VX shopping and need owners opinions

[Ruflyf]

Hello everyone, I have admired this vehicle since it was released, now that it is finally entering my budget area I will be shopping soon:) I will be looking to purchase my VX within the next 6 months and really want to find out as much as I can before then.

I mainly want to know the following;

1) (IMPORTANT) Are there any issues that come up repeatedly with VX's that I should be concerned with when making my purchase?

2) Were they all sold with the same features? For, ex. pwr windows, locks, dual airbags, etc.

3) How does auto insurance seem to be, compared to another similar vehicle ?

4) How difficult and expensive are vehicle parts to find? (Body parts and mechanical parts)

5) Finally are there any issues (good or bad) that certain years have more than other years?

Thanks in advance for all opinions.

[AlaskaVX]

Not trying to be a dick but.....This has came up a lot in the past here is one link. Please use the search function at the top of your screen.
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2187&highlight=newbie

[Ruflyf]

Thx for the tip, I figured all these would be repeat questions, however searching for what someone might title a question, doesnt always have very good results. That post was very helpful, I will search around, still looking for info on insurance and parts availability. Thx again

[DaPenetrator]

Personally I think the insurance is rather high. I pay more per 6 mos for the 2001 VX than I do my 2000 Convertible Corvette. I thought that was CRAZY! But the primary reason is probably due to the limited visibility thru the rear window and the 6 cyclinder engine.

I also go with whoever's offering the cheapest rates at the time. The VX is wit Geico, The Vette and Benz are with Nationwide, the R1 is with Progressive and the House is with Allstate. I've got insurance policies out the ying yang.

All the VX's 1999-2001 have the same standard features. A couple of items changed in mid-2000 (June 2000+). 16" chrome wheels were upgraded to 18" and an electronic climate control system was added.

Only commonly known problem that I'm familar with and have experienced personally is with the windows coming for track. This has been a common VX defect from the beginning, that Isuzu does not recognize has a "common problem". Althought most dealership have covered "adjustments" thru the warranty period.

The chrome plating on the wheel has been another ongoing issue for many year. Again, Isuzu doesn't recognize this as a "common problem" and in most cases consider it cosmetic and not covered after 15,000 miles.

There has been some reports of 1999 models experiencing premature engine failure. But I don't that the subject has been researched enough to say that it was the entire model year or just VX's from a particular assembly plant. A search on "engine failure" will probably produce some interesting reading.

Finding parts new and/or used hasn't been a major problem. Rarely does parts fail or need replacing if the vehicle has been taking care of. That's probably 1 of the best things about the VX. Mechancially it's one the best vechiles that I've owned. Normal wear and tear items (brakes, belts/hoses, battery, tires, shocks, etc.) are the only things that I've ever need to replace on my VX. St. Charles Isuzu (they're awesome) is probably the best source for new parts and Hyundia/Isuzu Parts for used parts. U can find them on the web or again thru searching the forum.

All of this info is just a repeat of what you're find during your searches here on the forum. This is the best group of vehicle owners in the world. U're always get someone's advice and/or opinion (be it good or bad).

Good Luck with your VX search!

[t2p]

