MU-X RJ (2nd gen) inspection checklist

Look for: The factory springs/dampers sag and feel soft when carrying seven people plus gear or with a loaded towball, hurting stability, steering feel and braking - a common complaint on touring/towing examples.

Look for: Front rails can flex and cause cracking around suspension towers, inner guards and bull-bar mounts when a heavy steel bar and winch rock under off-road loads.

Look for: The Diesel Particulate Diffuser won't passively regenerate on short, low-speed suburban driving. Soot builds up, regen cycles become frequent, fuel use climbs and a permanently blocked filter is expensive. Using non-DPF-rated oil clogs it fast. Some owners have reported constant-regen behaviour and warranty disputes where Isuzu cited fuel contamination.

Look for: Soot and oil vapour clog the EGR valve and inlet manifold, causing check-engine lights, hard starting, power loss and rough idle; the EGR can stick open. A catch-can reduces oil carry-over.

Look for: The Aisin auto can run hot dragging a 2.5t+ caravan uphill, with the temperature warning appearing under sustained load from torque-converter slip.

Look for: The small-displacement diesel runs a higher relative DPF load and won't regen properly on short suburban drives, leading to soot loading, frequent regens and eventual blockage if neglected.

Look for: Owners report loud turbo noise when cold or under load; the factory turbo has had revisions and Isuzu extended turbo warranty on some D-Max/MU-X units, indicating early-life concerns.

Look for: The EGR operates across a wide range and fouls with carbon, fouling the intake and causing low-rpm hesitation and rough idle. The tight common-rail tolerances also make it intolerant of contaminated/water-laden diesel.

Look for: As a Euro 5 diesel it carries the same DPD plus EGR, which load up with soot on short urban trips and need periodic attention.