I've noticed that other than the Honda Passport badges/emblems, every part on my "Honda" says Isuzu or AC delco.

So what's the relationship? I know that Isuzu and GM have collaborated on building vehicles, but how does Honda fit in to all this? I'm assuming that Honda decided it was time to start building trucks so they teamed up with Isuzu just to start gaining recognition.

Does anyone know?


Thanks,

Alexander

The passport is an ISUZU. I don't believe that Honda built it on their assembly lines....

I believe the first year was 1995? That's when I bought my Rodeo. I travelled to the honda dealer and asked them what was different. He said "The emblems". I saw that the Honda was $700.00 more and had only a 3 year 36K warrenty. The Rodeo had a 5 year 50,000 mile warrenty.... I bought the rodeo.

I know that GM and Isuzu have a relationship, but I believe that GM just sold off a lot of their Isuzu interest.

Hope this helps.... :p

Yes, the Passport is 100% Isuzu Rodeo. Honda didn't have an SUV available to compete in the market at the time, so they purchased a share of the Rodeo's and rebadged them to market them as the Passport.

Same truck, same engines, same suspension, etc. but a few different accessories, i.e. wheels and some paint colors are different (IIRC).

Isuzu had the longer warranty 5/50k and Honda 3/36k and more expensive; but the flip-side to that, is the Honda Passport's blue-book is higher - which doesn't make any sense at all, because it IS the Rodeo.

Just goes to show the Blue-book values are full of it, simply basing it off the name.

GM/Chevy parts are all over the Isuzu vehicles. The 3.2L sohc, 3.2L dohc, 3.5L dohc engines are Isuzu design however; the automatic transmission's 4L30-E are GM's design - so the stupid transmission set-up, i.e no dipstick to check level, you can blame that on GM.

I had been wondering if the transmission is a GM design. I read in another post about soemone having a 4L30-E transmission and I thought to myself "hey, that sounds like an GM tranny code". Anyway, I have an automatic, but I also have a dip stick(?).

I guess the Honda Passport is just a mutt, but now I understand why Honda mechanics don't want to touch them!

I had been wondering if the transmission is a GM design. I read in another post about soemone having a 4L30-E transmission and I thought to myself "hey, that sounds like an GM tranny code". Anyway, I have an automatic, but I also have a dip stick(?).

I guess the Honda Passport is just a mutt, but now I understand why Honda mechanics don't want to touch them!

Before the 97 model year, the automatic tranny had a dipstick. Yay!!

Not only is the 4l30e a french-made GM tranny, it was used on some BMW's. Yup, something to boast about. :)

http://www.phoenixhardparts.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=49

Would be something to boast about if it was still of the familiar type; as it is, most places don't want anything to do with it.

Per my experiences, it is a fairly hardy transmission as long as proper fluid level, and cleanliness are maintained.

Yes, prior to '96-97, the 4L30-E had a dipstick. My 1st Rodeo was a '91 automatic and it had the dipstick - LOVED it, changed the fluid every 9k miles without issue.

I have a 96 rodeo and recently I've been trying to fix it up and add some accessories. I'd figured since I won't have the funds for a new car for a while, might as well make the one I have as good as it can be.

I think someone said prior to the 96-97 that it did have a dipstick. I looked for it and i can't find it. Am I just not looking hard enough. I'd figured it's towards the far right end on the bottom.

I think someone said prior to the 96-97 that it did have a dipstick. I looked for it and i can't find it. Am I just not looking hard enough. I'd figured it's towards the far right end on the bottom.

The tranny dipstick would be really close to the oil dipstick, on passenger side of vehicle, close to the firewall. Maybe the 96 (or some 96's??) don't have it. The 95.5 definitely have one.

I finally had a chance to ask a friend of mine (who happens to be a Honda mechanic) about how the Passport came to be. He told me that since Honda didn't have an SUV and since Isuzu didn't have a mini-van they collaborated and essentially swapped badges on their cars, the Isuzu Rodeo became a Honda Passport and the Honda Odyssey became the Isuzu Oasis.

Apparently, like the Rodeo and Passport models, the Honda Odyssey sold better than the Isuzu Oasis even though the Isuzu had a better price and a better warranty. The later Oasis models even came with Honda Accord VTEC motors, and they were still out-sold by the Odyssey.

I guess a rose by any other name doesn't smell as sweet after all!