The Isuzu IMPULSE spans 1981–1992 with 5 recorded NHTSA recalls and a 4.0/5 ForCar reliability score. The years to approach with caution are 1991, 1990, 1985 (most owner complaints); the cleanest are 1981, 1982, 1983. It delivers up to 26 mpg combined and NHTSA-rated safety.
How we score: NHTSA crash-test safety (40%), recall frequency across all years (25%) and the share of owner complaints involving a crash, fire or injury (35%). Based on NHTSA & EPA data — not user reviews.
Overview
The Isuzu IMPULSE is one of the most popular vehicles in its class, produced from 1981 to 1992 across multiple generations.
Decode or check a Isuzu IMPULSE by VIN
Enter a 17-digit VIN to decode this Isuzu IMPULSE — trim, engine, plant and full specs — and instantly pull its open recalls, safety ratings and original window sticker.
How to read a Isuzu IMPULSE VIN — every digit explained
Every Isuzu IMPULSE carries a unique 17-character VIN stamped at the factory. Each position is a code — together they spell out where, when and how your car was built. Here's exactly what every digit means.
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. 4T1 = Toyota, built in the USA.
- VDS (4–8) — model line, body style, engine & restraint system.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built. H = 2017.
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled this IMPULSE.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
Model-year code (10th digit)
The 10th character is the model year. It cycles through letters and numbers, skipping I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 to avoid confusion:
Where to find your IMPULSE VIN
- Dashboard — driver's side, visible through the windshield from outside.
- Driver's door jamb — on the manufacturer sticker when you open the door.
- Paperwork — vehicle registration, title and insurance card.
- Engine bay & frame — stamped on the firewall or chassis on many models.
How many recalls does the Isuzu IMPULSE have?
The Isuzu IMPULSE has 5 recorded NHTSA recalls across 1981–1992. Pick a year below to see its recalls — then verify open recalls against your specific VIN.
1992 Isuzu IMPULSE recalls 1
Air Bags
What's wrong. The steering wheel center hub can fracture during certain frontal and near frontal vehicle collisions.
Risk. Fracturing of the steering wheel hub can decrease thedriver's control of the vehicle and could reduce the crash protection of thesteering system and the driver's side air bag.
Fix. A steering wheel reinforcement plate and nut will be added to the steering wheel hub.
1991 Isuzu IMPULSE recalls 1
Air Bags
What's wrong. The steering wheel center hub can fracture during certain frontal and near frontal vehicle collisions.
Risk. Fracturing of the steering wheel hub can decrease thedriver's control of the vehicle and could reduce the crash protection of thesteering system and the driver's side air bag.
Fix. A steering wheel reinforcement plate and nut will be added to the steering wheel hub.
1990 Isuzu IMPULSE recalls 1
Air Bags
What's wrong. The steering wheel center hub can fracture during certain frontal and near frontal vehicle collisions.
Risk. Fracturing of the steering wheel hub can decrease thedriver's control of the vehicle and could reduce the crash protection of thesteering system and the driver's side air bag.
Fix. A steering wheel reinforcement plate and nut will be added to the steering wheel hub.
1985 Isuzu IMPULSE recalls 1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
What's wrong. The clearance between the brake line at the rear axle and fuel tank retaining band is not wide enough and allows the line to contact the band during severe operating conditions. Continued contact may cause the damaged brake line to restrict the flow of brake fluid, or rupture, resulting in loss of brake fluid. Consequence of defect: loss of brake fluid or restriction of brake fluid flow results in loss of braking ability of rear wheel which could cause an accident.
Fix. Replace brake line and reroute to eliminate contact.
1983 Isuzu IMPULSE recalls 1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
What's wrong. Bolt located in rear brake calipers may not be securely fastened. The bolt may come off and braking action could become impaired.
Fix. Upon inspection, bolts will be properly tightened.
Best and worst years for the Isuzu IMPULSE
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint volume across 12 tracked years, the worst years are 1991, 1990, 1985 and the best (fewest complaints) are 1981, 1982, 1983.
ForCar aggregate — our own analysis of complaint volume, not published by NHTSA.
| Year | Owner complaints | Top issue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Best |
| 1982 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Best |
| 1983 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Best |
| 1984 IMPULSE | 1 | Fuel System | Average |
| 1985 IMPULSE | 3 | Fuel System | Avoid |
| 1986 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Average |
| 1987 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Average |
| 1988 IMPULSE | 2 | Structure | Average |
| 1989 IMPULSE | 1 | Electrical System | Average |
| 1990 IMPULSE | 5 | Vehicle Speed Control | Avoid |
| 1991 IMPULSE | 26 | Electrical System | Avoid |
| 1992 IMPULSE | 0 | — | Average |
What are the most common Isuzu IMPULSE problems?
The most-reported Isuzu IMPULSE problems are Air (1 reports), Other (1 reports) and Gasoline (1 reports) — out of 38 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the model. Here's how they break down:
Most-reported components — tap a category to read what owners actually experienced:
Electrical System 13 Read
After vehicle had been sitting all night, early morning it bursted into flames, near the battery. Consumer was told by the fire marshall it appeared to be a short circuit near the battery. *ak
I have a 1991 isuzu impulse and it's having ecu problems. My mechanic says it needs to be replaced. I see that this is a recurring problem with these cars, and it shouldn't fall on the shoulders of the consumers. *ak
The consumer stated that the vehicle is experiencing the same idle control problems as stated in previous recall regarding the electronic control unit. *yh
As the weather is getting warmer the engine revs and drops uncontrollably. The car also stalls at any speed. I have had it even stall on the highway. I hear this is a common problem on this particular type of ecm unit, please check into this for me. If i hadn't taken a defensive driving course i could be dead right now. *ak
The defects are due to the improper manufacturing of the ecm module of this vehicle. The symptoms include an erratic idle with the idle revving up and dropping to the point where the engine dies. The idling will jump up to 2000 rpm, linger there until i blip the throttle, sometimes up to 3 or 4 times. On one occasion, while driving on the freeway at 65mph, the engine began to stall with the idling moving erratically, and then suddenly the car went completely dead in the middle of the freeway. Luckily, i managed to coast off to the shoulder where i remained stranded for over four hours. When diagnosed by the dealer, there are no trouble codes present. It was suggested to me to replace the ignition module, plugs, wires, coil packs, cam angle sensor, and various other components due to the reason that they were the ones causing the problem. Obviously, the problem was not fixed and my wallet was lightened by about $500. The dealer stated that this is "normal" for this to happen. I don't see anything "normal" about having you car completely go dead on you on the freeway. I need to get this defect fixed because this puts the driver in an extremely unsafe situation. With the freeways being as dangerous as they are, the less things you have to worry about, the better attention you will be able to pay to the road ahead of you. Thankyou for your time. I really hope you can help me.*ak
When car warms up you cant drive or it will stall. Once warmed up it will not start. I saw an article on the isuzuperformance web site that said other vehicles have this problem. It also stated the reason for this problem is a faulty ecu computer made and installed by ac delco. I wish i would have had this information before i went out a bought parts to try to fix the problem myself. If its the computer, there is nothing i can do about that on my own. A response on this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. *ak
The vehicle fails to run after is warms up. I have contacted several mechanics and was told that it is a common problem. I was told that the manufacturer uses an insulating spray on the ecu that causes it to shrink and brake contacts in the unit itself. This is very dangerous in that it has left me stranded once already and with loose contact it my cause a fire. I do not expect the manufacturer to replace the unit for free. I bought the vehicle used so they did not make any money off of me but some help would be nice. I find them responsible so they should live up to there reputation of quality. *ak
Ecu has erratic problem. Will put the car into high idle at any given speed and will not reset unless car is turned off and restarted. Replace accelerator cable and reseated ecm several times to no avail. Try resetting the ecm to get the car off of high idle while you are in traffic. *ak
Failure of internal cpu connections creates faulty idle and driveability.
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
Vehicle Speed Control 9 Read
Car races engine badly in the summer when temp over 80 degrees-wont idle. *ak
The symptoms of this fault are most notably erratic idle, idle revving and dropping, idle dipping often with engine dying, idle hanging high above 2,000 rpm, and engine dying or stalling for no reason with no trouble codes. These symptoms will often only occur in warmer weather as the metal circuits of the circuit board seem most vulnerable to short circuits at solder cracks when the temperature within the car is above 80 degrees fahrenheit. In temperate climates, the symptoms may first show themselves as soon as the weather warms and plague the owner all summer long, only to subside in the fall with the cooler weather and then reappear the next spring.
As the weather is getting warmer the engine revs and drops uncontrollably. The car also stalls at any speed. I have had it even stall on the highway. I hear this is a common problem on this particular type of ecm unit, please check into this for me. If i hadn't taken a defensive driving course i could be dead right now. *ak
Ecu has erratic problem. Will put the car into high idle at any given speed and will not reset unless car is turned off and restarted. Replace accelerator cable and reseated ecm several times to no avail. Try resetting the ecm to get the car off of high idle while you are in traffic. *ak
My address is in ontario,canada postal code l5j-3n5. The symptoms of this fault are most notably erratic idle, idle revving and dropping, idle dipping often with engine dying, idle hanging high above 2,000 rpm, and engine dying or stalling for no reason with no trouble codes. These symptoms will often only occur in warmer weather as the metal circuits of the circuit board seem most vulnerable to short circuits at solder cracks when the temperature within the car is above 80 degrees fahrenheit. In temperate climates, the symptoms may first show themselves as soon as the weather warms and plague the owner all summer long, only to subside in the fall with the cooler weather and then reappear the next spring. *ak
The number of failures is relative to the number of times the car surges on me per week, but not how many time the actual equipment has had to be replaced.
