NHTSA Complaint #10918536 — 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

MY 2011 EQUINOX SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AND COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, BUT WOULD TURN OVER. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TOW IT HOME. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP IN BROCKPORT NY (SPURR GM DEALERSHIP). IT TOOK 3 WEEKS TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. THE ROOT CAUSE ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WAS THAT THE ORIGINAL FACTORY TENSIONER TO THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND THE ENGINE WENT IMMEDIATELY OUT OF TIME - CAUSING IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE AND HENCE CONTROL ON THE ROAD. THE ENGINE NEEDED COSTLY REPAIRS OF $2600 WHICH IS FINE (MY FAMILIES LIFE IS WORTH WAY MORE) THE FACTORY ORIGINAL TENSIONERS EVIDENTLY FAIL REGULARLY BECAUSE THEY ARE HYDRAULIC AND THE INTAKE HOLES TO THE TENSIONER PLUG EASILY - CHEVY EVIDENTLY REPAIRS WITH AN IMPROVED PART THAT HAS A WIDER INTAKE PORT TO PREVENT CLOGGING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS CONTROL OF THE CAR CAN BE LOST IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT WARNING AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL A CAR WITH SUCH A FAILURE CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH OF THE DRIVER OCCUPANTS OR ANYONE IN OTHER NEARBY LOCATIONS TO SUCH AN EVENT. CHEVY DOES NOT CONSIDER THE COMMON FAILURE A "SAFETY" PROBLEM RATHER A "MERE" MECHANICAL PROBLEM. IT IS WORTHY TO NOTE THE VEHICLE WAS OTHERWISE IN GOOD SHAPE, WELL MAINTAINED AND USED SYNTHETIC MOBIL-1 OIL - CHANGED 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO SUCH EVENT. THE DEALER REPAIRS NOTED NO OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES TO THE VEHICLE RELATED TO POOR OR UNPERFORMED MAINTENANCE. *TR