ROCKY

The Daihatsu Rocky — a special-purpose vehicle explained

The Daihatsu Rocky is a special-purpose vehicle built from 1989 to 2026.

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 1989–2026 · 38 model years · Updated Sep 1, 2026 · 3.5 ★★★★★★★★★★ ForCar Score
Quick answer

The Daihatsu Rocky is a special-purpose vehicle built from 1989 to 2026. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).

1989–2026
Years
5
Recalls
21
Top MPG
—★
NHTSA
3
Complaints

What the Rocky is

The Daihatsu Rocky is a special-purpose vehicle that Daihatsu built from 1989 to 2026 — 38 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest sibling in the Daihatsu range: Charade.

Daihatsu Rocky tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Rocky owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Wheels & tires
Wheel sizeby VIN
Tire sizeby VIN
Bolt patternby trim
Tire pressure32–36 PSI
Engine oil
Oil typeFull synthetic
Gradeon oil cap
Capacityby engine
Battery
Main battery12V · group by trim
Key-fob cellCR2032
Wiper blades
Front bladesby generation
Rear bladeif equipped
Fuses
Fuse boxeshood + dash
Diagramon box lid
Light bulbs
Headlightby trim
Tail / brakeby trim
Fogif equipped

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Daihatsu Rocky have? Power & range

The Daihatsu Rocky is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.6L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Daihatsu Rocky, against one or two on most rivals.

FIG.06·Daihatsu Rocky Powertrains
EngineDisplacementTransmissionDriveFuel
4-cyl1.6L · 4-cylManual 5-spd4-Wheel or All-Wheel DriveRegular
ROWS 1·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA vPIC

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

The Rocky by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Daihatsu Rocky. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.

FIG.05·Daihatsu Rocky by the numbers
TopicRockyDetail
Recalls5 campaignsNHTSA, all years
Owner complaints3 filedWhat breaks and when
Reliability3.5 / 5Best and worst years
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA, HLDI and market listings

Frequently asked questions

What kind of car is the Daihatsu Rocky?

The Rocky is a special-purpose vehicle, built from 1989 to 2026. Engines offered: 4-cyl.

What is the Daihatsu Rocky warranty?

New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.

Is the Rocky reliable?

It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.

How do I check a specific Rocky?

This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.

More in Daihatsu

More Daihatsu models
ModelYearsRecallsBest MPGForCar score
Daihatsu Charade1985–2026334 mpg3.5/5
ROWS 1·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA
Data sourced from NHTSA (recalls, complaints, safety ratings) and EPA fueleconomy.gov (MPG). Best/worst-year analysis is ForCar's own aggregation of complaint volume. Last updated Sep 2026. — ForCar Editorial Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.