NHTSA Complaint #11206519 — 2014 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

THE ENGINE IN MY 2014 EQUINOX BLEW UP VIOLENTLY AT ONLY 67,937 MILES. IT OCCURRED AT FREEWAY SPEED ON I-94 IN DETROIT AND LEFT ME TOTALLY WITHOUT POWER IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, INCLUDING MANY LARGE, COMMERCIAL TRUCKS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP MY COOL AND NAVIGATE OFF THE NEAREST RAMP, COASTING TO RELATIVE SAFETY. TWO CONNECTING RODS WERE BROKEN IN HALF AND THE BLOCK ITSELF COMPLETELY RUINED. I BOUGHT THIS SUV FROM MY BROTHER WHO BOUGHT IT NEW AND IT HAS ALWAYS HAD PROPER MAINTENANCE. I HOPED THAT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT'S UNDER 100K MILES, BUT WHEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL GM DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO THE IN-SERVICE DATE (FALL 2013). THEREFORE, I HAD THE ENGINE PROFESSIONALLY REBUILT AT THE MOST REPUTABLE LOCAL SHOP.AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $5,500. I UNDERSTAND THAT A SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT COULD BE AVAILABLE FROM GM IF THERE IS A RECALL, BUT CURRENTLY NONE IS AVAILABLE. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT A WELL-MAINTAINED, LOW-MILEAGE MOTOR LIKE THIS SHOULDN'T BLOW UP AND THEREFORE, IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I ASKED CHEVROLET FOR A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT, BUT THEY REFUSED.