The Japanese company blamed the move on General Motors Corp. Isuzu representatives said GM stopped production for Isuzu of the Ascender sport utility vehicle and i-290 and i-370 pickup trucks.
"It has always been our intention to remain in the U.S. market," said Terry Maloney, Isuzu president and chief operating officer. "However, we were unable to secure any commercially viable replacements for these vehicles."
Isuzu sold only 7,098 vehicles in the U.S. in 2007, down nearly 18 percent from the previous year, according to Autodata Corp.
The company said it will back its products and dealers by honoring all product warranties and roadside assistance programs.
Isuzu will offer all current U.S. vehicle dealers the chance to stay on as service-only dealers, the company said.
"Isuzu will discontinue the sales of vehicles only. Our parts and service operation will remain fully functional," Maloney's statement said. "We expect the vast majority of our dealers will continue as service-only dealers."
The Ascender is a mid-sized sport utility vehicle similar to a Chevrolet TrailBlazer, while the two pickups are similar to the mid-sized Chevrolet Colorado.
The Isuzu Trooper was one of the first midsize SUVs on the market in the early 1980s. But Trooper sales plummeted in 1996 when Consumer Reports said the Trooper was dangerous and prone to tipping. Isuzu stopped distributing cars in the U.S. in 1993 and became fully truck-based.
Isuzu became a household word in 1986 with a popular ad campaign featuring the lying car salesman Joe Isuzu, played by actor David Leisure.
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