Ruflyf:
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The VX electric window motors and regulators fail at an alarming rate. Not a major issue - but annoying. However, there may be a permanent fix (a link can be found somewhere on this site - try Phines posts).
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The OEM shock absorbers fail often - some at (relatively) low mileage. Again, not a huge issue - decent replacements can cost as little as $200 for a set of 4 shipped. Forget OEM replacements - over $300 per.
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Oil consumption can be an issue - this problem does not appear to be limited to the early engines. There have also been a number of engine failures - rod and/or crank bearings problems. Of course, there are a number of owners with a ton of miles that have experienced no problems. There does not appear to be a pattern to this issue - so prediction is next to impossible.
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The hood insert is prone to cracking.
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The quality of the chrome plated 18" wheels (on 00 and 01's) is poor - most often (but not limited to) peeling and bubbling on the inside portion of the wheel.
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The Ironman package is the only 'option' that I am aware of on US spec models. There is also a roof rack 'delete' option on the VX I believe.
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Differences between 99, 00, and 01: 99 has 16" wheels (not chrome plated I believe) - later 00 and 01 have 18" chrome plated 18" wheels. Later 00 and 01 also have auto climate control feature. The warranty length was doubled for 00 and 01 models to 10 year 120K miles (powertrain). The factory warranty is 'halved' for the next owner; i.e. 5 yr 60K. This is an important consideration because a used 00 or 01 (with approp mileage) will still have some factory powertrain warranty.
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Insurance rates are relatively high for this vehicle - the class most companies place it is in a higher rated (risk) category. (not surprising - especially because the VX is a limited production vehicle).
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Many mechanical parts are shared with the Trooper - so (for the most part) replacement parts should not be an issue. As for replacement body parts ........... ???
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You probably already know some of the 'popular' VX issues ......
rear visibilty - somewhat improved by removing rear seat headrests and installation of a fresnel lense (VanEyes, VanGuard) on the rear window. A camera (similar to Euro/Asia spec VX) is also an option. It is difficult to gain entry to the rear seats - there are brackets than can improve this.
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One item you don't often hear about is the gearing - the short gearing (4.30 ratio) is low and (in my opinion) is not optimum for a great amount of highway driving. Great for around town driving however.
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[t2p]

...... more ...........
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don't get too concerned when you read posts about people replacing this or that part ......... etc ........
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many VX owners - especially members of this site - subject their VX to driving and conditions most auto owners could never dream of ...... just take a look at some of the photo galleries .....

[lastmandrummer]

My .02$ (in the extreme)
Body parts are outrageous!!!.....Any accident barely over fender bender that only hurts the cladding: and I am willing to bet they total the car!....
It’s like this; if you get hit hard enough to damage a rear fender to the point it must be replaced? Consider you truck history..(Especially) if you live in New Jersey. The entire rear of the VX is unibody design and requires massive reconstruction to fix even the most minor of rear 1/4 panel damage....unless you are handy with the work yourself.
6 different insurance companies basically totaled my truck with no frame damage. Get hit in the front and u should be fine.
The only real people who know anything about these trucks is the people on this forum...(god bless them all)....most repair shops are still clueless to the truck and some don't even wish to do normal repairs on it.
Spend lots of time picking brains on this site...or the excitement of the truck will wear off real fast if something goes wrong and you are unprepared.
all that said; it is one of the coolest trucks you could ever get if it goes well for you.

[Leah]

The good news is, there are those of us who have few problems with ours and love them. My windows did bind up, but I found that what caused it was when the lubricant began to dry up, it got sticky. My solution? I just left it alone. When the lubricant disappeared, so did the problem.

The hood insert on mine cracked and was replaced six times. The last and seventh time it was replaced, they didn't tighten it down so hard and it's been fine ever since.

My CD player was scratching on the sixth slot but was replaced and is fine.

Our insurance is quite cheap, less than $800 per year for two vehicles, one is a 1996 Toyota RAV4 the other is a 1999 Ironman VX. My husband and I are both over 35 and have excellent driving records. No accidents or tickets ever.

I never get tired of looking at, or driving my VX.

A good place to shop is ebay. There are six for sale there right now. We bought mine from ebay and have been happy with our decision ever since.

[DaPenetrator]

Leah, who's your insurance company. I have more than 1 vehicle as well and was hoping a multi-car discount would help me. I also have an excellent driving record with no tickets or accidents. I have Geico and I'm still paying more than $600 every 6 mths for the VX alone. Maybe it's the demographics. Are you in a rural area? There multiple accidents here in DC every day during morning and evening rush hours. I imagine that a contributing factor to my higher rates too.

[Dallas4u]

I pay around $550 every six months from State Farm... I don't think that is too unreasonable. It's probably a bit higher than others because it's one of the larger ins. companies, but they treat you pretty well, too.