Service Brakes Problems of Chevrolet Equinox - part 2

On three occasions, gas pedal went limp, and required restarting engine to reset controls to get gas pedal working again. On one occasion, brakes failed to operate leading to a collision. And forward collision warning did not activate.

See all problems of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

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.

I am on 20 service calls. Mine is currently having onstar issues screens glitching, apple carplay won’t connect, sensors on mirrors are going off nothing beside me, when I hit my breaks it keeps turning my emergency brake on and engine power reduced keeps coming on dash but the dealership is saying gm said my warranty is voided due to a aftermarket part.

Driving down a curvey road and my brake pedal was hard without no warning or indication. Almost was hit head on because of this. Looks like the vacuum pump seal failed and I lost all of my engine oil, which caused that to happen.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

My car has a slow crank and when I am driving down the road it cuts off completely and does not want to crank. I have a signal on my car that says reduced speed and the speed is cut down and drags . My car also smells like gas and there is a leak coming from the vehicle it drains really bad . My brakes goes out every few months . My car radio goes out like there is a shortage. Its horrible.

Vehicle went into brake assist failure and would roll in neutral but no drivetrain power or brakes. Dealer took 3 months to find part. Acceleration jerky at stop or while driving. Pedal too sensitive. Constant traction loss from stop at lights and stop signs if not careful on dry pavement. Mode selection to rain/snow helps by restricting power, if it is remembered to be turned on. With rain and snow on the road it becomes challenging. Aggressive safety features that include the automatic braking and alerts. Brakes and alerts on double turn lanes and going forward near passing objects on the side.

Repaired a friend's vehicle that had a total brake failure. Vehicle only has 50k miles and no brake repair history. Blew all of the brake fluid out of the stainless braided line coming from master cylinder rear brake channel to abs module. Found the line coming from the front channel to master cylinder also starting to fray and come apart as well. Did not blow out yet. No evidence of brake lines rubbing on any components or that anything has been apart or touched before. Line looks to have failed from the inside out.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

On Monday 12/22 at around 10:30am, I was driving back from stanford CA where I have been taking my mom to her radiation therapy appointments. All of a sudden my brakes got super hard (service brake assist appeared) and when pressing the brake pedal it continued to accelerate, I was able to swerve to my right hand side went over a curved side wall and pulled over before almost crashing the car in front of me and scaring my mom that was resting her head on the side seat. Vehicle has onstar but prior to this it had not given me any alerts that is what caused such concern as it directly affects braking performance and vehicle safety specially about this happend 8 months after purchase and no recalls are listed for my VIN. I had to call my brother to pick up mom because she has been delicate of health with cancer pain and couldn't wait long for towing truck to arrive since I used my insurance aaa to tow my car. After doing research this is a known malfunction and they are still selling the vehicles with a high price. My car has been in repair for over 3 months and still waiting.

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 🔎.

See NHTSA safety recall report 25v-12- it appears it should apply to both 2025 front wheel drive chevy Equinox evs with adaptive cruise control (and without super cruise) in addition to 2025 all wheel drive Equinox evs with acc (also without super cruise). This is very dangerous. Here's what happened: my 8 month old 2025 Chevrolet Equinox ev front wheel drive w/acc(no super cruise) has had 2 instances where a very large "thunk" sound and vibration emanating from the rear of the car while stopped at an intersection, was immediately followed with sudden brake failure and sudden forward acceleration. The acc was on in both instances. The first time this happened was alarming but since the was nothing in front of me there was no damage and the problem seemed to resolve itself thereafter. The second time was while waiting at a red light about 10 feet behind another vehicle. My car shot forward and into the other car, which was then pushed into the car ahead of it. Both my car and the car ahead of me had very expensive damages, but fortunately, no injuries. What I experienced sounds exactly like the recall problem described in NHTSA safety recall report 25v-12 which has thus far only been applied to the awd version of the 2025 Equinox ev, not the fwd version that I have. I believe this needs rapid consideration due to the danger of of sudden acceleration resulting in serious property damage, injury, or death. It appears to me that other instances of this problem have been described in various online forums and youtubes.

I placed my foot on the brake to start my vehicle and when I pushed the start button my brake pedal went to the floor and warning came up stating brake failure ect. I contacted the dealership and was told to drive it to them so the could put it on the scope and tell me if it is safe to drive. I did and then was told it was a master brake cylinder failure and not safe to drive. In researching this is a know failure by gm service notice n252494220.

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.

Vehicle displayed reduced engine power, check engine light, and service brake assist all at the same time. Brake pedal wouldn't move leaving me without brakes. Coasted to stop and shut off car. Brake did not release and now engine won't start. Informed brake vacuum booster pump is problem and ruined motor now.

I purchased a 2025 chevy Equinox ev last year out of the local chevy dealership it is my first brand new vehicle and I’m the only owner, I have only had this vehicle for a few months and it has already showed me significant issues with the electronic components main issues I’ve experienced are: randomly shutting off randomly phantom braking on star capabilities not working no access to wifi or any apps on the touch screen I. E. Maps, music, settings, volume, radio etc. A/c/heating unit not working won’t get cold or hot just blowing air issues with charging (almost left me stranded multiple times) not fast charging issues with my chevy app took the vehicle to the dealership to get looked at they have had it for a week already and have not given me any update except that I will need a new onstar module. The vehicle is not safe to drive and I’m afraid that it will shut off while I’m driving at a higher speed I. E. On the freeway or that it will phantom brake while I’m on the highway which can cause a life threatening injury this vehicle has not been in any accident no warning lights came on except one message that said service emergency calling no warning messages prior to any of these events.

While driving today at about 21 mph, when a warning came on that my car had brake assist failure. It said the speed would be limited and to break hard to enable the car to stop. . I was able to get to a parking lot safely, but my car did not break at the stoplight and went straight through. Luckily there was no one coming. . My car is at the dealership now and they are finding no issue and nothing showed up on my chevy app. From the articles I have read it said this issue is something that happens on cars that do not have super drive. I drive a 2005 chevy Equinox rs with super dr. So clearly the brake problem is happening on this vehicle as well. . It took all my strength to get the vehicle to stop. . I called onstar and was going to have it towed and turned the car off. Once the car came back on all of the warning lights were gone, and then the car drove fine. . I got lucky today, but this is an issue that still needs to be addressed. . The issue was supposed to be taken care of in 2024. I just purchased my 2005 in September and I have 3100 miles on the car. . I was driving in a rural area with many hills and was scared to death. I had to keep my foot all the way on the brakes the entire time to keep myself at a slow speed. .

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to reverse, the brakes unexpectedly engaged. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v639000 (forward collision avoidance). The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The power brake booster failed suddenly causing the brake petal to become hard. Almost caused an accident as I suddenly lost the ability to brake. There was no warning prior to the failure. After the failure a service warning for brake assist appeared. The vehicle was been inspected by an auto service provider.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

This issue has happened to me twice now. Dec 19th 2024 I driving on a highway at about 60mph, traffic slowed, I tried to stop and instantly had no brakes at all. There was a light that came on as I was applying the brakes, "service brake assist". Had it towed to a mechanic and they replaced the brake vacuum pump. We ordered this part from a Chevrolet dealership so we knew it was the proper part. Most recent was two days ago, Nov 10th 2025, not even a full year later. Driving about 55mph, tried to stop and no brakes again with the same service message. It is currently at the shop being repaired. The part is under warranty but of course labor isnt. Both times this happened, I had to drive over on to the shoulder to avoid causing an accident. Prior to this, there was no warning that there was anything wrong with the brakes. The only place that can confirm this issue is the mechanic shop as they are the ones doing the work. Attached is a copy of the receipt from the first time.

I was driving my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox ev on the highway with adaptive cruise control (acc) engaged. The vehicle was also set to "one-pedal driving" (high regenerative braking). The vehicle in front of me slowed down abruptly. My vehicle's acc began to slow the car, but it was not decelerating quickly enough to avoid a collision. I immediately intervened by pressing the brake pedal as hard as I could, pushing it completely to the floor. Critical safety failure: the vehicle's physical brakes failed to engage. Despite my foot being pressed hard to the floor, the vehicle did not slow down. It felt as though only the regenerative braking was (slowly) working and that my manual brake application had zero effect. The vehicle continued to glide forward with no significant braking power, and I was unable to stop the car in time, resulting in a collision with the rear of the vehicle ahead. Summary of defect: the primary safety failure was the complete lack of response from the manual brake pedal. My attempt to override the vehicle's automated systems in an emergency was unsuccessful, as the brake pedal was unresponsive. Reporting history: I have already reported this incident to my auto insurance, my local Chevrolet dealership, and the Chevrolet customer assistance center. A representative from Chevrolet recommended that I file this report with the NHTSA to help identify and track similar safety-critical incidents.

