2005 Chevrolet Equinox

WE HAVE A 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX, AS MY MECHANIC WOULD SAY, IS A PROBLEM CHILD. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT MOST HAVE WITH THE ODOR COMING FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM. OUR BIGGEST COMPLAINT IN WITH THE SUSPENSION, AND NOW THE ABS SYSTEM. IT TOOK SEVERAL VISITS TO FIGURE OUT WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS MAKING LOUD NOISES IN THE FRONT END. IT ALL STARTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AROUND A SHARP CORNER. FROM THAT DAY ON, WHICH WAS ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, TILL PRESENT TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN LOAD. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT MECHANIC. THE NOISE IN THE FRONT TURNED OUT TO BE THE STRUT PLATES. THIS COST US $300 PER SIDE. WE THOUGHT WE HAD SOLVED THE ISSUES EXCEPT FOR ABOUT A WEEK AGO A LOUDER NOISE STARED. IT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING TO BREAK IN TWO. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO OUR MECHANIC. THIS TIME IT WAS THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AGAIN. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS CALLED. THERE IS A ROD THAT IS FROM THE TOP OF THE STRUT THAT GOES DOWN TO THE WHEEL. THESE BOTH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE SHOP NOW. THANK FULLY THESES RODS ONLY COST $30 A PIECE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 46000 ON IT. THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE ABS SYSTEM. NOT EVERY TIME BUT QUITE FREQUENTLY WE WOULD BACK THE CAR UP AND THEY ABS WOULD ENGAGE. ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS WAS THROUGH REPLACING THE SENSORS ON THE WHEELS. IN NOT KNOWING WHICH SENSOR IS BAD WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM WHICH WOULD AMOUT TO AT LEAST $1200. THE GOOD NEWS OR NOT SUCH GOOD NEWS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT, THE ABS SYSTEM IS ENGAGING GOING FORWARD NOW, ON DRY PAVEMENT WHILE BRAKING. AT LEAST THE MECHANICS SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THE FALTY SENSOR NOW THAT IT IS HAPPENING ALL OF THE TIME. SHAME ON US FOR NOT DOING OUR RESEARCH BEFORE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY (RTE 495 S). I SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A JOLT. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD GOTTEN A FLAT TIRE, SO I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE. THE CAR WAS IDLING FINE BUT MADE A HORRIBLE SCRAPING NOISE WHEN MOVING. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THE BOLTS SUPPORTING MY ENGINE BLOCK HAD SNAPPED AND THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE ENGINE WAS MY AXLE ' HENCE THE AWFUL SCRAPING NOISE. MY CAR IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 30K MILES - I WOULD THINK A PART AS IMPORTANT AS THE BOLTS SUPPORTING MY ENGINE BLOCK SHOULD LAST LONGER. I HAVE ALL PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED. *TR

AUTO WAS AT REST AT A STOP LIGHT JUST AFTER EXITING EXPRESSWAY. AUTO SEEMED TO LOSE POWER WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMP GAUGE WAS READING HOT. I SLOWLY DROVE ABOUT A MILE HOME. AT THIS TIME I TURN OFF THE AUTO AND OPENED THE HOOD. I LET IT SIT TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, AT THAT TIME I TRIED TO START THE AUTO AND IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT AND TRIED TO START NEXT MORNING, IT TURNED OVER HARD AND STARTED. I TURNED IT OFF, CHECKED THE COOLANT IT WAS VERY LOW. I ADDED COOLANT, LET IT RUN ABOUT 10MIN, LOTS OF STEAM COME FROM TAIL PIPE AND NO HEAT FROM VENTS. I THEN CHECKED ENGINE OIL, IT SEEMED WATERED DOWN. A FRIEND WHO KNOWS CARS TOLD ME HEAD GASKET. MY 3YEAR OLD CHEVY NOW NEEDS AT LEAST $1500 TO $2000 WORTH OF REPAIRS THAT MAY NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AT 24,000 MILES, THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE PURCHASE DATE, VIN, POWERTRAIN, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 12/07/07

CURRENTLY MY VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR A HEAD GASKET REPAIR. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR A TSB ON THE COOLING SYSTEM TO HAVE THE SYSTEM FLUSHED AND NEW HOSES AND COOLANT REPLACED. A FOUL ODOR WAS BEING RELEASED FROM THE VEHICLE AND A SLUDGE AND DISCOLORATION WAS BUILDING UP IN THE RESERVE TANK. I RECENTLY STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT (NEAR RED LINE AT STOP LIGHTS). UPON CHECKING MY COOLANT LEVEL IT WAS VERY LOW. IT IS A CLOSED COOLING SYSTEM AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. UPON A SERVICE WRITER OPENING THE HOOD THE VEHICLE WAS SIZZLING AND BOILING. HE QUICKLY POINTED OUT THE SLUDGE AND DISCOLORATION AGAIN IN MY RESERVE TANK AND HE TOLD ME THIS WAS INDICATIVE OF A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I HAVE RESEARCHED ON LINE AND SEEN THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH NUMEROUS OTHER 2005 EQUINOX OWNERS RESULTING IN MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS AND FAILURES. EVERYTHING FROM GASKETS AND HEADS TO WATER PUMPS AND ENTIRE ENGINES HAVING TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED IS ON RECORD. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE AVAILABLE TO THE CONSUMER IN THE EVENT THAT PROBLEMS SHOULD CONTINUE AFTER THIS MAJOR REPAIR? MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND I STILL OWE A VERY SUBSTANTIAL BALANCE. I CANNOT AFFORD CONTINUING MAJOR REPAIR COSTS IN ADDITION TO MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS WHEN IT APPEARS THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT/PROBLEM. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. DONNA HUFF-BOLEK SHADY SIDE, MARYLAND *TR

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 2005 AWD CHEVY EQUINOX, INCLUDING THE HEAD GASKETS BLOWING, LOSING ACCELERATION ON THE 270/HIGHWAY, ONGOING ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, AND OTHER PROBLEMS WHICH STILL CONTINUE. I HAVE BEGGED FOR CHEVY TO HELP GET THE CAR FULLY REPAIRED AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES JUST KEEP TELLING ME TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALER. I'VE TRIED TWO DEALERS AND RETURNED TO THE PURCHASING DEALER WHO WILL ONLY MAKE REPAIRS IF THEY CAN PULL A CODE - THEY REPORT I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY SPARK PLUG WIRES - FIRST THEY REATTACHED IT, AND THEN REPLACED ONE BUT CAR STILL DOESN'T DRIVE AS IT DID BEFORE HEAD GASKETS BLEW. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME - I'VE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP 8 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS AND THE DEALER AND CHEVY WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY - CAR WARRANTY ENDS IN 6 MONTHS OR HELP REPAIR PROPERLY. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AS THEY DON'T TAKE MY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY AS THE ONLY WAY THEY DIAGNOSE IS BY PULLING CODES. *TR

I BOUGHT THE EQINOX IN THE END OF FEBRUARY 2005. I NOTICED A SOUR SMELL, AND HAD THE DEALER CLEAN INTERIOR BECAUSE OF THE ROTTEN SMELL. THE SMELL PERSISTED, AND THE DEALER HAD THE COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED AND SAID THAT WOULD CURE THE PROBLEM. THEN , WHEN THE WEATHER WARMED UP AND I TURNED ON THE VENT LIGHT STEAM WOULD COME OUT OF THE VENTS AND MOISTURE ON THE WINDOW INSIDE. I HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR 5 DAYS, AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY HAD FLUSHED THE SYSTEM AGAIN AND THE SMELL WAS STILL THERE. TWO WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE ORIGINALS DEALER, AND THEY DETERMINED THE HEATER CORE WAS GONE AND THEY REPLACED IT AND SEEMED TO RUN FINE , EXCEPT IT SEEMED TO RUN HOT AND WOULD LEAVE A LARGE PUDDLE. I COMPLAINED, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL, AND THAT ALL WAS OKAY. LAST MONTH IN MAY 2007 EVERY TIME I STOPPED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD CLIMB SO THE DEALER REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. 3 WEEKS LATER THE GAUGE WOULD HIT RED EVERY TIME I WOULD STOP AT A LIGHT. I BROUGHT IT BACK AGAIN THIS TIME THEY SAID THE HEAD GASKETS WERE SHOT. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET, AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GAVE ME THE PARTS, BUT IT STILL COST $918.00 SINCE NOW I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND THEY CLAIMED THE ENGINE HEADS WARPED DUE TO THE HEATER CORE PROBLEMS IN THE BEGINNING, AND THAT IF I HAD A PRIVATE REPAIRMAN REPAIR THE GASKETS THE JOB WOULD HAVE COASTED $1000, AND CHEVROLET DID NOT GIVE ME ANY REAL BREAK.*AK

BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH 20,000 AND IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS A WEEK LATER. PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP,GRINDING AND CLICKING AT SLOW TURNS. THEY REPLACED ROTORS ,CLUTCH AND SUSPENSION AND THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. THEN CAME THE AIR CONDITION NOT BLOWING COLD AIR AND THE IGNITION STICKING ON START UP. THE FINAL STRAW WAS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND DROPPING INTO LOWER GEARS,THE CAR WILL BE IN THE SHOP IN THE MORNING. LAST CHEVY I WILL EVER BUY BACK TO NISSAN. *JB