2018 Chevrolet Equinox

MY 2018 CHEVY EQUINOX WITH THE 1.5L TURBO ENGINE FAILS TO SHIFT INTO 6TH GEAR WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 14 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST RESPONSE I GOT WAS "THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE, JUST DRIVE IT AS NORMAL". WHERE I LIVE THE TEMPERATURE IS VERY OFTEN BELOW 14 DEGREES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. DRIVING AT HWY SPEEDS, THE ENGINE IS OFTEN RUNNING 3400 RPM OR HIGHER LOCKED IN 5TH GEAR. I HAVE DRIVEN THOUSANDS OF MILES THIS WINTER IN THIS CONDITION. THIS IS NOT NORMAL TO ME, AND THE INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION, ENGINE NOISE AND WEAR ON THE VEHICLE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME. IN ADDITION I WAS TOLD BY DEALER SERVICE, THAT 6TH GEAR WOULD RETURN AS SOON AS THE TEMPERATURE ROSE ABOVE 14 DEGREES. IT DID NOT RETURN UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 32 DEGREES. ANOTHER TRIP BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE "CHARGED AIR COOLER". THIS WORKED ONLY UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW 14 DEGREES AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A FIX. I HAD FILED AN ONLINE COMPLAINT WITH GM, AND WAS SHORTLY UPGRADED TO A "SENIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE CONSULTANT". THIS CONSULTANT AIDED IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLER, BUT NEVER FOLLOWED UP WITH ME. WHEN I CALLED BACK TO TELL THEM THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, I WAS TOLD MY CASE WAS CLOSED. GREAT SERVICE THERE GM. CLOSE THE COMPLAINT WITHOUT EVEN TALKING TO THE CONSUMER. MY TAKE ON THIS AFTER THE LAST 2 MONTHS OF ISSUES, IS THAT GM KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED. THE TRANSMISSION IS PROGRAMMED NOT TO SHIFT INTO TOP GEAR BELOW 14 DEGREES AS AN INEPT ATTEMPT TO PREVENT CONDENSATION FROM FREEZING IN THE "CHARGED AIR COOLER". EVEN THOUGH GM KNEW THIS BEFORE THEY SOLD THE VEHICLE IN NORTHERN CLIMATES, THEY DID NOT INFORM THE BUYERS OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS WILL POTENTIALLY AFFECT ALL GM VEHICLES WITH EITHER THE 1.4 OR 1.5L GAS ENGINE AND 6 SPD. TRANNNY.

THE CAR WAS IDLING AND IN PARK ON A NO-GRADE (FLAT),PRIVATE ROAD PREPARING FOR SCHOOL DROP OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER IN PREPARING TO DRIVE AWAY, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS I MOVED THE CAR FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR BEGAN MOVING BACKWARDS AS IF I WAS ON A SIGNIFICANT HILL. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THE CAR WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO MOVE BACKWARDS BECAUSE I QUICKLY PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN TO STOP IT SO I DIDN'T ROLL INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. I CONFIRMED THAT THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND PROCEEDED TO QUICKLY MOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE GAS PEDAL TO ENSURE THAT I MOVED FORWARD (AS IF I WAS STOPPED ON A HILL). I HAVE BEEN USING THE CAR FOR THIS DROP OFF FOR MONTHS WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING PREVIOUSLY. THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO BE EXAMINED BY THE DEALER TOMORROW.

MY 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX HAS NOT BEEN SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR (6TH) FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW. I BROUGHT IT INTO A CHEVY DEALER NEAR ME, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION FOR THIS VEHICLE, WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 14 DEGREES.. THE SERVICE MANAGER CITED A GM TSB #18-NA-035. THIS TSB INSTRUCTS THE DEALER TO INFORM THE OWNER THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING NORMALLY, AND INSTRUCTS THE DEALER NOT TO ATTEMPT ANY REPAIRS. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION TO ME. AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS THE ENGINE RPM IS RUNNING HIGH AND NOISIER THAN NORMAL. THE GAS MILEAGE HAS ALSO DROPPED BY 10% TO 15%. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY GM OR THE DEALER WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE THAT HIGH GEAR WOULD BE DISABLED IN NORMAL MINNESOTA WINTER TEMPERATURES. I BELIEVE GM MISLED BUYERS OF THIS VEHICLE BY NOT INFORMING THEM OF THIS VEHICLE DEFECT, WHICH THEY HAD TO KNOW ABOUT, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PROGRAMED TO DO THIS. ALSO ONCE THE TEMPERATURE DID GET ABOVE 14 DEGREES, THE VEHICLE STILL DID NOT SHIFT INTO 6TH GEAR. SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS 36 DEGREES, THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY STARTED TO SHIFT NORMALLY. IF CHEVROLET DOES NOT HAVE A SUITABLE FIX FOR THIS I WILL REPORT THIS AS A "LEMON LAW" DEFECT IN MY VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V516000 (POWER TRAIN). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE OVER FOUR MONTHS AGO. THE DEALER (REX CHEVROLET GMC, 805 S DES MOINES ST, ODEBOLT, IA 51458 (712) 668-2296) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT INDEPENDENTLY ROLLED AWAY AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. C&O MOTORS (516 MACCORKLE AVE, ST ALBANS, WV) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V516000(POWER TRAIN) AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 700.... .UPDATED 11/16/17 *BF CONSUMER STATED CORRECTION: MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. CORRECTION: CONSUMERS HUSBAND OR HERSELF WAS NEVER TOLD TO SET THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. UPDATED 7/23/18*JB