2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Complaints

QUESTION. I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL REGARDING MY 2013 CHEVY EQUINOX WITH FLEX FUEL. THE LETTER STATES SOME 2013 EQUINOX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THIS FEATURE MAY HAVE A CONDITION WHERE THE FLEXIBLE SENSOR MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE DURING NORMAL OPERATION DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSED BY ROAD SALT AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND REMOTE START WILL BE INOPERATIVE. WHY WOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL ISSUE? IT EFFECTS THE ENGINE. TO ME THIS IS A WAY AROUND ANOTHER RECALL INCIDENT INVOLVING GENERAL MOTORS. HELP. *TR

THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE CAR ON A ROCKY OFF-ROAD MOUNTAIN PUBLIC ACCESS ROAD. THE ROAD CONSISTED OF A LOW GRADE INCLINE, AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FROZE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SKID AND THE BRAKES FROZE UP AND THE VEHICLE WAS GAINING MOMENTUM DANGEROUSLY FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS UNTIL THE GRADE LEVELED. HOWEVER, I WAS FOUND MYSELF LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO RUN OFF THE ROAD TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT FINALLY STOPPED. I WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES COMING TOWARD ME AROUND THE CURVES. I HAVE DRIVEN ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROADS MANY TIMES BEFORE, AND I ASSUMED THAT THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE, BUT IT WAS NOT SUITABLE TO OFF-ROAD DRIVING. I WANT TO WARN OTHERS TO NOT TAKE THIS VEHICLE OFF ROAD, EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE AND IS ASSUMED BY BUYERS AS A SAFE VEHICLE DRIVING IN ROCKY, OFF-ROAD CONDITIONS.

I HAVE HAD MY CHEVY EQUINOX FOR A YEAR NOW AND I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF SAID VEHICLE. WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DOES NOT MATTER THE SPEED THE COLLISION WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE CAR DECIDES TO SLOW DOWN OR COME TO A STOP. I HAVE CHECKED AROUND THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENS TO ENSURE NOTHING IS STUCK AROUND SENSORS HOWEVER NOTHING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS AND I AM TOLD THE SOMETHING "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND BRING IT IN WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SUPPOSE TO STOP", THAT IS WHY I BROUGHT IT IN. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THERE ARE NO RECALLS. THEN THERE IS THE OTHER FACTOR THAT THE RADIO UPDATES OR SHUTS DOWN WHEN IT FEELS IT HAS WORKED TO HARD . I AM USUALLY IN MY VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 25- 30 MINS BOTH WAYS. THEN THERE IS THE TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE THAT THING WILL TELL SAY THE TIRES ARE ONE PRESSURE WHEN THEY ARE NOT I HAVE USED A TIRE GAUGE ELECTRIC AND MANUAL, THEY READ FINE BUT THE VEHICLE WILL COME UP WITH THE TIRES BEING OFF WHERE HALF THE VEHICLE IS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER OR ALL FOUR ARE OFF NEVERTHELESS ALL HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND VERIFIED BY A GAUGE. *TR

ME AND MY WIFE OWN A 2013 CHEVY EQUINOX. WE HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 18MONTHS AND PURCHASED THIS BRAND NEW. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FOWARD COLLISION SENSOR ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT ANY OTHER VEHICLE WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY. MYSELF AND MY WIFE HAVE BOTH HAD THIS PROBLEM. IT HAPPENS TO HER ALL THE TIME SINCE SHE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER. SHE HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO HER OVER 20 TIMES IN THE PAST 1.5 YRS. FORWARD COLLISION WARNING WILL GO OFF WITH NO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER AND THEN THE BRAKES WILL MOMENTARILY ENGAGE. I HAVE DROVE THE VEHICLE AND HAD THIS HAPPEN TWICE. I HAVE BEEN IN THE VEHICLE AS A PASSENGER ON (3) OCCASSIONS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE HAVE HAD THIS SUV FOR 18MONTHS AND SHE HAS TAKEN IT TO (2) DEALERSHIPS. BOTH STATED THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THIS AND TOLD US TO DE-ACTIVATE THE SYSTEM. WHY HAVE THIS SAFETY FEATURE AND YOU ARE TOLD TO TURN IT OFF BY DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO FIX IT?? I DONT EVEN KNOW IF THEY HAVE CONTACTED CHEVROLET TO INQUIRE. DEALERSHIPS WE UTILIZED WERE JOHN JONES FROM CORYDON, IN AND COYLE CHEVROLET LOCATED IN CLARKSVILLE, IN. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE BUT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND COUNTLESS OTHER OWNERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING IN MODERATE TRAFFIC A SAFE DISTANT BEHIND OTHER TRAFFIC WHEN THE RED LIGHT FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE ON THE DASH CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY BRAKE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WHEN THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OR ALONG SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I ADVISED MY DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIAN ABOUT THE INCIDENTS, BUT RECEIVED NO EXPLANATION OF WHY IT WAS OCCURRING. THESE 3 OR 4 INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE PERIOD OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE 12,000 MILES. *TR

AT 7PM EST, AS I WAS COMING UP TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN I NOTICED THE SOUND OF MY RADIO SHUT OFF, IN A SPLIT SECOND I LOOKED AT THE DIGITAL DISPLAY AND ALL THE LIGHTS WERE OFF, THEN AS I WAS TURNING THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WAS OFF AND I HAD A HARD TIME TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY HAD SHUT DOWN, I THEN WAS PULLING OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE INTO AN EMPTY SPACE FOR SAFETY WHEN MY VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPT TO TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I AM ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED. THIS IS A BRAND NEW 4/2013 LEASE WITH ONLY APPROXIMATELY 7600 OR SO MILES NOTED. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR NOT ONLY MY SAFETY BUT THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. *TR

1ST OCCURRENCE - 7-22-14 -TRAVELING ON THE 8 WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE "COLLISION AVOIDANCE" SYSTEM ACTIVATED, THE RED LIGHT ON THE DASH ACTIVATED AND IT DEACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL, THERE WAS NOT A CAR WITHIN 200 YARDS. 2ND OCCURRENCE - 7-25-14 - TRAVELING EAST BOUND ON AERO DR. AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH, WITH NO CARS WITHIN 100 YARDS, THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ACTIVATED, THE RED LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON AND IT FELT AS THOUGH THE BRAKES WERE ACTIVATED. 3RD OCCURRENCE - 7-28-14 - GOING TO WORK AT 6:00 AM TRAVELING NORTH BOUND ON MISSION VILLAGE DR. AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, COLLISION AVOIDANCE ACTIVATED, RED LIGHT ON THE DASH & BRAKING, NO CARS WERE IN SIGHT AT THAT TIME. *JS

I WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD WITH HEAVY WOODS ON EACH SIDE AND A DEER RAN OUT OF THE WOODS IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT THE DEER WITH THE FRONT OF MY EQUINOX. I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED THE FUMES FROM THE AIR BAG BUT DID NOT SEE WHERE THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. ONSTAR CAME ON AND ASKED IF I WAS OK, THAT THEY WERE ADVISED MY AIR BAG HAD DEPLOYED. THE IN DASH SENSOR IN MY CAR ALSO ALERTED THAT THE AIR BAG HAD BEEN DEPLOYED. MY STEERING WHEEL APPEARED NORMAL, BUT A SMALL GAP AROUND THE AIR BAG COVER. IT APPEARS THAT MY AIR BAG HAD ATTEMPTED TO DEPLOY BUT THE BAG ITSELF DID NOT INFLATE. THE DAMAGE WAS FILLED ON INSURANCE AND GM WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY AIR BAG DID NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED TO HAVE THE AIR BAG & SENSORS REPLACED. GM DID OPEN A CLAIM WITH MY COMPLAINT AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE 20 TO 30 DAYS FOR AN INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE. *JS

BRAKES SQUEAL REALLY BAD WHEN BACKING UP BUT DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. WATER SEEMS TO BE LEAKING INTO THE CAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *TR

BRAKES SQUEAL REALLY BAD WHEN BACKING UP BUT DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. WATER SEEMS TO BE LEAKING INTO THE CAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *TR