Power Train Problems of Chevrolet Equinox - part 1

Vehicle rolls back very often when in drive. Even holding down the brake at a hill then hitting the accelerator it still rolls back. When in cruise control and I take over it also tends to make the vehicle jump when the vehicle takes back over. Overall harsh riding. Feels like it’s all coming from that cvt. Dealer says that it may be an issue but can’t replicate it unless it stays there with them for a while until they can replicate the issue. There have been incidents where I’ve almost rolled back and hit other vehicles due to this cause. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or anything on the vehicle.

The vehicle calls power module has failed.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that there was a crackling sound coming from the brake pedal while depressing the brake pedal, with the message a "service all wheel drive system" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while the awd feature was activated and driving up an incline, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal with the "service all wheel drive system" message displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure, and an appointment was made for service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150.

Loss of propulsion as well as hard shift.

Spline worn out and disconnected from differential.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

On two occasions as I have pulled in to park this vehicle, while pressing brake the car lurched forward. The first time no damage happened however the second time damage occurred. While pressing the brake as hard as I could would not stop the lurching car. None of the avoidance warnings helped either.

Telematics module stopped working out of nowhere and drains my battery to my vehicle. Had to have the vehicle towed to nearby dealship. Huge safety hazard as it is essentially the brains to my computer. App doesn't work without it, battery doesn't work and can't even get inside vehicle with key fob. Please issue recall.

Coming home from a trip without any warning our 2016 Equinox scared me when it made a terrible sound lost power and stopped working. We’re 100’s miles away from home on the side of a road in the dark. We called for towing to a dealer payed for a hotel waited till the next day for it to be looked at. Told the engine was blown that the timing belt and everything in there was bent and in pieces 10,000-12,000 dollars to replace. Mind you this car is a ltz and very well talking care of. Without fixing it it’s worth 1000. 00. Shame on GMC we should have been notified about issues. This happens at 80,000miles no warranty. I actually thought it caught on fire. Gm step up and take care of your life long customer that have owned chevy always.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

While driving my 2022 Chevrolet Equinox, the car suddenly stalled on a city road. This occurred in a busy area with multiple stops and traffic signals. I was accelerating after a stop when the engine cut off abruptly, without any prior warning lights or error messages. I was able to coast to a safe stop, but the incident was frightening and dangerous. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and inspected. They diagnosed the issue as a failure of the fuel pump control module (fpcm). The part was not covered under my powertrain warranty despite being essential to the operation of the vehicle. The dealer confirmed this failure and replaced the part. The total repair cost was $592. When I attempted to check my eligibility for the NHTSA campaign number 23v013000 (regarding a fuel pump defect that may cause stalling for same 2022 Chevrolet Equinox), my VIN was reported as not currently eligible, even though the issue I experienced matches the recall description. The vehicle has since been repaired and has been operating fine, while I didn’t experience any stalling, I’ve noticed the gear shifts more closely now — they feel very quick or more noticeable than before, but no warning lights have appeared. I am filing this complaint to formally document the safety issue I experienced and to request a review of my VIN in light of the recall. A sudden stall on a city road puts drivers and passengers at significant risk, and I believe this is a serious safety concern that should be investigated.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

The gear selection is on the steering column and to change from park to reverse or drive takes usually over six attempts to get in the right gear. When your entering traffic and you get delayed trying to put the car into the proper gear this becomes a very dangerous safety issue. General motors refuses to advise me how to deal with this problem unless I give them the name of an attorney who will represent me.

I purchased this vehicle in June 2025 and the gear selection lever is constant problems. It will never go into or go out of gear on the first attempt. This has caused some near accidents on two occassions as I backed out of a parking space trying to get in gear and proceed timely to avoid on-coming traffic but the lever will constantly bounce to another gear or park which was not selected. The car also has a seat problem in which the seat will start a quiver motion which does startle me as the driver. As an 82 year old driver this becomes a safety issue since is very disruptive and unexpected which makes the driver panic. I notified Chevrolet of these problems but that communication was ignored. The vehicle now has 1400 miles, the selling dealer is 320 miles away. I was told by Chevrolet that to return the vehicle to the dealer would require that I pay $6 per mile charge. This is simply malicious treatment to a senior. There is one gm dealer in my county but they do not want to address another dealers problem. Yes this safety issue has put other drivers at risk because I pull into traffic and cannot get going with traffic flow with a defective gear selector. Anyone can come to my home to inspect this problem.

The biggest issue is last year while driving on 74 in busy traffic, the car automatically went into a "low power" mode and limited the power without warning. So now in traffic driving 55 mph, the car drastically slowed to about 35 without warning. It would not go faster no matter what I did. Then the check engine light came on afterwards. Thankfully I made it home safely after turning on my hazards and swerving through heavy traffic. I took it to the dealership and they didn't find any issues. . . Of course. It did it again I took it back. They didn't find anything and then it stopped. Now fast forward today. . . My daughter drove to the store and the car cut off in the middle of the street. The way she explained it to me it was similar to what happened before. Except it cut all the way off this time. Same error on dash something like, "switched to low power. " so I'm panicking. My husband and I go down and I try to start, it wouldn't start a few times. But eventually it did then cut off. Then it cut on when I kept slightly on the gas like I know to do with an older car. So. . . Long story long. . . I got us home but with limited power and hazard lights. I'm glad we made it home safely and my daughter was shook up but she's safe. I'm terrified to let anyone else in the car let alone drive it. It could've been deadly.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

To whom it may concern, I am writing to formally report a serious and recurring safety issue with my 2024 Chevrolet Equinox, and to request immediate investigation and resolution. The vehicle has, on multiple occasions, unexpectedly gone into “reduced power” mode (also referred to as “limp mode”), drastically limiting acceleration while driving at full speed in traffic. This most recently occurred while my teenage daughter was behind the wheel, causing the car to completely shut off in the middle of the street. The first time this happened, I was traveling at approximately 55 mph on highway 74 when the vehicle suddenly decelerated to about 35 mph without warning, despite my attempts to accelerate. The check engine light appeared only after the power loss. We narrowly avoided a serious crash. We had to engage hazard lights, swerve through traffic, and coast the vehicle home. The dealership was unable to replicate the issue during follow-up visits, and the issue stopped temporarily—but has now returned. This is more than an inconvenience; it is a critical safety risk to myself, my family, and others on the road. Details: vehicle: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox issue: sudden power loss while driving; engine enters limp mode without warning occurrences: multiple (including full vehicle shutdown) over the course of ownership dealership response: "no issues found" – despite multiple visits diagnostic error: dashboard reads “engine power is reduced” concern: loss of power at high speed, dangerous stalling in traffic.

On Sunday, [xxx] (a very hot day in michigan. My vehicle registered 100 degrees) I was driving on [xxx] about 70-73 mph when I got an alert that said (to the best of my recollection) too hot - idle immediately! and there was a continuous high pitch beeping which I only heard after turning off the radio. I continued at highway speed for a good 2-3 miles to the next exit afraid at any minute my car would start smoking. I exited and had to stop at a red light before turning left into a kroger plaza with a fuel station. When the light turned green I accelerated and a grinding sound came from my car. I pulled into the plaza and turned the car off but had to turn it back on in about a minute as it was too hot to sit in car without air conditioning. It started and idled just fine. I googled roadside service and got a nice fellow (on a Sunday!) and he arrived in about 40 minutes. He towed me 40 miles away to a recommended auto shop that on Monday told me it was my transmission cooler that was defective and that I needed a transmission shop for a new transmission. It was then towed another 20 minutes away where it stayed for 9 days. Cost: $6564. 48 plus $150 for paying with a credit card so totaled $6714. 48. My drive train warranty was only good to 60,000 miles/5 years and I have 76,000 miles on my car at the time. Was told the transmission cooler was defective so I asked to have the cooler part and I have it in my garage. I spent over $1000 at the dealership in the months of Feb/March/April 2025 as my car hit the 70,000 mile mark so I had them do all work required by the car manual. The transmission cooler is apparently not a part they check. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Phantom braking at speed: I have experienced more than one alarming instances of "phantom braking at speed" where the vehicle unexpectedly brakes, all wheels locked, and violently skids on the pavement. This is a very alarming occurrence to driver and passengers as well as to drivers of other nearby vehicles. Specifically, this first occurred without warning on [xxx] on [xxx], traveling at 30 mph. The wheels then unlocked spontaneously after 2 to 4 seconds. This is potentially a significant and intolerable life-safety issue. When a car suddenly and unexpectedly slams on its brakes, it can create a dangerous situation for both the driver and passengers and others on the road. This could lead to a rear-end collision if the driver behind my Equinox vehicle does not have enough time to react; this may also result in driver panic and overcorrection: the startling nature of the phantom braking can cause the driver to potentially swerve into another lane or oncoming traffic. The phantom braking again occurred on the afternoon of [xxx] on [xxx] in slo while driving at 40 mph past [xxx]. Loss of confidence: repeated incidents of phantom braking have eroded this driver's trust in the vehicle's safety features, which could lead to ignoring legitimate warnings in the future. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The transmission would not engage in any gear while I was in the path of oncoming traffic.

My new 2025 Equinox rs awd ran out of gas entering a 55 mph highway. I tried to roll to the shoulder, and I came to a stop half on the right shoulder and half in the lane. When a 2025 Equinox rs awd won't run, in this case because it is out of gas, there is no way to shift the car out of park and into neutral so it could be rolled out off the road, or on to a tow truck ramp. When a 2025 Equinox rs awd isn't running, it's locked in park, and in order to move it needs to be jacked up and set on wheel dollies, for all four wheels.

My vehicle has 75,607 miles and the transmission gave out randomly started stalling and jumping and it won’t switch gears correctly and this has been a problem for a lot of other Equinox’s as well.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon attempting to park their vehicle, or attempting to shift into reverse, neutral, or into drive, the shifter becomes extremely difficult to put into gear, and a message will display on the instrument panel that stated "conditions not correct for shift", and all of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the valve body and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the failure persisted. The contact noted that this is the second occurrence of their vehicle needing to have the valve body replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 870.

To whom it may concern, I'm writing to formally report a critical failure of the auto start-stop system in my 2019 chevy Equinox that occurred today, resulting in a hazardous situation during rush hour traffic. While stopped in the northbound left turn lane of route 202 at the intersection with baltimore pike, the vehicle’s auto start-stop feature engaged as expected. However, upon releasing the brake to proceed, the engine failed to restart, and the vehicle remained completely inoperative — engine off, no power, and unresponsive to ignition attempts. This failure caused the vehicle to become stranded in a live intersection during heavy traffic, posing a serious safety risk not only to myself but also to other motorists. A pennsylvania state police officer arrived on the scene and assisted by pushing the vehicle across three active lanes of traffic while in neutral, performing a battery jump with a brand new battery of five months, and escorting me home to ensure I was safe. This situation was both dangerous and unacceptable, especially considering that the failure stemmed from a system designed for emissions/fuel efficiency, not safety. The auto start-stop feature in this vehicle clearly introduces critical failure points without adequate redundancy or reliability, particularly in real-world driving conditions. Additionally, I contacted my local Chevrolet dealership and spoke directly with a technician in the service department. He confirmed that they have had multiple customers reporting similar failures with the auto start-stop system. According to him, this is not an isolated incident, and in several cases, it has placed drivers in equal danger. I am formally requesting: an investigation into this incident, information on any existing technical service bulletins (tsbs) or recalls related to this failure, a full inspection of the vehicle at gm’s expense, and a report on what steps gm is taking to prevent similar failures from putting other drivers in harm’s way.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to use the vehicle, there was an automatic update alert. The contact's wife's cellphone had alerted her to the update; however, she was unable to access the vehicle for 15 minutes. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the transmission failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the reverse symbol was displayed on the instrument panel, and there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, and informed the contact that the automatic update was normal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 999.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(n). No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to shift back to drive(d); however, the vehicle idled while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,060.

The car vibrates hard, like being on the rumble strip, but only while driving about 1. 7 rpm to 2 rpm and only sometimes. The transmission light came on. The dealer said it was leaking and fixed it. A few days later, the vibrating is back. It's at the dealer again. Still don't know what's wrong. I only have 4,500 miles on the car so far.

The brake booster vacuum pump; available upon request. Yes, the brake assist stopped working while driving on the interstate making it unsafe for my vehicle and others. Problem was confirmed by an inspection at brakes plus. The warning light came on after the failure, service brake assist.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an advanced auto parts where a diagnostic test was performed and dtc u0101 and p12a6 were retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,533.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon arriving to the destination, the contact became aware that there was an excessive amount of engine oil pooling underneath the engine compartment of the vehicle, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear main seal. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Service stabilitrak, power steering light, check engine light. Door locks lock and unlock continuously. Randomly has no acceleration, causes jolting at a low speed. Available for inspection ASAP. The code “uo101” comes up in a diagnostic test. Overall, the car basically shuts down while driving at no specific speed. Safety of myself and others is at risk because this can cause an accident resulting in being rear ended/collision with car and other vehicles as it randomly happens when driving. I took my car to the dealership on 3/5/25 and expressed this issue and they could not diagnose it as it was not physically happening after I dropped it off to them. They had the car for 4 days and couldn’t duplicate the issue. They gave back the car and told me there was no issue with the vehicle and it is continuing to happen again. They told me to get proof of the incident on video when it happens again. (I was able to get a video today 4/3/25) there is no warning before this event happens. It will go away and not happen for a few days and then the next day it is not drivable. I am concerned for the safety of myself and others and would like to find the cause of this once and for all. I’d like for the dealership to not send me away without a reason why this is happening or fixing my vehicle.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

8 speed transmission will not shift to 8th gear at highway speeds. It will shift at a lower speed which makes merging onto an interstate dangerous. The vehicle gets better fuel mileage if it will use 8th gear. For it to use 8th gear on the interstate you must merge onto the road at a much slower speed than posted speed limit and then very slowly accelerate to posted speed limit which puts driver at greater risk of an accident.

Winter of 2023/early 2024- during very cold period, I was on the freeway where it is 70 mph, and received a warning of a power train underboost- car said low power mode. It was caused by water accumulating and freezing. According to the cheverolet bulletin, it was a known issue and I had the car serviced with the wrap put on it required. This was a scary event because I was on the highway and could not go the speed limit and had to exit. Fast forward to this past winter: early 2025- very cold period. Again had a low power mode when I was accelerating to get on the freeway from the ramp, suddenly could not get to speed and was passed on the on-ramp- exceedingly scary and unsafe, had to drive with hazards on and exit next exit. It was an overboost error that caused it. Again, water froze in the valve. New fix is to put a "bra" on the lower part of the grill when it is below freezing and take it off when it is not freezing out. Ridiculous fix with 20 clips and it is a true safety issue.

Pcv valve got clogged and failed, I have an extended warranty and the extended warranty excludes this from any repairs if this is involved. Caused my rear main seal to break and leak oil. Not drivable currently. Quoted 3200 on a repair. Purchased the vehicle less than 12 months ago.

2/4/19 bulletin issued for pcv valve defect [xxx] bought car from dealer, was told nothing wrong with car [xxx] sold me a extended warranty to assure me the car would be protected [xxx] car wouldn’t start in driveway had it towed to tarr Chevrolet. [xxx] warranty refused to fix car, seems they excluded the pcv valve from warranty. The pcv valve blew the rear seal, part of the power train which I have a lifetime warranty on. But since the pcv valve caused it , they didn’t cover that either. This repair cost me $2800. 00. Living on social security that’s a lot of money. I have called chevy, the dealer and the warranty CO to no avail, I have read about all the class action suits. This is a very serious problem. The bulletin states below 0 temperatures can cause this, we live in tennessee, we don’t have that kind of weather. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

No lights came on my car just became sluggish and I continued to drive up the road trying to get to safe spot to stop and it completely shut off on me I had to push out of road thankfully no one was behind me. I had towed to mechanic and he said my timing belt skipped and it had no oil has bent valves and piston damage and that I need a new engine.

While my daughter was driving in very cold weather . . . She here a pop sound and all warning lites fir low oil came on. . . She stopped immediately. . The car was towed and a blocked frozen pcv vent caused the rear seal to blow. . . Gm is aware of this defect with no intention to reimburse for repairs.

Driving vehicle on two days 1/21-1/22/25 both days had a high of zero degrees, vehicle say for 4 hours at work outside and then was driven the 1 mile home. As pulling down my street car started running rough. Pulled into my garage looked and there was a oil steak up my driveway . My wife called me and when I got home I looked under car and looked like several quarts of oil on floor under car. She said no warning lights came on. I had it towed the next day to a local garage. He inspected the vehicle and said rear seal was blown and that there is knock in engine , so basically shot. We bought the car new in 2016 and it has less the. 90k miles. I contacted chevy and they said nothing is out about that year. I contacted local chevy dealer and was told this is a known pvc freeze issue with Equinoxes and this engine but it has not been recalled. There is a chevy bulliten about this issue that is the same engine but the bulliten covers 2010-1014. This is the same exact issue in the same exact engine. On my hat service bulliten they have increased the warranty to 10year 100k and are covering the repairs. But they will do nothing and ignore the issue on every other vehicle with this engine and this flaw. Lucky my wife made it home safe I am having the car towed to a chevy dealership and am prepared to leave it there and demand it gets fixed.

What started as my car guzzling just a little too much oil too quickly, turned into my engine sitting at 1200rpm while parked, and then yesterday all the oil had leaked out, oil pressure was very low and the car wouldn’t run, and I’m being told by my mechanic that I need a whole new engine.