NHTSA Complaint #11354409 — 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

WHILE DRIVING ON A COUNTY HIGHWAY, THE SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST LIGHT APPEARED. UPON BRAKING, BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY HARD (LIKE PUSHING ON A BRICK) TO STOP. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY GETTING STOPPED, I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. UPON ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, CAR FAILED TO START. TOWED FROM HOLSTEIN IOWA TO MILFORD, IOWA LATE ON A FRIDAY. NEXT MORNING, DEALER IN SPIRIT LAKE IOWA WAS CONTACTED. A 2ND TOW TO THE DEALER HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. DEALER BRIEFLY LOOKED AT IT AND STATED IT WAS A CAMSHAFT ACTUATOR OR SENSOR AND THEY WOULD GET TO IT AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. THE GAVE ME A RENTAL TO GET HOME (5 HRS SOUTH) HOWEVER, I AM STILL PAYING ON A UHAUL TRAILER RENTAL AS THE RENTAL VAN DID NOT HAVE TOWING CAPABILITIES. TOW 1 WAS $250 AND TOW 2 WAS $125. RENTAL IS $50 PER DAY. PARTS/LABOR IS EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE OVER $2200 PLUS THE VAN RENTAL, PLUS THE UHAUL TRAILER EXTRA DAYS RENTAL, PLUS THE GAS TO GO BACK AND GET THE VEHICLE AND BRING IT HOME WITH THE UHAUL TRAILER. DEALER WAS ADVISED BY ME TO LOOK AT THE VACUUM PUMP ON TUE A.M. TUE P.M. DEALER CALLED BACK. VERIFIED VACUUM PUMP ISSUE AND STATED IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IT DISINTEGRATED. IT WAS ALSO SITTING ON THE FRONT DUAL OVERHEAD EXHAUST AND THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE CAMSHAFT EXHAUST. BOTH OF THOSE BROKE AWAY AS WELL. NEED TO REPLACE THOSE AND THE TIMING CHAIN WITH AN OIL CHANGE TO ENSURE NO METAL REMAINS IN THE ENGINE. GM/CHEVY SHOULD BE FIXING THIS AT NO COST PLUS PAYING FOR THE TOWING CHARGES, EXTRA RENTALS, AND GAS. NOT HAVING BRAKES IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND PUTTING MY LIFE, MY FAMILY'S LIFE AND THE LIFE OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AROUND US IS NOT WHAT I CONSIDER A GOOD PRODUCT. PHOTOS FROM THE DEALER WILL BE ASKED FOR, ESPECIALLY THE VACUUM PUMP. I WILL PROMPTLY FORWARD BILLS AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE.