NHTSA Complaint #10440097 — 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

ALL PROBLEMS AROSE WHEN THE BRAKE FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE WOULD SHAKE WHEN BRAKING. WE HAD THE SHOES AND THE PADS CHANGED AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE SOLVED FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THEN THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK WHEN BRAKING AND THEN THEY BEGAN TO TIGHTEN AND THE BRAKE WOULD LOCK ITSELF AND BEGAN TO SMOKE BECAUSE OF THE FRICTION THE PAD AND THE BRAKE DISC WERE CREATING SINCE THE BRAKE WOULD REMAIN LOCKED. THIS WAS ONLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE FRICTION MADE THE WHOLE WHEEL RIM GET HOT AND BEGAN PRODUCING A BURNING SMELL FROM THE BRAKE PAD. THE CALIBER, SHOES, PAD AND DISC HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR BOTH FRONT BRAKES. THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO SQUEAK WHEN BREAKING. NOW, THE MOTOR HEATS UP TO THE RED ZONE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EVEN IF THEIR IS ANTI-FREEZE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN ACCELERATING THE MOTOR COOLS DOWN, BUT IF THE SPEED IS LESS THAN 35MPH THE MOTOR HEATS UP MORE. BASED ON OTHER COMMENTS FROM DRIVERS WITH THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR THEY NOTICED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS COME UP TO BE THE HEAD GASKETS. THIS PROBLEM HAS CREATED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND IS BECOMING A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN THEIR IS STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT THE BREAKS WILL LOCK UP AGAIN AND POSSIBLY SPARK FIRE IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. WE HAVE NOT USED OUR VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES WE FEAR THAT NOT FIXING THE COSTLY PROBLEM MAY DAMAGE OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. WE KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THAT OTHER DRIVERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY EQUINOX 2005. *TR