2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Engine Problems

WE PURCHASED A 2005 EQUINOX A FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 1600 MILES ON IT. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE GETTING HOT, AND THE COOLANT BEING A STRANGE ORANGE-BROWN COLOR AND DISAPPEARING FROM THE OVERFLOW TANK. TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP ON OCT. 2, 2012 AND FOUND OUT IT HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ESTIMATE FOR GETTING IT FIXED IS A LITTLE OVER $1400, AND MORE IF THE HEAD IS CRACKED. THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED US THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A GOOD ENGINE AND THEY ARE VERY SURPRISED THAT IT HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET WITH ONLY 85,700 MILES. WE'RE VERY DISAPPOINTED SEEING ALL THE COMPLAINTS OF OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT GM IS NOT DOING ANYTHING. WE WILL BE CONTACTING THEM NEXT, EVEN THOUGH IT WON'T MATTER. *TR

MY EQUINOX HAS TROUBLE STARTING AND IT WILL TURN OVER UNTIL YOU GIVE IT SOME GAS, I'VE BEEN READING ON CONSUMER REPORTS AND THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH MOST EQUINOX'S. I WAS AT THE GROCERY STORE THE OTHER DAY AND HEARD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER THAT WAS PARKED SOME WHAT CLOSE TO MINE AS WELL. *TR

WHILE STOPPED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON I-80, CAR STARTED TO RUN VERY HOT, FAN KICKED ON AND IT FINALLY COOLED OFF. UPON ARRIVAL HOME, COOLANT WAS LOW, MY HUSBAND REFILLED COOLANT. CALLED JOHNSON MOTORS AND SCHEDULED A CHECK AND OIL CHANGE. JOHNSON MOTORS SERVICE PERFORMED A COMPRESSION CHECK AND INFORMED MY HUSBAND THAT ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPLACED FOR PRICE OF APPROXIMATELY $6,000 DOLLARS (WOW). OF NOTE, IN DECEMBER 2010 HEADER GASKETS WERE REPLACED TO A PRICE OF $1,200 DOLLARS, I WENT ON LINE TO FIND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FROM MANY EQUINOX OWNERS CONCERNING THE SAME ISSUES OF HEADER GASKETS GOING BAD AND CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE CARE SCHEDULE WITH ONLY GMC SERVICE TECHNICIANS. I AM SHOCKED THAT WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES ETC THAT THIS HAPPENED. THIS SITUATION IS DANGEROUS AND REALLY NEEDS A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION. APPARENTLY THE...

MY CAR A/C BLOWS HOT AIR UNLESS I AM TRAVELLING LONG DISTANCES DOWN THE ROAD, HEAT SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK IN THE WINTER AND I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN BACK ON TO GET HEATER TO WORK. ALSO WHILE CRANKING THE CAR IT DOESN'T WANT TO TURN OVER AT TIMES UNLESS I STOMP ON THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS AROUND TWICE A WEEK. FREON IS OK IN MY CAR AND NOBODY CAN FIND THE PROBLEM FOR A/C OR THE REASON IT SOMETIMES WON'T TURN OVER WITHOUT GIVING IT GAS FIRST. ITS HIGHLY UNSAFE TO HAVE AN AIR TEMP DOOR NOT WORK PROPERLY AS IT WON'T DEFROST DURING THE WINTER AND WON'T BLOW COLD DURING THE SUMMER. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55-60MPH WHEN THE CAR DIES. STARTED RUNNING AGAIN A FEW SECONDS LATER BUT THEN DIED AGAIN. PULLED OVER COULD NOT GET IT STARTED, BUT STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THE MAIN FUSE BOX BELLOWING SMOKE, THANKFULLY IT WAS RAINING SO I LET THE RAIN COOL IT DOWN. I FIGURED THIS WAS BETTER THAN IT EVENTUALLY CATCHING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE ON FIRE AS MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS WERE IN THE CAR. AFTER THE SMOKE STOPPED, THE CAR REPEATEDLY TRIED TO START ITSELF WITHOUT THE KEY BEING PRESENT IN THE IGNITION. IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED DOING THIS BUT THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD RANDOMLY FLICKER IN UNISON. ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE STILL OPERATIONAL (RADIO, LIGHTS, SIGNALS, WIPERS, ETC...) BUT AGAIN NO KEY WAS PRESENT IN THE IGNITION. *TT