NHTSA Complaint #10492319 — 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

INFREQUENTLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THIS VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WILL ABRUPTLY DOWN SHIFT. THE SHIFT WILL HAPPEN AS THE VEHICLE SLOWS AND VIOLENTLY SLOWS THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. INFREQUENTLY THIS HAPPENS AS I SLOW TO TURN TO ENTER THE ON RAMP FOR INTERSTATE DRIVING. IN THE MOST RECENT CASE, THE ROADWAY SURFACE WAS VERY SLIPPERY. I WAS JUST BEGINNING A RIGHT TURN AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED VIOLENTLY. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWING TO THE RIGHT AS THE FRONT TIRES IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THEIR SPEED. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH STABILITY, TRACTION CONTROL OR ANYTIME OF ANTI SKID ACCESSORIES/OPTIONS. THE SLIPPERY ROAD SURFACE GREATLY MAGNIFIED THE EFFECT OF THE UNEXPECTED DOWNSHIFT AND RESULTING IMMEDIATE DROP IN SPEED. UNTIL THIS EVENT, THE DOWN SHIFTING WAS SO INFREQUENT, I WAS ONLY REMOTELY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. MY CONCERN UP UNTIL THIS EVENT WAS MORE FOCUSED MECHANICAL AND NOT CONTROL ABILITY. I QUICKLY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE GM DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THEY ASSESSED THE PROBLEM AND CALLED ME TO ADVISE, THERE IS A TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH GM RECOMMENDS FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. IT IS NOT CERTAIN IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT MOST LIKELY IT WILL. I WAS CHARGED $180. TO DIAGNOSE AND REPROGRAM. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN. GM APPARENTLY KNOWS THERE IS A PROGRAM ERROR WHICH NEEDS AN UPDATE, AND I AM SUPPOSE TO PAY TO FIX THE KNOWN PROBLEM? YET THERE IS NO SAFETY BULLETIN FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM? I STRONGLY POINTED OUT THIS IS KNOWN PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAN BECOME A SERIOUS ACCIDENT UNDER THE RIGHT SURFACE CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE ADVISER AGREED WITH ME, HOWEVER STATED TO THE EFFECT, THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE IS THE REPAIR GM AUTHORIZES. I FEEL THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE NEEDS TO BE MANDATORY FOR OLDER VEHICLES OPERATED IN SLIPPERY ROADWAY CONDITIONS, EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN WOULD HELP WARN UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS. *TR