2018 Chevrolet Equinox

Was heading to run some errands and when I parked my car I try to release my seat belt buckle and it was not releasing. So I had a knife and I tried wiggling it so the buckle would release and it did not so I was frustrated and broke the seatbelt for driver as well as my rear seat belt. My transmission has been acting weird since 2019 and it happen every morning when it starts running my car shakes for a little then it would run fine. And for brakes my brakes would hesitate and shake as is braking.

The electronic parking brake unexpectedly and automatically engaged while I was driving. The car would jerk and instantly slow down. It didn't matter if I was on a freeway going 55 mph or on a side street going 20 mph. In the course of 24 hours, it got worse and worse. It was extremely dangerous, because I would slow and / or stop unexpectedly in front of cars behind me. I could disengage it with the button, but in just a matter of minutes it would engage again. Finally, I could not disengage it anymore, and I had to park it on the side of the road and get it towed. This was a car rented from Hertz in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dealership stated that it is an internal failure of the vacuum pump. Have had the Vacuum pump fail 2 times since I got it and now it just occurred for the 3rd time. Had it replaced by a dealership both times before and will be bringing it back there this afternoon. No warning light. Brakes just stop working while driving. They feel very hard and barely stop the car. Have to use the emergency brake to stop the car. First and second time it happened I was going about 45-50 mph, coming up to the red light and had no brakes. No previous issue or warning. This time I was in a parking lot so not that fast but had no brakes all of a sudden again.

I waa getting off the highway on an exit ramp and my brake pedal started vibrating. Then I could not depress the brake pedal, it wouldn't budge. It was as hard as a rock. I then lost my breaks and almost had a major accident. I swerved and ended up on the grass shoulder near the woods. Then the “Service Brake Assist” message came on the dashboard, and the engine light came on. It was the most scariest experience I have encountered and now I no longer want to own this car. I had it towed to Apple Cheverolet in York Pa.

TL* THE CONTACT WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HIS DAUGHTER WHO OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACTS DAUGHTER WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AT LOW SPEEDS, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO ENGAGED PROPERLY AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACTS DAUGHTER MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER PRIORITY CHEVROLET (1495 S MILITARY HWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320 757) 424-1811) WHERE IT WAS PENDING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE NUMBER WAS PROVIDED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V576000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) WAS MENTIONED AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 61,000. *DT*JB

WAS DRIVING IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC - ABOUT 35-40 MPH. WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PAD WOULDN'T MOVE. I PUMPED AND NOTHING HAPPENED. NO LIGHTS/WARNINGS ON THE DASH, AND THE CAR HAD FUNCTIONED FINE PRIOR TO THEN. I HAD TO THROW THE CAR TO NEUTRAL, TRY TO VEER INTO ANOTHER LANE, THEN PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO KEEP FROM HITTING ANOTHER CAR. WARNING THEN CAME ACROSS THE DASH SAYING "BRAKE ASSIST SERVICE NEEDED" (OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT). THE CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP- WAS TOLD THAT THE VACUMN PUMP FAILED, THE GEAR INSIDE BROKE APART AND THE PIECES HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO THE ENGINE, SO THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE PUMP AND GET THE PIECES OUT OF THE ENGINE. NO ABS WARNING PRIOR, NO OTHER ENGINE TROUBLE OR OTHER WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. 86K MILES, 2018 EQUINOX.

BRAKES FAILED FOLLOWING A VACUUM PUMP FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT FASTER SPEEDS ON A BUSY CITY STREET (45MPH). "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" WAS DISPLAYED AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL FELT SOLID AND DID NOT DEPRESS. USING THE NEUTRAL GEAR AND PARKING BRAKE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL FAILURE IN A DIFFERENT SCENARIO WITH A LESSER DRIVER

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE 70 MPH SPEED LIMIT, I ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN AND COULD NOT WITHOUT UTILIZING MY EMERGENCY BRAKE. I ENDED UP TAKING MY CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO GET A NEW VACUUM PUMP AND PRESSURE SENSOR. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED UP THE ISSUE AND SAW THAT THERE HAD BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE. I HAD TO PAY IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MY VEHICLE BACK, BUT THIS TYPE OF ISSUE SHOULD NOT RELY ON A CONSUMER. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND I'VE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS INCIDENT, AS I ALSO HAD MY WIFE AND 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING ON A COUNTY HIGHWAY, THE SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST LIGHT APPEARED. UPON BRAKING, BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY HARD (LIKE PUSHING ON A BRICK) TO STOP. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY GETTING STOPPED, I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. UPON ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, CAR FAILED TO START. TOWED FROM HOLSTEIN IOWA TO MILFORD, IOWA LATE ON A FRIDAY. NEXT MORNING, DEALER IN SPIRIT LAKE IOWA WAS CONTACTED. A 2ND TOW TO THE DEALER HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. DEALER BRIEFLY LOOKED AT IT AND STATED IT WAS A CAMSHAFT ACTUATOR OR SENSOR AND THEY WOULD GET TO IT AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. THE GAVE ME A RENTAL TO GET HOME (5 HRS SOUTH) HOWEVER, I AM STILL PAYING ON A UHAUL TRAILER RENTAL AS THE RENTAL VAN DID NOT HAVE TOWING CAPABILITIES. TOW 1 WAS $250 AND TOW 2 WAS $125. RENTAL IS $50 PER DAY. PARTS/LABOR IS EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE OVER $2200 PLUS THE VAN RENTAL, PLUS THE UHAUL TRAILER EXTRA DAYS RENTAL, PLUS THE GAS TO GO BACK AND GET THE VEHICLE AND BRING IT HOME WITH THE UHAUL TRAILER. DEALER WAS ADVISED BY ME TO LOOK AT THE VACUUM PUMP ON TUE A.M. TUE P.M. DEALER CALLED BACK. VERIFIED VACUUM PUMP ISSUE AND STATED IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IT DISINTEGRATED. IT WAS ALSO SITTING ON THE FRONT DUAL OVERHEAD EXHAUST AND THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE CAMSHAFT EXHAUST. BOTH OF THOSE BROKE AWAY AS WELL. NEED TO REPLACE THOSE AND THE TIMING CHAIN WITH AN OIL CHANGE TO ENSURE NO METAL REMAINS IN THE ENGINE. GM/CHEVY SHOULD BE FIXING THIS AT NO COST PLUS PAYING FOR THE TOWING CHARGES, EXTRA RENTALS, AND GAS. NOT HAVING BRAKES IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND PUTTING MY LIFE, MY FAMILY'S LIFE AND THE LIFE OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AROUND US IS NOT WHAT I CONSIDER A GOOD PRODUCT. PHOTOS FROM THE DEALER WILL BE ASKED FOR, ESPECIALLY THE VACUUM PUMP. I WILL PROMPTLY FORWARD BILLS AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE.