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2011 Chevy Equinox Problems

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Comments

  • katph062000katph062000 Member Posts: 19
    Most all the people here with Chevy Equi's have had their camshaft arg replaced due to a defect., me included. :sick:
  • sumr616sumr616 Member Posts: 90
    I'm guessing your warranty was up at 24,000 miles? Otherwise, why would you be charged for this work?

    Did they check the engine code that was stored from the engine light coming on?

    My car had the same stalling problem yours does...that was back in July. The engine codes mine showed were P0011 and P0014. Light came on a total of three times, the first two times it was just the 11 code, then the third time it was both 11 and 14. These codes are for the Cam solenoid Valves. There is a recall for this. RECALL 11195!! Ask them to look up to see if your vehicle qualifies for this recall.

    Also, as far as I know, Dexos oil is only "recommended", it's not required. Double check the owner's manual on that though, but I'm pretty sure it just says it's required. As long as you've always used the correct viscosity, then it shouldn't void your warranty if it's not necessarily "Dexos" oil.

    The Recall will be done free of charge, they may have to order the parts, but the entire repair includes replacement of BOTH solenoid valves AND update of the ECM. **BOTH steps must be done at the same time, vital to the effectiveness!!**

    What is your build date? Mine was 2/11, Feb 23rd, to be exact. I bought mine on 3/31. Unfortunately, they've now done 4 attempted repairs. Each one corrected the problem for a certain amount of time, the third repair kept the problem at bay for 3 months (about 4500 miles) but it came back. I have a start-up noise, horrible mpg (about 17 mpg, whereas I was getting 24 under exact same driving conditions). I've been trying to work with GM, rather than contacting a lemon lawyer, GM agreed to replace my Equinox. They gave me that approval yesterday, so I haven't seen the final details in writing yet, but they will be replacing it.

    Let me know if you have any questions, I've been through your situation so I should at least be able to give you a little insight. Good luck.
  • sumr616sumr616 Member Posts: 90
    MANY people have had this same repair. You are most definitely not the only one! They have no attempted 4 repairs on my Equinox for the start-up noise and stalling..... all 4 repairs failed to permanently correct the issues.

    GM has finally agreed to replace my Equinox. Haven't seen the final details in writing yet, but they are on their way. Just hoping there aren't any strings attached, otherwise I'll be going through a lemon lawyer.

    Good luck, look a few posts above and below this post, and you'll see more details that I've posted.

    DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

    Important bulletins:
    Recall 11195 - Recall applies to certain vehicles, ask your dealer if yours qualifies. Covers the replacement of the Cam Shaft Solenoid Valves (two of them) AND an ECM update. BOTH MUST BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME.

    PI0562 - This is intended to correct the start-up noise. If the Recall applies, that work must be completed first. If that work does not correct the problem, then the next step is to replace the Cam Shaft Actuators.

    The parts in the Recall ARE DIFFERENT than the parts in PI0562, sometimes they are referred to by the same name, actuators, however the part numbers in each bulletin are definitely different, they are different parts.
  • cmarqcmarq Member Posts: 3
    I also purcahsed an Equinox based on Consumer Reports . And the fact that I wanted a vehicle that had lumbar support and good gas mileage . I paid cash including the extra insurance.
    I am disabled and my husband is in the last stage of heart failure. I have contacted GM and filed a complaint . I am contacted by GM at least once a week . With an update on my case. I am hoping to have this nightmare over before Christmas. I agree the lemon law should take care of this issue .Everyone should be compensated for the inconveince. On a side note the dealer has been really nice and helpful. Their service department is the best I have ever been to.
  • mcgermmcgerm Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2011
    Read page 298 section 10-12's notice on Dexos engine oil. (2011 PDF version of the manual from GM 20781752B 2nd Ed.) I am no lawyer but it certainly sounds like its Dexos or a full synthetic that is a Dexos equivalent.

    My reading of this is that you can use something other than Dexos but, GM will have the final say on if it is equivalent or if it voids your warranty.

    It also says that using a non-Dexos oil of the proper viscosity grade is OK to keep engine oil filled but doing so will degrade engine performance. Also in 10-13 it says you must always use an oil that meets the 'Specification, Dexos.'
  • vholdenvholden Member Posts: 3
    Well, it's been 4 very long and draining days. So the dealership said originally that the wrong oil was to blame and that my cam shaft actuator and solenoids needed to be replaced, followed by an oil change with Dexos. Well, I called the oil change company that did my oil changes with non-dexos oil asking them to foot my bill since they didn't use the oil that was appropriate. Upon further research with them (looking at the actual quart) the oil is fine. It's Valvoline Synthetic blend and says on the front "exceeds dexos specifications" and is GF-4. So, the oil change company was nice enough to call Chevy dealership and fax this oil's specs and a picture of the quart to show the oil meets Dexos requirements. Valvoline just refuses to become Dexos licensed but meets the requirements. So, Chevy reluctantly agreed to pay for the fix and will not void my warranty. I have a 36,000 mile warranty but have already put 28,000miles on in 9 months, so I'll reach that soon. I assume that I have the same issue with actuator and solenoids as others, but the dealership didn't want to acknowledge it and wanted to find something else to blame. It's been at the shop 4 days, and I'm hoping it will be done tomorrow. I feel this car has a major defect...stalled twice now in 3 weeks and had to be towed to dealership, occasionally makes a lot of clunking noise upon start up that no one can fix, and the radio sometimes doesn't work unless I turn the car off and restart it. I believe that California's lemon law is 18,000 miles but I've surpassed that so not sure what to do next. Probably just going to lose a lot of money trading it for something more reliable. I'll update on anything that happens! Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom!
  • dougggdouggg Member Posts: 7
    Chris,
    I just read your post about the " loud engine start up". We've had the same complaint. Took it into dealer a who said that was normal. Turns out it isn't. The car is now at dealer B who is telling us we need a new engine due to low oil. Apparently the Equinoxes don't have a low oil light/indicator and they are burning oil at the rate of 1qt per 1-2,000 miles.

    We are waiting to see what the dealer/GM is going to do.

    Are you still having the same problem?
  • firstnoxfirstnox Member Posts: 12
    Schulz,

    My 2011 Nox has been in the shop twice in 2 weeks for new actuautors. The last few days they had to replace the valve actuators which controls the flow of oil. This is after they changed the timing chain and gear and the actuators there. It seems they shipped the 2.4L engine with defective parts. Oil pressure and oil flow are issues Chevy knows about. Keep the threads going because I think we are uncovering major engineering flaws.
  • chevproblems11chevproblems11 Member Posts: 1
    I just dropped my 2011 Equinox off at the dealership. The wipers would stop working in the middle of the cycle. I was told that Chevy is having problems with this and it may be a while before I get my Equinox back. They are working on a new design. Just wondering if this has been a issue with anyone else? Also, has anyone been told about this so called problem?
  • dougggdouggg Member Posts: 7
    Interesting…. The dealership blamed it on us saying we didn’t monitor the oil. We asked why the low oil light didn’t come on. They told us it didn’t have one. (Hard to believe.)

    Now they are providing us with a rental car. (We were told we should expect the repairs to take a week to ten days. No word on what needs to be replaced, but it sounds like they will be replacing the engine.
    I think you are right this might be a GM defect as there are many posts from people complaining their Equinox engine sounds like it doesn’t have any oil or sounds like a diesel engine.
  • sadiegirl120sadiegirl120 Member Posts: 1
    Wondering if anyone is having problems with low idling and post ignition on their 2011 Equinox 2.4. When the car is warm and you are stopped and the car is idling it idles very low to the point where it is about to stall out. When you stop the car and shut the car off the engine still shakes and rattles for about 10 seconds. We have told our dealer on several occasions when we went in for routine oil changes, etc but it never happens when we are there. They have tried duplicating it but only on one occasion the got codes and cleared them. Last week it started happening again and we drove straight to the dealer and they saw what we were talking about. The next day the tech was on the phone with GM engineers trying to figure out what is wrong. So far, they think it is the fuel pump so they are removing the current fuel pump and putting in a high pressure pump and fuel injectors. But the injectors are on national backorder. The dealer is paying for a rental car until mine is fixed. We do not even know if this is going to fix the problem. Does anyone have the same issues?
  • dloimartindloimartin Member Posts: 3
    My ordeal is starting to happen with my 2011 Equinox. The Nox ran fine initially and the MPG was really good when I first got the vehicle. Got 25 city and 28-31 hwy depending on speed. BUT as I started to accumulate miles, I started to hear the start up noisy periodically. I now have 6800 miles on the vehicle with 2 oil changes under the belt. As the noise got more frequent, I googled problems on the Equinox and found the Edmunds site on the recalls. My Nox did not qualify for the full recall 11195A @ VIN. But I directed my dealer to PI0562 on the startup noise, as I was not having performance issues. The noise was really irritating me. They did the replacement of the 12621505 actuators and an OLF and the noise has gone away. I have not heard it for over 2 weeks. But now my MPG has dropped off dramatically. I took in on a road trip this past week and noticed the vehicle was doggy in cruise set at 68 MPH. It seemed like it wanted to be in a different gear. My MPG dropped to around 25 when I was getting 28-29 at highway speed before the service on the actuators. When I spoke to the service advisor, I asked if they had updated the ECM and he said they should have. Just yesterday, my check engine light came on for the first time and stayed on all day. Now it is off. I will be asking which codes set off the light, P0011 or P0014. I have made an appointment to find out what is going on and to address the poor MPG. The Nox has never stalled but the poor MPG and power in cruise has me wondering if my nightmare is just starting. Has anyone else had similar issues with just the service bulletin PI0562 done to their vehicle? This site has been extremely helpful in keeping ahead of GM and the issues confronting the 4 cyl Nox.
  • vholdenvholden Member Posts: 3
    edited December 2011
    Ok, so car was in shop for 2 full weeks for P0011. They replaced the cam shaft actuator, some seals, bolts, and gaskets, and did a full oil change. After they did that replacement, they took it for a drive and the engine died bringing up P0016 and P0017 (crankshaft and camshaft correlation codes). They said that when they were replacing the actuator the timing chain holding tool must have broke so they replaced that and reset the timing chain. So they did that repair and after 2 weeks they said my car was ready to go home. We got 2 blocks from the dealership and it started "hesitating" at the traffic lights. We drove back but serviceman said the fuel was low so it was shifting differently due to that. Lame! It was 10 minutes from closing on a Friday night so he was just blew me off and said he hopes he doesn't see my car there Monday morning! What?! So I left cautiously and by Sunday morning (36 hours) I was driving and it hesitated at a stop sign, then stalled while driving down the road. Check engine light came back on and I wasn't going anywhere. So, I had it towed for the third time to the dealership (aaargghh...nothing like being stranded 3 times!). Engine code was P0011 again and the serviceman said they will be replacing the solenoids (I had thought they did this last time, but no). So, another week without my car. Nov 13th is when this first started and 3 times since I've been stranded and for a total of 4 weeks my car has been in the shop. It's still under warranty, I have a 36,000 miles but my miles are at 28,000 so I'm near the end of that. I drive over 120 miles a day and NEED a reliable car. I'm a 30 year old blonde and being alone stuck on the side of the freeway or road at night or anytime is NOT ok and quite frightening. I do not want this car back. I feel the guys at the dealership do not take me serious. Would anyone who was able to get GM to replace their car be able to advise me on how to go about this process? Thank you to all and happy holidays!
  • grasskgrassk Member Posts: 3
    The start-up noise is back sometimes, along with a rough idle and very poor driving when there's less than a quarter tank left of gas. Headed back to the dealership to see what they find... It's been 4 months and about 3000 miles since the recall was performed.
  • tnwormtnworm Member Posts: 8
    unfortunately you need to get a lawyer. Don't know for your state but in most it already qualifies as a lemon and you can be sure GM knows that. Don't count on GM to do the "right thing".. You can probably get an initial lawyer consult for free or very little but you will need a good documentation/summary package with dates and troubles.

    Do not waste your time waiting for GM's next try. The lemon laws only cover the first year of ownership

    good luck
  • firstnoxfirstnox Member Posts: 12
    I have a few suggestions. First, let the Attorney General of your State know about the problem. Then, files a complaint with the Consumer Affairs Bureau in your State and then with the Feds - see below. Hire a lawyer or see in a thread here the name of a law firm in Atlanta who is handling a Class Action Suit. Keep all records and document EVERYTHING that happens. Stalling cars or cars that hesitate at 65 MPH are hazards! Keep up the pressure - there are several of us who have the same problems and are working for a fix or replacement.

    If you have any questions regarding this complaint, please contact ODI:
    • By phone: 1-888-327-4236 8:00AM to 10:00PM Monday-Friday
    TTY: 1-888-424-9153
    Have your ODI Number available.
    (Spanish-speaking operators available)
    • By e-mail: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/contact.cfm
    Indicate your ODI Number in the contact form.
    Thank you,
    Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
    U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
    ________________________________________
  • islaguyislaguy Member Posts: 19
    vholden,
    Your situation sounds very close to the one I went through with my 2011 Terrain,you should know the Terrain and Equinox are basically the same vehicle except for the shell.There is an extensive thread in relation to these problems at
    http://www.terrainforum.net/index.php?topic=2834.0

    With all of your time in the shop you should most certainly qualify for a Lemon Law case (as I did) and I suggest you do that as going these other routes adds just more aggravation to your situation.In most casses if not all you can find a Lemon Law attorney for your state by googling it and they handle your case for free.I am in New Jersey and the firm I used handles other states if you let me know what state you are in I can lead you to them.

    The final straw for me was when my Terrain also stalled on the highway as my case was still ongoing,the very next day after stalling GM agreed to replace the vehicle as that is a safety hazard FOR SURE!.

    Good luck and if you find the time shoot over to that link and you will see many casses just like yours.
  • 11eqx11eqx Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2011 Equinox in March. Today on my way home from work it kept stalling and the check engine light came on. I drove it to the closest dealerships service department and left it there for them to work on. Sounds like I'm not the only one that this has happened to. It stalls out when I stop and try to start going again. Have you had any luck with what they've done so far to your equinox? I really love my car, but this is ridiculous to have an issue with a 10 month old car.
  • sade1on1sade1on1 Member Posts: 4
    I also bought my equinox in March but mine started stalling about 3 weeks after I got it. Now I am waiting on a replacement from GM. It is taking forever.
  • sumr616sumr616 Member Posts: 90
    Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be much hope in these problems getting resolved. I've had the same problems you've stated. They started for me at around 2,000 miles. There have no been FOUR different repair attempts, and all of them have failed. TWO of them appeared to correct the problem, however, the problems came back several weeks later.

    I am now trying to work with GM to get them to replace my vehicle. They originally agreed to replace it, but tried to get me to work with a dealer that had previously LIED to me SEVERAL times on work that had supposedly been done (but was NOT done), then they damaged parts on my car and neglected to tell me, AND THEN it was later discovered that dealer LOST my engine cover. Needless to say, I refuse to have anything to do with that dealer if at all possible. The GM Action Team told me that it was no problem at all for me to switch to a dealer that I had a very positive experience with.. However, one week later, they told me that they are currently undecided on whether or not they will replace the vehicle EVEN THOUGH they previously agreed that they would!! I have to take it in on Monday to let the dealership drive it for a few days and verify the problems at hand - they aren't requiring a repair, they are just requiring the dealership to verify the problems.

    I'm a 24 yr old blonde woman, so I 100% understand how you feel, like you're being taken advantage of. All I can say, is that I don't take sh*t from anybody, and when I was having such a hard time with the other dealership, I walked in every day and asked for a report on the vehicle. I called the Service Manager on those days that I couldn't walk in myself. Be persistent, be thorough, and document EVERY little thing. EVERY detail. And no matter what, each time your car goes in for service, make sure that EVERY detail about that visit is typed on that service write-up they give you when you pick up your car. If they experienced the problems themselves, make sure it's written on there - if they found engine codes, make sure that is indicated on that write-up...EVERY DETAIL needs to be noted in writing. This will be HUGE help to you in the future, if you need it.

    Good luck. Call the GM Action Team and set up a case if you need to. 1-866-790-5700...they can set up a case with you and they help with communication between you and the dealership...and if you're at that point of considering lemon law case with your vehicle, they can do a little bit to try to avoid having to deal with your lawyer.
  • sumr616sumr616 Member Posts: 90
    I bought mine March 31st. The first time it stalled was about 3 weeks into owning it! Just like yours! I called the dealership service department and asked them about it, they told me it was most likely a fluke and that I should bring it in if it happens again... I definitely should've taken it in THEN!

    I'm trying to get GM to replace it, rather than filing for lemon law with a lawyer. One week ago, they fully agreed to replace the vehicle, but now they are saying that they are undecided and that I have to take it into the dealership for them to verify the problems at hand.

    Let me know how yours is turning out. I'm having an aboslutely horrible time with mine. The dealership is on my side, they are ready for this to all come to an end for me, but they also just have to wait for GM to give a firm response.
  • sumr616sumr616 Member Posts: 90
    I've had the same problems as you, bought mine in March also. It has now had four different repairs, and all of them have failed. Some worked for only a few days, and two of the repairs actually held up for a few months and several thousand miles, but they ALL eventually failed.

    DOCUMENT EVERYTHING AS IT HAPPENS. And as soon as you are able to file for lemon law, seriously consider doing so. Unfortunately, those that I've spoken with in this forum and another forum, all of the people that have experienced the stalling are STILL unresolved. NONE of these cases have had solid, effective repairs that PERMANENTLY took care of the problem. So, beware that it may not be fixable, and arm yourself accordingly, with information, documentation, and if needed, a lawyer.

    Good luck, and please post back when you have an update.
  • dougggdouggg Member Posts: 7
    GM has admitted there is a defect with the Equinox engines. If you have an Equinox take it to a dealer and get the engine replaced before you get stranded. GM’s providing free rental car while the engine gets replaced.

    The service advisor at the dealership told us GM has discovered a defect in the Equinox’s engine. She said a part in the engine was under designed and is preventing oil from reaching parts of the engine and that’s why it sounds like a diesel. The poor oil flowing is actually ruining the engine over time. Once it sounds like a diesel the engine’s ruined and has to be replaced. GM will replace the engine at their expense and provide a rental car free of charge.
  • johnfbjohnfb Member Posts: 1
    I am experiencing the exact same problem- hesitation between 2nd and 3rd gear which is worse as the ambient temperature gets colder. It goes away a few minutes after the engine hits normal operating temperature.

    GM has told the dealership owner (even had him ride with me) and me that it was designed this way. That is utter BS as no engineer (I'm one as is a brother and a brother-in-law who worked for Delphi) would purposefully design in a significant hesitation. It obviously is a design flaw.

    The dealership owner also found that a couple of new Equinoxes on his lot also exhibited this issue.

    What concerns me mostly are two things (besides being told it is "operating as designed"). First is that the hesitation presents a safety issue when needing to accelerate somewhat aggressively to get into a flow of traffic. Second that this design flaw will lead to premature, but after 100k miles, problems with the transmission. The shop supervisor when I first took it in, about 5 days after I purchased it, said something to the effect that the hesitation/then kicking in can't be good for the transmission in the long term.

    I asked the dealership owner to give me an extension on drive-train warranty and he said he had no way of doing that.

    Hopefully if enough complaints get posted, GM will see fit to find a fix that engineers this hesitation out of the transmission operation.
  • equity_ownerequity_owner Member Posts: 13
    I have faced facts - The Equinox is a hunk of junk!!! I started a claim with the BBB and basically just gave up. It wasn't worth the hassle. I work full-time and do not have time to keep going back and forth to the dealership. I purchased a new car with the hopes of driving a dependable, trouble-free vehicle. I was WRONG for choosing Chevy. Now I am driving a 2011 with 8,000 miles that runs like a 1995. When I start the car up, it bucks and sputters. Luckily, the engine light has not come on again as it would have been the fourth time since I purchased the car. I am always on pins and needles thinking it is going to break down.... Not something people want with a new car. I wanted to buy American.... but, my Kia would run circles around this JUNK! :lemon:

    I have never owned a new Chevy before, and would NEVER again.
  • lizf2011lizf2011 Member Posts: 13
    Well, here is what finally happened with my 2011 Chevy Equinox. FINALLY, GM stepped up and gave me a Case Number, a rep called me and stayed in contact with me and contacted the dealer. I was not happy that it was in the shop again for a wk and a half HOWEVER, GM got the problem with the transmission taken care of and between GM and the Dealership, they are in the process of cutting me a check for one months paymt, and will provide oil changes for me for one yr (that would be one or 2) and have stayed in contact with me. Should anything further happen, they will give me a new case number and we will address the issue again. I have to say, GM was more helpful then the dealership. So, with that said, just continue to contact this forum and when it is ongoing and you don't seem to be getting anywhere with the dealership, GM can open a case and they will get you fixed. I am still a little "uptight" about having parts replaced in the transmission being that my car was brand new but it is covered under warranty and while in the shop I refused to pay for gas and rental so that was covered. The dealership however, got a low grade from me. The service manager put 278 miles on my car. He lied to GM, he lives approx 19-25 miles from dealership and he took it home and back 2 days. that would be only 100 miles. He told GM that he drives 50 miles each way. It appears that his "test-driving" of 178 more miles was for his own personal trips. Of course, that would hurt me on a trade in. I have been to the dealership and made it very clear that it was not exceptable. Sometimes the "squeeky wheel gets the oil" and this time, thank you GM for taking care of this. Lets hope the New Year brings no further problems with the transmission or any other parts. I hope that you all can keep putting the hammer down to get your vehicle fixed and running right. We spend serious $ on these and I am pleased that GM stepped up for me and fixed it. Thank you GM. Keep everyone happy and help them too!
  • kantookantoo Member Posts: 9
    I would say to everyone with 2011 Equinox problems to file a case with the BBB. Unfortunetly, the BBB is working more with Dealers and GM, but the complaints do get you somewhere with some pain and time.

    I had to fight with GM, BBB and the dealership for about 5 months, but I ended up with a new 2012 Equinox worth about $5K more (with a minimal usage charge).

    Unfortunetly, problems are now developing on the 2012 that has about 1500 miles.... What a mess!
  • dloimartindloimartin Member Posts: 3
    I am updating my own post 642 from Dec 14, 2011. I took my vehicle back after the check engine light went on after I had the actuators replaced on bulletin PI0562. Turned out that the mass air flow sensor went bad. The service department at my dealer replaced the part and sent me on my way. They feel this probably caused my problems with poor MPG and sluggish cruise on the highway. The jury is still out on this as I have not taken a road trip as yet. My wife drives the Equinox daily to work and has not experienced any problems since this was done. I am still skeptic about the Equinox after reading all the bad press about problems that keep returning. Chevrolet has sent me an online survey on my recent service work and I unloaded on them. I did not blame the dealer as they have been very helpful. My [non-permissible content removed] is with GM and how they let loose an inferior engine. A customer service rep called me back and set up a case number in case I have anymore problems. The CSR seems to be trying hard to empathize with me on my concerns. Time will tell if my Equinox stays or goes. Even if I don't have many more problems, I doubt I will be keeping it past the 36,000 warranty period. Next problem will be the blue book when I want to trade.
  • ltd2011ltd2011 Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I have a 2011 Equinox that has recently begun acting the same way as yours. I'm taking mine to the dealership soon to have them try to isolate/solve the problem...
  • dougggdouggg Member Posts: 7
    Has the engine started making the diesel or no oil sound? This seems to be a common problem for Equinoxes.

