2005 Chevrolet Equinox

I HEARD A RATTLING COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR, SO I TOOK IT MY REPAIR SHOP. HE SAID IT WAS A BROKEN CARRIER BEARING, AND ORDERED THE PART. SAID IT WOULD BE $550 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE NEXT DAY HE CALLED AND SAID HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REPLACE JUST THE ONE PART, BUT THAT THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT MIGHT HAVE TO BE REPLACED, FOR AROUND $1200. VERY CONSISTENT WITH OTHER OWNERS' ISSUE. *TR

INFREQUENTLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THIS VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WILL ABRUPTLY DOWN SHIFT. THE SHIFT WILL HAPPEN AS THE VEHICLE SLOWS AND VIOLENTLY SLOWS THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. INFREQUENTLY THIS HAPPENS AS I SLOW TO TURN TO ENTER THE ON RAMP FOR INTERSTATE DRIVING. IN THE MOST RECENT CASE, THE ROADWAY SURFACE WAS VERY SLIPPERY. I WAS JUST BEGINNING A RIGHT TURN AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED VIOLENTLY. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWING TO THE RIGHT AS THE FRONT TIRES IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THEIR SPEED. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH STABILITY, TRACTION CONTROL OR ANYTIME OF ANTI SKID ACCESSORIES/OPTIONS. THE SLIPPERY ROAD SURFACE GREATLY MAGNIFIED THE EFFECT OF THE UNEXPECTED DOWNSHIFT AND RESULTING IMMEDIATE DROP IN SPEED. UNTIL THIS EVENT, THE DOWN SHIFTING WAS SO INFREQUENT, I WAS ONLY REMOTELY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. MY CONCERN UP UNTIL THIS EVENT WAS MORE FOCUSED MECHANICAL AND NOT CONTROL ABILITY. I QUICKLY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE GM DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THEY ASSESSED THE PROBLEM AND CALLED ME TO ADVISE, THERE IS A TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH GM RECOMMENDS FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. IT IS NOT CERTAIN IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT MOST LIKELY IT WILL. I WAS CHARGED $180. TO DIAGNOSE AND REPROGRAM. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN. GM APPARENTLY KNOWS THERE IS A PROGRAM ERROR WHICH NEEDS AN UPDATE, AND I AM SUPPOSE TO PAY TO FIX THE KNOWN PROBLEM? YET THERE IS NO SAFETY BULLETIN FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM? I STRONGLY POINTED OUT THIS IS KNOWN PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAN BECOME A SERIOUS ACCIDENT UNDER THE RIGHT SURFACE CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE ADVISER AGREED WITH ME, HOWEVER STATED TO THE EFFECT, THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE IS THE REPAIR GM AUTHORIZES. I FEEL THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE NEEDS TO BE MANDATORY FOR OLDER VEHICLES OPERATED IN SLIPPERY ROADWAY CONDITIONS, EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN WOULD HELP WARN UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SHIFTED INTO PARK AND AS SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL AWAY. THE CONTACT WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BY THE VEHICLE AND SUSTAINED BRUISING TO THE RIBS. THE VEHICLE DID NOT CRASH INTO ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS DAMAGED AS IT CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP BY THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE PER THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO WITHDRAW HIS CLAIM. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF THE OUTCOME OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,047.

THE CARRIER BEARING IS FAULTY ON 2005 EQUINOXES. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO FLIP OVER. THE MAJOR ISSUE IS THAT TO REPAIR THE CARRIER BEARING, THEY HAVE TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE DRIVE SHAFT. THIS HAS TO BE SENT TO CHEVROLET, AND SINCE IT CAN ONLY BE DONE BY THEM, THEY HAVE A STRONG ARM ON THE PRICE. ($1200) IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE WHEN I BEGAN TO GOOGLE 'DRIVE SHAFT CHEVY', IT GAVE ME 2005 EQUINOX AS A SUGGESTION. THE YEAR WAS SPECIFIC IN THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED A READING OF ZERO. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,190.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE DRIVESHAFT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THE DRIVE-SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO ORDER A NEW DRIVESHAFT AND WAS ADVISED THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN TWO TO THREE MONTHS. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THE PART WAS AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE BACK ON 8.2.11 IT HAD BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP SINCE 5.14.11. THE REPAIR MAN REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION MODULATOR. HE NOTED THAT IT DID "ACT UP" FOR HIM, HOWEVER IT HAD NOT ACTED UP SINCE HIS LAST ATTEMPT AT FIXING IT. IT WAS RAINING WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR. IN THE FIRST 10 MILES I NOTICED THE STEERING PULLED TO THE LEFT A COUPLE OF TIMES. AFTER I HIT DRY ROAD THIS DID NOT OCCUR. AFTER ABOUT 30-60 MILES OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE GETTING IT BACK, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED FAILING AND THE VEHICLE WHILE GOING 55MPH STARTS TO FEEL LIKE IT IS GOING TO CEASE TO OPERATE AND STUTTERS. IT IS ALSO NOTED THAT IT FEELS LIKE IT IS NOT GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT TO THE APPROPRIATE GEAR. THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP ON FRIDAY 8.5.11. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEYS WOULD NOT TURNOVER IN THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WOULD ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE BY WIGGLING THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V302000, POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) BUT THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.