No disrespect intended here but this problem has existed since at least May and GM has known about it since mid September. How long should we give them to react? So far everything else about mine is fine but I can't drive it regularly enough to really make a fair judgment. I shouldn't know all my service advisors and the car rental people on a first name basis after only putting 1000 miles on a new car. I have only been at this a month, which is bad enough, but others have been dealing with it for anywhere from 1-6 months, maybe more. We have already waited too long to complain and if you think GM always fixes problems you should check this out.
I am not condemning mine I just want to be able to get in it and drive without worry. I can do that in my other cars. I bought a new car for peace of mind and right now this one doesn't give me that. I realize that any car can have problems but in this case it is not an ordinary problem, like a rattle in the dash, this can and has caused health issues which make it unusable. I can deal with a vehicle having a few issues but they need to be corrected in a more timely fashion. Sometimes these huge corporations need a kick start when it comes to reacting to issues. I chose to achieve this by writing to GM's corporate offices. They are now handling my case. Enough chance already, we need to see more action.
I couldn't have summarized this better than you did. The point here is not to say bad things about the Equinox, but try to make people aware of this severe problem (it is VERY severe in my opinion) and put pressure on GM to get this resolved. I can not believe I had a vehicle replaced in May because of this problem and apparently NOTHING was done until September to investigate and solve it. We are now in mid-November and there are service managers telling people that the bad odor and black gunk in the cooland are NORMAL for the Equinox.
Scrappy, No disrespect felt. I acknowledge the problem - I have the stink too. But virtually every manufacturer has class action lawsuits against them, and the website you list (which uses some bad grammar with misspelled words) is not that uncommon. We all know there are tons of lawyers out there ready to pounce on any opportunity. Nonetheless, I'm not denying there's a problem here, I'm just encouraging people to realize that there is a lot more to a vehicle that can go wrong and can cause a lot of $$$ in repairs. Let me give you my background on this. I sold my BMW 325i to buy the Nox. The 325i was a fantastic car to drive, but after it was out of warranty it ended up costing me $300-$500 a month in weird repairs: brake calipers; blower fan; ignition switch; auxiliary fan; valve cover gasket; shock bushings; ball joints; electric window motor... I paid $$$ every month for this car once it hit 100K miles, and these are all weird repairs I never before had to do on any car! In contrast to that, I have a '95 Chevy Lumina which I bought new in a total re-design year (almost like a first year model), and that car now has 240K miles on it and has costed me hardly anything to maintain. I applaud your and other's efforts here and feel you are fighting the hard battle for the rest of us by leading this effort to bring this issue to the attention of everyone. I think that will eventually lead to a solution. But I'm just urging that people put this in perspective and realize there are a lot of other issues that could develop that could be much worse. The cooling system is not that complicated, and leaks are usually a two way street so I'm not that worried that it's a serious head gasket problem since we're all not losing a lot of coolant. It certainly could affect the water pump, radiator, or thermostat, but beyond that it would take a total massive clog to lead to a catastrophic failure. It's really frustrating to wait for GM to officially acknowledge and fix this, but that's partly because we are at their mercy since it's under warranty. Most likely, if these vehicles were not under warranty, we'd all be exploring other options on our own, like different brands and types of coolant, and we'd be making more progress. Ultimately, we have you and others to thank for your efforts to really get GM to notice this - so we wish you to remain steadfast and angry in order to continue the fight. For that reason it's best that you disagree with my patience. But for others like me who have the problem that might be wondering if they've made a major mistake - I say hang in there a little longer and we just might end up with the great vehicle we thought we bought.
Being pacient was one thing the dealer recognized about me. However, after handling the same problem for six months and two vehicles, even the dealer felt my pacience was not going to last much longer.
The Equinox is a great vehicle and I can't understand the lack of product stewardship demonstrated by GM in this case. What is the point of designing a brand new vehicle and leaving it in the open for months without proper action?
I have been following this problem of NOX odor for a few weeks and I have a question regarding this odor. Let me say that I don't own a NOX but am considering one. I don't work for any lawyers or GM. I my Montana there are two buttons for AC. Recirculate and outside air. Does the NOX have the same two buttons? And if the outside air is chosen does the smell enter the drivers cab?
You said "But I'm just urging that people put this in perspective and realize there are a lot of other issues that could develop that could be much worse." For me, how much worse can it get? I can't drive the vehicle. It is a brand new car under warranty not a used BMW with 100K miles on it. I should not be experiencing any inconvenience at all. My other cars are fine. In fact I would have to use Mapquest to find the dealer. This is becoming like a part time job because if you don't keep on them they think you will just go away. I am also hoping we just might end up with the great vehicle we thought we bought.
The Equinox has a button to select air recirculation and fresh air intake. With the recirculation ON (that is, no fresh air entering the vehicle) the odor is hard to notice.
However, with the recirculation OFF (fresh air coming into the cabin) the odor appears immediately.
I would also like to mention that the odor would only become noticeable when the vehicle stopped (for instance, at a traffic light). When the vehicle was moving the odor was not noticeable to me, even with the recirculation switch being OFF.
I spoke to a GM rep from corporate today regarding the odor problem. Our complaint has been escalated to the product allegation department (Customer Assistance is useless). GM initially contacted me last week and never called me back as promised so I called again (for the 3rd time).
They have no fix at this time and don't know what they (GM) are going to do about this problem. There it is.... take it from there. If you want to keep on waiting for a fix and smelling potentially toxic fumes from coolant then so be it. Some of you are complaining about headaches and dizziness when you ride in the car (Did you express this in your correspondence and phone calls?). I was told that there is nothing that the dealerships can do because the GM engineers have not come up with a solution to the problem to share with the dealerships.
I suggest you all write letters to Rich Wagoneer (CEO/GM), Gary Cowger (President GM North America) and file complaints on the nhtsa.com website so the government can get involved from a vehicle safety perspective. Then get yourself an attorney to get your vehicle replaced under your state's lemon laws.
GM is not taking ownership of a resolution. They do know about it.
I have to agree with Itzed on this one. It's one thing to have issues with a vehicle thats completely falling apart or one that has a truly serious flaw that could lead to loss of life but this the Nox is not.
Michigan99 - You said your just trying to inform others about your experience so that they can be informed but in fact your most recent posts take the tune of someone that is more of a crusader than that of a consumer advocate.
For instance: You have made mention of the Nox odor issue in 27 posts on this board. But it doesn't stop there....
In post #148 (Subject - Back Window Problems) you steered the discussion away from the original posters issue to the Nox odor issue.
In post #155 (Subject - Visibility Problem) once again you steered the topic away from visibility to the odor issue.
Whats more? You have moved on and purchased another vehicle yet you remain very engaged in this forum.
I scanned the Nissan Murano and Murano Problems and Fixes board back as far as April and I did not find a single post from Michigan99. I would have thought that you would have had at least wanted to make some comments about your new vehicle.
Just in case your not yet convinced that you might be giving the Nox too hard a time read post #362 and #386 of the Nissan Murano Problem and Fixes board.
When i see posts like this it hurts the credibility of the forum. The fix for the odor is well known . Replace all hoses and flush the rad system. I have had it done months ago and its fixed. People like me come to this forum to find facts, it does people injustice to feed them trolling posts.
I am flattered you have taken the time to scan my posts. I do not know whether you do not have anything better to do or you just like good literature.
Anyhow, I do not want ANYBODY to to through what I had to handle for SIX months. I had two undriveable vehicles and the lack of response GM showed for months is unacceptable.
I am trying to alert people and I still believe this is the right thing to do. If you do not like it, so be it.
I did not post anything on the Murano for two different reasons. First, I have not had any problems so far. Second, I do not think I have had the vehicle long enough to truly describe my experience. So far, it has been a good vehicle. Keep monitoring the Murano boards and you will see more materials from me. I am sure you can hardly wait.
Please don’t be flattered ... I was not trying to impress you with my ability to read. My reason for scanning your post was more of a fact finding mission. Something that I rather enjoy actually! Just in case your wondering (and I know you are) I’m at work and was in between projects when I responded to your post (oops, I meant) posts.
As I had mentioned in an earlier post, it takes months to find a cause of problems and the correct response to them. I mentioned that some owners of the Mazda 3 were having issues with A/C (weak) and many were very upset about it. One was on much of a crusade like you are now. He complained that Mazda was ignoring the customers, not supporting the vehicles and taking too long to fix the problem and he vigorously warned other readers to stay away from Big Bad Scary Mazda.
Although it took almost 5 months, Mazda did fix the problem but it required investigation because not all 3s shared the issue. And once the problem was discovered an appropriate fix had to be devised.
Believe me, I understand your frustration concerning this flaw in the Equinox (which you no longer have) but I find it rather strange that your still so passionate after beating GM at their game and getting another vehicle.
I have no problem at all with you alerting others to this issue but your actions tend to lean more towards that of a zealot.
Oh, please don’t bother making any posts on the Murano’s boards now. That would make me think you were trying to placate me and it would mean absolutely nothing ...... unless of course you happened to want to make mention of the Nox’s Skunk like tendencies 27 times. (that would peak my interest)
You're one of those people that just can't stand to let someone else have the last word huh.
Well its been great but I have a few things to finish up before my day is done. But don't think im going away for good. I Love A Lively Debate .... and nothing gets me more fired up than opposing arguments.
As a future Nox owner, I hope for current owners that GM addresses this and other issues much faster. Just bless your lucky stars that the Nox isn't unlocking itself or rolling its windows down when your not looking. :-)
I have had my Equinox in to Chevy, for now the second time due to the Check Engine light coming on. The first time the problem was a clogged hose, this time around, they are not sure what is causing the problem. They assure me that this problem is not electrical, as previously I had a bad switch for the back window. I was told that this is not an electrical problem, but this problem is an emissions problem. Either way, this is not to reassuring to me for a car that was bought brand new and only has 3,100 miles on it. I wonder if anyone has had these problems...
Could you get me the name and location of your dealership? I would like my dealer and GM corporate to call them. Although the fix is known apparently it's not well known enough for GM or my dealer so they are not doing this yet. I knew about this fix a few months ago as well but my dealer insists on waiting for official word from GM.
I've been having many problems with my cigarette lighter plug. Not for lighting cigarettes, but using it to power my emergency light. The light keeps blowing fuses. I have checked the Amp level for my light, and it is far under the maximum the plug can handle. I was wondering if anybody else has had this problem and if so, what did you do for it.
Have you checked the owners manual to ensure that the plug can be used for things other than lighting cigarettes?
I know some auto manufacturers do not recommend that owners use those to power accessories. If the manual does not say anything take it into the dealer while it's still under warranty.
I heard from different sources this week that the bad odor problem related to the coolant will have a solution coming up very soon. GM is currently working on a TSB, and the NHTSA site lists the following:
Make : CHEVROLET Model : EQUINOX Year : 2005 Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP. Service Bulletin Num : 3169 Date of Bulletin: JAN 01, 2004 NHTSA Item Number: 10010166 Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Summary: FOUL ODOR FROM HVAC AND/ OR ENGINE COOLANT. *TC
I can not explain why the "Date of bulletin" is indicated as "JAN 01, 2004". But perhaps this date is just a placeholder, or it was not available and it is a system default for a 2005 model.
Anyhow, for those having the problem the solution seems to be in sight.
I had the same problem. After having the vehicle only 2 weeks. I thought I was going crazy. Kept trying to set it. It was an issue with the computer "communicating" with the cruise control. Anyway, they fixed it in one day and it has been fine. HOWEVER, my Nox has been in the shop for faulty CD player and wiper fluid pump. My biggest problem is with intermittant starting. Try and turn the car over and NOTHING. And of course, when I take it in, they can't "duplicate" the problem. I am now told there are 4 other Nox's on file with the same problem. It has been in the shop 4 times and it is there now a week. Supposedly, a GM specialist has flown in just to look @ my Nox. Have not heard from them. I have been stranded with my newborn twice and I am really irritated . Anyone else have intermittant starting issues?
We have had our Equinox since August. No odor problem yet but we keep hearing a clun-clunk clunk sometimes more like a module or relay clicking in the rear of the car. May be differential may be under the rear floor. I don't know.
I can't believe there are no posts about the air pressure problem that occurs when all windows are down. Am I doomed to use the AC at all times? Any solutions? Has anyone figured out a window configuration to solve this? light
Has anyone had a problem with their Equinox randomly accelerating or failing to slow down. Purchased my Equinox in June and seemed fine at first, but the last couple months I have almost rear-ended people more than once because my car will just accelerate (without stepping on the accelerator). Happened in rush hour traffic, trying to brake and the car sped up for a second. Called GM and their response was essentially "it can't be duplicated so there is no problem" (had it to two dealerships and neither could find anything).
FYI, have the foul odor problem too, First dealership said this was "normal" and wouldn't do anything about
If your Nox is accelerating unexpectedly I would bring it back and demand that the dealer keep the vehicle until it can be duplicated. This is a serious problem and you should not be driving it. Every time you get behind the weel you put the life your youself, your family and other drivers at risk. You must put your foot down and demand that they do something and if they don't be sure to get a written statement noting that they cannot duplicate the problem.
My sister and brother in law just purchased a brand new '05 Equinox LT 2 weeks ago. They are very happy with the car, until today, when the front end began to make HORRIBLE creaking noises at low speeds and during parking manuvers. This 'Nox was built in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada on May 2004 according to the door jamb sticker.
I drove the vehicle today and at first I taught it was the electric power steering, then the brakes until driving slowly over some speed bumps the creaking noise also became evident and that's were I became suspicious of the front struts. The car has only 600 miles on it.
My Sister and brother in law traded a very problematic 2001 Chevy Impala base sedan on the '05 Equinox to get rid of WEEKLY dealer repair visits. Its been 2 weeks with the 'Nox AND HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!
Called Chevy customer service and opened a complaint file on the vehicle. We will bring it in for service tomorrow morning. Needless to say we are all extremely dissapointed at the LACK of quality control exhibited on GM products of late.
No foul smells yet, but since thier Equinox is an early build date, there is the likehood for this serious problem to develop.
Awesome vehicle but so-so quality control. We will ask for a repurchase/replacement.
If I remember correctly GM has already issued a correction for this problem. Your dealer should already be aware of it.
Other owners in this forum have expressed the same problem and if I remember correctly, none have come back stating that the replacement strut didn't cure the problem.
I have spent a good part of the afternoon researching the strut problem in the 'Nox, which seems to be quite common in early build vehicles.
So far, I have been able to come up with two TSB numbers that address this particular issue:
04-03-08-008
And a later revision under TSB #04-03-08-012
I have seen the text on bulletin 008 but I have not been able to see a printout of follow up TSB 012.
The car was dropped off at the dealer this morning. The service manager (Which is a personal friend of ours and we have known him for many years now) took the vehicle for a test drive and was able to confirm and reproduce the loud creaking coming from the front end. He is looking into the TSBs and I assume have already contacted GM's technical support center.
We were given a '05 Pontiac Grand Prix GT as a loaner vehicle.
I have not been able to find any TSBs that confirm a permamnent fix for this problem. Some 'Nox owners are already in their second and third set of struts, because the noise keeps crepping back. I have the impression that GM does not yet have a definite fix at this time.
I am waiting to hear from the service manager at some point tomorrow. If GM does not have a fix for this issue, we will request a repurchase of the vehicle. The car is no more than 2 weeks old and they haven't even made the first payment yet on it.
In my opinion, GM has improved quality of its products but they still have a long way to go. Having suspension work done on a brand new car with only 600 miles is totally unacceptable and embarrasing. This puts a black mark on the new car enjoyment which after all is the main idea behind plunking hard earned cash for new metal: Peace of mind and reliability.
This is not our first quality incident with a new GM vehicle. This would be the third new Chevy purchased in the last 4 years with problems within the first 1K miles. The first one was repurchased and the second one was traded into the 'Nox just 2 weeks ago.
I can't answer your question with 100% confidence level. But I have some ideas on possible causes.
The Equinox is a pretty global vehicle. The engine is made in China, the transmission is made in Japan, the project is American and the car is assembled in Canada, not to mention other parts coming from various countries.
I do not have anything against the global approach to car manufacturing, but people need to understand that global sourcing of components is a very complex and difficult business. There are different cultures involved and various degrees of quality programs in place.
A company needs to be very nimble to react to identified problems right away, as the supply chain is very elaborate.
And I think this is the main problem with GM. Granted, the company made major strides in terms of quality and service to customers over the recent years. However, GM still lacks quicker responses to identified problems, especially considering that "global" vehicles are being manufactured.
The bad odor problem I had with two Equinoxes seems to be an indication of this type of situation. At this point it seems clear to me that there was a severe quality variation of the hoses used on the car (apparently some hoses are incompatible with the standard coolant GM uses), perhaps improper or incomplete validation of suppliers, and insufficient validation work on the globally supplied parts. To compound the whole situation, my impression was that GM did not react to the quality problem when there was very clear indication something was definitely wrong.
I can't say much about the strut problem, as neither of my Equinoxes presented the problem. As a matter of fact, I really liked the suspension and smooth ride of my Equinox.
My employer supplies products to different car manufacturers and years ago I was part of one of GM's programs to improve quality. The major concern at that time (by the way, that program took place overseas and not in the US) was to reduce "early failure" of components. The thought process was that customers will be very unhappy when a brand new car breaks down or needs service very early, which destroys the enjoyment of buying a new vehicle, as you mentioned.
I am pretty sure GM managers have been considering all these aspects as they develop their global supply base, and there is a long way to go for sure.
Bought my Equinox last week. Have 700 miles on it already and hear a tinging/pinging sound (like an exhaust leak) when accelerating. Not loud but just enough for me to notice it. According to my wife it has been making the sound since mile one. I brought it in and the service mechanic cannot identify where it is coming from. Does anyone have information regarding this? Thanks
can u tell me the exact procedure u go to have your vehicle repurchased?
today i contacted the BBB and opened a claim on my 2004 malivu maxx lt, Chevy cust assistance center states that i should also contact the BBB. i also called a lemon law attorney who states that i should have the dealer try to fix it once more because here in WI you have to have the dealer try to fix it 4 times before the lemon law kicks in. I then called my sales manager at chevrolet where we bought like 6 cars and let him know of all the problems that i have veen having. i told him that if they want me to continue as their customer i need to have them help me with an exchange from GM/Chevy in general. if not bye bye. i cannot afford to drive an unsafe car period with my 2 year old and wife. if they can't understand that it's not worth doing business with theese kind of people.
The GM executive rep called me this week. The parts are supposed to be available at the end of the week or early next week. Engineering is supposed to contact our regional manager who in turn will contact my service manager. An appointment should then be made for the repair. I would expect this to happen no later than the middle of next week and I would expect the official TSB from GM to be out around the same time or something even sooner. Either way the GM exec rep is calling me again on Monday. Hopefully, after almost 2 months of not being able to use the vehicle, I will be able to get back to driving it and enjoying all the good things that prompted the purchase to begin with.
Have had my 05 "Stinkuinox"for 2 1/2 months. The coolant has been changed 4 times in that period and less than 1,500 miles. GM is providing me with my second rental car while they attempt to eradicate the odor again. Last coolant change turned root beer brown and stinky in 6 miles- the distance from the dealer to my home. I have had the A/C system sanitized twice, 3 complete cooling system flushes and the overflow tube extended down the wheel well to under the car without any success in keeping the nasty odor out of the passenger compartment.
