IsuzuTrooper1987Overview/isuzu/trooper/1987/base/

1987 Isuzu Trooper

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Trooper.

The 1987 Isuzu Trooper recorded only 8 owner complaints and 3 recalls, with the Power Train identified as the top complaint area. This model year predates the model's recorded complaint history from 1990 to 2002, where complaints ranged from a low of 12 in 2002 to a high of 81 in 1999, meaning the 1987 Trooper's complaint count falls below that entire range and sits in a separate, earlier period of the model's reliability record.

Model year200220011995199419931992199119901987

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine GL-5 in the differential.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilGL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.2 Pints,
Power Steering FluidATF
Transfer Case Fluid5W-30 · API
Transfer Case Fluid Capacity1.6 Pints

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 7,500 mi. The big-interval services (every 7,500 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Clutch Assembly (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
At 15,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Clutch Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft Slip Yoke (lubricate) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate)
Every 30,000 miAir Injection System (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Distributor Vacuum Advance (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 45,000 miPower Steering Line (inspect)
At 60,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 60,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The provided federal year-by-year record contains no entries before 1990, placing the 1987 Isuzu Trooper outside the earliest documented arc and preventing direct comparison to prior years within this dataset. Across the 1990–2002 span, complaints trended upward to a peak of 81 in 1999 while recalls and investigations largely receded after the mid-1990s, and TSBs climbed sharply toward the end of the run. For 1987 specifically, federal data records only five total complaints across power train, fuel system, wheels, and suspension, with zero crash and zero fire complaints. The data does not specify why the 1987 complaint totals are lower than the elevated volumes documented from 1990 onward, so the cause of that gap is unknown. Nevertheless, with minimal documented complaints and no recorded crash or fire incidents, the 1987 model carries a comparatively clean federal record, making it a reasonable year to buy pending a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
4
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
6
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
8
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 8 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Power Train2
Fuel System, Gasoline,Structure1
Wheels1
Suspension1
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Seat Belts1
Seats1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

92V093000Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And AttachmentsReported 27/07/1992

TRUCKS USED IN THE SALT-BELT STATES CAN HAVE ACCUMULATED CORROSION IN THE HINGES OF THE REAR DOORS. IF THE VEHICLES ALSO HAVE MISALIGNED DOOR LATCHES AND STRIKERS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO CLOSE THE DOORS IN A "FALSE LATCH"… Remedy: CHECK THE DOOR LATCHES AND STRIKERS FOR CORRECT ALIGNMENT AND REPAIR IF NECESSARY; ALSO INSPECT REAR DOOR HINGES FOR CORROSION AND REPLACE IF NECESSARY.

93E023000Trailer HitchesReported 22/07/1993

THE WELD ON THE RECEIVER UNIT OF THE TRAILER HITCH CAN BREAK. Remedy: REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 4 of 4 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
IB13-R-001G2023-05-08Unknown Or OtherThis bulletin outlines the procedures for using the Alpine Exchange Program (the…
WB13-X-001B2022-08-30EquipmentIsuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural…
WB13-X-001A2022-08-02EquipmentIsuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. (ICTA) is providing the following procedural…
SB0012S0022000-03-01EquipmentTHIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN OUTLINES THE DETAILED PROCEDURES FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Trooper. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1987 Trooper have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.