Chevrolet Equinox

jrest

well, I've had mine since the 3rd, and only driven 150 miles and so far I like it alot. The only thing I don't like so far which I discovered driving it at night for the 1st time is that I can't turn on the interor light with the dimmer switch for the dashboard, like you can in most any other car. The only way to get interior light is by flipping the dome light switch. Which is sort of impossible for me, just having had torn rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder.

jsb1

i had mine since the end of april i have about 4000 mile on it all ready. the nox is evry good for the price. the only complaint with the truck is it a little under powered.

npgmbr

I understand what you mean. I have a 99 Infiniti G20 and it's interior lights work the same way. I can't turn on the dome light from the interior light dimmer, instead I have to reach up and turn it on by hand. However, its not a big deal for me because the dome light is reachable.

dan165

We turned in the Bravada lease last week but the Nox is not in yet. Still waiting, need to see it before a decision can be made. In the mean time, my wife is driving my Grand Prix and I am driving my buddy's F-150 pick up, oh joy.

infinia1

the radio display on my nox is all messed up! the radio functions correctly, except the display. it shows every pixel (or whatever they are called). in other words, every little line or dot or word that the radio displays is lit up all at the same time. anyone else have this problem? other than this, things are going well at 6200 miles.

yz250f

This vehicle is such a lemon! We have had it for 3 months and it has been in the shop 3 times and we have had 4 rentals. The rear hatch seal leaks water into the tire well in the back. There is a rotting odor smell through the vents that happens when you heat up the engine, they have strut problems, they have sqeaky seats, window button issues, rack snapping problems, etc. We have already filed the Lemon Law on this vehicle in the state of Florida. We had 3" of water through our entire car and 2 different dealerships said we submerged the vehicle and called us liars until another Nox showed up with the same problem. Have your dealer check the Nox's on their lots, and they are probably wet too! We happened to check 2 on the lot out of curiosity and they were soaked too! The dealership was amazed! Our tire well had 7" of water in it and it spilled over ruining the interior!
PLEASE, have your Nox checked out ASAP!! My wife loved this car for the room it has and now she hates it!! Our son has asthma and we can't even put him in the car now because he can't breathe with the odors!!
File a lemon law ASAP!!
Signed: Disappointed in Florida

gee35coupe

stever

Then skip them :-)

Steve, Host

anonymousposts

Edmunds needs to come up with a Tivo-like system that can determine our preferences and interests and automatically erase or hide posts we don't want to see. You know, so you could ignore a post like this one Steve_Host.

gee35coupe

You have to read them to see if they have any information to justify the tagline. I guess I hould know from experience that they usually don't. Here's an Idea though....I just read where Pat said she has the stats on each screen name. How about adding the number posts after the screen name. That way we could tell when one of the hit-and-runners makes one of those posts. Long term members usually don't post like that.

stever

It could happen I suppose, although some of us who cut out teeth on Usenet and BBS's are a bit set in our ways with conversation style forums; any news would be posted in Ask the Town Hall Hosts and/or Our Software! Your Questions Answered....

Meanwhile, just keeping using that fancy scroll wheel on your mouse.

Steve, Host

jrest

I own an Equinox, and have had it for 2 weeks now. (I had mine special ordered back in June). Anyway, I have not spotted any problems yet with mine and I've driven 600 miles on it and tomorrow will be driving back to St.Louis from Chicago so another 335 miles will be on it.

The only thing I don't like so far is the gas and size of the gas tank. I didn't make it on 1 full tank of gas from STL to Chicago...and it was all highway driving with very little traffic and no air condition on. It's too bad the Nox doesn't have a bigger tank...but that being said, I'm enjoying my new ride. Of course, I'm very alert and listen for the creaking many people mentioned about the front struts as well as the other problems people stated on here.

Of course on this site and any other sites like this, I'm sure the majority of the people writing are mainly those who are having problems and researched online for other nox owners. I don't think NOX owners with 0 problems look for sites to post that everything is good. So if you are in the market for the NOX, don't let all the negative posts deter you. I got really scared when I discovered this site and thought I had made a bad decision in placing an order for my NOX with all the negative feedback towards the car but so far, no major problems. I also have extended warranty so if something goes wrong, it'll get fixed.

hardhawk

The TB/Envoy/Bravada I6 had 270 HP when introduced in 2001 as a 2002 model. It now has 275 HP. It has incredible power as our 2002 Envoy will pull our 5000# boat/trailer with no problem. However, gas mileage does suffer in the Envoy as it gets no where near the claimed 25 MPG highway of the Eqinox even when towing nothing. The Nox is almost as large as the Envoy and has more back seat leg room thanks to the sliding rear seat. Not quite as much space in the cargo area, however. We love our Envoy abd my wife is thinking of replacing her minivan with a Nox.

jerrywimer

Now that I've got almost 15k miles on my '03 Trailblazer, mileage has gone up a bit. I now get around 18 city and just over 21 on the highway, so I'd say it's at least near the claimed mileage for the 'nox.

I second the part about the incredible power the 4.2 has- towed my wife's '04 Malibu with us from the Chicago area down to the Asheville NC area back in June. The car itself lists at around 3500lbs, and my wife had it stuffed with belongings, as well as having the Trailblazer loaded up behind the back seat (2 adults, 2 children). We used a U-Haul tow dolly, so I'd guess somewhere close to that 5000# number you listed.

I actually managed almost 18MPG on one tank during the trip, and just over 16 on the others. (It goes without saying that I was extremely impressed, especially since my parents had me convinced I was going to be seeing no more than 13MPG when towing, based on their own towing experiences..)

madmax57

I too just recently acquired my NOX and I just love it. I am just under 1000 miles and have not one problem. The roominess, the style, the options, the comfort, the quietness, the power, etc. I have had none of the issues others have posted. There are a few changes I would make for future models: visors with extenders, move the gas tank filler to the other side of the car - it is on the passenger side, the front cupholder and the emergency brake lever interfer with each other if being used at the same time, and make the gas tank larger. These are minor issues for me however. The Summit White is by far the best cooler. The white is just spectacular, and with the styling, this vehicle really stands out in a crowd. With the added touches of the amplifier, On-Star, the 6-disc changer, heated seats, lumbar support, class II hitch, this vehicle is really jazzed up. Additionally, I was able to make the purchase at $500 over invoice and then got $1000 off for using GM Smart Buy (which i will pay-off next month). My model is the FWD LT, with the 1SD package - loaded. I could not be happier!!

infinia1

i checked my coolant yesterday after hearing on another forum that it's turning black and smells foul. mine is black and smells foul, but i can't smell it in the cabin...yet. also, i previously mentioned a radio problem, where all pixels are displayed at the same time. that hasn't occurred again. i plan to have both looked at by the dealer at my next oil change. anyone else encounter these yet?

halo0

What's the deal with the smartbuy? Is it saving you money somehow over traditional financing?

rubyred

I've had my nox for 6 weeks now and have put on 1500 miles. I anticipated getting the 19-25 mpg that the car is rated for but am only getting 16-17 mpg on most fill ups. My driving is mixed - in town and highway but it doesn't seem to matter. The dealership did an upgrade on the computer 2 weeks ago and felt confident that it would make a difference but it hasn't! I'm very frustrated and wondered if anyone else was having a similar problem?

dan165

Are you using the a/c or have the roof open a lot?

These things can cut mileage quick.

vortex

I ordered mine and it took 13wks to get it . I like my Equinox alot , but a 1800kms have had no problems . Gas mileage is not great at the moment , but I've had other new cars that take up to 6000kms of "break in" to start getting better mileage and performance .

jsb1

i checked my antifreeze the other day it was also black smelly and gummy. i bought it back to the dealer to have them check it out.
they called chevy after finding nothing wrong with the truck. chevy
has added a special sealent to the dex-cool. to improve it over all proformance. espally since dex-cool has many problem in the past.

michigan99

Hi jsb1,

I tried to reply to your message earlier, but there was a minor interpretation problem related to my post I hope has been resolved.

Back to business, there is pretty good indication that combustion gases are leaking into the engine coolant. As far as I am concerned, this seems to be a major problem and I do not think GM has come up with a solution so far.

The sealant has nothing to do with the problem, as GM has used this sealant/DEXCOOL combination for a long time.

However, the combustion gases reaching the engine coolant may react with the sealant and become part of the problem.

I suggest you keep an eye on this. The dealer changed the coolant of my Equinox twice and the problem came back very quickly.

dan165

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/equinox14e_20041014.htm

dan165

We are still waiting on a LT with SACs. It was suppose to be here this week but still nothing. We are also looking at a couple of clear out Rendezvous' and VUEs. Decision time is near.

john17

Have my nox since 3/31/04 love it but enough already. The rear hatch piston broke three times once hitting my 9 year old in the head. replaced struts,have a major leak in front of car soaking the passenger side, rear differential has to be replaced. They now have my car for over three weeks,and almost over 1 month total. They said my car is an "official GM case" and a GM engineer was looking at it. had it enough already.I think its time to get a lawyer.

vanman1

Sounds like my buddy's Nissan Murano. He bought it 5 months ago and it's been in the shop 4-5 weeks of that time (tranny issues and electronic glitches). Must be a Monday morning build.

michigan99

Hi vanman1,

Your message with the comments on the Murano made me very concerned. I am the lucky guy who already had a Chevy Equinox replaced because of the bad odor (engine coolant) problem, and the second one is presenting the same problem. I am currently trying to get GM to repurchase my second Equinox, and this time I am requesting a refund.

I have been shopping around and the Nissan Murano is my preferred option at this point. I may need to review the alternative.

Thank you for your comments.

big_guy

An article on MotorTrend compares the Equinox with the Escape, Sante Fe, and Vue Redline. They liked the Equinox best with the biggest complaints being lack of road clearance and the overboosted electric steering. They seemed to like pretty much everything else.

dan165

I know a lady at work with a Corolla that has an egg like smelly a/c unit. Toyota won't do any more and she has to live with it.

Oh the joy of car problems.

wheelz4

Interesting that the Equinox seems to be selling fairly well......have only seen a few on the road in these parts (Markham, ON) but lots on dealer's lots. In fact, I've seen many more Nissan X-Trails around here (although it would be a different story in the States, where the X-Trail is not even available). Biggest rub against the 'Nox seems to be the cheapness of the interior and the shock tower's intrusion into the cargo area, along with a "just adequate" engine. Great limo-like rear seat room, though. I guess the usual GM quality glitches aren't helping much.

baloochevy

Does the Equinox come in stick shift?

carsntrucks

No - the five speed automatic is the only option. I don't think they would sell a lot with manual trannys. It's not really a sport car type vehicle, although I find it very enjoyable to drive and love taking it through the twisties up in the mountains.

jsb1

thank you for that tidbit. I been haveing some more problems with the truck lately. the other day i was beatin on it all u smelled was oil. but i don't see a drop any were on the motor or on the frame. when u floor it a couple of times the trans get stuck in the gear. and it take a really long time before it downstifts. beside that and having the radio replaced the second day i had it it is not doing to bad. plus do u hear anything abotu the z1 performance chip. if there any glitches with it.

purpleeagle

My wife is 5'1" and we are buying a Nox. Do i need to get power seats for her in order to get high enough to see? or does the manual do the same?

purpleeagle

my wife is 5'1" tall. We are buying a nox. I found the nox low in its seating for someone who is short. Would spending the $500 extra for power seats give anything more in raising the seat higher. Or does the manual pump raise the seat the same?

nvader88

THE CAR:

     '05 AWD LT Equinox
     1SD Package
     Salsa Red

THE REVIEW:

     Bought ours 06/2004. We currently have 4000k miles on it. My review thus far is as follows:

I really like the look/stance of it.
I overall like the way it drives.
It really has good cab/cargo room.
I personally don't have any issues with the leather seats being too stiff or hard, though they definately aren't as plush as a Park Avenue's
The Engine is strong and smooth, but do wish she was pumpin' #'s closer to 220hp.
The steering ratio stinks.
I don't like the window buttons on the console.
The wiper/washer control is complicated or maybe I'm slow. probably a combination of the two.
The seven speaker premium sound system is pretty good.
I like the the way the guages look and how they are presented.
I also like the look of the dash, even though there is alot of plastic happenin' there. It works though
The kids love having real doors again as apposed to the minivan......so do I.
Love the Salsa red
Love the sun roof
Like the price. The best value in the market in it's class in my opinion.

MAINTENANCE ISSUES TO DATE:

     I noticed some excessive wind noise coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. fond that the trim piece along the front windshield was warped and was catching air causing a "whistle". Local dealership has ordered part

     The 6-disk cd changer sometimes won't play cd's(especially cdr's) and sometimes won't eject cd's.

     Air Conditioning and Vent lights will not respond sometimes. When this happens the A/C compressor cycles on and off continuously. I turn it off, restart it and everything is fine. first time it happened I thought no biggy, but it is happening constantly. Anybody else having these issues?

I really like the Nox. Hopefully we'll get these FEW issues taken care of and all will be well.

michigan99

Hi nvader88,

My first Equinox had exactly the same air-conditioning problem you described. Initially the dealer told me that it was a computer problem (the car would not "recognize" the air-conditing unit). They reset the computer parameters. Some days later the problem came back. I took the car back to the dealer and they said they replaced the "head" (control board?).

I can not say what happened next, as together with the ari-conditining problem my car also had the terrible odor coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle never left the dealer after the second repair, as the odor issue could not be fixed and GM decided to replace the whole vehicle (this happened on May 25th).

My second Equinox does not have the air-conditioning problem, but the odor is as bad as the first one. GM is repurchasing the second Equinox from me and I am turning it in tomorrow.

Have you checked your coolant for bad odor?

nvader88

Hey Michigan99,

     Thanks for the info on the A/c. As of yet I haven't noticed any odor in the car or outside, but I will make sure that the dealer looks into this when I take in to have the window trim fixed. I can't beleive you've had two with the same problem.
     How many miles did the Nox's have when you started noticing the problem?

michigan99

Hi nvader88,

I received my first Equinox with 350 miles on, as it was transferred from a different state. I was aware of this mileage situation and agreed to it. I started to notice the odor on day one, but initially assumed it was just something related to a new car that needed to burn off. Unfortunately the odor got progressively worse. I took the car to the dealer because of the air-conditioning problem, and also mentioned the odor as a secondary concern.

The second vehicle had no odor at all when I received it. I also drove other three or four Equinoxes and none of them had the bad odor. The point here is all of the vehicles I mentioned were brand new and had less than 100 miles on.

I started to notice the odor around one week after received the second vehicle. At that time I had around 400 miles on the vehicle. Initially the odor was faint, but it got worse quickly two or three days later.

Two flushes and coolant replacement did not solve the problem.

chevy931

If you use the smartbuy for 3 months or longer you get 1,000 rebate at signing. I also got the 4.7% i think and financed for 3 years and saved 400 bucks . i only financed 8 grand.

stever

Editors' Most Wanted List

Steve, Host

carsntrucks

My wife is 5'1" tall as well. We have the power seats and she loves the car. So I guess you should consider them.

dan165

Great news, I can see why the NOX is most wanted. We are still waiting for a SAC equipped model though. :-(

beach15

I guess there actually must have been a few Fusion Orange Equinox's produced in the beginning, as seen by this early build one for sale on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate- gory=6173&item=4501070976&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Looks pretty cool, I think. Should have kept it available.

lgusa

I'm from a small market and have not been able to see all the Equinox colors. Does anyone have an opinion on the salsa red,or the light silver color? Also how about the light cashmere leather vs. the light grey? Thanks for your impute.

beach15

Here's some pics of all those:
Cashmere leather interior:
http://www.nncp.com/Chevy/N15092_1.html

Light grey cloth interior:
http://www.nncp.com/Chevy/N15232_1.html

Salsa red exterior:
http://www.dudleymartin.com/Chevy/2517850.html

Galaxy silver exterior:
http://www.dudleymartin.com/Chevy/2517732.html

lgusa

Thanks for the pics!I have noticed there are not many Equinox's with the cashmere leather combination.Do you have an opinion on how it looks? Also,what about the heated seats.Do they really work, and is it worth the money?

beach15

I don't have an Equinox, nor have I driven one, but I do know that the cashmere interior, leather or cloth, is very rare for some reason. Dealers just seem to order all their Nox's with the gray. The gray is really nice, but I'd probably go for the Cashmere if I could get it just because it's a little more lively and bright to look at.

As far as the heated seats go, if you're going to get leather, YOU HAVE TO GET THE HEATERS! Doesn't matter what car, this is always a great option and yes, it does work and make a noticeable difference. I have them in my Caddy, and not only is it great for those freezing mornings when the leather is like ice, but also when you just need a soothing warmth up and down your back and butt.

bporter1

I own a 99 Regal GSE with leather, and I have heated seats. Best money spent on any one option.
I also have not driven an Equinox, but if I did get leather seats I would most definately get the with seat heaters. A worthwile option IMO.
Good luck with what ever you decide.

lgusa

Thanks for the info. that makes that decision easier!