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Model file · AcuraUpdated · 9 sources

Selling a junk Acura SLX

Wikipedia's history of Acura gives the SLX one line: it "was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper," and the MDX replaced it because it sold slowly. Under the badge it is a second-generation Trooper, built by Isuzu in Fujisawa, Japan.

A cream-white and silver Acura SLX SUV with steel wheels, parked in a waterfront lot under a clear blue sky
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
1996-1999
Based on
Second-generation Isuzu Trooper
Built in
Fujisawa, Japan (Isuzu plant)
Construction
Body-on-frame SUV
Complaints to NHTSA
13
Year with the most complaints
1998 (6)
Recall campaigns
4

If your SLX has reached the end, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The Trooper underneath

The SLX is a body-on-frame SUV, a truck-style build with the body bolted to a separate frame. Wikipedia lists the second-generation Trooper with a 2.6-liter four and 3.2-liter V6 engines, both single- and dual-cam, and a 4-speed automatic. The EPA files the SLX under special purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles for 1996 through 1999.

What owners reported

Owners filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. The file includes one each under the 1995 and 2000 model years, outside the EPA's 1996-1999 range, because that is how they were filed.

The 1998 stands out with 6. Half name the engine and engine cooling, and the rest name the fuel system and tires. Tires come up again on the 1999 and 2000. The 1996's three complaints split among suspension, air bags and hydraulic brakes, and one mentions a crash.

Four recalls, all from assembly

Each recall describes a part fitted wrong at the plant:

  • 96V248 (1996): a rear center seat belt buckle meant for another market. 163 vehicles.
  • 97V035 (1997): front hubs built without a lock washer or screws. 123 vehicles.
  • 97V092 (1996-1997): the left front brake line routed too close to an upper control arm. 873 vehicles.
  • 98V180 (1998): transfer case flange nuts not installed right, so they can loosen. The notice describes sport utility vehicles in general, so its 3,062 vehicles may include other models.

SLX complaints and recalls by model year

SLX rows in NHTSA's owner file at the October 10, 2026 pull.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesRecallsComponents named
1995100Power train
1996312Suspension, air bags, hydraulic brakes
1997102Exterior lighting
1998601Engine and cooling (3), fuel system, tires
1999100Tires
2000100Tires

No fires, injuries or deaths are recorded.

Worth fixing?

The newest SLX is a 1999. Ask a shop for a written estimate and compare it with the price a running SLX fetches. On a body-on-frame SUV this old, check the frame before anything else; rotted frame explains why it can end the question. For overheating, see head gasket or overheating.

Selling an SLX whole

  1. Locate the title; the VIN plate and odometer reading help too.
  2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Say whether it rolls, whether four-wheel drive engages, and where it sits.
  4. Keep the SLX whole, and name any part already taken off. Junk truck or SUV has more on selling a dead SUV.

Questions people ask

Is the Acura SLX the same as an Isuzu Trooper?
Close to it. Wikipedia's Acura article says the SLX "was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper." It is built on the second-generation Trooper, made by Isuzu in Fujisawa, Japan.
What recalls does the SLX have?
Four: a rear center seat belt buckle (1996), front hub lock washers and screws (1997), front brake line clearance (1996-1997), and transfer case flange nuts (1998). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Will you buy an SLX that won't start or move?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, SUVs included, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Mention if the SLX rolls and where it is stored.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data, Acura SLX model years 1996-1999 fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 96V248: rear center seat belt buckle, 1996 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 97V035: front hub lock washer and screws, 1997 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 97V092: left front brake line clearance, 1996-1997 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 98V180: transfer case flange nuts, 1998 nhtsa.gov
  8. Wikipedia: Acura SLX (Isuzu Trooper second generation, engines, plant) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia: Acura (the MDX replaced the slow-selling SLX) en.wikipedia.org