2001 CHEVROLET TRACKER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET TRACKER. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, OIL LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND SMELLED A STRONG OIL ODOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 02/12/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VALVE COVERS LEAKED OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST AND CAUSED SMOKE TO EMIT FROM THE ENGINE. UPDATED 03/07/16.*JB

Mileage: 94,000

THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE HAS ROTTED, INCLUDING THE BRAKE LINES, OIL LINES AND ANTIFREEZE COOLANT LINES. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS NORMAL FOR ANY CAR, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS 12 YEARS OLD. IT WAS HAPPENING TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER BUT HE WAS RELUCTANT TO REPORT IT...I AM NOT. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR ONLY FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS NOW. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SOME OF THE COOLANT LINES AND SOME OF THE BRAKE LINES. NOW THE OIL LINES ARE LEAKING HEAVILY AND I AM GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AS WELL. ALSO, THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THAT WHEN A PASSENGER TRIED TO USE THE SEAT BELT IT COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO HAVE A PASSENGER RIDE WITHOUT A SEAT BELT. I FEEL THAT THE CAR SHOULD B E REPAIRED BY GENERAL MOTORS SINCE I FEEL THE STEEL USED IN BUILDING THIS CAR WAS NOT PROPERLY COATED, THEREBY CAUSING THIS SEVERE DETERIORATION OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I HAD TO BE TOWED WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED GOING DOWN RT. 739 IN PENNSYLVANIA, JUST BEFORE A HUGE HILL/DOWNGRADE IN THE ROADWAY. NOW THE COOLANT LINES ARE LEAKING DUE TO RUST AND SO ARE THE OIL LINES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING WITHIN THE CITY IN WINTER, THE WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY BECAME FOGGED OVER AND THE SMELL OF COOLANT WAS NOTICED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND HAD TO PULL OVER. AFTER PARKING I NOTICED A SMALL DRIP OF COOLANT UNDER THE CENTER CONSOLE. A LOCAL INDEPENDENT GARAGE FOUND THE HEATER CORE TO BE RUPTURED. THE HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 84,150

THE PAINT ON MY 2001 CHEVY TRACKER IS FORMING WHITE SPOTS ON THE ROOF OF THE CAR. IS THIS A PAINT DEFECT? I WAX MY CAR FOUR TIMES A YEAR AND WASH IT WEEKLY, SO POOR CARE FOR THE VEHICLE ISN'T A PROBLEM. WHEN I TURN ON THE A/C, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE'S CLICKING A COMPUTER MOUSE AT A 100MPH. IT DRIVES ME NUTS. WHEN MY CAR IS IDLING AFTER STARTUP, IT MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR RECENTLY ON THE HIGHWAY, IT WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL AND I WAS ONLY GOING 70MPH. SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL NEVER TURNS BACK EITHER, WHILE PARKING. MY CAR IS A 2001 CHEVY TRACKER WITH ONLY 54,700 MILES ON IT. I AM THINKING ABOUT WRITING A LETTER TO GM TO HAVE ALL MY PROBLEMS RESOLVED AT NO COST TO ME. *TR

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY THE RESONATOR CANISTER ON THE TAIL PIPE, CORRODED THROUGH FORMING A HOLE. THIS ALLOWED EXHAUST GASES TO EXIT UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE EXHAUST LEAK COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CARBON MONOXIDE ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSING ILLNESS, INJURY OR DEATH. THE CORROSION RESULTS FROM A DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS EXHAUST CONDENSATE TO POOL IN THE RESONATOR AND CORRODE THE METAL. THIS IS THE THIRD NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED WITHIN 5 YEARS. THIS DEFECT WAS OBSERVED ON EVERY SINGLE CHEVY TRACKER. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

Mileage: 64,117

THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE-WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON 3 LANE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED, NO WARNING- AS IT STOPPED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. WAS IN SLOW LANE AND COULD COAST TO BREAKDOWN LANE. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB

Mileage: 60,000

4 YEARS OLD, 82K MILES, AND THE TIMING CHAINS (BOTH OF THEM) BROKE. MECHANIC HAS HAD THE CAR FOR A WEEK WAITING FOR A BACK ORDERED TENSIONER, FINALLY GOT IT, AND THE ENGINE STARTS BUT RUNS VERY ROUGH - MECHANIC SAYS HE THINKS THE BREAKING TIMING CHAINS DAMAGED THE VALVES. TIMING CHAINS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BREAK AT 82K MILES!!! *NM

Mileage: 82,000

1) NORMAL DRIVING IN TRAFFIC 2)TIMING CHAIN AND AND/OR TENSIONER BREAKAGE, RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE POWER AND STEERING LOSS, WITH SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO VALVES. 3) TIMING CHAIN, TENSIONER, TIMING GEARS AND VALVES ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 58,000

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY THE RESONATOR CANISTER ON THE TAIL PIPE, CORRODED THROUGH FORMING A HOLE. THIS ALLOWED EXHAUST GASSES TO EXIT UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE EXHAUST LEAK COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CARBON MONOXIDE ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSING ILLNESS, INJURY OR DEATH. THE CORROSION RESULTS FROM A DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS EXHAUST CONDENSATE TO POOL IN THE RESONATOR AND CORRODE THE METAL. THIS IS THE SECOND NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED WITHIN 14 MONTHS AND 10,000 MILES. THIS DEFECT WAS OBSERVED ON EVERY SINGLE CHEVY TRACKER AND SUZUKI VITARA MODEL YEARS 1999 TO 2003. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

Mileage: 24,852

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY THE RESONATOR CANISTER ON THE TAIL PIPE, CORRODED THROUGH FORMING A HOLE. THIS ALLOWED EXHAUST GASSES TO EXIT UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE EXHAUST LEAK COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CO ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, AND CAUSING ILLNESS, INJURY OR DEATH. THE CORROSION RESULTS FROM A DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS EXHAUST CONDENSATE TO POOL IN THE RESONATOR AND CORRODE THE METAL. THIS DEFECT WAS OBSERVED ON EVERY SINGLE CHEVY TRACKER AND SUZUKI VITARA MODEL YEARS 1999 TO 2003. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 12,964

ONLY AFTER 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP AND 53,000 MILES I HAVE TO REPLACE ALL 26 LIFTERS IN THE ENGINE.*AK

Mileage: 53,800

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN WHEN SHIFTING AND STOPPING. *MR THE VEHICLE WOULD DIE WHEN THE CONSUMERS FOOT WAS TAKEN OFF THE GAS. THE VEHICLE WOULD DIE WHEN SHIFTING AND STOPPING. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN GOING DOWN HILLS AND CURVES. *SCC *JB

THE CONSUMER SMELLED GAS FROM THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE, THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. *TS *JB

THE ENGINE KNOCKS AND RATTLE WHEN IT IS FIRST STARTED SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS EITHER A VALVTRAIN OR PISTON SLAP PROBLEM IN THE ENGINE. ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS THIS ODOR THAT IS REALLY NASTY TO SMELL WHEN YOU FIRST TURN ON THE UNIT. THE BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AS WELL. DT

MY FAN RUMBLED FROM DAY ONE. WITHIN A MONTH, IT BEGAN HITTING THE RADIATOR. THE DEALER SAID SNOW AND ICE HAD BENT IT. THEY BEAT IT BACK INTO SHAPE. ANOTHER MONTH GOES BY, AND THE SAME THING OCCURS. THIS TIME THE DEALER BLAMES IT ON ROCKS. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO A FACTORY REP., BUT WAS NEVER CONTACTED. NOW MY COOLING UNIT HAS A HOLE IN IT FROM THE FAN BLADES, AND NEEDS REPAIR. I AM BEING TOLD THIS IS NOT A DASIGN ERROR, AND I MUST PAY FOR ALL EXPENSES OUT OF MY POCKET. WHY BUY A NEW VEHICLE AND ALL THE EXTRA INSURANCE, IF THE FACTORY ISN'T HELD LIABLE.*AK