I have had this problem one too many times, and it is starting to get annoying. I can't afford to buy another car right now and i would'nt want anyone else to have this problem with a car. It's very dangerous. My car can take off at any time it wants to. It almost made me get in an accident in a traffic jam. The dealer won't cover the defect. *ak
Constant stalling and/or high revving of engine. Stalling usually occurs when comming out of gear and idle goes down to 500rpms or lower and stalls out. After some research i have found the problem to be an acknowledged ecu problem that should be replaced and isuzu never did.*ak
Engine idle jumps above 3000 rpm after pulling to a stop. Will occasionally return to normal after several minutes. Car races and accelerates uncontrollably with clutch engaged until idle speed returns to normal. Iac and sticky throttle cable have been ruled out. Problem appears to be related to the delco ecu, as experienced by many owners of vehicles with 1.6 and 1.8 liter fi 4xe1 and 4xf1 engines. Manufacturer has refused to acknowledge this problem.
Engine And Engine Cooling 5 Read
The car will for no reason stall, even at high speeds resulting in a loss of power steering and brakes. This is the second one that i have owned, and the other one had the same problem. I was making a left hand turn, when the call stalled, and caused a loss of steering. A pedestrian was walking on the street corner, when my car smashed against the curb, just barely missing him. It's really scary when this happens on the highway. I was told that the ecu is defective in every impulse/storm ever made. Why wasn't there ever a recall? Are we waiting for somebody to be killed first?
This is a reoccurring manufacturer defect. Please issue a recall on these engine control modules. *ak
This is the 2nd impulse that i have owned, and i thought it would only happen to my first one, but this one is the same way. When it gets warm out, the engine has idling problems. Then other impulse i had (1990) did it from day 1 at 55000 miles. *ak
While makeing a stop engine would stall or idle. Ealer has been notified ,can't duplicate problem. Please provide further informaton. *ak
Engine idles very high, will surge for no apparent reason. Seems to be a common complaint on these cars.
Seat Belts 2 Read
Owner received recall notice, took vehicle to dealer and was told parts were unavailable.*ak
Seat belt buckle failed after recall repairs. *sd
Fuel System 2 Read
Car will not idle or runs for very short period of time. Have replaced fuel pump fuel pump relay etc etc. Asc certified mech. Says nothing he can do. When car is cold it works well.but a few minutes later it starts acting up. Basically undrivable
Car was parked in garage there was bad fumes smell from the garage and house took to dealer and they say the fuel tank may be corroding . Tt
Exterior Lighting 1 Read
Right tail light socket failed.
Latches/locks/linkages 1 Read
Driving along when hood latch released and flew up. Tt
Structure 1 Read
Wheel well rotted. *sd
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, all model years. Bar = share of total complaints. Full reports searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Isuzu IMPULSE specifications & dimensions
The 1992 Isuzu IMPULSE. Full dimensions below — engine, horsepower and trim decode from your VIN.
| Specs cache warming… |
Source: NHTSA vPIC / Transport Canada vehicle specifications. Metric values converted to imperial; generation ranges approximate.
Isuzu IMPULSE cargo space, seating & interior room
How much the IMPULSE holds — passengers and cargo. EPA measures its interior at 83 cu ft of passenger volume and 13 cu ft of cargo. Seating capacity and legroom vary by trim.
Exact seating capacity, third-row availability, legroom and headroom decode from your VIN or vary by trim.
Passenger & cargo volume from EPA fueleconomy.gov (largest configuration). Seats, legroom and headroom from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Isuzu IMPULSE tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment 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.
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 MPG does the Isuzu IMPULSE get?
The Isuzu IMPULSE returns up to 26 combined MPG (EPA), depending on engine. Pick an engine to see its city / highway / combined rating by year:
| Year | City | Highway | Combined | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 IMPULSE | 19 | 26 | 22 | 2L 4-cyl |
| 1985 IMPULSE | 19 | 26 | 22 | 2L 4-cyl |
| 1986 IMPULSE | 19 | 26 | 22 | 1.9L 4-cyl |
| 1987 IMPULSE | 18 | 25 | 21 | 2L 4-cyl |
| 1988 IMPULSE | 19 | 25 | 21 | 2L 4-cyl |
| 1989 IMPULSE | 19 | 25 | 21 | 2L 4-cyl |
| 1990 IMPULSE | 23 | 31 | 26 | 1.6L 4-cyl |
| 1991 IMPULSE | 23 | 30 | 26 | 1.6L 4-cyl |
| 1992 IMPULSE | 21 | 29 | 24 | 1.8L 4-cyl |
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov — best combined rating per engine & year. Trim & drivetrain vary slightly; decode your VIN for the exact figure.
What engines does the Isuzu IMPULSE have? Power & range
The Isuzu IMPULSE is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.8L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 1.8L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | FWD | Regular |
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.
How much does a Isuzu IMPULSE cost to own?
A Isuzu IMPULSE depreciates at about an average rate. A typical example keeps roughly 46% of its value after five years — losing about 54% to depreciation. Fuel, maintenance and insurance add to the total cost to own.
| Age | Value retained | Est. resale value | Lost to depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 80% | — | — |
| Year 2 | 70% | — | — |
| Year 3 | 61% | — | — |
| Year 4 | 53% | — | — |
| Year 5 | 46% | — | — |
What goes into the five-year cost to own:
- Depreciation — the biggest cost: this IMPULSE loses about 54% of its value over five years.
- Fuel — ≈ $12,000 over five years at roughly 15,000 miles a year.
- Maintenance & repairs — routine service, tires and wear items as the IMPULSE ages.
- Insurance — varies by driver, state and trim; get a quote for your exact figure.
Resale & depreciation are ForCar estimates from typical segment value-retention curves — not a live market quote. Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov at ~15k mi/yr.
Is the Isuzu IMPULSE safe?
NHTSA crash-test ratings aren't published for the IMPULSE yet.
How many miles does a Isuzu IMPULSE last?
A well-maintained Isuzu IMPULSE typically lasts 250,000–300,000+ miles. It's exceptionally durable — with routine maintenance many owners report 250k+ on the original powertrain. Its ForCar Reliability Score is 4.0/5.
Decode your Isuzu IMPULSE’s window sticker & build
Original options, specs, recalls and paint code — straight from the VIN. Free.
Decode VIN →All Isuzu IMPULSE model years
A year-by-year snapshot of the Isuzu IMPULSE — recalls, best EPA fuel economy and NHTSA safety. Tap a year for full details.
| Year | Recalls | Best MPG | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 IMPULSE | 1 recall | 24 mpg | — |
| 1991 IMPULSE | 1 recall | 26 mpg | — |
| 1990 IMPULSE | 1 recall | 26 mpg | — |
| 1989 IMPULSE | 0 | 21 mpg | — |
| 1988 IMPULSE | 0 | 21 mpg | — |
| 1987 IMPULSE | 0 | 21 mpg | — |
| 1986 IMPULSE | 0 | 22 mpg | — |
| 1985 IMPULSE | 1 recall | 22 mpg | — |
| 1984 IMPULSE | 0 | 22 mpg | — |
| 1983 IMPULSE | 1 recall | — | — |
| 1982 IMPULSE | 0 | — | — |
| 1981 IMPULSE | 0 | — | — |
Recalls = NHTSA campaigns that year · MPG = best EPA combined · Safety = NHTSA overall stars (tested years).
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the IMPULSE?
By owner-complaint volume, 1991, 1990, 1985 drew the most reports. 1981, 1982, 1983 have the cleanest records.
How many recalls does the IMPULSE have?
5 recorded NHTSA recalls across 1981–1992. Always check open recalls by your VIN.
What MPG does the IMPULSE get?
Up to 26 combined MPG (EPA), depending on engine — from the base 4-cylinder to the hybrid.
How many miles does a IMPULSE last?
A well-maintained IMPULSE typically reaches 200,000–300,000 miles with regular maintenance.
Is the IMPULSE reliable?
Our ForCar Reliability Score for the IMPULSE is 4.0/5, based on NHTSA safety, recall history and complaint severity.
What's the Isuzu IMPULSE warranty?
New Isuzu models carry a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic (bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain warranty. Coverage can vary by model year and market — confirm with a Isuzu dealer.
Where is the Isuzu IMPULSE made?
The assembly plant is encoded in the VIN — the 11th character. Decode your IMPULSE's VIN above to see exactly where it was built; Isuzu may build it at more than one plant depending on the year.
How much ground clearance does the IMPULSE have?
Ground clearance varies by trim and drivetrain — AWD/4WD versions often sit higher. Decode your VIN or check the specific trim for the exact figure.