NHTSA Complaint #10954960 — 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

EXHAUST MANIFOLD DEVELOPS CHRONIC CRACK POSSIBLY DUE TO THERMAL STRESS GRADIENT NEAR A INJECTION PORT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THE MANIFOLD CRACKING MAY BE THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT, ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR TECHNICIANS, ARE PRONE TO QUICK DETERIORATION THAN WHAT THEY CONSIDER NORMAL. THE ENGINE FLOPS AROUND DURING TORQUE REACTIONS, PUTTING STRESS ON THE CONNECTED EXHAUST SYSTEM. BESIDES THE CRACKED MANIFOLD, TWO ENGINE MOUNTS WERE FOUND IN POOR CONDITION. THIS CRACK DOES NOT PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT AUDIBLE EXHAUST LEAK SOUND AND THEREFORE GOES UNNOTICED. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS ALSO HIDDEN FROM VIEW. THE CRACK IS WIDEST WHEN COLD, THEREFORE LETTING THE MOST TOXIC CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATION ENTER THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING OF THE OCCUPANTS. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR. SHE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SEVERE HEADACHES AND HAD MADE A DOCTORS APPOINT. I SUSPECTED THAT OUR WOOD STOVE OR GAS RANGE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CULPRIT, AND INSTALLED A CO MONITOR IN THE KITCHEN. WE FIGURED IT WAS EITHER CO POISONING OR A TERMINAL BRAIN TUMOR. WE IDENTIFIED THE SYMPTOM BUT NOT THE CAUSE. WE THANK THE NHTSA FOR THEIR RECALL OF THE EQUINOX FUEL PUMP. IT WAS DURING THIS RECALL THAT THE GM TECHNICIAN IDENTIFIED THE CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SO THE FUEL PUMP RECALL ESSENTIALLY SAVED MY WIFE FROM ONGOING LOW LEVEL CO POISONING. REGARDS. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *DL INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*JB