NHTSA Complaint #11103958 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

THE ENGINE ON MY 2012 CHEVY EQUINOX "DIED" UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER ~67000 MILES. IT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, SHORTLY AFTER I HAD EXITED I-95. IT RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER THAT REQUIRED ME TO SWERVE ONTO THE GRASS BESIDE THE ROAD TO AVOID GETTING HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, AND NONE OF MY CHILDREN WERE PRESENT. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPORTED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD FAILED, WHICH CAUSED IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH RESULTED IN MULTIPLE REPORTED CASES OF 2012 EQUINOXES THAT HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. FORTUNATELY, THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER I HAD EXITED THE HIGHWAY. IF IT HAD OCCURRED 15 MINUTES SOONER, I WOULD HAVE LOST POWER ON THE SCUDDER'S FALL BRIDGE OVER THE DELAWARE RIVER AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DANGER. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE DAME WAS THE RESULT OF A MATERIAL DEFECT IN THE ENGINE, THE GM REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE WITH AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE NON-RESPONSIVE AND WOULD NOT COMMENT.