2013 Chevrolet Equinox

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO DIANE SAUER CHEVROLET (700 NILES RD SE, WARREN, OH 44483, (330) 373-1600) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR MAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS LISTED IN TSB NUMBER: 14882. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

MY EQUINOX REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING. PRIOR TO THIS THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY KIND. I WAS TOLD IT WAS DOWN 3 QUARTS OF OIL AND THAT THERE WAS A LEAK FROM REAR SEAL. MY MECHANIC ADVISED TOWING TO THE DEALERSHIP AS THERE ARE KNOWN PROBLEMS OF THIS IN THE EQUINOX'S AS WELL AS A "14882 SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT" OFFERED BY GENERAL MOTORS. THIS SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT ARE FOR THOSE EQUINOX'S THAT EXPERIENCE HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FROZEN OR PLUGGED POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM. THIS CAUSES INCREASE CRANKCASE PRESSURE LEADING TO A REAR CRANKSHAFT SEAL OIL LEAK. IF THE OIL LEAK IS NOT NOTICED AND CONDITION IS NOT CORRECTED, CONTINUED DRIVING CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. GM STATED ON MY RECEIPT THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM WAS, "MOISTURE FROZE IN THE PCV SYSTEM CAUSING THE CRANKCASE TO OVERPRESSURIZE". HOWEVER, MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT EVEN THOUGH I WAS WITHIN THE MILEAGE AND YEAR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY WARNING LIGHTS OF BEING LOW IN OIL AND NO ENGINE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHTS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS RELATED TO THESE ISSUES.

JANUARY 22ND 2019 MY WAY TO WORK AT THE LAST TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE I PULLED IN WORK AND PARKED I LEFT AT 5:30 P.M REMOTE STARTED I WAS WALKING TO MY CAR IT WAS LOUD I GOT IN WARNING MESSAGE TO TURN CAR OFF THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS TOO LOW. CALLED AAA WAITED THREE HOURS IN THE COLD WITH BRONCHITIS AND ASTHMA CALLED MY MECHANIC I WAS HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO HIS GARAGE. JANUARY 25 MECHANIC SAID HE THINKS DUE TO A FROZEN PCV VALVE THERE WAS PRESSURE BUILD UP CAR SPIT THE OIL OUT HE PUT OIL IN MY CAR LET IT WARM UP HE THOUGHT I SHOULD STILL HAVE THE DEALER LOOK AT IT. I DROVE THE CAR NOT FAR TO THE DEALER GANLEY REP CAME TO WAITING AREA TOLD ME THE PCV VALVE FROZE AND THE HIGH PRESSURE BLEW MY REAR CRANKSHAFT SEAL THE OIL SPILLED OUT MY BATTERY WAS SHOT REPAIR JUST UNDER $ 2000.00 HE SAID THIS FAULT DID DAMAGE TO MY TIMING CHAIN NO GUARANTEE HOW LONG THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD HOLD RECOMMENDED REPLACING $ 1500.00 I SAID DO THE SEAL AND BATTERY. I WENT HOME DID GOOGLE SEARCH EQUINOX 2013 PCV SP. COV. BULLETIN 14882 POPPED UP IT COVERED EQUINOXES BETWEEN 2010-2014 NOT MY VIN. REP CALLED SAID GM IS WILLING TO HELP ME WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AUTHORIZED IT FOR $500.00. I TOLD HIM WHAT THAT BULLETIN SAID IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR. PICKED UP MY CAR MONDAY 02/04/19 AND PAID $ 2606.76. ON 02/06/19 I CALLED CHEVY SPOKE TO REP DUKE WHO GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER # 9-5037906721 TOLD ME A HIGHER-LEVEL REP FROM CHEVY WOULD CALL ME. ON 02/07/19 ADAM CALLED AND SAID THE PHONE CALL WAS BEING RECORDED. HE SAID IN A NICE WAY THAT CHEVY HAD ALREADY HELPED WITH $ 1000.00 TOWARDS THE TIMING CHAIN AND I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT GOING TO HELP ANYMORE. I TOLD HIM THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. IS THIS VERBATIM FOR THE CALL NO BUT THEN AGAIN, I WASN'T WORKING OFF A SCRIPT OR RECORDING THE PHONE CALL LIKE CHEVY IS.

"TAKATA RECALL" MY 2013 IS HAVING PROBLEM WITH EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM CONVERTER BACK WHICH THE SMELL IS BACKING UP INTO THE INSIDE CABIN OF VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS MUST BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES (EQUINOX). I HAVE RELATIVES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2010''S. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STARTED SOUNDING LOUD WHEN PARKED AND WHEN TAKING OFF NO SPEED, COMPARED TO WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLE....REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND NO MAJOR WORK NEEDED DONE SINCE MY PURCHASE.

THE VEHICLE BLEW A REAR MAIN SEAL FROM AN ACCUMULATION OF SLUDGE IN THE MANIFOLD. GM KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAD ISSUED A SELECT SPECIAL COVERAGE THAT DOESN'T COVER ALL EQUINOXES MODEL YEARS 2010-2014. THIS VEHICLE LEFT THE DRIVER STRANDED AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE REPAIR COST WAS OVER 2100 DOLLARS AND GM HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE BILL. THE ISSUE WAS WELL KNOWN TO THEM AS A DESIGN DEFECT YET THEY ARE REFUSING THE REPAIR STATING THAT IT HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY. APPARENTLY ONLY CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WERE COVERED UNDER THEIR SPECIAL COVERAGE.

