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http://sandyblogs.com/techlink/?p=2204
Here is the history of my vehicle:
12/09-Filed down mass airflow sensor casting flashing per bulletin PI P4687
3/10-Replace & program computer module for lack of defroster per recall
3/10-Replace evap jumper hose and reprogram ecm per recall
4/11-Replaced purge valve as it was not sealing properly
9/11-Perform PCM reprogram per PI0325
2/12-Found fuel pressure leaking into crankcase-replaced fuel pump
7/12-Actuator indicated to remove and replace intake camshaft position solenoid
1/13-Engine overheated, thermostat sticking open, replaced thermostat, found head gasket leaking, R& R cylinder head, also found broken timing chain
4/13-Update oil life monitor per recall
10/13-Car would not start after few days, jumped, took to dealer, replaced battery
10/13-Replaced pistons and rings for oil consumption per bulletin
They had mentioned that they were going to check for other parts when they opened up the engine. Per the new oil consumption bulletin, I had had all the other work done already due to above. Fuel pump, balance chain, balance chain tensioner and timing chain were all replaced in earlier repairs. They are saying the zebra stripes are not damage that requires the engine to be replaced?
I hope this works. I like the vehicle and the gas mileage, but it has been in the shop an awful lot. The dealer I bought from (Wickstrom in Roselle, IL) has been good to deal with through all of this. I have always received loaner cars or rides if the vehicle was required to stay longer than a short waiting period. I have never had to go to GM directly because the dealer has been proactive with issues. The only item above I paid for was the replacement battery. They have been dealt a bad product and they are trying to make the best of it. On this last repair, they loaned me a 2014 Traverse probably hoping I would trade the Equinox in.
I am going to monitor this thing closely over the next year and hopefully do not need to spend more time in the shop. I am not sure if I will keep this vehicle much longer waiting for the next thing to go wrong. GM needs to be more proactive in finding and dealing with these major engine problems. I will be much more careful when buying an early model new car or significant re-design.
So far I've replaced transmission clutches, engine timing chain tension-er, fuel pump, AC condenser, Rear view mirror with camera screen, master cylinder and booster. water pump. All in less than 49,000 miles.
I talked to the mechanic for a good while. He was an older fellow who had turned wrenches all his life for Honda, Toyota and now GM. His thoughts was the poor quality Chinese parts GM is using in their vehicles. I'm sure all the mfg's use some Chinese parts as nearly everything now a days is built by Chinese.
So having a Silverado that's a year old, I asked him if he had heard of any issues with the Chevy Silverado's. He said, yes, they had a rash of bad cam shafts back in 2006 or so but he thought they may have that issue fixed. He also said they had some transmission issues but thought they may have that figured out also.
So, it looks like the problem with GM is systemic and not just the Equinox. I predict GM will eventually fail unless the get a quick handle on quality control.
We'll see. I will be trading the Equinox as it's eating me alive and it's now a safety issue when you can't keep brake fluid in the damn thing. I'll probably look at Toyota RAV4 or something about that size that has minimal Chinese parts. GM's are really a foreign car now considering the parts are made in Mexico, China and who knows where else etc.. and then assembled in US by Government Motors.
But I guess this is what you get when you know the government has got your back no matter what kind of crap comes off the assembly line. You don't have to be competitive.
For those of you that are going to reply and ask me why I bought the 2013 after the 2010 equinox experience, all I can say is you are right, I was an idiot. I've been a GM person all my life. I've got a 2002 Yukon sitting in the driveway with 175,000 miles on it. It's had nothing done to it but oil changes and a fuel pump failed while still in warranty. That's the kind of reliability I thought I was buying. I'm an idiot.
The experience I had was not all that bad; I'm a rather busy Biz owner and I always had all service done @ Florida GM dealership and was always provided with a loaner / rental whenever my Nox was serviced; I never paid for any service / issues other than oil changes that were done every "3500 miles" at GM dealer! It was pretty easy; basic service and no stress business.
Being said; I traded my 2010 4cyl Equiinox in June 2013 for a 2013 3.6 V-6 Terrain because I had such a positive GM experience; I was given $16.000 for my 2010 55K Equinox LT 4cyl "clean" trade. I paid $24.000 in Nov. 2009 and the cost for depreciation over 3.5 years was about $2300 per year!!! Bottom line; there are probably less than 2% of 2010-2011 4Cyl GM owners having major issues that are having issues and this vehical is still rated by Consumer reports / Edmonds as being a Number #1 SUV for reliabilty and cost!
Having said; New vehicals need to be serviced at dealer and per required manufactures recomendations for service and owners will not be having issues getting new vehicals backed by any Mfg warranty and repaired at no cost to owner. You can not use brand x auto service and expect any vehical Mfg to respect that level of service with out proper documentation; its just that simple.
In Addition the 2010 GM Vehicals are approaching the 5 year limit for mileage /drive line warranty backing by GM!!! "Read Your Owners Manual" and follow GM Mfg instructions for vehical warranty and you will survive the 2% of owners having drive line problems and costly warranty issues with any Vehical Mfg; they are all the same.
This is my professional GM Owner opinion for this 4-year ongoing GM 4 Cyl Engine / Mfg Warranty owner concerns and issues.....Its really easy stuff if your not taking service short cuts!!!
GM and the GM Chevrolet Dealers know exactly what is wrong with the Equinox Vehicles. ----- I would bet that they could fix anyone of the "problem vehicles" within ONE week, if they wanted to take that action! ---- For some reason, GM "thinks" that they are saving money by not taking care of the problem in a proactive manner. ---- In 2010 I almost purchased a 2010 2.4 Equinox. Instead I purchased a 2010 LTZ 2.4 Malibu. Thank God I made that choice. By doing so, I DID NOT get the direct injection 2.4 engine. ---- If had purchased the Equinox, I would have been in the same state of affairs as the owners on this site. This would have been disastrous for me, because I use my two vehicles as my office when I am on the road visiting customers. ----- I would have NEVER been able to deal with the poor quality of the Equinox. ----- GM thinks that this issue stops with only the Equinox owners. They forget that other people, like myself, read these postings. ---- While I DO NOT have any major issues with my 2010 LTZ Malibu, I will be thinking LONG and HARD about purchasing another GM vehicle. ---- Both my GM and Toyota dealers are outstanding in terms of service, but the lack of concern, as demonstrated by GM with regards to the Equinox issue, leaves me questioning whether I should purchase another GM vehicle. ---- Any vehicle can have problems. All the customer wants is for both the company and the dealer to stand behind the product and make things right in a timely / professional / proactive manner! ---- QUESTION: ---- What about this concept doesn't GM understand? ------ All the best! ----- Dwayne.
This morning while search the "net" I came up with the following information as related to the 2.4 GMC Terrain, which is the same vehicle as the Chevrolet Equinox. ----- The following is the "NEW & IMPROVED High Pressure Fuel PUMP # (12622475) ---- {This is the latest pump at the start of the 2011 production year.} So in theory, "IF" you have this pump on your vehicle, you should not have a problem! ----- (One person did claim that he still had a fuel leak problem with this pump.) ------ While this is the latest number on the high pressure pump, there were three (3) pumps for this vehicle as follows: #12629934, #12633594 & #12622475. ---- Based on my research, it was reported that "some dealers" are still installing the "old stock pumps," not the latest number pump. If this is true, this action on the dealer's part is just compounding the problem! ---- All the best. ---- Dwayne
I just wanted to give you guys a follow up and possible "hope" for the future of your vehicles. Like many of you, there are several features of the Equinox that were very enticing: good fuel economy, good looking body, spacious for it's size, and reasonably priced.
I have posted to this forum a few times - angry with the horrible quality of product that GM had knowingly released into the market as a basic game of roulette. They knew a portion of these vehicles had faulty high pressure fuel pumps, but waited until the problems with the drivetrain - particularly the timing chain began surfacing.
When the average of these cars started showing problems between the 40k-60k mile range, GM sent out a letter stating that some of these Equinoxes may be experiencing stretched chains from the fuel pump releasing raw fuel into the crankcase in turn delubricating the entire engine.
One month prior to receiving the letter my Equinox started running rough...I took it to my family mechanic because frankly I trust him FAR more than those used car salesmen who work the service department at my local dealership. (I find those guys to be unnecessarily defensive as though they themselves had birthed this car, or were the reason for it's faults...) My mechanic told me that #1, in the manual where it states that you can go 7,500 miles between oil changes on a 4-cylinder Equinox is a death sentence for the car, and #2, the timing chain and the solenoids were both going to have to be replaced as a result of not receiving enough lubrication. What he didn't notice was the high pressure fuel pump leaking...
So fast forward to when I received the letter from GM. I take my car back to the dealership and show it to them and explain that my timing chain has already been replaced...They then reluctantly replace the high pressure fuel pump that was indeed leaking, and reimburse me for the cost of having my timing chain replaced.
After all of that - 4000 miles later, I will say that so far, fingers crossed, things are good. The car seems to be running fine, and I even had my family mechanic look at it again a few days ago to make sure that no major damage had been done to the car. As far as he could see - everything seems to be okay. It's not running rough anymore, no more check engine light, and I am fanatically diligent about having the oil changed every 3000 miles. Just a tip: my family mechanic used to work for GM and recommended that all GM vehicles be maintained with Dexos rated oil for optimal performance.
At the end of this - I know many people who have had major problems occur with their vehicles with very low mileage that had it repaired, then maintained properly, that continued to run upwards of 200,000 miles. If you're like me, and you can't afford to take a loss on trading in your Equinox and taking on a new loan for another vehicle, you might want to consider putting some money into fixing it up and keeping it as long as you can. I know that there are a few folks on this forum who swear by always having your car maintained at the dealership, but I am not lucky enough to have one that provides trustworthy and proactive service. My dealership would not have been able to even diagnose the problems with my car until I smacked them in the face with the recall letter from GM.
So - if you're having problems with stalling, and other codes from sensors going bad - you might want to POINT out to your service guy to first start with looking at the high pressure fuel pump. If that part is faulty, it could be the cause for A LOT of problems that are occurring with your vehicle.
I'm hoping that my high pressure fuel pump and timing chain will hold up - the nice thing is that I have some peace of mind knowing that the warranty on these parts have been extended as a result of the recall.
Good luck to all!
Don't know how much more I want to visit the dealership. Getting to know the service people too well. Talked to dealership manager today who said he has seen me there a lot lately. Went over the whole history and told him I was ready to see what they would do. He is going to contact GM. I said I am not even sure I want to purchase another Chevy/GM vehicle.
My final answer was to get rid of my leased piece of GM crap and get a Hyundai Santa Fe to replace it. We'll see how well it performs and holds up, but my '08 Toyota Highlander before the Nox was absolutely trouble free and dealership experience was good. As I've said before, I will NEVER buy another GM product again, ever.
Over the Holiday I had the time to re-read all the postings dealing with the problems of the Chevrolet Equinox. ---- While this is a VERY SAD state of affairs for the customer, we as consumers need to face the reality that manufacturers and dealers look at us as simply numbers. ---- Yes, they smile at us when we are in the showroom making a purchase, and they smile at the service desk, but in many cases it is NOT a true concern for us as valued customers. ----- YES, there are exceptions, and as I have stated before on these boards, I have two dealers that are very professional and customer focused. ---- But the all important questions are; --- Why do manufacturers abandon the new car customer when a problem arises with the product, and why do manufacturers make the customer feel that they are doing them a BIG FAVOR by performing the required service to repair the vehicle? ----- We as consumers have the power to make things happen in the automotive world. ----- The manufacturers need our money in order to continue in operation. ----- Personally, I DO NOT care what I drive in terms of a name plate. I think my Toyota Camry has more American Parts in it than does my Chevrolet Malibu which then begs the question; ---- "What exactly is an American Car?" ---- The Chevrolet Equinox issue has taught me some BIG LESSONS about vehicle purchase. ----- 1.) Never purchase a vehicle that is totally new design the first year. ---- 2.) Review the past years of the vehicle that you want to purchase to see if there are BIG maintenance / warranty problems associated with the vehicle. ----- 3.) Deal with manufactures & dealers that are "proactive" with regards to service & customer relations. ---- 4.) Research the dealer before you enter the showroom. (I have walked into showrooms and within 10 minutes I made up my mind that I would not do business with them based on the "body language of the sales people." People do not realize it but they give themselves away though their body language as to what they are thinking about the customer that is sitting across the desk from them during negotiations.) ---- As long as people continue to accept "poor quality products" and "poor quality customer service" by the dealer network, that is what the manufacturer will continue to provide. ---- We motivate the manufacturer to change through how we make our purchases. Our money is the power. If manufacturers see their products on the lots unsold, they will sit up and take notice. ----- My Chevrolet appears to be a high quality product, it runs very well and I have a great dealer, but I am a little "gun shy" in terms of making another GM purchase, because when I shell out $35.000.00 + dollars I really want a HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT, and I expect the manufacturer to stand behind the product in a timely / professional manner with a professional dealer network. ---- The postings on this site have demonstrated a "less than acceptable level of customer service." ------ When we make a vehicle purchase we are trading our hard earned dollars for what we assume is a high quality product. Many times our "expectations" are higher than the "reality of the situation." ----- Just some concepts to consider! ----- Dwayne
I owned the 2010 Nox 4cyl never had any scary or mechanical issues GM did not stand behind; never cost me a dime for warranty work or loaners in the 3.5 years or 55k miles I drove this 4cyl Nox truck! Now I upgraded to 2013 3.6V6 301hp Terrain and have over 10K miles of trouble free ownership.
I must say I have had a great experience with both GM SUV Trucks and reccomend this GM SUV all the time; its a great value and drives fine!
This is the positive side of owning a new GM SUV opposed to all the Negative Hipe disgruntled owners tend to share and overeacting for warrantee repair work they are probably not able to get done! due to NOT FOLLOWING Manufacture instructions for Service work...This is easy common sense stuff!
They sell many thousands of them every month for years and I don't see thousands with problems so its not like they are all bad
In addition if anyone purchases a used vehical there are dealer reports that show vehical history, the Car Fax Report and several others showing everthing from date and State vehical was sold, engine and Transmission service and also any accidents vehical may have been involved in since inception!
Based on owners experiences, Consumer Reports has provided the following info over the past few months.
*Based on reports from owners of 10 and 11 Equinox, CR gives it the worst possible rating for major engine problems. (4cyl)
*In its category, Equinox is dead last based on the answers to the question--"Would you buy this vehicle again?"
*CR has placed the 10 & 11 Nox on its used car "Do Not Buy List."
My own experience with a 2010 has been pretty good, but I would never consider keeping it beyond the 5 year mark. Reading the tea leaves says the odds are against a long happy life beyond that point.
Many people have their own mechanic they prefer to use and it's often cheaper to have work done at an independent shop. Some of us even like changing our own oil.
And while we're quibbling, cars aren't an investment - they cost a bunch to own and operate.
I also have a 2010 Equinox that has been nothing but trouble. We bought it brand new in June 2010. We have changed the oil every 3,000-5,000 miles and never followed the oil life dummy guide. Here is a list of all the work and replacement parts: 6-10-11 28,265 miles...transmission shifting hard and automatically accelerating... Reprogram both PCM TCM. Strange pinging sound...found tensioner for balance shaft and water pump to have internal damage causing chain slap. Replace the tensioner and balance shaft. 8-29-11 knocking noise coming from enigine...replace links from excessive play in stabilizer bar and verify stabilizer rings in correct place per PIT5090A. Noises continued and got worse. In September we received a recall letter that stated chrome layer on chain may come apart damaged fuel pump plunger causing gasoline to enter crank shaft. 9-30-13 64,664 miles. Upon inspection pieces of timing chain guides fell into oil pan. Chain loose and broken guides.replaced timing chain and balance chain. Also replaced fuel pump because it was leaking into crank case. Parts replaced: chain,tensioner, gasket,pump, pipe, seal, gasket kit, bolt (2), filter, oil, chain, washer, tensioner,guide. Recall12312 oil life monitor update reprogrammed ECM per recall. 12-31-13 Equinox goes back in the shop for burning oil and engine sounds like diesel engine. Jolting, shaking, and stalling repeatedly in traffic. Still in shop. They say they are replacing pistons and piston rings now. I hate this automobile.. Worst decision we ever made. Oh yes I forgot they have no idea why its burning oil even after we showed them the zebra strips letter we found online. GM knows exactly what's going on and refuse to make this right. Telling everyone I know how awful this has been.