general problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox - part 1

Recall number n202313440 my car matches make, model, and year but for some reason is not included in the recall and my vehicle has the leaking bolts. Please review.

I am submitting this on behalf of my daughter, [xxx] . On Friday, may 8, 2026, [xxx] was traveling southbound on highway 89a approaching [xxx] . Highway 89a is a narrow, winding two-lane canyon road with limited shoulder and significant elevation changes. While still on the canyon road, her 2020 Chevrolet Equinox suddenly lost all power, including power assist to both steering and brakes. A sudden loss of power steering and brake assist on this road presented a serious risk of loss of vehicle control. Fortunately, she was able to get the car stopped off of the roadway. However, she was then unable to place the car into park or shut off the ignition. Multiple warning lights were illuminated across the instrument cluster. Her roadside assistance plan towed the car to the nearest repair facility, where on Monday, technicians were unable to replicate the issue. A previously stored dtc p3055 was found in the diagnostic system. This code relates to a known and documented issue with Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, for which Chevrolet has issued multiple technical service bulletins, including TSB 21-na-139, which identifies the multifunction power supply converter (gm part #13510484) as the known culprit for this failure mode. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, I was driving home from a neurology appointment with my two daughters, including my child with special needs. I intentionally chose not to take the expressway and instead drove a lower-speed route home for safety reasons. While traveling approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “engine power is reduced” warning. As I attempted to safely maneuver through traffic and pull over, the brake pedal became extremely stiff and difficult to depress, requiring significant physical force to slow and stop the vehicle. The sudden reduction in braking assist created a serious safety hazard for my family. Had this occurred at highway speeds on the expressway, the outcome could have been catastrophic. A post-incident inspection identified failure of the vacuum pump drive assembly and related timing/variable valve timing (vvt) components. Photographs taken during disassembly document the condition of the timing chain, camshaft, vvt actuator/phaser, vacuum pump assembly, and associated components at the time of repair. Diagnostic records also documented dtc code p1101 following the incident. The vehicle is currently undergoing further inspection and diagnostic evaluation at a certified Chevrolet dealership to validate cpo warranty coverage and determine the full extent and cause of the failure. Based on the sudden loss of engine performance and reduction in brake assist, I believe this condition represents a significant safety risk to vehicle occupants and the public.

Multiple times (Friday, March 27, Monday March 30, 2026) we have had the 2020 Equinox fail to accelerate at green lights. The gas pedal is pressed to the floor and car is very slow to accelerate. It takes multiple depressions of the gas pedal to accelerate more than 10 mph. There are open recalls on certain VIN numbers from the NHTSA but mine was not on list yet appears to have many of the same concerns. Our local mechanic believes the details of recall bulletin 20v668000 should apply to our car as well.

I keep loosing power and get the message "engine power reduced" and the car stops while driving down the road, sometimes it just stutters and won't maintain speed without the warning. I've had 2 shops check it out and can't find anything wrong. This vehicle has had all required maintenance done by the dealer since it was new.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the front wheel drive transmission assembly, flushed the transmission fluid, and updated the transmission control module. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

December 2025 I was at a complete stop and the car clunked and the brake pedal got hard hard to push and then a couple months later a brake sensor light came on and when I plugged the code reader into it, it said give me a brake sensor code, and then it started slamming on the brakes all by itself when I went to takeoff hard like give you whiplash hard and it didn’t just do it once it did it a few times and then it wouldn’t go into reverse and then it wouldn’t go in neutral, and then it started smoking. My safety was affected by it, slamming on the brakes that could make someone hit me. It could hurt my back and neck. Yes, I have proof. Yes, I notified the dealer. Yes the vehicle has been inspected and I got an estimate by two different car lot the one I bought it from ken valor motors, and matt mazzoni’s I have. Plus I have diagnose diagnostics printouts from onstar and this is a 2020 vehicle. It should not be having these problems and now I’m stuck paying for a vehicle that I can’t even drive. !!.

Forward collision system dint notify of an object infront , also breaks locked up when used . Air bags didn’t go off while a forward collision with a bus happened.

The engine power reduced sensor came on and the gas pedal was hard to push so we took the car to a chevy dealership. We were told the code po299 was showing and that the turbo needs to be replaced ($4000). This is a very common problem and chevy even acknowledges that but they are doing nothing about it.

Pulling into traffic car stalled without warning. Went from about 25 mph to a complete stop in approximately in less than 100 feet. Car sputtered with transmission grabbing intermittently as it jerked to a stop. Restarted about several times with similar behavior. (covered under 60,000-mile warranty (actual mileage ~55,000)). Replaced fuel pump driver control module to correct. No accident due to distance to on-coming traffic, but easily could have caused an accident during high traffic conditions.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The message “engine power reduced” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 95,000.

When pressing the gas pedal, my Equinox does not accelerate and move forward. It takes approximately 2-3 seconds for the vehicle to react to the pressing of the pedal and that reaction is slow despite applying full pedal movement. This happens intermittently and appears to be most notable during extreme high temperatures. It also has been noticed while trying to accelerate to pass in addition to trying to go from a stop. I was almost hit by another vehicle because my Equinox didn't go. When it did go, it took roughly another 5-7 seconds to get up to the 45 mph speed limit.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically jerking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The car simply shut off while traveling in the left lane of a major road (us401 north of the tenten intersection in nc). We managed to coast through traffic to the right shoulder without having a wreck. The car would not restart and the dash displayed a fuel warning despite the tank being 3/4 full. The car was eventually towed to a nearby dealership and the police offered my wife and I a ride home (we do not know if they filed a report). The dealer found a failure in the fuel pump control module and replaced it under warranty. Overall, the situation worked out much better than it could have, but we no longer feel safe in the car.

I received a service brake module warning and then the vehicle became difficult to stop. I was not traveling at typical highway speeds at the time, but I was on the highway. After applying extensive pressure on the brake pedal to stop, the engine lost power and stalled. It was towed to a dealership and determined that vacuum booster pump experienced a catastrophic failure.

I was operating the vehicle when it suddenly shut off in traffic. I attempted to restart the vehicle and received a "reduced engine power" and "service brake assist" message. The vehicle had a clunky noise and failed to restart. Upon inspection at the dealership, I was told that the vacuum pump inside the engine had exploded and sent metal components throughout the engine system. No previous issues or warnings were present prior to this failure. This is a safety issue as the vehicle gave no warning signs of issue and shut off in the flow of traffic with very little ability to brake or steer out of the way.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate from a stop, the engine started choking. The vehicle lost automotive power, stalled, and shut off unexpectedly and stalled. The contact waited for a while, restarted the vehicle, and continued driving. The failure became persistent, and several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. Recently, the failure reoccurred 4 times while attempting to drive to the residence. The contact stated that water was leaking into the cabin of the vehicle from the moon roof, and the rear wheel well was filled with water, and there was water moving around inside the vehicle, and the floor mats were extremely wet. Due to water entering the vehicle, the moon roof and the radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the check engine and tpms warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by a family member and was diagnosed with fuel injector failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed for the stalling failure. The dealer replaced the fractured fuel cap; however, the failures persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a transmission oil leak; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic where it was determined that there was a transmission leak; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 20v668000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The car shakes between 30-40 mph, with or without acceleration. I’ve done a lot of research on this issue many people are having the same issue and can’t find a solution.

Power train: I purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox LS in January 2023. For the past 4 to 7 months the vehicle has completely lost power in traffic several times and I'm not talking about autostop and start, the battery life was great, with no dead cells at all. The vehicle went dead, absolutely no power source inside or outside the Equinox, the SUV could not be placed in neutral to move it out of traffic, nor would the remote key work. The Equinox remained in this mode for approximately 20 minutes. During each incident, the vehicle displayed no warning signs or check engine symbol on the dashboard display before or after each episode. Fuel/propulsion system: upon placing unleaded fuel in the vehicle and starting up the ignition, the SUV would start vibrating, sputtering, jerking, and popping sounds. Also, while driving the vehicle upon acceleration at times it seems as if fuel isn't reaching the engine. Brakes: service brake assist may illuminate randomly on the dashboard while on the interstate. These issues has placed and caused my family and I to be in great danger. This is my primary vehicle and I purchased this vehicle because I believed in the reliability of the gm Chevrolet brand. Not an accident waiting to happen. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected, but please remember if no check engine light is illuminating on the dashboard the issues can not be assessed properly!.

Car will not accelerate over 25mph…oil leaking from somewhere…car starts rattling and making putt noises…car now randomly blinks headlights and interior lights when idle flashing off and on…sunroof will not close but goes back—shade as well. Radio screens turns black and stays on while car is off. I hate this car!!!.

Problems with engine—replaced now transmission issues. Unknown—everything that’s recalled I’m having those problems.

The Equinox completely lost power (engine and electrical) turned off while the vehicle was in drive on the road. Once at a complete stop, I pushed the brake and start button. The car attempted to start for a few seconds (clicking sound) then finally started back up. This is a major safety concern. Luckily I was able to get the car running again with no issues but if it had not turned back on, I would have been stranded on the road with no power to even put my emergency caution lights on. Thankfully I was not on the expressway going the speed limit or at a busy intersection. I could have been in a car accident because I was stalled with zero power to the entire vehicle. The vehicle was eventually towed to a Chevrolet dealership and the ecm was reprogrammed and the vehicle is back in my possession.

