NHTSA Complaint #11073040 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) issue reported to NHTSA
Complaint Details
| ODI Number | 11073040 |
| Vehicle | 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX |
| Component | ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) |
| Date of Incident | |
| Date Filed | |
| Mileage | 97,500 miles |
| Crash | No |
| Fire | No |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Vehicle Towed | No |
| State | TX |
Consumer Description
I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND DOG IN THE CAR LATE AT NIGHT IN COLD ICIEY CONDITIONS IN WYOMING. CAR BEGAN TO LOSE POWER DRAMATICALLY, STEERING WAS TIGHT, LIGHTS DIMMED, ALSO ENGINE STALLED AFTER A BIT A OF A SLIDE AND SAFELY PULLING OVER. WE COULD HAVE WRECKED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE ICEY COLD TEMPERATURES. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ONE. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON. DASH READS 'SERVICE STABILITRAK' AND 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED !'. I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO QUIT STALLING. I WASN'T SAFELY ABLE TO DRIVE IT. SO I THEN DID A ECU RESET. (DISCONNECT ECU AND BATTERY). SAT FOR 20 MINUTES. RESTARTED AND STILL SAME PROBLEM AFTER IT IDLED ROUGH FOR 5 MINUTES ROUGHLY. SO NEXT I DISCONNECTED THE ECU FUSE NUMBER 42 IN THE ENGINE FUSE BOX. I THEN TURNED KEY IN FIRST POSITION AND HAD SAME READINGS. NEXT I RESET THE CODE WITH MY OBD SCAN TOOL. REPEATED THE FUSE METHOD AGAIN... STILL SAME READING BUT WITHOUT STARTING THE MOTOR ONCE DURING THIS.... MY GUESS IS THE ECU IS VOLITIL TO THIS VEHICLE MOTOR CLASS. SERVICE BULLETIN STATES IT NEEDS A REFLASH. UPDATES FOR ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION AS WELL. VERY INTERESTING AS WE CONSUME TOO MUCH OIL. I BELIEVE ALL MOTOR ISSUES IN OUR VEHICLE WE HAVE NOW (WORN PISTON RINGS ETC) ARE DUE TO A FAULTY ECU. THE FACT THAT THE WARNING SHOWS WHEN RESET AND NOT CONNECTED BECAUSE THE FUSE IS REMOVED PROVES TO ME THE ECU IS HAVING SOFTWARE ISSUE IN RENDERING PROPER DIAGNOSTICS AS WELL AS SAFE ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN AUGUST OF 2017. PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS IN DRY CLIMATES WHERE WE LIVE IN TEXAS. SAME ISSUES. SAME SYMPTOMS. NEW SENSORS, BATTERY, SPARK PLUGS AND OIL CHANGE REGULARLY. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND WILL TAKE LIVES IF NOT RECALLED. IMAGINE DRIVING ON ICE WITH YOUR KIDS INSIDE AND THEN YOUR STEERING GOES OUT AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER AND BRAKES.... IS THAT WHAT IT WILL TAKE?
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