Today the Service Manager at my dealership told me that GM Engineering has determined that the cause of the nasty odor is due to the curing process used in the rubber hoses in the entire cooling system, apparently is not compatible with Dexcool and that new hoses that use a different curing process for the rubber are slowly becoming available from GM. They think that the original hoses may fail in a short time due to the reaction with the Dexcool in the system.
According the the GM zone rep. the hoses are produced in China using their process for curing the rubber. The engines are shipped to Canada with all of the hoses mounted on them. A new technical bulletin is supposed to be issued any day disclosing their findings I am told.... Good luck to us all!
I have the same noise and have had it checked out twice. I am told that it actually is a "reverberation" noise inside of the accordion looking section of the crossover in the exhaust pipe that goes from the front to rear. Mine quiets down to nothing after about a minute of run time. Would seem to indicate a leak right???
The dealership checked mine thoroughly and did not find any exhaust gas leaks anywhere. GM Engineering rep. said it is an operating characteristic of the Equinox exhaust system, and poses no problem.
I've complained about not being able to roll the windows down as I've had my vehicle since May. It makes my ears hurt, not just pop because of the vacuum it creates. It's the moon roof too which if fully rolled back shutters at around 30 mph. For the windows I usually have to have at least a cracked window on the opposite side of the one rolled down (or in the case of the back windows, half rolled down - another sore point as the doors seem quite wide enough to permit it). I've had other people with new cars say theirs are the same way. It seems that the wind tunnel testing is for everything rolled up.
On the other hand I've had it for 6 months and never taken it back to the dealer yet.
Mine makes the same noise during start and warm-up. But continues to make it everytime I hit the gas when the car is in gear. Are you experiencing the same.
Been out of town for a few days.. sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
No, my vehicle does not exhibit any exhaust noises after warm up. You can actually hear the noise level fall as the pipe warms up. After that - nothing at all. Perhaps a different dealer may find a leak??? Good luck!
I have had nothing but problems from mine. First the window noise and then the front strut and now the differential is making noise. Chevy told me that is is suppose to make noise being that is all wheel drive. I have taken it to different people and all say it is my problem, but they will not help!!! Will never buy another one
The dealer changed all of the hoses that come into contact with the Dexcool and flushed the system again. They drove the car about 100 miles and I have since put on about 400 more and counting.
Happy to report no more brown stinky coolant or odors in the car. It actually smells like a new car inside again.
Apparently the hose change out is the solution. Coolant is still a pinkish color and virtually no odor at all from the engine compartment at any time. The coolant now smells the same as the Dexcool in my 01 Silverado!
My Service Manager told me that the area zone rep. had checked some brand new Equinox's on the showroom floor of another dealership, even several new cars with less that 25 miles had exhibited the coolant color and odor problems there!
bats....let me know how you make out with changing the crossover pipe. If this solves the exhaust leakage noises, I'll revisit this issue with my dealer too. I still only hear it when the engine is stone cold. May be a bigger problem in the future though?
The official word is finally getting out to the dealers. The Regional Mgr for our area did contact the Service Mgr at our dealer and gave him the verbal instructions for the repair. He FedExed the parts to my SM and the vehicle is finally going in for the repair tomorrow. I should have it back on Thursday and hopefully this will become a distant memory.
We purchased our Equinox in October and Immediatly noticed that the rear doors will close and actually pop back out so that the door is not actually closed and the lights inside stay on, Went to dealer and they said I was not closing the door hard enough, of course they were slamming the door when a simple push has always been enough and the front doors close fine, Then dealer stated that if was the vacuum set up in the vehicle that was causing the doors to pop back open, they said it was something that I would have to live with, Has anyone else experienced this?
I'm curious if anyone, who lives in colder weather, have this problem. When the Equinox downshifts, there's a hard jolt when shifting into a lower gear, assuming first gear, since I'm coming to a complete stop. Once I've been driving for a while, the jolt doesn't occur.
Comments
No disrespect intended here but this problem has existed since at least May and GM has known about it since mid September. How long should we give them to react? So far everything else about mine is fine but I can't drive it regularly enough to really make a fair judgment. I shouldn't know all my service advisors and the car rental people on a first name basis after only putting 1000 miles on a new car. I have only been at this a month, which is bad enough, but others have been dealing with it for anywhere from 1-6 months, maybe more. We have already waited too long to complain and if you think GM always fixes problems you should check this out.
http://www.pistonslap.com/index.html
I am not condemning mine I just want to be able to get in it and drive without worry. I can do that in my other cars. I bought a new car for peace of mind and right now this one doesn't give me that. I realize that any car can have problems but in this case it is not an ordinary problem, like a rattle in the dash, this can and has caused health issues which make it unusable. I can deal with a vehicle having a few issues but they need to be corrected in a more timely fashion. Sometimes these huge corporations need a kick start when it comes to reacting to issues. I chose to achieve this by writing to GM's corporate offices. They are now handling my case. Enough chance already, we need to see more action.
I couldn't have summarized this better than you did. The point here is not to say bad things about the Equinox, but try to make people aware of this severe problem (it is VERY severe in my opinion) and put pressure on GM to get this resolved. I can not believe I had a vehicle replaced in May because of this problem and apparently NOTHING was done until September to investigate and solve it. We are now in mid-November and there are service managers telling people that the bad odor and black gunk in the cooland are NORMAL for the Equinox.
Give me a break!
No disrespect felt.
Ed
Being pacient was one thing the dealer recognized about me. However, after handling the same problem for six months and two vehicles, even the dealer felt my pacience was not going to last much longer.
The Equinox is a great vehicle and I can't understand the lack of product stewardship demonstrated by GM in this case. What is the point of designing a brand new vehicle and leaving it in the open for months without proper action?
Let me say that I don't own a NOX but am considering one. I don't work for any lawyers or GM.
I my Montana there are two buttons for AC. Recirculate and outside air. Does the NOX have the same two buttons? And if the outside air is chosen does the smell enter the drivers cab?
You said "But I'm just urging that people put this in perspective and realize there are a lot of other issues that could develop that could be much worse."
For me, how much worse can it get? I can't drive the vehicle. It is a brand new car under warranty not a used BMW with 100K miles on it. I should not be experiencing any inconvenience at all. My other cars are fine. In fact I would have to use Mapquest to find the dealer. This is becoming like a part time job because if you don't keep on them they think you will just go away.
I am also hoping we just might end up with the great vehicle we thought we bought.
The Equinox has a button to select air recirculation and fresh air intake. With the recirculation ON (that is, no fresh air entering the vehicle) the odor is hard to notice.
However, with the recirculation OFF (fresh air coming into the cabin) the odor appears immediately.
I would also like to mention that the odor would only become noticeable when the vehicle stopped (for instance, at a traffic light). When the vehicle was moving the odor was not noticeable to me, even with the recirculation switch being OFF.
I spoke to a GM rep from corporate today regarding the odor problem. Our complaint has been escalated to the product allegation department (Customer Assistance is useless). GM initially contacted me last week and never called me back as promised so I called again (for the 3rd time).
They have no fix at this time and don't know what they (GM) are going to do about this problem. There it is.... take it from there. If you want to keep on waiting for a fix and smelling potentially toxic fumes from coolant then so be it. Some of you are complaining about headaches and dizziness when you ride in the car (Did you express this in your correspondence and phone calls?). I was told that there is nothing that the dealerships can do because the GM engineers have not come up with a solution to the problem to share with the dealerships.
I suggest you all write letters to Rich Wagoneer (CEO/GM), Gary Cowger (President GM North America) and file complaints on the nhtsa.com website so the government can get involved from a vehicle safety perspective. Then get yourself an attorney to get your vehicle replaced under your state's lemon laws.
GM is not taking ownership of a resolution. They do know about it.
Michigan99 - You said your just trying to inform others about your experience so that they can be informed but in fact your most recent posts take the tune of someone that is more of a crusader than that of a consumer advocate.
For instance: You have made mention of the Nox odor issue in 27 posts on this board. But it doesn't stop there....
In post #148 (Subject - Back Window Problems) you steered the discussion away from the original posters issue to the Nox odor issue.
In post #155 (Subject - Visibility Problem) once again you steered the topic away from visibility to the odor issue.
Whats more? You have moved on and purchased another vehicle yet you remain very engaged in this forum.
I scanned the Nissan Murano and Murano Problems and Fixes board back as far as April and I did not find a single post from Michigan99. I would have thought that you would have had at least wanted to make some comments about your new vehicle.
Just in case your not yet convinced that you might be giving the Nox too hard a time read post #362 and #386 of the Nissan Murano Problem and Fixes board.
I am flattered you have taken the time to scan my posts. I do not know whether you do not have anything better to do or you just like good literature.
Anyhow, I do not want ANYBODY to to through what I had to handle for SIX months. I had two undriveable vehicles and the lack of response GM showed for months is unacceptable.
I am trying to alert people and I still believe this is the right thing to do. If you do not like it, so be it.
I did not post anything on the Murano for two different reasons. First, I have not had any problems so far. Second, I do not think I have had the vehicle long enough to truly describe my experience. So far, it has been a good vehicle. Keep monitoring the Murano boards and you will see more materials from me. I am sure you can hardly wait.
Best regards.
Please don’t be flattered ... I was not trying to impress you with my ability to read. My reason for scanning your post was more of a fact finding mission. Something that I rather enjoy actually! Just in case your wondering (and I know you are) I’m at work and was in between projects when I responded to your post (oops, I meant) posts.
As I had mentioned in an earlier post, it takes months to find a cause of problems and the correct response to them. I mentioned that some owners of the Mazda 3 were having issues with A/C (weak) and many were very upset about it. One was on much of a crusade like you are now. He complained that Mazda was ignoring the customers, not supporting the vehicles and taking too long to fix the problem and he vigorously warned other readers to stay away from Big Bad Scary Mazda.
Although it took almost 5 months, Mazda did fix the problem but it required investigation because not all 3s shared the issue. And once the problem was discovered an appropriate fix had to be devised.
Believe me, I understand your frustration concerning this flaw in the Equinox (which you no longer have) but I find it rather strange that your still so passionate after beating GM at their game and getting another vehicle.
I have no problem at all with you alerting others to this issue but your actions tend to lean more towards that of a zealot.
Oh, please don’t bother making any posts on the Murano’s boards now. That would make me think you were trying to placate me and it would mean absolutely nothing ...... unless of course you happened to want to make mention of the Nox’s Skunk like tendencies 27 times. (that would peak my interest)
Your ability to read did not impress me as much as your ability to write.
You're one of those people that just can't stand to let someone else have the last word huh.
Well its been great but I have a few things to finish up before my day is done. But don't think im going away for good. I Love A Lively Debate .... and nothing gets me more fired up than opposing arguments.
As a future Nox owner, I hope for current owners that GM addresses this and other issues much faster. Just bless your lucky stars that the Nox isn't unlocking itself or rolling its windows down when your not looking. :-)
No other issues for me. Other than the coolant, the vehicle has been perfect.
Ed
I also enjoy lively debates, especially when there are important ideas being discussed.
I do not care about who gets the last word, though. If I did I would not have been married for almost 20 years.
I am glad you are not an Equinox owner at this point. As I mentioned before, I would hate to see anybody else having to face a similar situation.
Cheers!
Could you get me the name and location of your dealership? I would like my dealer and GM corporate to call them. Although the fix is known apparently it's not well known enough for GM or my dealer so they are not doing this yet. I knew about this fix a few months ago as well but my dealer insists on waiting for official word from GM.
Thanks
I know some auto manufacturers do not recommend that owners use those to power accessories. If the manual does not say anything take it into the dealer while it's still under warranty.
Make : CHEVROLET Model : EQUINOX Year : 2005
Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Service Bulletin Num : 3169 Date of Bulletin: JAN 01, 2004
NHTSA Item Number: 10010166
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Summary:
FOUL ODOR FROM HVAC AND/ OR ENGINE COOLANT. *TC
I can not explain why the "Date of bulletin" is indicated as "JAN 01, 2004". But perhaps this date is just a placeholder, or it was not available and it is a system default for a 2005 model.
Anyhow, for those having the problem the solution seems to be in sight.
Any solutions? Has anyone figured out a window configuration to solve this?
light
FYI, have the foul odor problem too, First dealership said this was "normal" and wouldn't do anything about
I drove the vehicle today and at first I taught it was the electric power steering, then the brakes until driving slowly over some speed bumps the creaking noise also became evident and that's were I became suspicious of the front struts. The car has only 600 miles on it.
My Sister and brother in law traded a very problematic 2001 Chevy Impala base sedan on the '05 Equinox to get rid of WEEKLY dealer repair visits. Its been 2 weeks with the 'Nox AND HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!
Called Chevy customer service and opened a complaint file on the vehicle. We will bring it in for service tomorrow morning. Needless to say we are all extremely dissapointed at the LACK of quality control exhibited on GM products of late.
No foul smells yet, but since thier Equinox is an early build date, there is the likehood for this serious problem to develop.
Awesome vehicle but so-so quality control. We will ask for a repurchase/replacement.
We have ZERO tolerance for lousy quality.
Other owners in this forum have expressed the same problem and if I remember correctly, none have come back stating that the replacement strut didn't cure the problem.
So far, I have been able to come up with two TSB numbers that address this particular issue:
04-03-08-008
And a later revision under TSB #04-03-08-012
I have seen the text on bulletin 008 but I have not been able to see a printout of follow up TSB 012.
The car was dropped off at the dealer this morning. The service manager (Which is a personal friend of ours and we have known him for many years now) took the vehicle for a test drive and was able to confirm and reproduce the loud creaking coming from the front end. He is looking into the TSBs and I assume have already contacted GM's technical support center.
We were given a '05 Pontiac Grand Prix GT as a loaner vehicle.
I have not been able to find any TSBs that confirm a permamnent fix for this problem. Some 'Nox owners are already in their second and third set of struts, because the noise keeps crepping back. I have the impression that GM does not yet have a definite fix at this time.
I am waiting to hear from the service manager at some point tomorrow. If GM does not have a fix for this issue, we will request a repurchase of the vehicle. The car is no more than 2 weeks old and they haven't even made the first payment yet on it.
In my opinion, GM has improved quality of its products but they still have a long way to go. Having suspension work done on a brand new car with only 600 miles is totally unacceptable and embarrasing. This puts a black mark on the new car enjoyment which after all is the main idea behind plunking hard earned cash for new metal: Peace of mind and reliability.
This is not our first quality incident with a new GM vehicle. This would be the third new Chevy purchased in the last 4 years with problems within the first 1K miles. The first one was repurchased and the second one was traded into the 'Nox just 2 weeks ago.
Why is this happening????
I can't answer your question with 100% confidence level. But I have some ideas on possible causes.
The Equinox is a pretty global vehicle. The engine is made in China, the transmission is made in Japan, the project is American and the car is assembled in Canada, not to mention other parts coming from various countries.
I do not have anything against the global approach to car manufacturing, but people need to understand that global sourcing of components is a very complex and difficult business. There are different cultures involved and various degrees of quality programs in place.
A company needs to be very nimble to react to identified problems right away, as the supply chain is very elaborate.
And I think this is the main problem with GM. Granted, the company made major strides in terms of quality and service to customers over the recent years. However, GM still lacks quicker responses to identified problems, especially considering that "global" vehicles are being manufactured.
The bad odor problem I had with two Equinoxes seems to be an indication of this type of situation. At this point it seems clear to me that there was a severe quality variation of the hoses used on the car (apparently some hoses are incompatible with the standard coolant GM uses), perhaps improper or incomplete validation of suppliers, and insufficient validation work on the globally supplied parts. To compound the whole situation, my impression was that GM did not react to the quality problem when there was very clear indication something was definitely wrong.
I can't say much about the strut problem, as neither of my Equinoxes presented the problem. As a matter of fact, I really liked the suspension and smooth ride of my Equinox.
My employer supplies products to different car manufacturers and years ago I was part of one of GM's programs to improve quality. The major concern at that time (by the way, that program took place overseas and not in the US) was to reduce "early failure" of components. The thought process was that customers will be very unhappy when a brand new car breaks down or needs service very early, which destroys the enjoyment of buying a new vehicle, as you mentioned.
I am pretty sure GM managers have been considering all these aspects as they develop their global supply base, and there is a long way to go for sure.
Does this make sense to you?
can u tell me the exact procedure u go to have your vehicle repurchased?
today i contacted the BBB and opened a claim on my 2004 malivu maxx lt, Chevy cust assistance center states that i should also contact the BBB. i also called a lemon law attorney who states that i should have the dealer try to fix it once more because here in WI you have to have the dealer try to fix it 4 times before the lemon law kicks in. I then called my sales manager at chevrolet where we bought like 6 cars and let him know of all the problems that i have veen having. i told him that if they want me to continue as their customer i need to have them help me with an exchange from GM/Chevy in general. if not bye bye. i cannot afford to drive an unsafe car period with my 2 year old and wife. if they can't understand that it's not worth doing business with theese kind of people.
This case is related to the liftgate strut attachment bracket, which may deform and allow the strut to contact the metal body surface.
The letter does not say this is a recall. It is labeled as a "voluntary customer satisfaction program".
What is going on with your vehicle? Give us an update.
The GM executive rep called me this week. The parts are supposed to be available at the end of the week or early next week. Engineering is supposed to contact our regional manager who in turn will contact my service manager. An appointment should then be made for the repair. I would expect this to happen no later than the middle of next week and I would expect the official TSB from GM to be out around the same time or something even sooner. Either way the GM exec rep is calling me again on Monday. Hopefully, after almost 2 months of not being able to use the vehicle, I will be able to get back to driving it and enjoying all the good things that prompted the purchase to begin with.
Later,
Scrappy
Today the Service Manager at my dealership told me that GM Engineering has determined that the cause of the nasty odor is due to the curing process used in the rubber hoses in the entire cooling system, apparently is not compatible with Dexcool and that new hoses that use a different curing process for the rubber are slowly becoming available from GM. They think that the original hoses may fail in a short time due to the reaction with the Dexcool in the system.
According the the GM zone rep. the hoses are produced in China using their process for curing the rubber. The engines are shipped to Canada with all of the hoses mounted on them. A new technical bulletin is supposed to be issued any day disclosing their findings I am told.... Good luck to us all!
The dealership checked mine thoroughly and did not find any exhaust gas leaks anywhere. GM Engineering rep. said it is an operating characteristic of the Equinox exhaust system, and poses no problem.
On the other hand I've had it for 6 months and never taken it back to the dealer yet.
No, my vehicle does not exhibit any exhaust noises after warm up. You can actually hear the noise level fall as the pipe warms up. After that - nothing at all. Perhaps a different dealer may find a leak??? Good luck!
Happy to report no more brown stinky coolant or odors in the car. It actually smells like a new car inside again.
Apparently the hose change out is the solution. Coolant is still a pinkish color and virtually no odor at all from the engine compartment at any time. The coolant now smells the same as the Dexcool in my 01 Silverado!
My Service Manager told me that the area zone rep. had checked some brand new Equinox's on the showroom floor of another dealership, even several new cars with less that 25 miles had exhibited the coolant color and odor problems there!
Thank you,
Gary Polito
New Jersey