NHTSA Complaint #10443129 — 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

CONCERNING 2011 CHEVY EQUINOX 4CYL, ON STARTUP, THERE WILL BE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, SOUNDS AS IF THERE IS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE, SOUND LASTS FROM 1-5 SECONDS THEN GOES AWAY. MOST OF THE TIMES IT WILL DO IT ON FIRST START-UP OF THE DAY BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES WHERE IT HAS DONE IT MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE SAME DAY. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE, THEY HAVE REPLACED THE CAM ACTUATOR AND SOLENOID, WHICH I HAD TO BRING BACK AGAIN (#5) BECAUSE THE GASKET WAS SEATED INCORRECTLY AND WAS LEAKING OIL ON MY DRIVEWAY. SERVICE ACCOUNT MANAGER HAS HEARD THE NOISE THE FIRST TIME I BOUGHT IT IN AND THE LAST TIME IT WAS IN, BOTH TIMES THE SOUND LASTED ABOUT 1 SECOND, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH THAT BOTH OF US HEARD IT, NOT AS LONG AS THE TIMES WHEN STARTING AT HOME, PROBABLY BECAUSE THOSE WERE ON FIRST START-UP OF THE DAY WHEREAS THE TIMES AT THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS EITHER ALREADY RUNNING OR WAS STARTED A FEW TIMES THAT DAY. THEY ALSO REPLACED A HIGH PRESSURE PUMP INSULATOR COVER FOR A TICKING NOISE THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KNOCKING NOISE. ALSO HAVE MENTIONED TO THEM THAT WHILE ACCELERATING (FROM DEAD STOP AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, GOING UP ON-RAMPS TO HIGHWAYS AND MERGING INTO HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC), THE RPM'S WILL DROP DOWN TO ZERO AND CAR ALMOST STALLS THEN IT KICKS BACK INTO GEAR (UP TO 6500 RPMS), THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES, AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THAT PROBLEM EITHER. I HAVE TRIED ALL 3 GRADES OF GASOLINE AND ISSUES WERE PRESENT WITH ALL 3. AT THIS POINT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN IN 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND I FEEL AS THOUGH ONE DAY THE ENGINE WILL HAVE MORE SERIOUS ISSUES BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES.