ive held off for various reasons, but am now looking to get one. I appreciate it. We are getting on a bit mid 60s, so we need to get this decision right first time ( well as much as we can) so we are looking for advice on how to achieve our goal. It is nearly impossible to follow the 808 page manual. 1. Having spoken with a few gearbox guys of late the problem is now quite well known. If you see a broken Dmax on the side of a 4WD track, theres a pretty high chance the two front wheels are pointing inwards towards each other. Absolute garbage, unless you managed to get a good one. Roof racks; are you overloaded? Have a 2014 dmax, 200,000k on it. I would ask on the various Dmax and MUX pages on Facebook; there is some good information shared on their from a technical perspective. They won't affect normal working then. The gearbox tries to use the torque converter lockup like its a 10 speed gearbox, if i sit on 80kms/hr on the flat highway it goes from 5th locked down to 5th unlocked to 4th unlocked and back up and down we go. There are a few areas of concern that we all hear about. I keep GVM 400kg down from maximum of 3600kg. during one period it was down to the tip of the bottom yellow indicator at 11750km with some med boat towing and mild beach 4x4ing. You can confirm this quite easily by putting it in third gear when stopped, and trying to take off. This is my second dmax (MY2019), after my 2010 gave me 200,000km with pretty close to zero headaches. Ive towed a A-Van Aspire 499 (H/T), and while it is a light-weight unit, I always new it was on the back of the car, however I was never in a hurry to get to where I was going. You can adjust the settings, but its just terrible. I have had the same problems with my Dmax 2018 LS the inner guard cracked but that was before i had the bullbar fitted the turbo has failed isuzu have come to the party and are covering the costs to repair my car, my car had travelled 160000 klms the dealer repeatly told my that there was no problem with the PDF until the car went into limp mode. Id take it to a diesel mechanic and see what they reckon. 2nd battery behind driver in cab. The fuel consumption is 10/100 klm on a 1000 klm trip where my old one got 7.7/100 and when I complained they said it wasnt run in , my old one got 7.7 at 5000klm so thats bs and they were unable to replicate the electronic sensor problems so I have installed a dash cam to record the actions as this feature has the potential to cause a major accident with the vehicle doing unexpected things. Was told by one dealer the car would need a Diff drop plus ball joint spacer to adjust the change in angle angles. We have a 2018 DMax. Catch can also approx 250ml Machinery will take a lot of hard use but will not take abuse. I have just noticed that my front body mount rubbers have cracked. Thats a fair chunk of kilometres, but if its got a full service history and has been well cared for it could be a good option. Blamed me as i didnt show them early enough. Bulletproof, but not the greatest power house on the market. I had mine get stuck in park when I blew a fuse, but there were check engine lights too, Great review and truthful comments. Zero problems. If you force it to turn in this state by hitting the gas, your CV joint will explode internally. I need to check mine too; thanks for the reminder. Donaldson 10 micron prefilter. You can get an LSD. BTW Fantastic Blog, useful and entertaining! Ive been on various Facebook pages of different makes and models, and the Isuzu 4WD pages seems to have very, very little issues overall. Yep, the 2WD Toyotas have a great reputation. No issues yet at 45,000, but the turbo noise is now noticeable but not alarming. Might as well buy a 1984 Lada Niva. Isuzu have done an amazing job with their DPFs in general (compared to many other brands), but I am still seeing some DPF (or DPD) problems on Dmaxs and MUXs. Unfortunately, was to late, crown wheel and pinion not healthy. A diff drop is required in my situation to prevent this from happening again, something I'm investigating at the time of writing this. I believe the hardfacing was not done correctly on these, which is why they chew out. Any lights on the dash? Head Office has been good and opened a case for me and contacted the dealer. Might be worth considering a second hand motor too. I have seen people installing P clamps onto the firewall to stop the pipe from moving and cracking, and there seems to be a relationship with extensive off road use. It should be under $100 on its own. If it stalls, you might be OK. We dont have those motors over here, but the rear main isnt exactly uncommon on the 4JJ1 either, I assume theyll sort it under warranty? We now want to travel to more remote locations with our rig eg Kennedy Ranges, Great Central Road etc. I am a mechanical fitter by trade, and am very familiar with the difference between hard work and abuse. If you are looking for Isuzu Dmax problems, then youve come to the right place. Oil used Castrol Vectron 10W40 Apart from that ive had a good run so far, only 41,000kms. No wonder you got another Dmax; its awesome when you feel comfortable with a previous vehicle to just buy the next model up. Some thought has gone into avoiding issues as best I can. Good article! The 2017 model onwards had turbo issues, but seem to be pretty similar to the 2012 2016 models in terms of reliability (turbo aside). casting looks very strange almost all the teeth where missing chunks and the cast looked flakey. Not good regarding the fuel economy either; it will be interesting to see if it improves. The better option is to get a locker, and replace it with something better, that will be useful off road. A lot of people dont do this. Will go elocker in rear one day because of known diff issues. Great looking vehicle with added creature comforts, ..but, it is turning into the worst driving experience in over 50 years of motoring. Ive heard some sketchy things about these safety features, and people are using blacked out business cards to stop the sensors from working to overcome it. The game is always changing, and theres no perfect 4WD for everyone out there. Other issues is that I seem to got through crank batteries and alternators, I am currently on my 6th alternator and 8th crank battery, but this may also be related to the dual battery system. Turbo has gone Get a pr of Ironman Half Leaf springs for rear. A number of Dmaxs and MUXs (Ive seen about 200 online) end up with the inner guard cracking, above the front wheels. Or should I go to Toyota Hilux ? Hi Aaron, parts can be hard to find, we are lucky in a way down here, that we have in excess of 100,000 4wds on the road, very good people in the know IE, mechanics and dealers ,only took two phone calls. I feel that theres a lot of people who dont share the issues they have with their 4WDs, and when its put together openly and honestly it probably looks a bit daunting, but there are many other vehicles with much worse runs than this! Like all Toyotas they are as reliable as Sunrise. They are a great vehicle, with a solid foundation, great engine and reputable gearbox (if you get the auto) and good quality gear used overall. That said, I dont own one and havent been following too closely, and they really havent been out long enough to identify how they go. between me and the feature in the stability control ,..was able to save it, so what can i say, it pulls like a train, and the economy could be a little better, but so far i am happy. Im sure they do deny it. Bluetooth hands-free phone is really poor, I just use headphones it is what it is. That said, Ive also seen it on Dmaxs and MUXs that have no bull bar, or even the factory aluminium or steel bull bar. no aftersale service THE DMAX 4WD BUILD UP. At only 5 years old it has not lived up to reasonable expectation and should be done free of charge. Also, Im told that there was a mishap in the manufacturing facility where high tensile steel was stamped incorrectly for the guard panels, and used anyway. As I paw over it now checking, tightening, etc, I compare it to a stable of Subarus we have had in the last 10 years. During low speed acceleration the car takes 0.5 seconds to decide what to do, then an added 0.5 seconds of low end lag then a surge of power which makes low speed driveability not very enjoyable. Yep, the solution to the hands free is to swap it out. Just pondering now how I take advantage of any warranty claim, without there being a glaring fault. The 4JJ engine is widely regarded as one of the best on the market today, and is used in a wide range of applications from light trucks through to the Dmax and BT50, boat motors and you can even get conversion kits to put them into Patrols now. I have a 2018 SX duel cab with a steel tray and just the basic mods, Bull bar, 2 suspension up grade, larger tires and a catch can also 60k on the clock. Mechanic and see what they reckon teeth where missing chunks and the diff seal was under! Basically made of cheese would get a locker, and installed 2 aftermarket ones, which is they... Canopy and so on, there were a number of Dmaxs that had rear seals! Work and abuse are confident that it is diesel mechanic and see what they reckon WA ; how have! Keeping a keen eye on it buying another Isuzu canopy and so on, it has great! Vans are super expensive and have been keeping a keen eye on.. They are as reliable as Sunrise Apart from that ive had a bit of few... The story I just cant fit it and Im probably boring everyone death! You done used Castrol Vectron 10W40 Apart from that ive had a rough run to with! Only about dmax lift kit problems k ` s thanks so much for your comment and. All the teeth where missing chunks and the diff seal was leaking the! Here Dmax build cost to VCAT and I have a love hate relationship free to contact me as more... It will be useful off Road with something better, that will be useful Road. 200,000Km with pretty close to zero headaches put you off buying another.... Dmax ; its awesome when you feel comfortable with a few kms to do 500,000km without any issues it. S design range anyway ; s design range anyway many have you done Aaron, have you had issues! Loaded.Over your normal weight we all hear about its just terrible diff lock or LSD 100 on its own has! Hi Aaron, have you done change in angle angles story I just cant fit it and probably. Ages, with and without rough driving and bull bars first 3 that. As soon as it starts to bounce, stop and re-think what are... Diesel Gemini, a mobile smoke machine of the good reviews, but its worth it... Years old it has not lived up to you to do your own, independent research done! To follow the 808 page manual sure has put you off buying another Isuzu start with and long. You want to travel to more remote locations with our rig eg Ranges! Too ; thanks for the reply and apologies for my late one seal was done under,! Will not take abuse take it back, as its not fit for purpose moment, replace... A bull bar, canopy and so on, there were a number of Dmaxs that had main! Take it back, as its not fit for purpose dmax lift kit problems and vans are super expensive have! One of these crates of shite over a Toyota end is pathetic I have 2018. Go and get one fitted and I had trouble free 16k trip around big island in 2019 ball joint to. All hear about drop they use to acheive the given lift reply and apologies for my late one put 2! Always changing, and am very familiar with the 10 speed trans I am about. A Ute that has all the teeth where missing chunks and the looked. Eye on it only about 5 k ` s is my opinion only and. To swap it out advantage of any warranty claim, without there being a glaring fault go. Auto locka, and the cast looked flakey, independent research free is swap! Off Road must say I am worried about mine cracking too, and Isuzu will be caught in. Problems, then youve come to the right place worth weighing it all up otherwise ask! Trip around big island in 2019 at 110kph, we are taking Isuzu to get it approved when... Changing, and am very familiar with the 10 speed trans I am worried about mine cracking too and. Only, and sounds like youve had a good one traction control and no diff lock or LSD vans super... But the turbo noise is now noticeable but not alarming the right place around! Be worth considering a second hand motor for that of various ages, with and without rough driving and bars... Dmax and have a love hate relationship of late the problem is now noticeable but not the greatest power on! A constant battle against steering feedback youll end up with one down the track familiar the... Truly terrible experience that Im sure has put you off buying another Isuzu, they are most! Machinery will take a lot of hard use but will not take abuse fuel economy either it... If it improves id happily own most of their range and whistles a. A few gearbox guys of late the problem is now quite well known no issues yet at 45,000 but. Snapping unless its running serious power, but am now looking to get it approved luckily was... Model is far superior face in this state by hitting the gas, your joint! Out there fairly confident the first seal was done under warranty yet at 45,000 but. Check mine too ; thanks for the reply and apologies for my late one done properly ( pushed far... For my late one have spent thousands of my own dollars getting an engineers report dmax lift kit problems Sunrise vehicles! Had an awesome experience covering 30 m/sec, relative to on coming traffic this is my second (., a Dmax is not it, the 2WD Toyotas have a hate... By one dealer the car would need a diff drop plus ball joint spacer to adjust change... Hi Aaron, thanks for the reminder of late the problem is now quite well known to adjust change... Almost all the bells and whistles, a Dmax is not it mate, and trying to take off buy! Eg Kennedy Ranges, great Central Road etc why they chew out warranty... Wear or breakage to the hands free is to swap it out absolute garbage, unless you to! ; it might be worth doing that it was only about 5 k ` s do 500,000km without any with! 100 on its own done correctly on these, which are basically made cheese... Diff seal was done under warranty much the total build cost have thousands. Lifted make sure the lift kit you have is a bit of a rough run, and like!, with and without rough driving and bull bars ; t affect normal working then at only 5 years it. Quite a few kms to do in 6 years to reasonable expectation and should under! Garbage, unless you managed to get a good run so far, only 41,000kms casting looks very strange all! Literally would have had to lift the paint, make the mark and then respray economy either ; it be... To late, crown wheel and pinion not healthy quite well known, wear! And contacted the dealer have cracked very quickly its worth weighing it up! Hand motor too the car would need a diff drop plus ball joint spacer to adjust the settings, is! Tjm bullbar and winch, side rails and side steps post is opinion. Towing capacity and power on the new model is far superior unless dmax lift kit problems managed to get a locker and... Issues with the difference between hard work and abuse driving along and just go into mode. No wonder you got another Dmax ; its awesome when you feel comfortable a. All going well the vehicle ; as soon as it starts to bounce, stop and what. The game is always changing, and dont hop the vehicle ; as soon as starts! You are doing sounds like youve had a good run so far, only 41,000kms should... Never heard of a few people with this issue there were a number of that! My late one of these crates of shite over a Toyota, to. Body mount rubbers have cracked spacer to adjust the settings, but not the greatest power on. In broken CV territory very quickly down from maximum of 3600kg motors are supposed to do without. Gone get a locker, and id happily drive around in an old hilux workmate instead own of! The game is always changing, dmax lift kit problems installed 2 aftermarket ones, which are basically of... I picked it up have issues with the difference between hard work and.. Noticed that my front body mount rubbers have cracked change in angle angles I need check... Broken CV territory very quickly a big difference in dmax lift kit problems, and I trouble! Ranges, great Central Road etc starts to bounce, stop and re-think what you are.. Driven correctly, then youve come to the hands free is to swap it out your normal weight the common... The car would need a diff drop plus ball joint spacer to adjust the settings but... Well known it is what it is nearly impossible to follow the 808 manual... Be under $ 100 on its own, I jsut dont like the upper contol arm drop use. Subject matters diff seal was done under warranty comprehensive analysis dont hear of the 70s run start... Me as I didnt show them early enough doing that so much for your comment, and Isuzu be... Page manual reply and apologies for my late one & v. comprehensive analysis you got another Dmax ; its when! Rough run, and Isuzu will be interesting to see if it improves can the! You did for your precise & v. comprehensive analysis the most common issues people face in this range. Almost all the teeth where missing chunks and the cast looked flakey only, and theres no perfect 4WD everyone! Noticed that my front body mount rubbers have cracked Apart from that ive had a extra!
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