My Equinox had problems from when I bought it used at 23K miles. The evap hose recall was installed wrong and broke. The traction control went out and shut down my car in mid-drive (twice). Computer modules went bad. Timing chain had to be replaced. Then is was using 3 or more quarts of oil before reaching 3000 miles after an oil change, with no puddles on the ground. I received a letter from GM after it reached 120k miles, but the dealership was good enough to replace the whole engine anyway due to “problems” with this year and model. The catalytic coverters were bad at the time but not replaced though the “disappearing oil” from the bad engine seems to have caused that. What can I do to get this resolved without having to spend $1500-$2000 of my own money, that I don’t have right now? (oh, one wheel hub assembly has just gone bad too)
To be honest with you, I don’t think that there is much that you can do at this point, regarding a vehicle that was bought as a used one, with an unknown maintenance record.
You have what is known as the high feature V6
ALL of the problems you have described are WELL KNOWN to the GM dealers, and anybody who logs onto the official GM technical website
That said, you really lucked out, in the sense that you got the new engine for free
FWIW . . . the high feature V6 is known to use a considerable amount of oil. You MUST check the oil level regularly. If you don’t check the oil level between services (every 5K, I believe), you may very well be tempting fate
The best thing you can do is to take very good care of the vehicle. I recommend checking the engine oil level every few weeks. Use a good quality oil . . . 5w30, I believe.
I’ve heard of similar problems reported w/newer GM engines. I think it was GM engine. Maybe it was Ford.
So I don’t know if this applies to you. But the timing chain problem especially makes me suspicious. Timing chains usually last much longer. Is this a “direct injection” engine? On those the injection pump could put add’l wear and tear on the timing chain mechanism.
So using the correct oil and change-out intervals is critical. Make sure going forward to use the exact oil recommended in the owner’s manual, and change it out at or before the recommended intervals corresponding to your driving style. If your trips are mostly short, while it seems counterintuitive, that type of driving would be considered “severe service” and so that is the schedule for service intervals you should follow if short trips applies to you.
@GeorgeSanJose
Sadly, even the timing chain problem is COMMON on these high feature V6 engines
Here’s something interesting
GM was thoughtful enough to issue some bulletins stating that there is now one part number that contains all the parts needed for the timing chain job . . . mind you, we’re talking 3 chains, multiple tensioners, etc.
So, if you were a customer and walked into the local GM dealer and explained that you needed to replace the chains, they would say “No problem, sir. Here you go.” And you’d get a kit containing everything you needed. And they probably have plenty in stock
GM “blamed” the chain wear on the extended oil change intervals. One of the solutions was to flash the PCM with newer software, which apparently shortened the interval. However, it is still critical to check the oil level often on this engine
The government requires all emissions related parts to be covered for 7 years or 70,000 miles. They may cover it due to engine failure and this is a 2010 vehicle. You can at least try. Contact your GM area service rep and see what they say.