NHTSA Complaint #10137553 — 2005 CHEVROLET W3500

PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FROM EXHAUST. AGAIN FOR SERVICE (AT 17,083 MILES ON 7/8/05). THEY PERFORMED A FLUSH. GOT TRUCK BACK STILL HAD SMELL. ON 9/13/05 AT 21,272 MILES BACK FOR SERVICE AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO SMELL SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING VENTS ON THE DASH BOARD AND THROUGH THE DEFROST VENTS ACROSS THE FRONT/BOTTOM OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE MARKING OVER THE MIDDLE RED MARK, INDICATING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. SERVICE RAN THE CAR FOR 4 HOURS WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE -REPLACING IT WITH WATER. DEODORIZER WAS PLACED INSIDE THE VENTS. 9/25/05 HAVE THE TRUCK BACK STILL HAS ODOR AND SMOKING FROM THE VENTS. ODOR AND SMOKING HAPPENS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON OR OFF. ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM; TRUCK IS IN PARK POSITION SHIFTED TO DRIVE POSITION AND IT WENT IN REVERSE, THIS HAPPENED TWICE. TRUCK HAS NOT START WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE SAME INSTANCE. IT TURNED ON AFTER THE THIRD TRY. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *JB