NHTSA Complaint #11075395 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE TOLLWAY ON A SNOWY EVENING WITH THE TEMPERATURE AROUND 5 DEGREES. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED LOSING POWER AND SHAKING AND STALLED IN A LANE OF TRAFFIC AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION AS THE VISIBILITY WAS POOR DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOW AND OUR VEHICLE WAS DISABLED AND BLOCKING A TRAFFIC LANE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHICH WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN BUT QUICKLY TURNED IT OFF AS THE ENGINE SOUNDED TERRIBLE. THEY CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL TO FIND NO OIL ON THE DIPSTICK SO THEY ADDED OIL AND CHECKED THE LEVEL AGAIN AND FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND SOUNDED TERRIBLE AND THEY FOUND OIL QUICKLY LEAKING FROM THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THEY FOUND THE REAR MAIN SEAL HAD FAILED CAUSING ALL THE OIL TO LEAK OUT FROM THE ENGINE. I NOW HAD A VEHICLE WITH 84,000 MILES ON IT THAT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. UPON RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I QUICKLY DISCOVERED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE THAT OCCURS IN COLD WEATHER. THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES AS WELL AS A PCV VALVE ISSUE WHICH CLOGS AND CAUSED THE PRESSURE TO BUILD UP RESULTING IN BLOWING OUT THE REAR MAIN SEAL AND IS COVERED UNDER TSB #14882 ARE KNOWN ISSUES WHICH LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF MY ENGINE. I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL DEALER THAT MY VIN # DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE TSB #14882 AND REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED AS MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 9 MONTHS AGO. THE SHOP WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A USED ENGINE WITH 25,000 MILES ON IT AND USED THAT TO REPLACE MY FAULTY ENGINE. IN TOTAL I SPENT $3,470 FOR THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND TOWING CHARGES.