I was driving out in the country on 1-41 towards west union. The steering tightened up and came up with a sensor that said power steering esc. The car went offroad due to the steering tightening from the power steering going out in the vehicle. I contacted the dealer, mike castrucci Chevrolet, and they told me that I would have to pay for any problems with this vehicle and I have only had the vehicle for 3 weeks. I put $2000 down on this vehicle and now am in a deathtrap due to this issue. The vehicle only has 60,800 miles and feel now that this issue could put my life and others at risk due to a faulty steering issue. I do not understand why this vehicle has driven beautifully to this point and yet there are many chev malibus that have that problem. How long will it take before someone recognizes this problem. There were no warnings before and I could have gotten myself and my friend killed in this car driving at night in the country. I spoke with an autozone representative and he said that he had a chev malibu with the same issue. They discovered that it was the power steering motor having to do with the traction control. I guess that I will be forced to keep driving this vehicle, and if there is an accident, then I should hold liability to be general motors and mike castrucci Chevrolet who refuse to fix this car. When I took the vehicle, I was promised that they would stand by their car. I am getting no help with this situation. However, this is my only vehicle so I will keep this on the road until this is resolved. If you should wish to contact me, my number is 513-687-3499. Karen shinkle.

Engine power reduced keeps appearing check engine light still on after oil change oil is always empty after an oil change leaking oil gasket.

This vehicle starts glitching after exposure to rain. All of the gauges start going up and down, and every action required message pops up one after the other stating "fuel level low, shift to park, park assist off, all wheel drive system, service power steering, esc". The vehicle does this while driving at low to high speeds, even on the highways it has happened, the brakes are hard to push in while this is happening. This puts me and others in high danger if I cannot control the vehicle while driving. I have taken the vehicle in over 6 times to the service department of gm and not one time has anything been done. They have been unsuccessful in duplicating the problem every time I've brought it in even when it is occurring.

March 8, 2022 purchased the 2020 chevy Equinox March 23, 2022 the car was jerking while driving making it dangerous. I tried to bring it to the service department but was told to leave the car which I did from 7:00 am -4:00 pm and no diagnosis within that time. March 30, 2022 dropped the car off at autonation chevy pembroke pines April 5, 2022- shev service advisor states the converter in the transmission needs to be replaced. April 19, 2022- picked up car April 20, 2022 car is jerking even worse while driving!!! April 22, 2022 car is back in the chevy service department April 30, 2022 told to pick up car and now the problem was a fuel pump in the engine may 2, 2022 picked up car, drove one block car is still jerking while driving (unsafe) may 6, 2022- service manager states car is jerking and not only jerking it stalled while driving with him!!!! as a matter of fact, it has a history of 5 service repairs where it stalled. This information was not disclosed to me. This car is not safe!!! the car is still in the service department. I do not want that car. I want a car that is safe!!! replacement car!!!.

When my car is parked (no emergency brake on) on a slight incline & the driveway is completely dry, it slides down the driveway 10-20 feet in its own with the wheels turning. It has happened at 4 times & once someone was trying to get out & it was frightening. It’s ended up on the sidewalk where it could hit pedestrians. I can’t drive an unsafe vehicle & the dealer says since they can’t replicate it, they can’t fix it (as if I’m lying that it happened) & to just always use the emergency brake even though the car manual doesn’t say anything about that being how the car works.

The car started making a terrible noise. I went to the dealer. They said it was the transfer case. 10 days to get part. Now they say it’s the rear differential. Another 10 days. There was no warning on the dash. The fear for me is do a 6 hour trip. Afraid of what else can happen.

Experienced severe shaking in steering and suspension while accelerating, usually starting at the 2-3 shift. At 12,836 miles left and right front half shafts failed due to 'excessive lateral runout' . Bulletin 20-na-227 applied(as per dealer) and both replaced. Now at 21,500 miles, the same issues are occurring again. When it happens, the vehicle becomes difficult to steer and I'm concerned should a total failure occur while I'm driving. Initial problem started around 4000 miles but only occurred very sporadically.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after parking, turning the engine off and exiting the vehicle it was later discovered that the vehicle had erroneously rolled backwards and crashed into a second vehicle that was parked. No injuries were reported and a police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 3,800.

Air flow into the full body throttle detaching.

When making a right turn the right wheel feels like it is wabling and it does thr something turning right up hill when you straighten the car up it fills like the wheel ithe itss coming off and it has gotten worse beaty Chevrolet can not find anything wrong with it.

Our new car is 3 months old and 500 miles stating to leak oil. Dealer said it's leaking from transmission.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would wobble when traveling up an incline without warning. The contact stated that the wobble ceased upon depression of the brake pedal. The contact had taken the vehicle to bob bell Chevrolet (1 kane st, baltimore, MD 21224) on three separate occasions where the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure after each visit. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.