NHTSA Complaint #11377775 — 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

MULTIPLE TIMES, I WOULD CHECK MY OIL PREPARING FOR LONG DRIVES, AND I WOULD HAVE TO ADD A QUART OR 2 OF OIL BECAUSE THE DIPSTICK WAS DRY. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT IT AT THE DEALERSHIP, FOX MOTOR'S NEGAUNEE, I WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD THEY WERE KNOWN FOR OIL CONSUMPTION. THE LAST TIME WE DROVE IT, WE WERE DRIVING IN MARQUETTE MI, WHEN STARTED TO SOUND AND RUN AS IF IT'S A DIESEL MOTOR AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED AND RAN LIKE IT WAS AT HALF POWER. IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY NO HIGHER THAN 35 MPH. WE DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP; THEY BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE AND DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ONCE INTO SERVICE THEY DISCOVERED THE RINGS HAD FAILED, IT ONLY HAD JUST OVER 84,000 MILES, WAY TOO SOON TO HAVE A TIMING BELT FAILURE, OR AN ENGINE FAILURE. AT NO TIME DID THE DEALERSHIP MENTION GETTING OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS AT OUR OIL CHANGES, WHEN THE CONSUMPTION WAS BROUGHT UP, NOR WERE WE ADVISED THERE WERE SERVICE BULLETINS PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS IS NOT A RARE INSTANCE, BUT HAS BECOME A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE TO CONSUMERS GETTING THEIR MOTORS REBUILT ONLY TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE ANOTHER TIME.