I started having problems with this vehicle in December of 2018, it has been affected by the oil consumption issue which GM knew about but didn’t bother to recall or fix. My engine went out and I had to get another one dropped in, during February of 2019. The vehicle drove fine with the new engine for quite some time. Then in early spring I’ve noticed that the engine light has come back on and it was due to an “exhaust emissions issue”. I didn’t think much of that so I kept it pushing, I got my oil changed regularly and on time due to the consumption problems.

During the approaching Fall and Winter seasons, I’ve noticed that the vehicle would start to jerk slightly when I come to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign, to stop this issue I would put the checker into neutral. During the beginning of fall it started to get colder and it would still jerk at stops. So to stop it then I would just turn the fan for the A/C or heater on and it would stop.

During late November going into early December the vehicle has continued to experience the same issues I experienced last year when the original engine went out. The jerking, the horrible grinding or growling noise in the engine when you press on the gas, and the stalling. The engine as of recently has begun to stall and it’s giving a rough idle. I’ve only owned this vehicle for two years and this is ridiculous. GM has really went down as a company to continue to manufacture these Ecotec engines with these issues and not doing anything to fix or recall them for us consumers. I will NOT be buying another GM product in the future.

Sorry this turned out to be a long post. In short, both solenoids were replaced with OEM two times by a mechanic due to P0011 code being thrown with stalling during initial acceleration. I found aftermarket solenoids, replaced them myself, and I've been problem free for over two years.

Read on for amplifying information:

Wife reported car stalled while in a Starbucks (classic) drive through. Eventually she turned the key off and back on and it stalled again. She went through this process a couple times with people cursing at her before she got it to get going. She claims the engine light was never on and she was able to drive it home. This did not happen again for a few weeks until we were on a long trip together pulling out of a gas station. This time the engine light was on. Luckily I had a cheap OBD II scanner on hand and it pulled "P0011" which I quickly put in the ol' google machine and found "P0011: Camshaft Position A - Timing Over Advanced" and another I can't remember (this was a couple years ago).

After further research I decided to limp it the rest of 150 miles we had left in the trip before I brought it into a shop as I relatively desperately needed to make it to our destination per my military orders. The check engine light extinguished roughly 20 miles into the next leg. Of course, the wife had to pee (another classic), and insisted we stop. But I knew this problem could rear its ugly head again if stopped since it seems to present itself more during times of initial acceleration... So we compromised and stopped so she could pee.

Of course, the issue came up again during the stop with my wife now in frustrated tears. But at this point, I was a P0011 veteran and was able to restart the car and finagle the accelerator enough to get back on the road. Interestingly, it only seemed to happen between first and maybe second gear under high load. Which I found interesting. I could feel the hesitation prior to stalling and I found if I was gentle enough on the gas peddle, but not too gentle, I could get it through the first couple gears. Once past the first couple gears the car had no issues whatsoever. Meanwhile, the wife was frantically googling the rest of the trip. (In hindsight, continuing was a bold move... But "hindsight is 20/20" yada yada)

I was able to get Bon Qui Qui (that's the car's name btw) into shop the following day. The maintainer wasn't 100% sure, but said we ought to start with the easiest solution first which is to replace the Intake and Exhaust Camshaft Position Actuator Solenoids (OEM). I agreed. The light extinguished and the problem was no more. For a week. The issue and same code came back, and I took it to the same maintainer. Not to point fingers, but for continuity. He graciously rewarded me with free OEM replacements due to believing in the possibility of defective parts. The issue subsided for a couple months.

But again, the same problem returned. At this point, I was ready to sell the car out of fear that maybe it's just something to do with the timing belt and that lemon just ain't worth the squeeze. My wife fantasized of a brand-new SUV which motivated me to find another way...

Enter: Aftermarket products. In a last-ditch effort, I found aftermarket solenoids because just maybe, the GM made solenoids are defective, AND since this was a last-ditch effort anyway, may as well go cheap (I normally go OEM, just maybe not with Chevy anymore). After a quick search I discovered these are incredibly easy to replace. Just remove the plastic crap and the two solenoids are side by side right on top of the engine, each held with one bolt.

I think I can finally confidently say IT WORKED. It has now been 2 years since the last incident and still going strong. I've never felt any hesitation or anything since. Below is a link to the solenoids I purchased. Can scoff at me all you want for purchasing off Amazon but my God, they saved me so much money. If you are experiencing the same issue, all is not lost. Give it a whirl. https://www.amazon.com/gp/your-account/order-history/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search?opt=ab&search=solenoid

I got my 2014 Equinox 3 years ago. It ran fine for the 1st 3 years. I've always kept up with the oil changes. Suddenly one day I was at a grocery store and put the vehicle in reverse and the car stalled and the engine light came on. So I started it again and stalled a second time on my way home. The next day I called the dealership and was told it may be out of oil, I was due for an oil change the same month. He told me to check the oil, if it was out to add some. So I stopped by Autozone and purchased 2 quarts of SAE5W-30 oil per my manufacturers guide. The car stalled again immediately on turning the ignition but I figured it just needed time to get the oil in the engine because after that it ran fine. The following day the car ran fine and the engine light went off. To be on the safe side I put a full bottle of Fuel Cleaner in the gas tank and filled it with Premium Gas. 3 days after the initial issue, I'm pulling out of a parking space and it stalls again but the check engine light does not come on. Now it's on to the dealership.

Update from Nov 6, 2017: After numerous visits to the dealership, The intake cam shaft actuator had to be replaced. Since my vehicle was still under the 50,000 mile power train warranty I did not have to pay for the repairs.