2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

I PURCHASED THIS 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE OWNERS MANUAL. I FOUND THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL. TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT THE ABSENTS OF A WAY TO CHECK THE FLUID AND WAS TOLD ALL NEW VEHICLES NO LONGER HAVE A DIP STICK TO CHECK TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVELS. THIS TO ME IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS IF YOU RELY ON SOME SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR FLUID IS LOW OR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED YOU COULD BE PAYING MONEY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE NECESSARY. IF YOUR ON A TRIP OF ANY DISTANCE YOU COULD BE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT WAS DESTROYED BECAUSE OF LACK OF FLUID THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE FLUIDS BEEN CHECKED PRIOR TO YOUR TRIP. HOW ABOUT DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE TRANSMISSION COMES APART FOR LACK OF FLUID AN YOU HAVE AN 18 WHEELER BEHIND YOU AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKS UP THAT 18 WHEELER WOULD ROLL RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF DISABLED VEHICLE. I BELIEVE A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED TO ALL MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES WITH NO FLUID DIPSTICK FOR FLUID CHECK OF THE TRANSMISSION SUCH AS THAT OF MY 2013 CHEVROLET.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LOW COOLANT LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR CLAMP NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

DRIVING IN LEFT LANE ON I75 AT 70 MPH IN MODERATE TRAFFIC. STARTED TO RAIN AND WITHIN SECONDS TURNED TO A DOWNPOUR. I SWITCHED MY WIPERS FROM REGULAR TO HIGH SPEED, THEY MADE 2 OR 3 STROKES AND THEN QUIT. I COULDN'T SEE A THING. MOST SCARED I'VE EVER BEEN IN A VEHICLE. LUCKILY, NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME BRAKED SUDDENLY, SO I FLIPPED ON MY FLASHERS AND GRADUALLY SLOWED AND EDGED ACROSS THE RIGHT LANE ONTO THE SHOULDER. TURNS OUT THE WIPER TRANSMISSION HAS SEVERAL PLASTIC BALL/SOCKET PIECES, AND ONE FAILED, SEPARATING THE MOTOR FROM THE LINKAGE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE MULTICAR WRECK. I WORK IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, AND AM AN ASE MASTER TECH. I KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT CARS. IN A SAFETY-CRITICAL SYSTEM LIKE WIPERS, WHY, OTHER THAN A SMALL COST, WHY COULDN'T THE LINKAGE BE DESIGNED NOT TO SEPARATE WHEN THE BALL/SOCKET FAILS? A SECONDARY CONNECTION OR IMPROVED DESIGN THAT WOULD ALLOW THE WIPERS TO OPERATE, EVEN POORLY, UNTIL A VEHICLE CAN GET OFF THE ROAD. I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED (ALONG WITH OTHERS) BY THE FAILURE OF A SMALL PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS NEVER INSPECTED WHEN AN AUTO IS SERVICED.

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT PREPARING TO TAKE A RIGHT TURN ON RED, WHICH IS LEGAL IN OKLAHOMA, AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND AS I HAD BEGUN THE TURN SLIGHTLY DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR DIED AND ALL LIGHTS AND POWER WAS LOST. I COASTED THE VEHICLE INTO THE PARKING LOT OF A GAS STATION THAT WAS ON THE CORNER NEAREST TO ME AND AFTER TWO TO THREE MINUTES THE CAR STARTED AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING AS NORMAL. MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING, NIGHT OR DAY, THE FORWARD COLLISION ALERT WILL BEGIN BEEPING AND FLASHING AS IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO HAVE A FORWARD COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, YET THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT OF YOU LITERALLY FOR MILES AT SOME TIMES. THIS ALSO CAUSES THE BRAKES TO BE DEPRESSED AND THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN, EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE FORWARD COLLISION ALERT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. ALSO, THE DISPLAY FOR THE RADIO AND VARIOUS OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE HAS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FROZE THE IMAGE ON THE SCREEN AND NOT ALLOWED ANY AIR, RADIO, OR ANY OTHER FUNCTIONS TO BE ABLE TO BE CHANGED, SOMETIMES FOR SEVERAL HOURS. ALSO THE REAR DOOR WILL SOMETIMES REMAIN LOCKED WHEN ALL OTHER DOORS ARE UNLOCKED WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL UNIT AND/OR THE BUTTONS IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP I AM PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM, ON THIS UPCOMING FRIDAY JULY 3RD, 2014.

I WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND (OTHER DRIVER EST. 35 MPH) I WAS SITTING STILL AT ZERO SPEED. DURING THIS REAR-END COLLISON THE DRIVER SEAT BACK SUPPORT AND HEAD REST BROKE. I ENDED UP IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY VEHICLE CAUSING BACK INJURIES. I AM QUESTIONING THE DURABILITY OF THE FRONT SEATS OF THIS VEHICLE.

HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE VEHICLE IN AND OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES.

IT WAS RAINING AT ABOUT 3:00 PM AND THE WIPERS WERE WORKING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY STOPPED AND I CAN'T SEE AND ALMOST RUN INTO THE OTHER CARS BECAUSE THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE NOW AND MY DAUGHTER IS AFRAID OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS POURING DOWN RAIN.

THE VEHICLE OPERATOR INSERTED THE SWITCHBLADE STYLE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. OPERATOR WENT TO TURN THE IGNITION OVER TO START THE ENGINE. THE KEY FOB'S METAL CASING FOR THE KEY BROKE. THIS RESULTED IN 3 PIECES, THE REMOTE KEY FOB BODY, THE KEY & THE METAL COVER OF THE KEY. THE HINGE OR THE SWTICHBLADE PORTION IS STILL CONNECTED TO THE FOB. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE COULD NOT GIVE AN ANSWER AS TO WHAT ACTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR ANSWER IF THE IGNITION SWITCH BEEN BUMPED WHILE THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE. THIS VEHICLE IS 1200 MILES OUT OF THE "COVERED" WARRANTY.

THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. ALL FOUR PASSENGER DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE OCCUPANTS WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE OCCUPANTS ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOORS BY RELEASING THE DOOR LOCKS (THE DOOR LOCK BUTTONS POPPED UP) AND BY USING THE DOOR HANDLES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS AND TRIED THE EXTERNAL DOOR HANDLES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE OCCUPANTS CONTACTED ONSTAR FOR ASSISTANCE. ONSTAR WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE DOOR LOCKS. ONSTAR INVOLVED EMERGENCY ONSTAR ASSISTANCE OVER THE TELEPHONE, WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE OCCUPANTS REMAINED TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ONSTAR INSTRUCTED THE DRIVER TO DRIVE TO THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP, ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING 65-70 MPH, THE REAR, DRIVER-SIDE DOOR RELEASED AND OPENED, RESULTING IN THE LIGHTING OF THE DOME LIGHTS AND THE "DOOR AJAR" INDICATOR ON THE DASH. THERE WERE OCCUPANTS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME, ON THE DRIVER-SIDE. ONCE ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK. THE FRONT-PASSENGER DOOR OPENED. THE REAR, DRIVER-SIDE DOOR OPENED. HOWEVER, THE FRONT, DRIVER-SIDE DOOR DID NOT OPEN AND REMAINED LATCH AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. EVENTUALLY, THE DRIVER DOOR OPENED AND ALL OCCUPANTS VACATED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT UPSHIFT WHEN ACCELERATING...ALWAYS AND EVERYDAY (V6 ENGINE MODELS) CADILLAC HAS ISSUED A RECALL # 14132 FOR THE SAME POWERTRAIN IN THE 2013 CADILLAC SRX! CHEVROLET SHOULD DO THE SAME! *TR