Fuel system, electrical and engine issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Have you experienced a sudden lost of power while driving? Find out if you are eligible for compensation.
The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox is a small crossover that’s designed for today’s busy family. The company claims it is “Ready when you are,” but we find that’s not the case. Instead, it seems to have finicky engine operation, faulty electronics and issues with the fuel system. The only thing this SUV is ready for is a trip to the service center.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2020 2021 2022 2023
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One of the newest features on many modern engines is the Auto Stop. This is supposed to save fuel and keep the motor running efficiently when it works properly. On the Equinox, there’s a lot of complaints about how it doesn’t respond and puts owners in dangerous situations.
One Edmunds reviewer wrote this, “Stay away from these vehicles equipped with Auto Stop. I own a 2019 Equinox which is equipped with this feature without any way to bypass or disable it. It is the worst feature I’ve ever had the displeasure of experiencing in driving a vehicle! I have parked my Equinox until I can resell it. It’s 4 months old with less than 1000 miles on it. I am scared to drive it in town or where there’s traffic of any kind. Chevy built a decent vehicle then ruined it with a poorly designed, non effective way to save 8ozs of gasoline per year. Shame on Chevy. This vehicle is worse than a Vega!”
The automaker has issued more than 20 service bulletins discussing trouble with this engine. Among them, there is also documentation about oil leaks, excessive oil usage, stalling and poor performance. They have even outlined how to deal with the engine not starting at all. This isn’t something that owners of a new SUV should have to worry about. If they wanted a car that leaks oil and doesn’t start, they could save a lot of money buying an old junker instead. At least they would know they got what they paid for.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Air Bags | |
| Steering | |
| Exterior Lighting |
When it comes to a car’s electrical system, everything needs to work correctly for the ultimate ride. From the battery to start the engine to the radio equipment, most components of the vehicle rely on electrical power.
This one driver took to Edmunds to talk about a problem they were experiencing related to the electrical failures. “I recently leased a 2019 Chevy Equinox , it only had 200 miles when I purchased. I been driving it but I have realized some technical problems. When I receive calls I can’t answer them over the car and it keeps ringing like if I was still receiving a call. The screen is now completely black. I can’t do anything I called to get it looked at what frustrates me is that I have to pay for this and I’ve only had the car for 3 months like that makes no sense !!!!! Please save yourself from a hassle I’m currently trying to see if any other person is having the same issues because if so they should do a recall. !!!!”
When looking at the service bulletins from the company, we see there are almost double the amount about the electrical system compared to all the trouble with the engine. This is a big warning sign that things aren’t right with this crossover. According to Service Bulletin 19NA034, it appears that the radio can change the settings for the Lane Change Assist and Cross Traffic Alert. Talk about scary. A driver can be heading down the road listening to the latest jam and find out that their safety systems aren’t working properly as a result. What will they choose – Taylor Swift or proper safety? It’s a tough call.
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The fuel system in a vehicle is responsible for transferring the gasoline to the engine and making the SUV move. When there’s a problem, drivers experience issues getting the car to respond properly and might not be able to drive at all.
One person wrote this review on the NHTSA website about their Equinox. “Purchased car on 6/21/2019. On 6/22/2019 while driving, I heard a pop in the engine compartment. The vehicle had 400 miles. I lost power while driving. I took to a Chevrolet dealership. Diagnosis was a clip on the fuel injector had broken. New fuel injector line had to be replaced.”
It’s not a surprise that the automaker has several bulletins related to the fuel system as well. #17NA265 talks about a thumping or fluttering sound coming from the rear of the vehicle, while #N182199610 alerts technicians that the high-pressure fuel pump may crack and cause a fuel leak. If that’s not enough, there are multiple reports of engines not receiving enough fuel and failing to start. This just goes to prove that the Equinox is not “ready when you are.” It will only work when it wants to, which doesn’t appear to be that often.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Chevrolet pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Purchased my 2019 Equinox Lt in February of 2023. Not even a week into driving it and I started noticing that when auto stop is engaged, it rocks/hops/lunges while at a complete stop. My screen goes black and has been doing it since purchased in February 2023. I was turning the vehicle on and off to fix it because dealership stated that it wasn’t covered under my warranty; now I have to turn the headlights off of auto on mode wait a minute and turn it back on in order to see my screen. I have noticed it idling rough at stop lights when auto stop is not engaged as well. The transmission seems to have issues as well because it takes a long time to get it up to speed limit. When accelerating after the auto stop kicks off, I sometimes can put the pedal to the floor with no acceleration. This is scary while in traffic. Reading about it getting stuck in acceleration scares me too because I have a small child and worry for her safety as well as mine. What can I do to get into a safer vehicle?
2019 Equinox LT. 1.5 litre turbo.
Vacuum pump clogged and exploded internally. Almost killed my girlfriend and numerous pedestrians when brakes failed.
There appears to be TSB’s dating as far back as 2015. Chevy has been aware of this issue yet continued to produce vehicles with this defective and dangerous design. It sounds as if piston rings are prem
The pump connects to and is powered by intake cam. Dumb.
I certainly hope that dealership repairs all internal damage to engine.
I will lose it if not.
Sandra A
I’m on my 4th Chevy Equinox and I love them. Never had a problem with any until I got the 2019 Equinox Premier with the panoramic moonroof and after 2 years of no problems started having water leaking into the cargo area, it had approx 11000 miles on it. Took it to the dealer and they said the drainage tubes were clogged. They dried it out and it was fine until the next rainstorm. Again, water in the cargo area. Dealer said it was the drainage tubes again. Dried it out. Next rainstorm was heavy and this time not only was the cargo area flooded but so was the rugs in the back seat area and the controls for the moonroof wouldn’t work. This time the dealership said the only other thing it could be was the fin on the roof. I sold it back to the dealership and traded it in on a 2021 Equinox Premier with panoramic moonroof in August 2021. Here I am September 2022 and this Equinox with only 5400 miles on it and it’s back at the dealership for water in the cargo area which again flowed over into the backseat carpet area after 2 days of heavy rain and again the controls for the moonroof weren’t working. This time they’re telling me the drainage tray for the moonroof was clogged. I don’t have any trees near my driveway so I don’t know what it could be clogged with especially with only 5400 miles on it. Also, they’re currently telling me that warranty will cover cost of moonroof controls but not stripping the inside to dry it and find ymthe problem and it’s going to cost me $550. I’m waiting to hear back from my dealership on that because I insist there’s an issue with the car that Chevy should fix and I’m not paying. I love my dealership and the Equinox but I fear I may have to leave Chevy if they don’t take care of this problem. Unfortunately I bought this one while I leased the others. Now I’m stuck with a car that may be full of water everytime we have a heavy rainstorm.
purchased 2019 equinox brand new 12/2019 by 4/20 driver side mirror was warped. took car in and was fixed. 9/20, the same thing happened. took back car dealer fixed it. 10/21 the same thing. Now 6/2022 not only is the same thing happening, but the rear wiper and the antenna case as well. Radio display has lines going thru it and turns black. Dealer kept car 3 days, wiper case nor antenna case was replaced. the work order said other wise. Advise tech about
this they will take care of it when parts come in…NOT HAPPY..
I have a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox AWD 2LT with the 2.0 Turbo Engine. I bought this SUV new in Jan 2019 and have not had any troubles with anything on the car. As far as gas mileage I’ve gotten 36mpg on the Flat Interstate with cruise control on (70 miles per hour). The only thing I don’t like is that the 2.0 liter engine requires Premium fuel.
I owed a 2019 Chevy Equinox which I loved until I turned into my driveway and my car accelerated and I ran into my new house. In addition that same week an Equinox accelerated and ran into a house/driveway in Front Royal Va My Equinox was totaled and my house is badly damaged, my husband called Chevy and was told there is no problems, then I researched to find out that other owners had same problem. It needs to be fixed before someone dies
I have a 2019 equinox and for the past few months I have had the head unit shut off on me while driving down the road, the head unit stay on after I shut the car off and open my door, now it starts bucking when I turn it on and have my foot firmly pressed on the brake. On 15,000 miles on it.
I had taken it into get serviced for the head unit and was told it was the cord I was using (not a genuine apple cord). It was malfunctioning the unit. This last time it shut off or wouldn’t turn off while the car was off and the door opened, I had nothing plugged in.
I was told to stay away from this model and kind of mad I didn’t listen!
I just recently bought a 2019 Chevy Equinox. I have similar issues with the radio and occasionally when someone calls me and I hit the answer button on the screen nothing happens and it just keeps ringing and ringing. I cannot get it to stop ringing until I pull over and shut the car off for several minutes. The drivers seat is killing me. It is the most uncomfortable seat EVER. I hate driving it – my lower back is killing me. Hate this car.
I am in alberta canada ..veh is under warranty..can i sue..radio issues took chev equinox to dealership .they fixed piece on radio ..said cd quit working again..it quit 1 hr after..called them said i have to pay for new radio .i said its under warranty. They said i still have to pay 540 for new radio..
Having problems with my 2019 Chevy equinox. The vehicle lunges forward when auto stops/start is engaged. The screen in the dash goes dark randomly. We are now having break issues. Breaks lock up, vehicle will not stop. As of right not vehicle is at the dealership for an expensive repair.
I purchased my 2019 Eqiunox Premier 2.0T in eary Aug. 2019. I have driven over 30,000 miles and have not had a single issue or concern. Although I don’t necessarily like the Auto Off function; it has never failed to stop and start as designed. I believe in following the regular maintenance schedule and also avoid using regular gas. Amazed at getting 34-36MPG on road trips and 22-24MPH in city driving.
My car us lunging forward. When I take my foot off gas it’s still gaining speed. There is no cruise control on. I’m going to take it to dealership where I bought it in the morning. I’m very scared to drive it. I’m scared it’s not going to stop. This is a 2019 Equinox LT . It has 34246 miles.
2019 equinox when started to accelerate it got stuck on full acceleration in the driveway totaled the suv
I purchased a 2019 Equinox January 2019. It was 6 months or more before I began noticing issues with the autostop feature. It just stopped working (which was fine with me because it’s a crap feature anyway), but the dealership could never diagnose the issue stating nothing was wrong. To this day my autostop has not worked. Fast forward another few months….my Equinox began shutting off immediately after starting the engine. It would start then just shut off. It would be fine after starting it up a second time. I addressed this issue with the dealership when I took the car in for its second regular service. They couldn’t find any problems. This happens on and off, and doesn’t seem to cause any real problems. At this point it’s more of an annoyance. Sometimes I have to restart the vehicle twice.
My car has been known to idle rough while stopped at a red light. Again, this doesn’t happen consistently, and no warning lights have appeared. I chalked it up to a sluggish engine because the AC is always running. (I live in AZ, and this is something the dealership encouraged when I purchased the car) Since the dealership claims they can never find any problems, I assume there’s really nothing I can do.
There are glitchy issues with the camera system and infotainment system. Sometimes my camera views will be wonky, and I have to turn the car off and back on to correct the issue. Sometimes my radio volume turns up on its own or is all the way up when I start my car, and I am unable to adjust the volume. This has happened twice. Again, the dealership claims nothing is wrong, as they can never seem to get my car to replicate any of these issues when they have it in for service.
My car only has 11000 miles on it. It’s still well under warranty. There should be NO issues at all. I’m now looking to trade it in.
Equinox LT 2019 59kmi I’ve had several bugs with my electrical. Its happened a few times, not consistent. My screen stays black. Unable to adjust anything or change it. I turn tge car off, open the door then restart it to fix it.
My transmission is now failing, it shifts very hard into 2nd all the way to 4th gear, 5th and 6th feel fine.
Things I don’t like is the Increased rpm demand when it’s under 20 degrees out. It forces the car to shift at higher rpm to push moisture out. I originally took it in due to that stating something was wrong. After 5 days, they “dealership” said that’s how its built.
Auto stop, sounds nice but it’s crap. Oy works typically in the summer for me. Dur to it will only shut off if their is no voltage demand. Winter in Alaska, my heater is all ways on.
Heating-vent options. When its under 0 degrees any selection of heat through vents my windows fog up. I have to keep it at defrost max only and adjust the temp as needed. Sadly it stays between 78-81 degrees.
Auto start, I have to hit my lock button twice before I hit my auto start for it to work.
I had a 2017 equinox LS, imo it ran a lot better then the 2019.
My 2019 Equinox has 11000 miles. The issues started earlier than this. Sometimes, the radio comes on all by itself (when I start the car) and the radio will be loud and other times while driving the radio goes black or the screen stays on, but the sound cannot be adjusted. Then sometimes the auto-stop works and sometimes it doesn’t. Worse of all, when placing the car in reverse, the car don’t move. I have called corporate there has been cases opened. The bad thing about this is a case only will remain open 30 days. There are videos. The dealer never gets any codes. I wonder if this is an electrical issue.
My 2019 Equinox has 12000 miles. The dashboard dims on and off and the radio comes on all by itself. The screen has a mind of its own and displays whatever it wants. Everytime I use the autostart the rear defroster comes on (dont always need to defrost). Sometimes the autostop works and sometimes it doesnt. Mine makes a constant whistling sound while driving like a window is cracked open. It sounds like a airplane coming in for a landing. Wishing I would have never purchased this vehicle.
We bought a 2019 Equinox in April of 2019, it wasn’t until the summer of 2020, when I started it to go home from work, and it was mis firing, and ran REALLY rough. it has 29,000 miles. I didn’t think much of it, until it did it again, and again, and again…… we brought it to the dealership where we bought it from, they said there was a bulletin on that, so they re-programmed a module. that lasted 5 days. we brought it back, and they said there was nothing they could do with it, as it didn’t throw a code. they spoke to GM and GM told us we just have to live with it. It now lunges forward, and we have to be careful not to be close to anyone as we come to a stop sign. I was at a bank, and the auto-stop kicked it off. when it came back on, it was lunging, and the whole car was rocking….but they say there is nothing to be done with it…. We are looking to change to a Ford, or Chrysler, something other than GM!! Anyone else have this problem? And how do we get rid of this accident waiting to happen??
I found a way to disengage the auto start /auto stop feature on 2019 Chevy equinox. What you do While stationary. Start the car, then put the car into manual mode. Use the button on top of the shifter to switch gears to 6th. You will be able to see what gear you are in on the dash control, by the speedometer. Now drive the car around for a few minutes (10mins). The car will automatically shift like it’s in automatic. Now when you put your equinox in to drive the auto start / auto stop feature will no longer be engaged. I don’t know exactly how long it lasts but, for me it’s at least a couple weeks to a month. When the feature (auto/start) turns back on I just repeat and have auto /start free driving
My 2019 Equinox had a similar problem. Water had accumulated in spare tire cavity. I took pictures, cleaned and dried out the tire cavity. Brought vehicle to dealer, showed them the pictures. They said it took awhile, but after spraying water on outside of vehicle and inspecting on inside, they found a leak in rear passenger side window. Window was removed and resealed. Issue was fixed. Vehicle was at dealer for about 4 days (I had a loaner car). I am very satisfied with service.
I leased a 2019 equinox in sept 2018. It is at the dealership again because it is getting water in it. Originally I was told it was getting in the driverside tail light and it was replaced. They gave it back to me with still soaked carpet and water in the spare tire compartment after I was told it would be dried out before being put back together and returned to me. I found there was still water in the back. The dealership took it back and removed the carpet and replaced it. Two weeks later after it sat it my driveway, it had water in the spare tire compartment again. I am now concerned that there might be mold in the undersides of the seats and potential damage to the electrical under the seats due to the water. I am filing a complaint with the BBB as I think GM should buy it back. It has been at the dealership off and on for close to 2 months including a full month at one time.