NHTSA Complaint #11207397 — 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

IN MID-DECEMBER 2018, WE PURCHASED A USED ONE-OWNER 2015 CHEVY EQUINOX FROM A SMALL DEALERSHIP IN JENISON MICHIGAN. IT HAD ABOUT 113K MILES. LESS THAN 3 MONTHS LATER, IN EARLY MARCH OF 2019, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED SMELLING OF GAS, RATTLING, STALLING. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE LESS A FEW MILES TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC. AFTER THE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A FUEL PUMP AT A COST OF ABOUT $6300. WE HAD PURCHASED A THIRD PARTY WARRANTY FROM PREFERRED WARRANTIES LLC THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP, SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE COVERED. THE WARRANTY COMPANY REQUESTED A MORE THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE ENGINE FAILED, AT A COST OF ABOUT $200, WHICH WOULD BE REIMBURSED TO US IF THE CLAIM WOULD BE APPROVED. THEIR ADJUSTER VISITED OUR MECHANIC, AND DETERMINED THAT SINCE THE ENGINE HAD LITTLE OIL, ABOUT ONE PINT, THE DAMAGE WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING 'RUN ON LOW OIL.' WE WERE FLOORED, AS THE OIL HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED IN DECEMBER AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS NOT DUE FOR A CHANGE FOR ANOTHER 3K MILES. WE HAD PUT ABOUT 1K MILES ON IT SINCE PURCHASE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY INDICATION WHILE DRIVING THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH OIL CONSUMPTION: NO OIL LOW WARNING LIGHT, NO LEAKAGE UNDER THE VEHICLE, NO SMOKE, NO HESITATION IN DRIVING. WE DISCOVERED THAT CHEVY EQUINOXES WITH A 2.4L ENGINE BEGINNING IN 2010-2017 WERE EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION WITH MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS STATING THERE WAS NO INDICATION THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING OIL. WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO RECOUP OUR LOSSES DUE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF GM IN THEIR LACK OF INFORMING OF POTENTIAL ISSUES.