Power Train Problems of Chevrolet Equinox - part 2

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The contact pulled over to the closest exit and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and then restarted; however, while attempting to drive forward or reverse, the vehicle failed to move. The contact inspected the vehicle. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was fuel leaking from the side of the engine near the high-pressure fuel pump underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the transmission intake failed, causing the transmission to fail. The transmission was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,053.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

While operating the vehicle on both interstate highways and local roadways, an intermittent malfunction occurs involving the all-wheel drive (awd) system. The instrument panel displays a warning message stating, “service all-wheel drive system. ” when this warning appears, the vehicle automatically disengages from awd and reverts to two-wheel drive (2wd). Once this occurs, the system does not allow the driver to manually return the vehicle to awd. This issue has occurred on more than three separate occasions. Notably, there have been instances where the warning indicator illuminated immediately upon starting the vehicle, prior to any extended operation. When the malfunction is present, the vehicle exhibits abnormal driving behavior, including a noticeable jerking or hesitation that feels consistent with a transmission-related issue. The failure is unpredictable in nature, with no clear pattern or triggering condition identified. This creates a significant safety concern, particularly when operating the vehicle at highway speeds or in conditions where awd capability may be necessary for proper traction and control. An appointment has been scheduled with an authorized dealership for diagnostic evaluation; however, at the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected or repaired, and the issue remains unresolved.

See all problems of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

I was driving my car and a "service high voltage battery" message appeared on the screen and a message to reduce charging the car to 68%. The message coincided with the car having no cabin heat and no ability to defrost the windshield. The dealership says that the cabin heat and ac use the same cooling system as the battery and that any failure in the battery cooling system can cause a no heat/ac situation.

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.

Vehicle looses power and can very easily cause a bad wreck I've replaced multiple thing and it still does it I'm not sure what it is possibly the timing or something to do with camshaft.

See all problems of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

I've noticed several times that my '25 Equinox lt awd doesn't shift gears correctly, like it gets stuck on a certain gear. When it gets stuck, I slowly take my foot off the accelerator, it often helps, but this needs to be fixed. I had one scary incident when I was getting on the freeway and accelerating of course and the car automatically shifted to neutral. Thank goodness there was no cars behind me, I had to pull over and switch it to drive. This is one of the times I took it to the dealership. I've taken it to the dealership several times for this issue, but they say since they can't duplicate that issue there is nothing they can do. I'm in an Equinox group and there's quite a bit of people that are having this same issue.

The vehicle’s high-voltage battery system and propulsion system appear to have failed, causing a complete loss of power while driving. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for inspection, the vehicle completely shut down while I was driving on florida’s turnpike, creating an extremely dangerous situation on a high-speed highway. There was no warning prior to the shutdown, and I am currently pregnant, which made the situation especially traumatic and heightened the risk to both myself and my unborn child, as well as other drivers on the road. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership for inspection. As of now, the problem has not been reproduced, but the shutdown event is confirmed and documented by the dealer during the incident report and intake process. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for inspection. General motors engineers or technical assistance center (tac) may review the vehicle once the dealership reports the incident. No police or insurance representatives have inspected the vehicle for this issue. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared prior to the sudden battery drop and complete loss of propulsion. The failure occurred without any prior indication while driving on the highway.

On February 23, 2026, while driving my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox ev home from folsom Chevrolet following a prior repair visit, the “service park assist system” warning illuminated, first intermittently, then after a few miles, continuously for the remainder of the 11-mile drive home. During the same drive, while reversing with no objects present behind or around the vehicle, the automatic emergency braking system activated and applied the brakes with significant force without cause. The vehicle was returned to folsom Chevrolet (repair order #559378, opened February 23, 2026). Diagnostic code u1126 was found — indicating the left rear short range radar sensor had lost communication on can bus 8. The sensor module was on national backorder, keeping the vehicle out of service for approximately two weeks. The module was replaced and programmed on March 7, 2026. Safety concern: unexpected activation of automatic emergency braking with no objects present creates a serious collision risk from following traffic. This failure occurred on public roads during normal driving. Additionally, the u1126 can bus communication fault is the same vehicle communication architecture implicated in the battery/electrical failure documented in repair orders #558923 and #559167, suggesting these failures share a common root cause in the vehicle’s electrical communication network rather than representing isolated component failures.

Engine went into limp mode with now warning. I recieved a reduced engine power warning and the vehicle lost acceleration on the highway almost leading to an accident. I had the car towed to coggin gm for diagnostic and was told that my throttle body has to be replaced. I was advised that this is common issue with this engine and notify due to a recall of older Equinoxes.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

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.

Was told bad fluid pump at 35k. Replaced. Car broke down 30 seconds from dealer. New transmission to be replaced now. Parts on backorder. Will be without car for “months”. No symptoms prior to failure. No warning lights. Car just wouldn’t start.

Incident date: February 10, 2026 mileage: 1,260 on the morning of February 10, 2026, my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox ev (1,260 miles) would not start. The instrument cluster simultaneously displayed three warning messages: 1)“service battery fault — vehicle won’t restart,” 2)“charging is unavailable,” and 3)“charge vehicle soon. ” the vehicle could not be placed in neutral and required dolly tow from my garage, as the front wheels were locked and could not roll freely. Aaa and I measured the 12v battery at 11. 8 volts. Aaa technician made attempt to jump 12 volt battery with no success. He made the observation that it was very rare for an ev not to start once the 12 volt battery was jumped. The vehicle was towed to folsom Chevrolet (repair order #558923, opened February 10, 2026). The technician performed a global reset, becm reprogramming, standalone radio programming, and a manual reset procedure. The repair order was closed with “confirmed no further concerns,” however the root cause — identified in the repair notes as a possible hv module communication fault — was never confirmed diagnosed or repaired. Seven days later (February 17, 2026, ro #559167), the vehicle returned to the dealer with overnight 12v voltage loss, starting at 12. 12v and continuing to drop. A parasitic draw test found an 11ma draw. After a second overnight test the dealer closed the repair order as “no concerns found” without identifying or repairing a root cause. Safety concern: a vehicle that cannot be started, cannot be charged, and cannot be placed in neutral poses a serious safety risk — particularly if such a failure occurs on a roadway rather than in a driveway. The inability to shift to neutral prevents the driver from clearing the vehicle from traffic. The root cause of this dual electrical failure has never been confirmed repaired despite two repair attempts.

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.

While backing out of a parking space, with my 1 year old infant in the back seat, my vehicle became stuck in reverse and would not shift into drive or park. The vehicle became disabled and the warning dash stated to put the vehicle in park but I could not park or do anything else and couldnt take my foot off the brake or else I would continue reversing. Eventually I was able to at least turn the vehicle off but the vehicle remains with the shifter stuck in reverse after being towed. The lights and power to the vehicle remained on and this was not a battery issue. This was extremely terrifying for me especially with a baby in the car and getting it hooked up to the tow truck was also nervracking for all involved as the vehicle was in reverse. While there is not a current recall related to this issue on my vehicle, research shows that there have been in the past and this is a common issue for this vehicle.

The car automatically brakes when nothing is in front of you and all of sudden it slams on its breaks. This is going to cause someone to rear end you. The steering is all over the road and does. It feels safe to drive. Transmission gets stuck and revs really high until it catches and they say nothing is wrong. Safety sensors go off all the time and nothing is near you. Key fob not detected, multiple awd issues.

Safety complaint: engine stall/loss of power at highway speeds – 2014 chevy Equinox incident details: • the failure: while driving, the vehicle suddenly stopped responding to the accelerator. I was forced to navigate through highway traffic to the shoulder with no engine power. Once stopped, the vehicle would not restart. • warning signs: leading up to the event, the check engine light and battery light flickered intermittently. • diagnostic history: prior to the breakdown, a technician replaced the starter and checked the battery, yet the check engine light remained on. The engine exhibited high rpms (reaching 3,000+) during normal acceleration before the total failure. • safety risk: this defect caused a complete loss of propulsion in high-speed traffic, placing myself and my infant in immediate danger of a high-speed rear-end collision.

Engine power reduced car will not accelerate jerks after a long stop have replaced engine and transmission same problem occurred.

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. !!.

Transmission fluid leaking from the bolts.

I was driving south on interstate 55 near arnold missouri in adaptive cruise control mode at approximately 65 mph when the car braked suddenly and came to a complete stop on the interstate. Car would not go forward after stopping. Turned the car off and restarted and the car now would drive normally. Have not used acc since and car has behaved normally. Took the car to dealership in farmington, mo and they reported no error codes and no recalls. I had driven over 13,000 miles in the car without any incidents previously.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

I am experiencing multiple unresolved defects with my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox affecting drivability, braking behavior, and vehicle structure/fit and finish. The primary issue is a persistent vibration, shimmy, or wobble during moderate acceleration from a stop. This condition is felt through the steering wheel, seat, and floor, and occurs consistently during low?speed launch and normal acceleration. In addition, the vehicle produces a snapping or grunting noise during hard braking, as well as rough and loud movement noises from underneath the vehicle during normal operation, which raises concerns about braking and drivetrain integrity. There are also body and interior fitment defects. The front passenger door does not sit flush with the rear door panel and appears slightly open when closed. The dealership service manager stated that correcting this condition would require removing and pulling the rear door panel outward so both doors align. The glove box door also does not sit flush when closed, and the service manager advised that replacement might make the condition worse. These concerns were reported to an authorized Chevrolet dealer. The dealer confirmed that general motors has acknowledged the acceleration vibration condition in a preliminary information service bulletin (pit6466) affecting 2025–2026 Equinox vehicles and advised that gm engineering is investigating the issue and that no repair is currently available. The combination of drivability issues, abnormal noises during braking, underbody movement sensations, and body misalignment affects the use, value, and safety perception of the vehicle. The vehicle has very low mileage, and several of these issues have been present since early ownership. I am submitting this complaint to document these conditions and request that NHTSA monitor potential powertrain, braking, suspension, and vehicle structure concerns if a defect trend exists. All of these defects have been acknowledged by the dealership service dept.

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.

Automatic transmission slips and shutters/shakes when accelerating and going from a complete stop. Vehicle is not drivable long distances as the issue gets worse as the car heats up. No codes or sensors are indicating a problem. This is an ongoing problem despite having the transmission rebuilt. Issues first started a year ago and have been progressively getting worse.

Onstar module malfunctioned, has been diagnosed and awaits identification of specific type of module to determine if one is available or if it is one that will be on back order. The safety of myself and my family was put at risk, along with others, when vehicle braking system randomly activated and slammed on the brakes despite clear highways all around, almost causing us to be rear-ended more than once. This has happened prior to 12/01 several times randomly but we assumed the sensor was sensitive and was picking up something we couldn't see, however this was not the case in this situation. The battery keeps going dead and needing jumped and there are numerous warning messages/lamps. Dealer service department confirmed onstar module failure and need for replacement, has not yet reproduced braking issues. Vehicle is currently at dealership service department for inspection and was deemed unsafe to drive at this time. Dealer stated they had no loaner vehicles to supply and instructed us gm would reimburse up to $45 daily for rental at enterprise, so a rental vehicle was obtained and placed on waiting list at two different dealerships for loaner vehicle. Wifi and navigation system originally quit working, then car battery started dying and requires being jumped multiple times if not driven within 8 hours, received alerts off and on of "lane change alert system off", "service parking break", "adaptive cruise control temp unavailable", "service power steering", "service electronic stability control", "service transmission now, unable to shift soon", and cruise control/lane assist etc quit working. We became stranded in another town and had to purchase a portable jumper. Dealer currently has no anticipated repair date.

See attached document for complaint.

My 2013 Chevrolet Equinox (~132,000 miles) has a serious and unsafe oil consumption problem. I had a full oil change, and only two weeks later the dipstick was completely dry. The vehicle provided no warning lights, no low-oil indication, and the gm oil life monitoring system gave an inaccurate reading, failing to alert me to the critically low oil level. On November 25, 2025, while stopped with my foot firmly on the brake, the vehicle began constantly jumping and jerking forward as if it was trying to move on its own. During driving, I also began hearing a loud crunching, metal-on-metal noise whenever I accelerated or drove under 50 mph. Because these symptoms started suddenly and were severe, I took the vehicle to my mechanic the same day. On November 26, 2025, the mechanic confirmed that the engine had suffered major internal damage due to running with almost no oil. The timing chain and vvt components needed to be replaced. The mechanic confirmed that oil starvation caused this failure despite a recent oil change, and the inaccurate oil life monitoring system contributed to the hazard by failing to alert me to the critically low oil. This defect presents a significant safety hazard, as the vehicle can jerk unexpectedly, stall, lose power, or suffer sudden engine failure while driving, all without warning. I have since learned that excessive oil consumption and inaccurate oil life readings are widespread in gm 2. 4l ecotec engines. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this safety-related defect.

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

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.

Once reaching around 50,000-60,000 miles, I began to experience a tremble/shudder sensation when driving between 35-45mph and the vehicle would appear to be on either 2nd or 3rd gear (usually under stress going up a hill). Mentioned to 2 different dealers but denied it being the transmission, both claiming because they never heard of transmission issues with the Equinox. They ruled it as a pcv issue or balancing issue. After replacing the pcv and valve cover gasket as well as checking the balancing, the issues continued with no resolution. Even had the transmission fluid exchanged but no resolution. Now the shudder has intensified at times where it can feel very aggressive, feeling as if the transmission will give out or the Equinox will stall out entirely. I've searched online and numerous blogs have reported a known "transmission shudder" where some dealers, while under manufacturer warranty and extended warranty, were replacing the entire transmission or the torque converter clutch which ended up resolving the issue. Now out of warranty, my Equinox as well as others reported online, the shudder continues.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Got the Equinox brand new on March 2025. Few weeks later had to take it to service/dealer with backup camera problems and it had to be replaced. It started to have speakers issues due to a very loud humming sound while driving. Also window from drivers side runs slower than the rest of windows. The visibility through front glass is non existent when raining due to the angle. Transmition started slipping and started to have a check engine light pop up and had to take it to service again. . . And finally at the beggining of November had to take it to service due to a sudden battery drain. She wouldnt turn on for no reason. The defective module is on backorder with no estimated arrival date, leaving the vehicle unusable. Its been there for 2 months now. . . They provided a loaner. Everything has been confirmed by dealer. They said that had 3 pages of codes pop up to be fixed.

The transmission failed while driving on about 11/2/2025, with myself and a child in the car. It was since fixed at a dealer and is not available from me for inspection. I lost the ability to accelerate normally. I stopped at a stop light then when I accelerated to enter the intersection it did not accelerate as predicted and I got stuck entering the intersection. There was a burning smell. Another motorist helped push the car to the side and there was a large transmission fluid spot on the ground and leaking. The dealer confirmed a sudden transmission leak occurred, and transmission components were damaged by lack of lubrication and associated heat. There was no warning. My research revealed this is a known problem with this car and other gm models with this transmission and there is an internal service advisory about bolts that loosen and sudden transmission failure. I confronted gm customer service on this and they reimbursed less than my cost for rental and gave an extended warranty on rebuilt transmission. I had asked for a new one.

After I purchased my vehicle, 2026 chevy Equinox rs, I noticed severe distortion on the front windshield. I had it replaced once, with the same problem. They were going to put another windshield in but we wanted to see it first, which was worse than the first two. I do not like the feeling of being car sick. Also, the transmission slipped once, while driving. It felt like it went into neutral and then back into gear. The dealer looked at it and could not find anything wrong. It was good for a few weeks and then it did it again.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned? engine and transission system fuel management system, how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? while driving the vehicle it would just shut off, when you tried to restart vehicle it would not start all you could smell was gas. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? this happened on 3 different occasions by 3 different chevorlet dearerships. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? onstar provided the diagnostic codes to provide to the dealership were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? their were no lights or warnings, only after it turned off we would receive a reduced engine power notice on the dash but no warning lights.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic sign, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission automatically shifted to park(p). The vehicle was towed to a service station and the vehicle was refilled. The contact was able to start the vehicle, and the message "auto shut down" was displayed and a 5-minute countdown was started, and the vehicle turned off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

Gm has redesigned the gear shift of the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox to be placed on the steering wheel. That's fine except engineers put it in the exact spot of where the windshield wiper lever traditionally is and made it look and act and move like a windshield wiper lever, which instinctively means you as a driver will hit that gear shift when it starts raining or when you want to trigger windshield wiper fluid. Doing so, as we experienced twice (once on a highway exit and another time on a major road) will cause the car to go into neutral since pulling the lever toward you (a movement that used to trigger fluid on the windshield) triggers the car to go into neutral. When you're driving on a major road, this is dangerous, slows the car, forces you to have to figure out how to get it back into drive and there's no obvious workaround for that. You can't come to a complete stop on a highway or a major busy road when in neutral and the car doesn't have easy/instinctive ways to send it back into drive. Numerous drivers have complained of this on reddit and facebook and presumably to gm. I sent a complaint to gm today. This is the first time in 40 years of car ownership that I've felt nervous driving a car because I'm worried I will cause a wreck because of poor design. There needs to be a workaround or alert to to this. Very dangerous.