SMELLED BURNING OIL IN GARAGE. CHECKED UNDER VEHICLE AND NOTICED LARGE PUDDLE OF OIL AND UNDERSIDE OF REAR ENGINE SOAKED WITH IT. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP OF PURCHASE. WAS NOTIFIED THAT IT WAS PCV VALUE HAVING MOISTURE/CONDENSATION IN IT AND FREEZING. THIS OCCURRENCE PUT PRESSURE ON THE ENGINE AND SEALS. THE REAR SEAL CONNECTING TO THE TRANSMISSION IS WHAT FAILED. IT WAS A COLD DAY. THE CAR WAS IN A PARKING LOT UNTIL END OF SHIFT. MY WIFE SAID IT DID NOT START AS FAST AS IT NORMALLY DOES. THERE WAS NOT SHUTTERING OF THE ENGINE, NO LOUD CLACKING SOUND AND NOT ONE LIGHT ICON LIT UP. I NOTICED A TRAIL OF OIL INTO THE GARAGE IN OUR DRIVEWAY BUT NO TRAIL IN THE STREET. I ASSUME IT HAD JUST OCCURRED WHEN SHE WAS ARRIVING HOME. SHE WAS BRAKING TO TURN INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. HER ROUTE FROM WORK IS PRIMARILY STATE ROADS WITH SPEEDS OF 35-55 MPH AND VERY OFTEN HAS DEER CROSSING THE ROADS AS THERE ARE NO ROAD NOISE BARRIERS OR TALL FENCING. SHE ARRIVING HOME AT THE NORMAL TIME BUT I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP OUR SONS. SO SHE WAS ABLE TO JUST GO HOME. THE WEATHER WAS COLD (APPROX. 6-8 DEGREES). I HAVE NO REPORTS, INVOICES OR PHOTOS AS THE CAR IS CURRENTLY STILL IN THE SHOP SINCE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1ST. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6TH 2019. I HAVE FOUND A LOT OF INFORMATION ONLINE REGARDING THIS ISSUE, TSB #14882. SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OIL WAS LOW. ADDITIONAL OIL WAS ADDED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PINEGAR CHEVROLET IN REPUBLIC (769 U S 60, REPUBLIC, MO 65738, (417) 233-0206) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MAIN SEAL WAS BLOWN AND THE PVC NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER TSB NUMBER: 14882. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT AN ADJUSTER WOULD VERIFY THE DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THIS HAPPENED INDICATIONS BY TRIALS AND SPOTS OF OIL ON THE STREETS SAY THAT IT HAPPENED AFTER I RETURNED HOME WHEN I STARTED TO MY NEXT DESTINATION AS DESCRIBED LATER. IT WAS ON CITY STREETS IF THIS ANALYSIS IS CORRECT. I WAS LIKELY GOING STRAIGHT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TWO REASONS - THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP CAUSING RAPID DECELERATION AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT - IF I HAD BEEN STRANDED AT THE TEMPERATURES OF -4 TO +9 DEGREES AND WIND CHILLS -15 TO -30 I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30, 2019 LEFT FOR WORK. THE TEMPERATURE WAS -4. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE I STOPPED AT MY THIRD STOP SIGN AND THE ENGINE SURGED WHILE IDLING, AT THE NEXT STOP ALL SEEMED FINE AND FROM THERE TO WOK ALL SEEMED FINE. I LEFT WORK AND DROVE 2.8 MILES AND THE ENGINE SURGED BRIEFLY AND DIED. I DROVE ABOUT 27 MILES HOME, NO APPARENT PROBLEMS. I DROVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION JUST OVER ONE MILE AWAY. ON MY WAY BACK HOME, ABOUT MILE FROM HOME THE ENGINE REDUCED POWER NOTIFICATION APPEARED AS WELL AS A MESSAGE ABOUT THE TRACTION CONTROL. JUST AS I ROUNDED THE CORNER ON WHICH MY HOUSE IS THE LOW OIL PRESSURE MESSAGE CAME ON. THE REAR MAIN SEAL HAD BLOWN OUT. THIS CAR HAS 67,477 MILES. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY 11/25/18. TWO MECHANICS SAID IT IS COMMON IN SEVERAL GM VEHICLES. ONE SAID HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF CALLS HE GOT ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE OF THE BULLETIN HE WAS SENDING PEOPLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR COVERAGE UNDER A SPECIAL WARRANTY, HE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WHEN I TOLD HIM CHEVY WOULD NOT HELP ME SINCE MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED SINCE IT IS THE SAME VEHICLE, SAME ENGINE AS THOSE IN THE BULLETIN 14882, DOCUMENT ID 4098165. MY DEALER SAID THAT HE ARGUED WITH GM THAT THESE ARE THE SAME CARS AND ENGINES BUT THEY WOULD GIVE NO ASSISTANCE. HE SAID IT WAS A BAD DESIGN AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT.