2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

WE HAVE A 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX, AS MY MECHANIC WOULD SAY, IS A PROBLEM CHILD. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT MOST HAVE WITH THE ODOR COMING FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM. OUR BIGGEST COMPLAINT IN WITH THE SUSPENSION, AND NOW THE ABS SYSTEM. IT TOOK SEVERAL VISITS TO FIGURE OUT WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS MAKING LOUD NOISES IN THE FRONT END. IT ALL STARTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AROUND A SHARP CORNER. FROM THAT DAY ON, WHICH WAS ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, TILL PRESENT TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN LOAD. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT MECHANIC. THE NOISE IN THE FRONT TURNED OUT TO BE THE STRUT PLATES. THIS COST US $300 PER SIDE. WE THOUGHT WE HAD SOLVED THE ISSUES EXCEPT FOR ABOUT A WEEK AGO A LOUDER NOISE STARED. IT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING TO BREAK IN TWO. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO OUR MECHANIC. THIS TIME IT WAS THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AGAIN. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS CALLED. THERE IS A ROD THAT IS FROM THE TOP OF THE STRUT THAT GOES DOWN TO THE WHEEL. THESE BOTH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE SHOP NOW. THANK FULLY THESES RODS ONLY COST $30 A PIECE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 46000 ON IT. THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE ABS SYSTEM. NOT EVERY TIME BUT QUITE FREQUENTLY WE WOULD BACK THE CAR UP AND THEY ABS WOULD ENGAGE. ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS WAS THROUGH REPLACING THE SENSORS ON THE WHEELS. IN NOT KNOWING WHICH SENSOR IS BAD WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM WHICH WOULD AMOUT TO AT LEAST $1200. THE GOOD NEWS OR NOT SUCH GOOD NEWS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT, THE ABS SYSTEM IS ENGAGING GOING FORWARD NOW, ON DRY PAVEMENT WHILE BRAKING. AT LEAST THE MECHANICS SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THE FALTY SENSOR NOW THAT IT IS HAPPENING ALL OF THE TIME. SHAME ON US FOR NOT DOING OUR RESEARCH BEFORE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. *TR

2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE STEERING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY. DEALER BLAMED THE FAILURE ON ICE IN THE WHEEL WELL. THEN THE TROUBLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ISSUE HAS NOT YET BEEN FIXED PROPERLY. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T START. THE DEALER CLEANED THE CONNECTOR, HOWEVER THE COMPUTER DID NOT PICK UP ANY DIAGNOSTIC HISTORY, EVEN THOUGH THE TROUBLE LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON QUITE CONSISTENTLY. ON FEB 25, 2006 THE CONSUMER ONCE AGAIN LOST STEERING, BUT REGAINED IT AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. AT THAT TIME THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE TROUBLE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND ONCE AGAIN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT BY PUSHING ON THE FUSE BOX, THE VEHICLE WOULD START AND STEER. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER BECAME STRANDED, THE DOORS WOULDN'T UNLOCK AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START, BUT THE HORN WORKED. THE CONSUMER LET THE VEHICLE SIT OVERNIGHT AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK, THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCK, SHE OPENED THE DOOR MANUALLY AND POUNDED ON THE FUSE BOX, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED UP. THE SECOND TIME THE CONSUMER BECAME STUCK, POUNDING ON THE FUSE BOX DID NOT WORK AND THE VEHICLE DIDN'T START, EVEN THOUGH THE BATTERY WAS FINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. AS SOON AS THE CONSUMER LEFT THE DEALER THE TROUBLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING CONTINUES TO GO OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE RESUME BUTTON FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK PROPERLY. *JB

CRACK DEVELOPED IN 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT BECAME VISIBLE WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING LOT ON 12/31/2007, BUT CRACK BEGAN WHERE WINDSHIELD MEETS THE CAR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DASH ON THE DRIVER SIDE. VEHICLE WAS 500 MILES OUT OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY FOR REPLACEMENT. WHEN CHEVY SERVICE FIRST LOOKED AT THE CAR THEY DETERMINED IN 2 SECONDS THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY COVERED BUT WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE MILEAGE SAID IT WAS NOT. HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED UNDER THE AUTO INSURANCE POLICY AND THE REPAIRMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO CRACK, I.E. DEBRIS, ROCK, ETC. AND THAT IT WAS A STRESS FRACTURE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE SAW THIS SEVERAL TIMES IN EQUINOXES. *TR

DURING A RECENT CRASH THAT I WAS IN, WHEN MY AIR BAG DEPLOYED I WAS PUSHED BACK INTO THE SEAT. THE SEAT CAME UNLATCHED AND PLUNGED INTO THE BACK SEAT WHERE I HAD MY DAUGHTER IN HER CAR SEAT. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING BY BOTH THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE DEALER THAT THIS IS TO NEVER HAPPEN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FILL UP WITH GAS TO RESET AS BOOK STATED NO LUCK TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS STATED THE 02 SENSOR NEEDED REPAIRING PICKED UP AFTER THE REPAIR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MILES TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY (RTE 495 S). I SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A JOLT. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD GOTTEN A FLAT TIRE, SO I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE. THE CAR WAS IDLING FINE BUT MADE A HORRIBLE SCRAPING NOISE WHEN MOVING. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THE BOLTS SUPPORTING MY ENGINE BLOCK HAD SNAPPED AND THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE ENGINE WAS MY AXLE ' HENCE THE AWFUL SCRAPING NOISE. MY CAR IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 30K MILES - I WOULD THINK A PART AS IMPORTANT AS THE BOLTS SUPPORTING MY ENGINE BLOCK SHOULD LAST LONGER. I HAVE ALL PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED. *TR

THE BACK FLOORBOARD OF MY CAR HAS BEEN NOTICABLY WET FOR A FEW MONTHS. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I BEGAN RESEARCHING ONLINE TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. THE SEALS AROUND THE DOORS WERE FINE. I DID FIND 3" OF WATER LAYING IN MY SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT. THERE IS NO DRAIN HOLE FOR THE WATER TO BE REMOVED. THE WATER IS COMING IN FROM THE TAIL LIGHTS. THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE EQUINOX FROM SIMPLY LAUGHED AT THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT WOULD COST OVER $200 TO REPLACE JUST THE TAIL LIGHT. THE SMELL INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS HORRIBLE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY RUSTING THE BODY AND CAUSING MOLD AND MILDEW INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *TR

VEHICLE DRIVEN, PARKED, 5 HOURS LATER KEY FOB WOULD NOT WORK ON APPROACH TO VEHICLE NOTED SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ATTEMPTED TO JUMP BATTERY WHEN NOTED SMOKE AND STOPPED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER THEY CLAIMED THE VEHICLE WAS JUMPED BACKWARDS AND I KNOW THIS NOT TO BE A FACT. DEALER STATED EVERYTHING FRIED UNDER HOOD. *TR

AUTO WAS AT REST AT A STOP LIGHT JUST AFTER EXITING EXPRESSWAY. AUTO SEEMED TO LOSE POWER WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMP GAUGE WAS READING HOT. I SLOWLY DROVE ABOUT A MILE HOME. AT THIS TIME I TURN OFF THE AUTO AND OPENED THE HOOD. I LET IT SIT TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, AT THAT TIME I TRIED TO START THE AUTO AND IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT AND TRIED TO START NEXT MORNING, IT TURNED OVER HARD AND STARTED. I TURNED IT OFF, CHECKED THE COOLANT IT WAS VERY LOW. I ADDED COOLANT, LET IT RUN ABOUT 10MIN, LOTS OF STEAM COME FROM TAIL PIPE AND NO HEAT FROM VENTS. I THEN CHECKED ENGINE OIL, IT SEEMED WATERED DOWN. A FRIEND WHO KNOWS CARS TOLD ME HEAD GASKET. MY 3YEAR OLD CHEVY NOW NEEDS AT LEAST $1500 TO $2000 WORTH OF REPAIRS THAT MAY NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AT 24,000 MILES, THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE PURCHASE DATE, VIN, POWERTRAIN, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 12/07/07