2005 Chevrolet Equinox

2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX---WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET @ 63,000 MILES. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE! IT IS A SHAME THAT GM/CHEVROLET WILL NOT STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO HELP OUT ALL OF US POOR UNSUSPECTING OWNERS WHO BOUGHT THIS SHODDY MADE CAR. IF ANYTHING, IT LOOKS AS IF THE NHTSA WOULD INTERVENE ON OUR BEHALF. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IN TO A GM SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES FOR HEATING ISSUES. THE FIRST TIME THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. A YEAR LATER IN THE FALL, THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN NOT BLOWING HOT AIR. TOOK IT BACK TO GM AND THEY FLUSHED THE SYSTEM. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK IN BECAUSE THE HEAT WAS NOT BLOWING AGAIN. FOR THE 2ND TIME THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. FOLLOWING YEAR, WOULDN'T BLOW HOT AIR AGAIN, THEY FLUSHED THE SYSTEM 3 TIMES AND FINALLY GOT THE HEAT WORKING AGAIN. FAST FORWARD TO FALL 2010. SAME PROBLEM, NOT BLOWING HEAT ONLY THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. GM DIAGNOSED A CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND A LEAKY WATER PUMP AND WOULDN'T COVER ANY OF THE SO CALLED PROBLEMS. THE FIRST 3-4 TIMES THAT THE CAR WAS IN TO BE WORKED ON IT HAD THE SAME "SYMPTOMS" 1. WHEN THE HEAT WAS WORKING AND I SLOWED TO STOP - IT WOULD START BLOWING COOL AIR, BUT AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED, THE WARM AIR RETURNED. 2. IF I TURNED THE FAN KNOB PAST THE 2ND TICK, IT WOULD START BLOWING COLD AIR. IN 2010, STARTED WITH THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS AND ONLY TO HAVE THE HEAT GO OUT COMPLETELY. GM WON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.THIS GO AROUND DIAGNOSED A CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND A LEAKY WATER PUMP AND WOULDN'T HELP PAY TO FIX BECAUSE IT WAS A "NEW" DIAGNOSIS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. FUNNY HOW EACH TIME IT WAS IN PREVIOUSLY, THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS ARE DOCUMENT IN THEIR SYSTEM AND NO CRACKED HEAD GASKET OR LEAKY WATER PUMP WAS THE CAUSE. THEY'RE SKIRTING BY ON AN UNDERLYING ISSUE AND AREN'T WARRANTING THEIR PRODUCT! WE'VE SINCE TAKEN IT TO TWO SEPARATE MECHANICS AND THEY'VE BOTH TOLD US THE ISSUE ISN'T CAUSED BY A CRACKED HEAD GASKET OR LEAKY WATER PUMP. WE'VE AGAIN REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT ONLY TO HAVE THE HEAT GO OUT ON OUR 3 HOUR CAR RIDE HOME FROM THE HOLIDAY WITH A BABY IN THE CAR-NICE GM YOU ARE A JOKE. I'VE ALWAYS OWNED A GM PRODUCT BUT AFTER BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG, I WILL NEVER BUY ONE AGAIN!

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS INOPERABLE AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO FLUSHED THE HEATER CORE, PERFORMED A PRESSURE TEST, REPLACED THE CYLINDERS, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET SET, OIL FILTER, HEAD GASKET, EXHAUST MANIFOLD, DISTRIBUTOR O-RINGS, HEAD VOLT SET, AND THE ANTIFREEZE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,075. UPDATED 02/23/11*LJ UPDATED 05/20/11

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 59,900 MILES. TOOK IT IN TO FIRESTONE THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT AND SAID THAT THE SPARK PLUGS / WITING WERE BAD. HAD THEM REPLACED FOR AT A COST OF $400. A WEEK LATER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND CAR OVERHEATED. TOOK IT IN TO FIRESTONE AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN AND THE #1 CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. REPAIR ESTIMATE $1500 TO REPLACE THE GASKETS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $1000 IF THE HEAD IS CRACKED. HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG GM VEHICLES THAT REQUIRE THE DEX-COOL COOLANT. FOUND A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN CA AND MO BUT THAT ONLY COVERED UP TO 2003 MODELS. OBVIOUSLY GM KNOWS THIS TO BE AN ISSUE, SO I HAVE TO WONDER WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SELLING DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH GASOLINE FUMES WERE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRACKED EGR VALVE AND THE PCV VALVE SEVEN DAYS AGO FOR $600 AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000. UPDATED 01/14/11*LJ UPDTATED 2/17/11 *CN UPDATED 04/29/11