On th, Nov 6 ~1700, the 25 Equinox ev being driven encountered an electric drive failure and brake failure, including friction brakes. This Equinox ev is essentially still brand new with 3900 miles and no accident history. The vehicle was driven off the eb sr 528 exit ramp to narcoossee rd in orlando and driven to the stop light at the wb on ramp. After the light changed and began driving, the vehicle console reported an exception with drive assist. At this time the driver attempted to slow down to take stock of the situation and the vehicle accelerated, at which time the driver took their foot off the brake pedal and attempted to identify a place to take the vehicle off the roadways. Thankfully a stoplight at mccoy rd was green and the driver continued through that light and while attempting to brake, the vehicle accelerated instead. The driver then coasted, maneuvering the vehicle was into the vista palms commercial center. The vehicle, unresponsive to braking, propelled through a stop sign into the kohl's parking lot at which time the driver began looping around the lot until the weight of the vehicle brought the motion down. While the vehicle was stopped, it rotated through warning messages indicating. . Forward collision, brake assist is reduced, steering assist is reduced, then finally service transmission now unable to shift soon. The vehicle was towed by aaa to autonation Chevrolet airport in orlando. Technicians found codes u1610 and u1639, and found k160 connecter unseated. It was reseated and greased. The concern is that this should have been locked and unable to be unseated. Is this an indication of manufacturing problem or operating problem? all braking was dysfunctional. How can we be certain that this was not a one off event?.

The vaccum pump for the braking system exploded in the cam shaft. Check system brake assist came up on the dash. The power brakes were non operational making it incredibly difficult to stop and increasing the distance by at least double. This is a 'known' issue with Chevrolet but they have chosen not to issue a recall.

The brake vacuum pump has went out twice with no warning and has caused my breaks to become instantly extremely stiff.

Brake vacuum pump has failed. My brake pedal I had to put my full weight on to stop my car. I almost crashed into the person in front of me. It was my full weight and all the way to the ground in my car wasn’t stopping.

The stabilitrac , brake & traction control would not reset. Took to shop replaced abs module & t/c switch. Cost me $1999. 32 to fix. Problem solved.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

When trying to disengage cruise control, with button on steering wheel, brakes locked up going 75mph on the interstate. Would not unlock until I physically pressed brake pedal. If I had not been able to control the car, we would have been sent head first into the concrete barrier wall. Also, when trying to start car or put in into gear, it tells me to "press brake" when the brake pedal is pressed as far as it can go. Radio will randomly cut off and screen goes blank. Trunk button on drivers door does not open trunk without pushing it minimum of 5 times. Sometimes it takes more.

I was pulling into the parking lot of my job. The one pedal driving mode was on, and my vehicle was not slowing down like it generally does. So, I immediately stepped on the brake, and it still didn't slow down, it felt like a brick, I stepped on it harder. It still did not stop! I ran into the barn/building I work in. I was terrified!! what if there was a person there, or another car, or kids playing, etc. I immediately called the chevy dealership in woodland at 8am, they had me tow the 2025 Equinox to them. I just talked to them at 4:30pm. They said there were no messages with regard to the braking system. They said they would install the update, and would continue to diagnose the problem. I do not feel safe in this vehicle, it poses a significant risk as a driver!.

I own a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox with a 1. 5l engine. While driving with my children in the vehicle, the car experienced a sudden and frightening failure. The engine began malfunctioning, and after inspection, my mechanic and the repair shop confirmed damage to the vacuum pump, broken engine pieces, and issues with the timing chain and camshaft. These issues are identical to those described in an existing recall for this vehicle, but my VIN is not included. The shop even questioned why my mechanic had to replace the vacuum pump, which shows this failure is directly related to the known recall problem. This situation created a very unsafe condition while my kids were in the car. It is unfair and dangerous that my VIN is excluded when the exact same recall defects are present. I am requesting that my vehicle be included in the recall and that NHTSA investigate this defect further, as it poses a serious safety risk for me, my family, and potentially other drivers.

With the vehicle around 73,000 and while driving on the highway, the brake system failed to fully function. Using extreme pressure to compress the brakes the vehicle finally slowed and came to a stop with out injury or vehicle accident. After getting the vehicle moved to an independent service center, and further inspection it was found that the vacuum pump exploded. After researching it appears the problem is consistent with other reports but no resolution has been made until it's too late. The component is not currently being inspected by the manufacturer and has only been inspected by independent service center. No warning lights or other symptoms displayed prior to the failure and the only time it first appeared was on the highway at high speeds.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal was extremely hard and tight. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle because the vehicle was not being driven at a high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as cam shaft failure, timing chain, and vacuum pump failure. The contact was informed that the cam shaft, timing chain, and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact, who was an independent mechanic, stated that it was very important that the braking system operated independently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,400.

When you hit the brakes on hurry car don’t stop it rolls and take longer to engage. Was involved on a rear end accident because of saw the car in front stop press the brake and SUV just slow down but keep rolling forward.

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 mph, the brakes failed to operate properly while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake pump had exploded, causing damage to the camshaft sensors and several other parts inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched the failure and became aware of a recall associated with the failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

I was exiting the expressway coming up to the back of a semi truck & the brake became hard to push down. Thankfully I was able to stop in time & didn't rear end the truck. It put me & my [xxx] old in danger had I not been able to apply the force needed to push the brake petal down. No dash alerts appeared until at least 10 min after I noticed the issue. I have a mechanic changing the brake booster. The first part we received was faulty & had to be returned. Currently waiting for another brake booster to come in & attempt another repair. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle calls power module has failed.

(1) on Saturday 8/23/25, the braking system failed while driving on gravel roads going downhill. ? (2) I could not stop the vehicle going downhill. I thought I was going to crash. As I started to go downhill @ ~5 mph, I put my foot on the brake pedal, the car would not brake. Pressing hard or lightly didn’t make a difference. It felt like an anti-lock brake (alb) pulse 1x and then gave up releasing all braking even though the foot is on the brake. The 2-way road is heavily used, smooth, wide, and maintained. Other vehicles were going down the gravel fine. The grade is ~10%. (3) the problem was reproduced numerous times on 8/24/25, while my husband drove on gravel going downhill and attempting to slow down or stop the car. This gravel is with potholes and some rocks starting w/ grades 5-6%. I was a passenger in the car. At one point I thought we were going to hit the on-coming car, because the brakes were not working properly. (4) an appointment is being made w/ the dealer to inspect the car. (5) (on 8/23) I am not aware of warnings or messages. (on 8/24) a “abs” alert appeared on the display sometimes. Additional info: (6) on 6/15/25, I drove on gravel with 5-10% grades w/o issues for ~6 miles. When I pressed on the brake pedal, the car slowed down without issues. Alb did not engage. (7) I have recently read break failure stories that are similar from other Equinox ev owners. ". . . My car has had two separate brake failures. . . " "… now going down a fairly steep gravel hill daily, I experience very little braking. . . " "… I pressed the brakes and there was no perceived braking for at least 20 feet. . . " . . . Brake failure this past weekend while descending a dirt/stone road… the abs, would not shut off for our entire descent, which lasted for about 2 full minutes. During this time, we could not stop the car and were accelerating out of control…. ".

This has happened about 4 times in 4 months. In each scenario I am driving very slowly (3 times forwards, one time in reverse) with no obvious obstacle or crash potential. The brakes will slam suddenly very aggressively, I assume it is the e-brakes as it feels like I hit a wall. It is a safety issue as if someone was behind me it could cause an accident. This is discussed on multiple message boards(e. G. Hard braking without warning! | chevy Equinox ev forum https://share. Google/eugsd4xpqzopnluwy) but the manufacturer is not acknowledging any issue when contacted. I called the dealer as well and they were not aware of any issues. I have not had the vehicle inspected.