    Our Equinox has been at the dealer for over two weeks now. They immediately blamed us for not properly maintain the car telling us we would have to buy a new engine. When we showed them the service records they immediately became apologetic and provided us with a loaner car. Now they are telling us GM knows of a defect in the engine and there’s a run on the replacement parts so they don’t know when the repairs will be completed.
    Someone else posted the dealer repaired the engine in their Equinox and they got two blocks from the dealership and the engine failed.

    This is the first GM car I purchased. I know GM made terrible cars in the past as in 20 years ago. Are GM cars still that bad? Or is this a result of GM going bankrupt and the government bailing them out?
  • dloimartindloimartin Member Posts: 3
    After the last service to replace the bad mass air flow sensor, I did take the vehicle on a road trip. The gas mileage was very good as I got 31 MPG @ 59 MPH. This was what I got before on the 2-lane roads where speed limit is 55 MPH. BUT, on the last leg of the trip my check engine light is back on. So, back to the dealer to find out what triggered this episode. As far as the start up noise goes, I have not heard it since they did the replacement of the actuators. We bought the Equinox so we could travel next summer with confidence. I am starting to wonder if I can get out of town without something going wrong.
  • lizf2011lizf2011 Member Posts: 13
    Here is my take on all this... If they would quit making parts elsewhere and GM would just make all the parts here and quit farming them out, we would not end up with "pirate" parts that have so many flaws. Another issue, and yes, I am going to bash the engineers because I know many, make them drive what they engineer, let them truly endure what they build on paper, bet they would sing a different song. Sorry but it is true!

    Mine is still hard shifting pretty badly but too inconsistant to have it do it "on demand" which is what the dealership requires. Love my car but not the headaches that came with it and never feeling confident that it is going to get me from point A to point B. Pretty sad when you pay out with interest almost $30k and don't know if it is going to be trustworthy or not from one day to the next. As I mentioned, should have bought the Honda CRV.....
  • capecodgolfercapecodgolfer Member Posts: 17
    Sorry I do not buy the pirated parts excuse.
    Cars are complicated and I am not surprised when there are poor design decisions made. What has angered me for years is the "First time we have heard of that problem" BS you get when you go to the dealer. I gave up on Ford years ago when I and 3 of my friends all had AC leaks on Taurus and Explorers with in 6 months of each other. And we were all told by same dealer "First time they had that problem." Have had a Vibe for 150,000 miles with virtually no problems... of course under the skin is Toyota product. So I either bravely or foolishly decided to try the Equinox. Almost immediately found I had been mislead on MPG, Onstar phone is for those with perfect dictation, have occasionally heard the start-up diesel rattle, and now I have to warn my wife to watch for the check engine light and tell me immediately any strange noises she hears on her 6000 mile old car. Then there is the RECALL some owners have received while others of us are ignored? So far the only remedy I see GM using is to have a Customer Rep trolling sites like Edmunds to offer "assistance." My local dealer should be my Customer Rep... they do not sell that many Equinoxs. Guess they do not expect to sell me another car for 5 years so who cares. BTW Don't forget the GM Card Rebate scam they took me for... sent me a "Top Off" deal but "oops, your rebates expired 2 weeks before you bought your car." I wanted to support GM and my local dealer but I am now SO SORRY I did not do more to check out Toyota & Kia deals. :(
  • avenrowemanavenroweman Member Posts: 8
    I've had my Equinox for just over a year now (2011 LTZ with 4 cyl engine) and a little over 6000 miles, but fortunately haven't had problems that many other people have experienced. I know that my Equinox had a build date of 11/10, but some are saying there is a design flaw in the 4 cyl engine why wouldn't it apply to all 4 cyl vehicles Equinoxs.
  • capecodgolfercapecodgolfer Member Posts: 17
    AVenroweman,
    If you have not heard the start-up 'low oil-diesel" sound you are indeed fortunate. What has me most concerned now is if I start getting the check engine light... that seems to start the down cycle...
    Can you imagine getting check engine light on your $28000 vehicle with say less than 10,000 miles on it? Hell, even if it had 30,000 miles I wouldn't be happy. I have prepared my wife... if we get the check engine light, we get it fixed once... and trade it! And no it will not be for another US product!
  • onefunkaronefunkar Member Posts: 113
    ive written a couple of times about how my daughters 2010 has been so good. well 29,000 miles and is getting the engine rebuilt. it was burning oil and running very rough. i saw the engine apart and it looked like a 150k mile engine. cams ground down, sludgy (i yes she changed the oil), timing changes were loose, metal shavings, and even one of the piston cylinders isnt round within specs anymore. maybe that was part of the problem. hopefully not because they arnt fixing that part. good part is at least they gave her a nice rental and its still under warranty. it will be interesting to see what its like when it is done.
  • avenrowemanavenroweman Member Posts: 8
  • jonoxjonox Member Posts: 100
    I read here that GM were replacing these dud engines under warranty.
    They're made of aluminium so any abnormal oil flow and wear will beat them up pretty quickly. An out of spec cylinder bore should be totally unacceptable.
  • onefunkaronefunkar Member Posts: 113
    they will only replace for out of round cylinder bore if you can catch your finger nail on it. if it is still smooth enough they wont unless it still burns oil when you get it back. amazing.
  • missdaisy1944missdaisy1944 Member Posts: 14
    My "service engine soon light came on and stayed on". I took the vehicle in to my dealer. My Car had 8,200 miles on it. They said the injectors were clogged and they were cleaned. They advised us to use only "GM" approved gas stations. (something about not enough additives in the gas we were using). We have changed stations using the recommended "top tier stations". This was done Dec. 9th and right now everything is going smooth. I hope I am not speaking to soon. Once again the service department at my dealership has been wonderful.
  • capecodgolfercapecodgolfer Member Posts: 17
    Talk about history repeating itself....
    Anyone else remember the Vega alum engines...
    I nursed mine along for years...
    My personal take is this is a oil issue not a alum block issue...
    Hasn't this engine been in use worldwide for a long time?
    Or was that just another of the sales pitches I fell for?
    As for the 'bad' gas I don't buy that either...
    There are a lot of people using off brand gas with zero problems!
    BTW a golfing friend's wife just had Check Engine light come on twice...
    Her's is a Lucerne (engine?) about 2 years old....
    I doubt if it has even 20000 miles on it. Not a good sign.
    And no it was not the gas cap... Dealer's first repair. Back on 2 days later.
  • onefunkaronefunkar Member Posts: 113
    it is amazing how one engine can be so good yet in a particular car it is alot of trouble. why? who knows. my one daughter, as i posted has 29k on her ecotec equinox and is getting engine rebuilt because it is pretty much worn out. my other daughter has the ecotec in her 2002 cavalier ls sport shes had since march 2002. almost ten years old and the car and engine has never has any problem with anything. alot of ectecs out there but for whatever reason no problemstil 2010. they changed something.i
  • schulz79schulz79 Member Posts: 3
    Well, knock on wood (lol), the noise appears to have calmed down... We did take it to the dealership to be serviced for the recall that we received in the mail (pertaining to the resetting of the computer & what else they were supposed to do)... I am so grateful that we have not experienced all of the problems that most of the people on here have, but I do worry about future concerns... We currently have 6,200 miles on it now.. We will be going in for our 1st oil change and tire rotation soon.. I have noticed that sometimes it appears to be lunging, or cutting out, or something just not right.. We have begun fueling with the top gas, 93... We also stopped using the Econ Mode very quickly after purchasing it in the Summer.. Not sure if we would be having more problems if we used that or not.. We found that we actually were getting better gas mileage by turning it off and controlling everything manually... Seems crazy I know, but I think it has been working for us...
    How's your vehicle repairs going? How's your vehicle running?
  • jonoxjonox Member Posts: 100
    Aluminium engines with fuel injection and continuously variable valve timing are a relatively new development aimed at providing the enhanced fuel economy GM is able to advertise but the higher sophistication of these engines comes with a requirement for greater awareness by the user as to how the vehicle is driven and maintained.

    Firstly, aluminum engines need to be carefully warmed up before driving.

    Secondly, the valve timing arrangement is very sensitive to clean oil because oil pressure is used as hydraulic fluid to operate the system. To ensure reliability some manufacturers recommend changing the oil every three months or 3750 miles which ever occurs first.
  • dougggdouggg Member Posts: 7
    The dealer lied to you if they told you, “to use only "GM" approved gas stations. (something about not enough additives in the gas we were using).”
    Gas sold in the United States if federally regulated and is approved use in all cars sold in the US. (Take a look in your owner’s manual.) I hope they didn’t tell you to purchase premium gas, as all cars sold in the US are federally required to run on regular gas. Use regular and your gas millage will improve as there is more energy in gallon of regular gas then in a gallon of premium.
  • jonoxjonox Member Posts: 100
    Regarding "bad gas".

    Although fuel standards are improving, in the US and Canada some gasoline may have high sulphur levels that can cause additional oil contamination and fuel injector problems on these engines.
  • sher85260sher85260 Member Posts: 1
    I was so excited when I purchased my new 2011 4cylinder Chevy Equinox in October. It was my first GM product and now I know it will certainly be my last. I feel that GM only cares about the dollar that goes in there back pocket. This will be the 4th time that my car is in the shop. What a burden after paying 27,000.

    1st time the car was in the shop was for the loud noise upon engine startup. At that time I was told they had to order the camshaft actuators.
    2nd brought it back for the camshaft actuators to be installed to fix loud engine noise.

    I have been told multiple things by the dealership.
    This is the way the engine is suppose to sound. Wrong answer. No new car I have ever sounds like a loud muffler.
    I just had a technician come back from Chicago and all the techs at this conference said to use heavier oil.

    They now want to put a insulator on some part so that you cannot hear it. To me that is a bandaid fix. There is an engine problem here.

    The problem is they do not know how to fix and neither does GM and GM will not step up to the plate and admit it.

    3rd time back to the dealership. Cam shaft actuators were put on and still continuing to get loud noise on cold start. It does not happen when it is warm outside or if you have been driving and the vehicle is already warm. They kept it for one day and said they did not hear anything. They need to keep for about 2 weeks but would not do that.

    4th time back to the dealership same loud noise upon engine cold start and now the vehicle stalls. Very scary. Driving along and it just quits. Quits upon starting. Quits stopping at a light. This time I had them pick the vehicle up because I am scared to drive it. Have not heard back from the dealership yet today.

    Having a new car is suppose to be stress free. Not only that I called GM customer service to voice my complaints and that was just one big joke. First they love to play telephone tag. I eventually ended up talking to a district rep named Tony. Who turn out to be a real jerk. He said that there was nothing he could do for me and that I had to follow the warranty. I told him that I wanted to speak to a supervisor over him and he preceded to tell me that he was it and did not answer to anyone. I said you do not have a boss. You do not answer to anyone. They are on vacation. I asked do they have an email or phone number. I cannot give that out. This compliant will be taken higher believe me.

    What really gets me is that GM knows there are issues with the 2011 4cylinder EQUINOX. I should not have to go back to the dealership 4 times with a new car. I signed a paper when I turned my trade in saying it was not junk. I expect the same in return. Boy would I like to have my CAMRY back right now. It never gave my any problems.

    AGAIN BEWARE OF THE GM GENERAL MOTORS THEY DO NOT CARE!!!
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I believe the ecotec in the Cavalier is no longer produced. GM has modified this engine, increased its displacement to 2.4 liters (from 2.2 in the Cavalier), and overall it probably bears liitle resemblance to the Cavalier's ecotec. GM is having many problems with its more recently developed engines (e.g. check out the Cadillac CTS forum about the 3.6 liter V6 with three timing belts) that I don't understand why they have phased out alll of their old tech overhead valve engines (e.g. 3.8, 3.5, 3.9, etc.).
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    With all due respect, the engine is poorly designed and engineered. It will never run the way it should. As soon as its "fixed," you're probably better off just trading it in and get yourself a Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4. You'll take a big depreciation hit, but you're more likely to get piece of mind with the Toyota or Honda product. Forget about any GM vehicle with the 2.4 or 3.6 liter engines. My two cents worth. Good luck.
  • missydubomissydubo Member Posts: 7
    edited January 2012
    I loved the look of the 2011 Equinox at first sight. It had all the bells and whistles at the right price range for my family. That is where the excitement ended. Right away we noticed a hesitation at acceleration but shook it off as needing broken in or maybe the difference of a 4 cyl and a 6 cyl. Then we experienced the bogging down and lack of power when pulling out and merging into traffic. It would actually pause before accelerating at times causing a true danger. We followed up with service and they replaced the recalled sensor. The service dept. claimed this would fix the issue. At the same time the shifting between 29 & 31 mph would literally pull you off the seat. These issues have continued to get worse. Our Equinox has been back in for service 3 more times with no resolution yet. They flushed our fuel injectors and changed more sensors, still no help. The engine has now developed some noises and I have noticed a decline in the mileage with the occassional smell of gas! With a busy work schedule and children in more activities then I can count, I do not have time to run to the dealership at every issue. I have managed to rack up almost 13,000 miles in 8 months and our issues continue. Granted the dealership has been civil and has provided loaner vehicles in these situations. My car is currently in the shop again and if no resolution I will be screaming all the way to the top of the GM food chain. I bought a new vehicle to have the reliabilty and a warranty. All I have gained is a headache. I do not want to lose my money on a trade of a less than reliable vehicle. I'm getting to the point of just wanting out of this car. Any suggestions?
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