NHTSA Complaint #10972400 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

ON APRIL, 13 2017, MY WIFE WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED AND SHUT DOWN NEARLY CAUSING HER TO BE RUN OVER BY A SEMI-TRACTOR BEHIND HER. BECAUSE THE CAR COULD NOT BE RE-STARTED, I HAD IT TOWED TO MY USUAL MECHANIC. HIS DIAGNOSIS SHOWED IT HAD A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WHICH TORE UP THE UPPER END OF THE MOTOR. IN HIS EXPERIENCE SUCH DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF OIL ISSUES. THIS CAME AS A GREAT SHOCK TO MEASURE I REGULARLY CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND BEGAN TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT A RARE OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MOTOR. I WOULD HAVE TO ADD FROM 1-3 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN CHANGES BUT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BULLETINS OR RECALLS I WAS TOLD I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. SO I GUESS I NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE TO DIE IN TRAFFIC OR PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR BE INJURED BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES NOTICE. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE MY MOTOR (OVER $5000) AND GM KNOWS THESE PROBLEMS EXIST. IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, GM EXPECTS ME TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR FACILITY AT MY EXPENSE SO THEY CAN CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS. IF THE DIAGNOSIS IS CONFIRMED, THEN I'LL HAVE TO TOW IT BACK TO MY GUY SO HE CAN FIX IT. ANOTHER $200 BUCKS. ONCE AGAIN, DOESN'T ANYONE MONITOR THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS STUFF? PEOPLE GET SO FRUSTRATED WHEN DEALING WITH LARGE CORPORATIONS, THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH INDEPENDENT SOURCES. AND GM SURELY WON'T INCUR ADDITIONAL EXPENSES WITHOUT GOVERNMENT SCRUTINY. WE'VE LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY. I JUST WANT THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING. ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM-PLAGUED MOTOR AND FIX IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.