[parkland]

Hello, I've never posted here before, but I need some insight with my wifes equinox.

It's a 2009 AWD sport, with the big motor, and 18" rims etc.
We payed 33k$ for it, and we've had it about a year, and theres about 16k$ of repairs done so far to it.
My wife loves this vehicle, but we've had the most horrid experience ever. I've had 500$ cars more dependable.

First problem is the mileage. I know we won't get sticker all the time, but we also have a 6.4L ford crew cab f350 and it gets average .5mpg better. This is not looking at the calculator, this is running the same trips to work, and writing down liters purchased. If I knew it would burn this much gas, we never would have sacrificed so much for such a cramped little vehicle, we'd have bought another truck. This alone made me realise the purchase was a complete mistake.

2nd, The engine has been taken right apart a few times, because the valvetrain keeps wearing out, and also the linkages underneath and rear wheel clutch are all replaced again, and the rear diff was replaced. The engine makes horrible noises when starting, sometimes has power, other times not, and also the drivetrain is making noises again. The 2nd time the engine got tore down, they stripped the bolts in the engine block and had to re-tap it, awesome. The entire rear diff is disposable, thats what they said, nice. What junk. 3000$ for the diff, 3000$ for labor and parts etc.


3rd, 600$ per tire? one just shredded off down the highway, and we were quoted 600$ per tire, plus labor and shop fees and crap, seriously?


I thought I was buying a mid range sporty economical vehicle, and so far am completely dissapointed. I could cry.



I'm just looking for ANY input as to what is normal for this vehicle, thank you.

 

[sumr616]

If you had that many problems in the first year, and it required 16 THOUSAND dollars worth of work already I would say you have a lemon. Have you looked into what you can do for filing lemon law?

 

[cmarcho]

16k in work? Should have been covered under warranty.... so you didn't have to pay for it did you?

 

[fourmoremarine]

Sounds like you may be from Canada where everything is more expensive but 3 grand for a rear end and another 3 grand to put it in???
Some of your problems may be where the vehicle is being repaired....
If this vehicle was bought used what was the in service date of original buyer? Warranty may still be in effect...unless it is a 09 model that was purchased early in 08 then you may be pushing it...
Lemon laws may be different in Canada also but if I paid 30 grand for a used vehicle and had to put 16k more into it I'd be calling someone..

 

[parkland]

Almost everything has been covered by the powertrain warranty.

The bumper to bumper ran out a while ago.

Now the rear wiper motor is toast, and it sucks the battery down overnight. They want 700$ to fix that. They blamed it on our gps long enough for the bumper to bumper to run out.

What happens when the motor falls apart when the engine is out of warranty? And has a bunch of re-tapped holes? throw it in the dump?

:banghead:

 

[RIT333]

Almost everything has been covered by the powertrain warranty.

The bumper to bumper ran out a while ago.

Now the rear wiper motor is toast, and it sucks the battery down overnight. They want 700$ to fix that. They blamed it on our gps long enough for the bumper to bumper to run out.

What happens when the motor falls apart when the engine is out of warranty? And has a bunch of re-tapped holes? throw it in the dump?

:banghead:

Are you looking for a mechanic ? $700 for a Wiper Motor ! Wow.

 

[parkland]

Are you looking for a mechanic ? $700 for a Wiper Motor ! Wow.

Thats installed.

 

[RIT333]

Thats installed.

I figured that - and I still stand by my statement ! Somebody (you) need to learn how to repair your own cars. The part is about $130 from Rockauto.com so you are paying $500+ for someone to install it. Download the repair manual, buy some wrenches/sockets, and give up 1 1/2 hours of your time, and you still will save $400+. Drive to Schenectady NY, and I'll do it for $250 - including the parts.

 

[parkland]

I figured that - and I still stand by my statement ! Somebody (you) need to learn how to repair your own cars. The part is about $130 from Rockauto.com so you are paying $500+ for someone to install it. Download the repair manual, buy some wrenches/sockets, and give up 1 1/2 hours of your time, and you still will save $400+. Drive to Schenectady NY, and I'll do it for $250 - including the parts.

I do a lot of work, I rebuild engines and even diesels, but these small compact vehicles just get me mad.

Trucks are a lot easier to work on

 

[NoobNox]

Is the engine in that thing the Honda developed V6 that they briefly used in the sport model of the Saturn Vue? If so I'll take your Nox off your hands before you douse it in lighter fluid and strike the match. ;D

 

[RIT333]

I do a lot of work, I rebuild engines and even diesels, but these small compact vehicles just get me mad.

Trucks are a lot easier to work on

If you can rebuild an engine, then why in the world would you even consider paying another mechanic, who is probably much less skilled than you, over $500 to replace a wiper motor. Sheesh - something is wrong with this picture.

 

[parkland]

Is the engine in that thing the Honda developed V6 that they briefly used in the sport model of the Saturn Vue? If so I'll take your Nox off your hands before you douse it in lighter fluid and strike the match. ;D

It is the VVT 285 hp engine.

it has a lot of get up and go, but i've only floored it a handful of times, it revs pretty high.

 

[parkland]

If you can rebuild an engine, then why in the world would you even consider paying another mechanic, who is probably much less skilled than you, over $500 to replace a wiper motor. Sheesh - something is wrong with this picture.

I used to spend an entire day tearing something apart to save 50$.

Now, I have the money but not the time.

For me to tear anything apart, there has to be the desire, and I've never had the desire with these plastic SUV's.

Even the newer trucks are getting fairly lame, but not nearly as bad as the SUV's and cars, which are darn near disposable.





I don't mind spending time building or fixing stuff, but I don't know anything about SUV's like the equinox, if I'd known half what i do now, we'd have bought another truck.


These things are definately not overbuilt in the least. From what I can peice together, for it to make it past warranty without complete failure would be pushing the odds.

 

[dishdude]

I swear this board has turned into a playground for trolls.

 

[Valsequinox]

I swear this board has turned into a playground for trolls.

+1

 

[sumr616]

I swear this board has turned into a playground for trolls.

Chillax. It's a forum, you'll see both sides of the fence.

Parkland, I'd say it's about time to bail on this car. Replace the wiper motor and sell.

 

[sumr616]

Even if it works great from here on out, you'll never like it again with as much as you hate it right now.

 

[NoobNox]

I used to spend an entire day tearing something apart to save 50$.

Now, I have the money but not the time.

For me to tear anything apart, there has to be the desire, and I've never had the desire with these plastic SUV's.

Even the newer trucks are getting fairly lame, but not nearly as bad as the SUV's and cars, which are darn near disposable.





I don't mind spending time building or fixing stuff, but I don't know anything about SUV's like the equinox, if I'd known half what i do now, we'd have bought another truck.


These things are definately not overbuilt in the least. From what I can peice together, for it to make it past warranty without complete failure would be pushing the odds.

I get what you're saying, and I think anyone would be frustrated by the problems you're having....but calling the Nox (or any other CUV) a "truck" is a bit of a stretch. I think most of us here realized before buying that the Nox is a unibody people hauler that isn't based on even a small body on frame truck. What we have basically is a taller riding car that has a hatch with good cargo room. Anyone who buys one of these for offroading, pulling heavy loads or hauling concrete bags is missing the point. That doesn't excuse shoddy quality control however...and I think they're finally getting it right with the redesigned 2010- models.

 

[parkland]

I swear this board has turned into a playground for trolls.

Haha, i wish.
Before this vehicle I never seen repair bill this big except on larger commercial vehicles.
The 18" rims and tires, my fault, I should have looked into it, I just never though 600$ each was a possibility.

 

[parkland]

I get what you're saying, and I think anyone would be frustrated by the problems you're having....but calling the Nox (or any other CUV) a "truck" is a bit of a stretch. I think most of us here realized before buying that the Nox is a unibody people hauler that isn't based on even a small body on frame truck. What we have basically is a taller riding car that has a hatch with good cargo room. Anyone who buys one of these for offroading, pulling heavy loads or hauling concrete bags is missing the point. That doesn't excuse shoddy quality control however...and I think they're finally getting it right with the redesigned 2010- models.

I know it's not a truck, it's never been used as one. My wife wanted it, it had leather, and all the frills.
I guess I'm not catching on to why it's built of such light parts, and it's so small all to get good mileage, and it doesn't.
When we bought it, I was under the impression / delusion that it was small, supposed to get 30 + mpg, and powerful.

I'm just upset that we sacrificed room, ruggedness, cheap repairs, and towing ability , basically for nothing, to get the same mileage as a large truck, and multiple times the operating cost.

I'm glad for those of you who enjoy you're NOX's, we loved ours lots before we realised all this. My wife still calls it her "dream vehicle".