2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

WE PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005. THROUGH OUR RESEARCH, THIS WAS ONE OF THE ONLY VEHICLES THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE 2 REAR FACING CHILD SEATS WITH SAFE OPERATION. THE EQUINOX NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 16, 000 MILES ON IT. ON 11 NOVEMBER 2006, MY WIFE AND OUR 14 MONTH OLD TWIN DAUGHTERS WERE ON THEIR WAY TO VISIT HER FRIEND. I RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM MY WIFE. SHE IS FRANTICALLY SCREAMING TO ME THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE EQUINOX. SHE EXPLAINS THAT WHEN SHE APPLIES THE BRAKES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45 -50 MPH, SHE IS EXPERIENCING A VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE VEHICLE'S FRONT END AND THE STEERING WHEEL, AND FEELS THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I ADVISE HER TO DECREASE HER SPEED AND CONTINUE TO HER FRIENDS HOUSE AND THAT I WILL RETURN HOME AND TAKE OUR SUBARU TO MEET HER. WE SWITCH VEHICLES. ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY, I ACCELERATE TO APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH AND NOTICE TRAFFIC BACKING UP DUE TO POLICE ACTIVITY DOWN THE ROAD. I APPLY THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY AND THE EQUINOX BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY TO THE POINT THAT IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE FRONT WHEELS ARE PULLING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, AND I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME KEEPING THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE MARKED LANES. THE STEERING WHEEL IS ALSO SHAKING AND I HAVE TO GRIP IT TIGHTLY TO HOLD ON. I DON'T RECALL HAVING EXPERIENCED A STEERING WHEEL SHAKE THIS VIOLENTLY. AFTER DECREASING TO ABOUT 50 MPH, THE SHAKING SUBSIDED TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONTROLLABLE WITHIN THE LANES. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL MORE TIMES DURING THE RIDE HOME, SO I SUSTAINED A SPEED THAT WAS SAFE FOR MYSELF AND THE OTHER MOTORISTS. A TRIP THAT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR TOOK ABOUT 2 HOURS TO COMPLETE WITH MINIMAL TRAFFIC. BEING THAT THIS OCCURRED OVER A WEEKEND, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE CHEVY TO THE DEALERSHIP OR A REPAIR STATION TO HAVE IT CHECKED. AFTER HAVING THE CHEVY CHECKED I WILL NOTIFY YOUR ADMINISTRATION OF THE OUTCOME. *NM

CD PLAYER BROKE, WATER SOAKING FLOOR BOARDS TWICE CAUSING MOLD & MILDEW. COMPLETE LOSS OF RADIATOR FLUID, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING TWICE. UNUSUAL WEAR OF TIRES. RUBBING IN STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING, KNOCKING SOUND WHEN TURNING SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT, A/C NOT COOLING EFFICIENTLY. *NM

REPLACED TIRES ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX WITH ONLY 11,000 MILES. PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD TO GET AN ALIGNMENT HOWEVER, THE TIRES STILL WENT BAD. AFTER I PURCHASED MY NEW SET OF TIRES, I WENT BACK TO HAVE THEM ROTATED AFTER THERE RECOMMENDED MILES OF 5,000 AND THE TIRES ARE WEARING AGAIN. I HAD LESS THAN 18,000 MILES ON IT THIS TIME AROUND. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING TIRES EVERY 5,000 MILES. THE GARAGE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED THE TIRES ON SEVERAL MORE EQUINOX THAT SAME DAY WITH JUST ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MILES AS MINE. *NM

MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT THIS 2005 EQUINOX IN MARCH OF 2005. IT HAD 9K MILES ON IT. A FEW TIMES AFTER THAT IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE IT WAS GOING TO START. WHEN IT DID THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHOOK, IT WAS LIKE STARTING A MANUAL IN GEAR. AT AROUND 12K MILES THE FRONT END STARTED SHAKING WHEN THE WERE BRAKES APPLIED. TOOK IT IN TO BE SERVICED IN FEBRUARY 2006 AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK BRAKES. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT FEEL ANYTHING. CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM CHECK THE BRAKES AGAIN. WHEN WE DID THEY TOLD US THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ALREADY. STILL HAS HALF THE LIFE ON THE BRAKES. TODAY WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS REPLACED. THIS WAS DUE TO A LOUD NOISE WE KEPT HEARING. HOPEFULLY THAT FIXED THAT PROBLEM. AS FAR AS THE BRAKES AND ROTORS, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US NOT TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING NEW ROTORS PUT ON UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE WORN. IT IS REALLY DANGEROUS ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN SOMEONE SLOWS DOWN IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOING 50 TO 65 MPH AND IT DON'T FEEL LIKE YOUR GOING TO STOP. WE WERE TOLD THIS WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I AM DONE WITH CHEVROLET. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS PLACED IN DRIVE, HOWEVER IT DID NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE SHOOK WHILE DRIVING OVER 60 MPH AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TIRES TWICE, ROTATED, AND BALANCED THE TIRES IN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO REPLACED THE RIMS, WHEELS, AND HUBS, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONER UNIT FELL OFF THE BRACKET WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPDATED10/04/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE HAVE BEEN TWO INCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE. FIRST, WHILE IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE WENT FORWARD. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS PULLED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SECOND, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE FAILED. THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND HEARD. THE LIGHTS, POWER WINDOWS AND RADIO WERE STILL OPERABLE, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE SECOND INCIDENT, THEY DETERMINED THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

TOOK IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND LUBE TECH AT DEALER SUGGESTED TAKE IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO DISCOLORATION OF ANTIFREEZE, TOLD BY SERVICE ADVISOR THIS WAS OKAY AND NOT TO WORRY. SECOND OIL CHANGE SAME ISSUES, FINALLY HAVE APPOINTMENT TO HOPEFULLY CORRECT,POOR GAS MILEAGE, ERRATIC SHIFTING, GAS CAP THAT WILL NOT STAY ON,CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK, AND ONLY 8300 HUNDRED MILES ON VEHICLE. WILL HAVE HARD TIME BUYING ANOTHER CHEVORLET AGAIN. *JB

I HAVE 13,000 MILES ON MY CAN, AND THE BRAKES ARE 40% GONE ON THE FRONT, AND 20% ON THE BACK. ALSO POOR STEERING AND HANDLING. FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND AM TOLD THAT THEY ARE NORMAL, THAT ALL EQUINOXS MAKE THE NOISE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH THE REAR WINDOWS DOWN, THE AIR THUMPS AND POUNDS THROUGH THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSES DISCOMFORT TO THE CONTACT'S EARS. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. *AK UPDATED 5/2/2006 - *NM

CONSUMER REQUESTING A FILE REPAIR FOR 2005 EQUINOX. *TS THE COSUMER STATED OVER THE PAST YEAR, SHE HAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB