Bye bye Isuzu, effective 31Jan2009...

[amigo-2k]

Isuzu has made it official: It is leaving the light-vehicle market in the United States. In a conference call today with the board of the U.S. Isuzu Dealer Advisory Council, Isuzu said it will stop selling new vehicles here on Jan. 31, 2009.
Published: Jan 30, 2008

[Ramblin Fever]

Didn't they already stop selling vehicles here like 3yrs ago at least??

I know they advertise the I-250/350, but those are mostly GM vehicles anyways.

What about parts for Isuzu's....will they still be available??

[2000izusu]

with all the UGLY cars out there it is sad. the isuzu rodeo (both generations) is hands down one of the best looking vehicles i have seen! mike

[Gizmo42]

The dealerships will be able to be service and parts centers.

"Wednesday, January 30, 2008
ISUZU WILL FINALLY PULL OUT OF NORTH AMERICA NEXT YEAR

Isuzu plans to stop selling vehicles here in 2009
By Brendan Moore

The other shoe has finally dropped.

Isuzu Motors Ltd. has released a statement saying it will discontiue distributing new passanger vehicles in North America, effective Jan. 31, 2009.

The action is the short-term consequence of General Motors Corp. ending production of the Ascender sport utility vehicle and the i-290 and i-370 pickup trucks, which Isuzu has been re-badging as Isuzu vehicles. GM has recordered no sales to Isuzu since July of 2007, while the 2007 calander year sales dropped 50% to a pitiful 7,098. Isuzu has sold only trucks in the U.S. since 1993, when it stopped selling its last North American car model, the Impulse.

But, the retreat from the North American market has been a long time coming, with sales ebbing away every year. Isuzu once sold as many as 100,000 vehicles a year in the market, but they slowly became a mere curiosity in the market, with nothing of their own to sell, and no real competitive advantage over any of the vehicles itcompeted against. It could have been revived at one point, and some thought that Toyota's recent acquisition of the company from GM might signal such revival, but apparently it is not to be.

"It has always been our intention to remain in the U.S. market," said Terry Maloney, president of Isuzu's North American operations. "However, we were unable to secure any commercially viable replacements for these vehicles."

Isuzu will continue to honor all product warranties and roadside assistance programs. It also will maintain its owner-relations call center.

And what will happen to the small number of Isuzu dealers that stuck it out with Isuzu until the bitter end? Those Isuzu vehicle dealers have been offered the opportunity to continue on as service dealerships. They may realize more profit from that, frankly, after it's all said and done.

Mr. Maloney stated, "Our parts and service operation will remainfully functional. We expect the vast majority of our dealers willcontinue as service-only dealers."

Let us shed a single tear for Isuzu. At so many points in its history there are "if only" moments where the company could have taken another path, but they didn't, and now they will gone from these shores soon. The car business is tough."

[Ramblin Fever]

So is this permanent, or just their plans for now??

To me, Isuzu stopped selling actual Isuzu trucks in 2004....I am deeply saddened by this, but at the same time, the rebaged vehicles they are using are GM quality, not Isuzu....thus not the same, in my opinion.

[95.5 Rodeo]

Below is a link to the story about Isuzu pulling out of the American market.

It came out in today's local paper:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/busin....asp?ID=230037


Dale

[2eyefishclaw]

sup Ryan

hey guys because of this I had to quit my job
Rodeos not visiting the shop no new ones woking on comission I wa sgoin broke quick. went to Garbage Motors dealer for a month big mistake it was horrible. Now working for deisel engine distributor and we also work on the engines mostly detroits in frightliners some smaller pump engines like it so far nice to be away from comission but its weird leaving 11 yrs behind me.

[amigo-2k]

Hey now, don't leave us! The only way we can keep our Isuzu's on the road is with your help!

Glad to hear you landed on your feet in a new job!

[FL 3.2L]

Don't think we can't find you if we need you.

Louisiana white pages under "fishclaw," right?