2011 Chevy Equinox Problems Start Piling Up

grace215

Loved my car until 2016. It seems like everything started going wrong. I've been at the mechanic once a month since March (the person at the desk noted this). First it was a solenoid that needed to be replaced- luckily I was in a parking lot when the car decided it would stop driving. Then some type of misfire that caused the engine light to come on. Then the catalytic converter code; I chose to get that fixed. Throughout all this, the car was making a jerking motion when it came to a stop. This seemed to be caused by excessive oil consumption- adding oil resolved the problem for a while- until yesterday when the oil was full and the jerking came back after a two-hour trip. Soon after we lost acceleration and decided it was not safe to keep driving. The mechanic (not in our city as we were out of town) says oil is all over the place (I'm paraphrasing) and we need to replace the engine or have it rebuilt. It was a chain place- anyone else been through this with an Equinox? Did you have to replace the engine or did you find a root cause of all this? I really want to keep it and I plan to keep driving Chevy. How do you know when to give up on a car?

gmcustsvc

Hello grace215,

We're sincerely sorry to hear about these recent concerns you've been experiencing with your Equinox and please know that this is certainly not the experience we like our customers to have. Is your vehicle currently at your dealership to be repaired? We would be more than happy to look into this further on our end. If interested, please send us a private message including your VIN, current mileage, full contact information, and your preferred dealership in order to move forward.

Kindly,

Chelsea D.
Chevrolet Customer Care

slcart919

Throughout all this, the car was making a jerking motion when it came to a stop. This seemed to be caused by excessive oil consumption- adding oil resolved the problem for a while- until yesterday when the oil was full and the jerking came back after a two-hour trip. Soon after we lost acceleration and decided it was not safe to keep driving. The mechanic (not in our city as we were out of town) says oil is all over the place (I'm paraphrasing) and we need to replace the engine or have it rebuilt. It was a chain place- anyone else been through this with an Equinox?

Hello Grace215 i would like to inquire on what was your outcome with this problem. I have recently experienced almost the exact same problems with my 2011 Chevy Equinox and would like to know what was your next step. I received a catalytic converter code some time last year also. In addition now the car has completely broken down after losing acceleration in the middle of rush hour traffic. After calling road side assistance i towed the truck to a trustworthy mechanic that i have a lot of history with who diagnosed the vehicle with a broken timing chain. I have since towed the truck to a Chevy dealership and i am waiting on feedback. this appears to be common problem for this make and model.

gmcustsvc

Hello slcart919,

I'm very sorry to hear about this acceleration concern with your Equinox, however, we're glad to hear that your dealership is working with you to resolve this. If you would like an additional layer of assistance as you work with your dealership, please send us a private message with your VIN, mileage, full contact information, and the name of the dealership you're working with. We look forward to your response!

Sincerely,

Chelsea D.
GM Customer Care

annoyedtj

I have a 2011 Equinox as well and it has given me the exact timeline on repairs and issues. I am hoping Chevy stands behind its customers and its products. I have a very large paperweight in my garage that I'm afraid to drive. Sadly I actually like the Equinox and would love to say it's a great car. But these issues with the engine are not singular to my vehicle, they are across the board for 2011 models. Patching together the recalls and fixes isn't fixing the problem of a bad engine.

Camden_83

I just today experienced the exact same issues with my 2011 Equinox that are being discussed here. Chugging and stalling at red lights was the first symptom. Not due yet for an oil change - we change oil regularly - and the mechanic said there was barely any oil in it when it was serviced for these issues. Now the options according to my mechanic are 1.) An expensive engine replacement or 2.) Buy a new car. And this vehicle has only 82,000 miles. Hardly what I expected out of this vehicle and a Chevy product in general.

FrustratedKR

I have experienced many issues with my 2011 Equinox as well. Had to replace the engine out of pocket as GM would not pay for it. Also had to replace the catalytic converter that the shop contributed to the oil consumption issue. Not to mention all the oil I had to stick in the engine. Now my theft system is not working correctly and have to tow it in to have it looked at since my car will not start. Very upset with GM and sadly will probably never purchase another. I just can't comprehend the mindset of it being okay to have so many issues with something you pay so much for.