NHTSA Complaint #11171842 — 2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

ON MONDAY 1/21/2019, MY CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY FOUR LANE ROAD. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD PCV VALVE SYSTEM. THIS PART IS ENGINEERED VERY POORLY AND GM HAS CONTINUED TO USE IT ANYWAY. THE PCV VALVE SYSTEM ALLOWS WATER TO COLLECT IN IT AND THEN FREEZE, IN RETURN BLOWING OUT THE REAR MAIN SEAL SO THE ENGINE NO LONGER HOLDS OIL. CURRENTLY, GM HAS A "RECALL" ON THIS PART, GM BULLETIN #14882, WHICH SHOULD COVER A CAR OF THE EXACT SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR AS MINE FOR UP TO 120,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS. MINE FALLS WITHIN BOTH OF THOSE SPECS. HOWEVER, WHEN CONTACTING GM ABOUT THIS RECALL, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS SPECIFIC RECALL "DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VIN#." AFTER RESEARCHING, I'VE DISCOVERED THIS IS A MUCH LARGER PROBLEM THAN GM IS WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, AS IT IS HAPPENING TO MANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS NATIONWIDE AND THEY'RE ALL BEING TOLD THE SAME THING I WAS, THAT IT DOESN'T MATCH THE VIN#. I SPENT TWO DAYS MAKING PHONE CALLS, BEING ON HOLD, AND WAITING FOR A RETURN PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE IN THE "EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT." BECAUSE I COULDN'T WAIT TO HAVE A WORKING CAR WHILE WAITING ON THEIR PHONE CALL, I INSTRUCTED MY REPAIR MAN TO FIX MY CAR AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD GM WILL NOT HELP ME AT ALL BECAUSE I HAD IT REPAIRED ON MY OWN ACCORD. WHEN TRYING TO ORDER THIS PART TO REPAIR MY CAR, MY REPAIR MAN DISCOVERED THAT THIS PART IS BACKORDERED THROUGH GM, BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS IT REPLACED. THE SHOP MY CAR IS BEING REPAIRED THROUGH HAS HAD THREE EQUINOXES COME INTO THEIR SHOP SINCE TUESDAY FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN TOLD THE SAME THING I HAVE BY GM CUSTOMER SERVICE...AND THAT'S JUST ONE SMALL SHOP IN OHIO. I'D LIKE GM TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO COVER NOT JUST MINE, BUT ALL CARS THIS PART HAS BEEN USED ON, AND ALSO COVER THE EXPENSES TO REPAIR THE ENGINE IN MY CAR THAT IT DAMAGED.