NHTSA Complaint #10893021 — 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT 35 MPH RESULTING IN IMPAIRED STEERING ABILITY, AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL IN A ROAD CURVE. A CRASH WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. NO WARNING LIGHT OR OPERATOR NOTIFICATION WAS PRESENT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. ODB SCAN CODES INDICATED A P0010 CODE 'CAMSHAFT POSITION ACTUATOR SOLENOID VALVE'. VEHICLE STALLED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON AT LEAST 5 OTHER OCCASIONS RETURNING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. SERVICE HISTORY INDICATES THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2011 DUE TO IDENTICAL FAILURE MODE AND FAULT CODE, THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT SOLENOID FAILED WITH CODE P0011 AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2015, AND THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID FAILED AGAIN IN 2016 AT 34,681 TOTAL VEHICLE MILES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN OPERATED IN NOMINAL CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH CONSISTENT MAINTENANCE OF THE OIL AND OIL FILTER PER THE OEM OIL LIFE MONITOR. THE THIRD FAILURE OF THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID WAS CHARGED AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. REPEAT FAILURE OF THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID ACTUATOR INDICATED AN UNMITIGATED PRODUCT DESIGN ISSUE RESULTING IN ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND IMPAIRED STEERING CONTROL.