NHTSA Complaint #11310282 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

ON THE EVENING OF JAN 27, 2020, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR SON AFTER THE CAR BROKE DOWN WHILE HE WAS DRIVING, JUST ABOUT A MILE FROM OUR HOUSE. HE HEARD A POP AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE BLEW UP. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, HE TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO ELCO CHEVROLET ($120) THE NEXT MORNING. THEY CALLED TO LET US KNOW THAT A PISTON BROKE AND WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE FOR A CATASTROPHIC EVENT. THE CAR WOULD REQUIRE A NEW ENGINE WITH A ESTIMATED COST OF $8,000. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PREVIOUS 'FIXES' AND THAT THE DEALERSHIP NOR GM WOULD COVER THIS. ON JULY 25, 2018 WE TOOK THE CAR TO BOMMARITO GMAC (LOCATED IN ELLISVILLE, MO). BOMMARITO TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD WATCH THE OIL AND BRING IT BACK EVERY 1,000 MILES FOR AN OIL CONSUMPTION CHECK IF IT CONTINUED TO BURN OIL QUICKLY. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK 3 TIMES MORE BEFORE THEY AGREED TO CHANGE THE PISTONS. BOMMARITO REPLACED THE PISTONS AT GMS COST, ON 10/28/18. THE CAR HAD 58,017 MILES AT THIS TIME. WE WENT BACK FOR 3 MORE OIL CHANGES IN THE NEXT YEAR. ON NOV 29, 2019 WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO FIRESTONE BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND REFERRED US TO ELCO CHEVROLET (LOCATED IN BALLWIN, MO) TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ELCO CHANGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ON 12/9/19 ($808.51 AND 70,883 MILES). WE CONTACTED 7 MECHANICS (3 OF THEM ARE OTHER CHEVY/GM DEALERSHIPS) IN ADDITION TO THE 2 CHEVY/GM DEALERS THAT 'FIXED' THE PISTONS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WE FOUND OUT THIS WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH EQUINOX AND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS REASON. ALL 7 SAID THAT THE PISTONS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER ISSUES DEFINITELY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ENGINE BLOWING.