2005 Chevrolet Equinox

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AT 24,000 MILES, THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE PURCHASE DATE, VIN, POWERTRAIN, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 12/07/07

MY CHEVY EQUINOX HAS A LOUD GROAN, GRINDING NOISE WHEN MAKING LOW SPEED TURNS SUCH AS IN PARKING LOTS OR SHARP TURNS. THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE FROM 2004 TO JANUARY 2006 BUT CHEVROLET INFORMS ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS 3 NUMBERS OFF SO THEY WILL NOT MAKE REPAIRS. SINCE IT WAS FOR THE CHEVY EQUINOX I DON'T SEE THAT IT MATTERS WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE IF MY VEHICLE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE LOCAL DEALER AND CHEVROLET WITH NO POSITIVE RESPONSE. I QUESTION WHETHER THIS IS CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING AND WHETHER IT IS SAFE. *TR

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

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

2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING.*MR THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH VARIABLE STEERING. IT WAS THE CONSUMER'S UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH VARIABLE STEERING, THE STEERING WAS LOOSER DURING CITY DRIVING AND WOULD BECOME TIGHTER DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE CONSUEMR FEELS THAT THE STEERING WAS TOO LOOSE, THAT THE VEHICLE WANDERED AND PULLED TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING. *NM

I PURCHASED A CHEVY EQUINOX IN 2004, SINCE I GOT IT, I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR 3 TIMES TO SERVICE FOR THE CD CHANGER, AND ONCE I TOOK IT TO CHECK THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT AND A REALLY STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHAT REALLY CONCERNS ME IS THAT ON MAY 2005 I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO MY STEERING WHEEL, GOT LOCKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH IN A HIGHWAY, PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT TURNED ON, AND A FEW MINUTES LATER THE OIL SERVICE LIGHT TOO, I TRIED TO AVOID IMPACTING ANY OTHER VEHICLE AROUND ME BUT I COULDN'T. THE TWO TIRES FROM THE PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE CAME OUT OF THE RIMS, THE TIRE FROM THE DRIVERS REAR SIDE CAME COMPLETELY OUT OF PLACE. THE STRANGE THING IS THAT THE IMPACT WAS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BY THE HANDLES, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE WHOLE CAR WAS PUT IN A TWO STORY BUILDING AND HAD BEEN THROW DOWN FROM IT, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SUPPORT THE COLLISION. THEY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT. THEY ESTIMATED THE DAMAGES IN ALMOST $8,000.00

VERY ERRATIC STEERING WHEN CHANGING LANES AT 50 MPH CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A GRASSY DITCH. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFERENT THEN I HAVE EVER FELT. AFTER HITTING THE DITCH THE CAR ROLLED. REMARKABLY, I WAS NOT INJURED AND BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND MY SEAT BELT KEPT ME FROM INJURY. THERE WASN'T ANY BROKEN GLASS. THE CAR HELD UP TO THE 5 STAR SAFETY. MY CONCERN IS THE BOBBLE EFFECT WHEN CHANGING LANES AND THE TOO TIGHT STEERING. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED. MY EQUINOX SUFFERED ABOUT $10500 DAMAGE. $4500 WERE FOR THE AIRBAGS AND RELATED PARTS. MY CAR IS STILL IN GETTING FIXED. MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THE STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WILL NO LONGER HAVE CONFIDENCE IN DRIVING THIS ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK