2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE AFTER BEING DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MILES. CLICKING SOUND HAPPENS EACH TIME (APPROX 15) AND ENGINE STRUGGLES TO ENGAGE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *JB

ON JANUARY 26 I TOOK MY 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT (CLASSIC EAST, MADISON OHIO 44057) FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND MENTIONED THAT I HEARD A RATTLE IN MY STEERING COLUMN WHEN I WAS ON ROUGH ROAD. THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE NOISE BY ADJUSTING THE PRELOAD STEERING GEAR, BUT IT DID NOT WORK SO THEY SPECIAL ORDERED A PART. I RETURNED ON FEBRUARY 1 AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE NOISE BY INSTALLING A POWER STEERING GEAR, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK. USING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM GENERAL MOTORS, THEY RAN SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN ON FEBRUARY 2. ON FEBRUARY 3 I PHONED THE DEALERSHIP TO LET THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KNOW THAT THE STEERING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT- IT WAS ALTERNATELY VERY LOOSE OR VERY TIGHT. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING, SO THAT WAS NORMAL. I STATED THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN THAT WAY BEFORE, BUT WAS ASSURED THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND I SHOULD DRIVE IT FOR A WHILE TO SEE IF IT GOT BETTER. ON FEBRUARY 24, I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AND HEARD A SNAP IN MY STEERING COLUMN. AT THAT POINT, I HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL 360 DEGREES WITH NO IMPACT ON THE TIRES OR CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AT THAT TIME. AT THIS TIME, THEY HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED IF THIS WAS DEALER INSTALLATION ERROR OR A FAULTY PART. NM

2005 CHEVY EQUINOX AWD, 3 STARTERS, 3 COOLANT TANKS, ALL COOLANT HOSES CHANGED, HEATER CHANGED TWICE, A PILLAR PANELS LEAKED AIR, RADIATOR REPLACED, BATTERY BOLT REPLACED, REAR SHELF BROKE, CONSTANT COOLANT SMELL IN CAR, MADE WIFE SICK, HAD CAR 5 MONTHS APPROX, SPEND AROUND 90 + DAYS IN SHOP, DEALER DID ALL THEY COULD, BUT G.M. REFUSED TO WORK ON CAR UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE, G.M. " FORCED " TO BUY BACK UNDER LEMON LAW, BOUGHT TOYOTA, PERIOD. HAVE ALL RECEIPTS AND PAPER WORK FOR ANYBODY INTERESTED. *JB

VEHICLE'S ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED TO BRING VEHICLE TO STOP ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST 2 WEEKS. ALL OCCURRENCES WERE DURING OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT MY VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AT NOT MORE THAN 15 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED WITH LOAD GRINDING NOISE AND SLID THOUGHT THE STOP LIGHT, FORTUNATELY WITHOUT ACCIDENT. IN THE 2ND AND 3RD OCCURRENCES, MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP DUE TO THE SAME TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE AND NOISE, RESULTING IN HER GOING OF THE SHOULDER INTO A DITCH TO AVOID COLLISION. AND FINALLY THE NEXT DAY WHICH IS A MONDAY, I WAS TAKING THE VEHICLE TO OUR CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED WHEN ONCE AGAIN, WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO APPROACH 5-10 MPH WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, I NEARLY REAR-ENDED A SCHOOL BUS DUE TO ANOTHER OCCURRENCE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BRAKE. A BRAKE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST DRIVE ON THE BACK LOT FOR 2 MINUTES AND DECLARED THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. FURTHER PERSISTENCE PROMPTED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A STREET TEST DRIVE AND UPON HIS RETURN HE STATED THE BRAKES WORKED FINE FOR HIM. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE A CAR ON ICE OR SNOW AS I AM WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHICH BY THE WAY DOES NOT HANDLE WELL IN WIND EITHER. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE OF MY DEALERSHIP AND FEEL THESE OCCURRENCES ARE VERY SIMILAR IF NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THOSE THAT PROMPTED A SIMILAR RECALL OF GM 1999 -2002 MODEL TRUCKS AND SUV VEHICLES IN 2005. *NM

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN FIXED, HOWEVER ONE REMAINS. THERE IS A POPPING NOISE, COMING FROM THE BACK END, RESULTING IN MANY POPS IN A SERIES, AND THEN IT WON'T DO IT AGAIN. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER A COLD START AND DRIVING IT FOR A COUPLE MINUTES THEN COMING TO A STOP. HOWEVER IT HAS HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AT START UP AND DURING THE COURSE OF DRIVING FOR THE FIRST COUPLE MINUTES.*JB

I AM EXPERIENCING AN EXTREMELY STRONG MILDEW SMELL INSIDE MY EQUINOX. IT IS SO STRONG PEOPLE COMMENT OUTSIDE THE CAR. THE SMELL ALSO PENETRATES CLOTHING SO THAT OTHERS NOTICE THE SMELL. PEOPLE WILL NOT RIDE IN MY CAR. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER TWICE. BOTH TIMES THE ODOR IMPROVES SLIGHTLY (THEY DEPDORIZE THE HVAC) BUT STILL OTHERS COMMENT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING MY 3 YEAR OLD B/C OF THE SMELL. WE HAVE FOUND NO VISIBLE WETNESS OR MOLD. THE RUBBER AROUND TWO WINDOWS WAS LOOSE BUT THE DEALER DID NOT FIND WATER INSIDE THE DOOR. THE SMELL DOES NOT SEEM TO BE COMING FROM THE VENTS BUT MORES SO JUST FROM THE CAR. *NM

BRAKE NOISE,THUMPING AND GRINDING. STEERING WHEEL IS VERY TIGHT AND LOOSENS AT ANY TIME. ROTORS ARE FAULTY. WHEN STARTING PERIODICALLY IGNITION SWITCH STICKS IN THE CRANKING POSITION ONCE MANUALLY STARTED UNLESS YOU JIGGLE KEY, CAUSING POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. *NM

2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. IN OCTOBER, 2006, I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS WHEN I LOST STEERING AND MY CAR FELT AS THOUGH A WHEEL WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC (I WAS 400 MILES PAST THE 36,000 WARRANTY), I FOUND OUT THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD SNAPPED. *JB

MY 2005 EQUINOX SHIMMIES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT ABOUT 40-50 MPH ROTORS WERE RESURFACED 1 TIME AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED WHEN VEHICLE HAD 30,000 MILES TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS DUST BUILD UP THEY TOOK APART AND CLEANED VEHICLE NOW HAS 40000 MILES AND THE SAME PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS I THINK DEALERSHIP SHOULD FIX AT NO COST TO OWNER OF VEHICLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ROTORS IN MARCH 2005. THEN IN APRIL 2006, THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED, AND THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED AGAIN SIX MONTHS LATER.