2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

I PURCHASED THIS 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX IN MAY 2006 WITH 26K MILES ON IT. IN MAY OF 2008 WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES ON IT THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW! GM REFUSED TO REPAIR OR DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST FINANCIALLY IN THE REPAIR. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC (I CANNOT AFFORD GM LABOR RATES) WHO DID IN FACT REPAIR THE HEAD GASKETS AND THE VEHICLE RAN AGAIN. IN NOVEMBER 2009 THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW AGAIN. I AGAIN CALLED GM WITH AN ANSWER OF NO, I FILED A COMPLAINT BUT HEARD NOTHING ABOUT IT. I AGAIN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER NON GM DEALER AND HAD IT REPAIRED. YESTERDAY 1/4/2011 WITH 130,000 MILES AND A MOTOR THAT HAS BEEN OVERHAULED TWICE, THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AGAIN. I AM QUITE SURE THE NHTSA IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST IN THIS; HOWEVER, ONE QUICK SEARCH OF "2005 EQUINOX AND HEAD GASKET" AND YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND GM QUITE SIMPLY REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A PERSON AT GM IN THE PAST AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NOT ENOUGH HAD BEEN REPORTED TO WARRANT A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE THEN REMOVED SOME OF THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING FUSES HERSELF AND THE FAILURE HAD NOT RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,743.

ALL PROBLEMS AROSE WHEN THE BRAKE FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE WOULD SHAKE WHEN BRAKING. WE HAD THE SHOES AND THE PADS CHANGED AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE SOLVED FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THEN THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK WHEN BRAKING AND THEN THEY BEGAN TO TIGHTEN AND THE BRAKE WOULD LOCK ITSELF AND BEGAN TO SMOKE BECAUSE OF THE FRICTION THE PAD AND THE BRAKE DISC WERE CREATING SINCE THE BRAKE WOULD REMAIN LOCKED. THIS WAS ONLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE FRICTION MADE THE WHOLE WHEEL RIM GET HOT AND BEGAN PRODUCING A BURNING SMELL FROM THE BRAKE PAD. THE CALIBER, SHOES, PAD AND DISC HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR BOTH FRONT BRAKES. THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO SQUEAK WHEN BREAKING. NOW, THE MOTOR HEATS UP TO THE RED ZONE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EVEN IF THEIR IS ANTI-FREEZE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN ACCELERATING THE MOTOR COOLS DOWN, BUT IF THE SPEED IS LESS THAN 35MPH THE MOTOR HEATS UP MORE. BASED ON OTHER COMMENTS FROM DRIVERS WITH THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR THEY NOTICED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS COME UP TO BE THE HEAD GASKETS. THIS PROBLEM HAS CREATED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND IS BECOMING A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN THEIR IS STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT THE BREAKS WILL LOCK UP AGAIN AND POSSIBLY SPARK FIRE IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. WE HAVE NOT USED OUR VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES WE FEAR THAT NOT FIXING THE COSTLY PROBLEM MAY DAMAGE OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. WE KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THAT OTHER DRIVERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY EQUINOX 2005. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN A DEER JUMPED A FENCE AND LANDED ON THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTNING FAILED. THE AIR BAGS ALSO FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000. UPDATED 01/10/12*LJ

THE CARRIER BEARING IS FAULTY ON 2005 EQUINOXES. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO FLIP OVER. THE MAJOR ISSUE IS THAT TO REPAIR THE CARRIER BEARING, THEY HAVE TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE DRIVE SHAFT. THIS HAS TO BE SENT TO CHEVROLET, AND SINCE IT CAN ONLY BE DONE BY THEM, THEY HAVE A STRONG ARM ON THE PRICE. ($1200) IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE WHEN I BEGAN TO GOOGLE 'DRIVE SHAFT CHEVY', IT GAVE ME 2005 EQUINOX AS A SUGGESTION. THE YEAR WAS SPECIFIC IN THE PROBLEM. *TR

CAR DOESN'T START ON FIRST ATTEMPT. IT TRIES, THEN EVEN AFTER I RELEASE THE KEY IT CONTINUES TO START, LIKE ITS STUCK, I HAVE TO PUMP THE GAS TO GET IT TO START, AND IT ACTS FLOODED. ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ON. WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKES IT FEELS STUCK AT THE TOP AND GRINDS AND PULSATES EVEN THOUGH MY BRAKES ARE GOOD. I'VE HAD MY SPEED SENSORS REPLACED TWICE , PROBLEM STILL ONGOING. I HAVE TO PUSH WITH ALL MY WEIGHT FOR THE BRAKES TO "BREAK THROUGH" WHAT EVER ITS STUCK ON AND WORK, THEN THEY LOCK UP. THAT'S WHEN THE ABS/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON, THEN I KNOW THE ABS IS NOT TRYING TO WORK AND MY BRAKES WILL STOP ME. I'VE ALMOST CRASHED INTO THINGS TOO MANY TIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN AN OVERPOWERING FUEL ODOR WAS EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT A SQUIRREL HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE FUEL LINE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING FURTHER DIAGNOSIS OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER USED TO GO OVER 50% MARK, AND WAS ALWAYS WELL UNDER AND NEVER MOVED. ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, THE VEHICLE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED TO CLIMB AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING, THEN IDLING. RECENTLY, THE TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON. I EXPERIENCED A COOLANT ODOR AND THE VEHICLE HAD A ROUGH IDLE ON COLD START. DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS BAD HEAD GASKETS. DEALER MACHINED HEADS, REPLACED GASKETS, REPLACED PLUGS AND FLUSHED/FILLED COOLANT SYSTEM, ALL FOR $2450. READING SOME OF THE WEBSITES, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A VERY HIGH AMOUNT COMPARED TO WHAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE ARE PAYING AT THEIR DEALERSHIPS. READING INFORMATION PROVIDED ON MYCARSTATS.COM AND MANY OTHER FORUMS/NEWS GROUPS, THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME HEAD GASKET ISSUE WITH THE '05 EQUINOX. IT SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE RED DEXCOOL COOLANT THAT EATS AWAY AT THE HOSES AND HEAD GASKETS, CAUSING GASKET FAILURE, AS WELL AS HEATER CORE FAILURE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME RECOURSE TO RECUPERATE MONEY FOR THIS PROBLEM. HEAD GASKETS DON'T TYPICALLY FAIL IN MOST CARS. *TR