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First introduced in 2005, the Chevrolet Equinox is Chevrolet’s answer in the compact crossover SUV class. It’s been consistently popular despite safety concerns and resultant complaints. Complaints include recurring brake problems, a faulty fuel system, and serious issues with the engine. There are also two recalls for the 2022 Equinox, one of which also relates to the previous year model.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2018 2019 2020 2021
Contents
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Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
---|---|
Fuel System, Gasoline | |
Engine | |
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | |
Fuel/propulsion System | |
Service Brakes | |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
Unknown Or Other | |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
Seat Belts | |
Power Train |
For years we’ve kept track of specific problems with the Chevy Equinox. Complaints made by consumers to the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other bodies indicate what these are.
In our article highlighting complaints about the 2021 model, we noted that there were relatively few made directly to the NHTSA. But it is clear that many of the same components feature in these complaints year after year! One of these relates to tires.
In August 2021, General Motors (GM) issued a recall for a total of 9,597 Chevrolet Equinox 2021-2022 and GMC Terrain vehicles. This was due to the tread of tires separating. Their report states that the tires may have been manufactured without enough of the curative agent. Tread separation can lead to loss of vehicle control, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Ironically despite the recall, 2022 owners haven’t complained about the issue. But they have complained about seven components and systems. These are the engine, seat belts, brakes, forward collision avoidance, lane departure, the fuel/propulsion system, and vehicle speed control.
We highlight a few of the problems and complaints below.
Brake problems are varied. An owner from Ohio complains that “Since day one, rear disc brake pads rubbing on rotors at all speeds.” This was confirmed by the dealership, but they don’t have a fix for the problem.
Another problem is reported by a Florida owner who says the “Brakes lost all fluid.”
The result of this was “a loss of function for related systems including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking. Limited braking capability put my wife and I in danger. The car was less than a week old at the time.”
There was no problem regarding repairs. “The dealer repaired it immediately on Monday morning,” attributing the problem to a loose brake line. But, “the warning lights and e-mail messages came in after the failure.”
Problems relating to the fuel/propulsion system are also varied. An owner from Michigan complains that the front of the gas tank was punctured by road debris because there is no shielding on the gas tank.
“The complete contents of the tank emptied onto the highway in under 5 minutes. The same debris also hit the muffler but only scratched it, proving a metal shield would have protected the gas tank.”
An owner from Texas states that the Equinox lost acceleration and then “died” while driving on the highway. Two days later, the dealership found that the fuel pump wouldn’t change speeds because of an internal fault. They replace the fuel pump. But a day later, “the engine died again on (the) highway after losing acceleration.”
The driver had trouble starting the vehicle, and when it did start up, “it died again when trying to put (it) into drive.” This is exactly what happened initially. The owner suspects a defective fuel pump.
At the time of the complaint, the Equinox was at a Chevy dealership. The outcome has not been recorded with the NHTSA.
An owner from Indiana was driving on a 45 mph, four-lane road when the Equinox engine “completely failed.” The vehicle had only 200 miles on the clock three days after purchase.
There was an alert message on the dash: Engine Failure/Failed/Reduced Power. Then the car lost speed, all power, and came to a stop. There were curbs on both sides of the road and no median or shoulder. This meant the car was stranded in the right lane with continuous traffic approaching from behind. They all had to change lanes to avoid an accident.
“My safety and the safety of others were at risk… This could have been catastrophic if I’d been on an interstate or in many other situations.
Later, the owner “discovered an email from OnStar Diagnostics that was time stamped at the very time I experienced the incident, 8:02am.”
The email states “An issue with the Engine and Transmission System in your 2022 Chevrolet Equinox has been detected. Please service your vehicle immediately.”
In addition, Chevrolet Equinox engine and turbo issues have been reported as well. It stems from multiple complaints about reduced engine power and the turbo unit becoming disconnected from the throttle body.
There is only one complaint about lane departure. But we mention it because it relates to the driver-assistance features that GM highlights in its promotional information. In addition to the Lane Departure warning and Lane Keep Assist, there is an optional Lane Change Alert with a Side Blind Zone Alert.
The complaint is from an owner in Michigan who states that a “driver side blind spot would wrongfully detect a vehicle in the blind spot when there was no other vehicle around. In certain cases it would leave a huge uncertainty whether you could or not change lanes to (the) left or make a left turn safely.”
Of course, not everyone will buy a lemon, but if you are one of the unlucky ones, Lemberg Law can help you get compensation or a settlement, depending on the circumstances. Legally, depending on individual circumstances, you have rights. We will advise whether you are eligible for a cash refund, return, or a buyback.
Call our Helpline so we can assess your Equinox problems and let you know what we can do to help. The law makes Chevrolet foot the bill.
According to the manufacturer, General Motors (GM), the “refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Equinox focuses on styling and safety”
There is one completely new model, the RS. They list all the new features, including the RS, in a press release.
There is only one gasoline engine choice for the 2022 models, a 1.5-liter, turbo 1-4 (170 HP). Four-wheel drive (FWD) is standard, but all-wheel drive (AWD) is available.
The up-level 2.0 turbo engine is no longer available. The fuel tank capacity for the FWD models is about 56 liters and about 59 liters for the AWD.
The U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s fuel economy website has one basic estimate, that indicates you will get 26 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. If you drive in the city and on highways you can expect to run at about 28 MPG.
The model they specify is the standard 4-cylinder, 1.5-liter, automatic 6-speed Equinox FWD.
The so-called refreshed Equinox was scheduled for release in 2021. But, due to various complications related to COVID-19, the changes are only available now, for the 2022 models.
There are four 2022 Equinox trim levels on offer, the LS, LT, new RS, and Premier. The base L model is now discontinued, and the lowest manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $2,000 more than last year’s model.
Starting MSRPs are though lower than last year’s prices:
The new Chevrolet Equinox features some great technology. Chevy Safety Assist is standard and it includes several invaluable driver-assistance features:
You’ll also get Automatic Parking Assist, Front Park Assist, and Rear Park Assist, all of which are new. HD Surround Vision, a camera-based Adaptive Cruise Control, Safety Alert Seat, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and a Lane Change Alert with a Side Blind Zone Alert are also available.
Chevrolet’s infotainment system comes standard with a 7-inch diameter color touchscreen on LS, LT, and RS. Premier features an 8-inch diameter system that is also an option on LT, RS, and Premier. There is also a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and built-in Amazon Alexa capability
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Date | Mar 22, 2023 |
State | TN |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 23v013000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the part to the recall repair was unavailable. The contact was informed by the dealer that despite the check engine warning light being illuminated, the vehicle could still be driven to the residence. The contact stated while driving to the residence, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
Category | Service Brakes, Steering |
Date | Mar 11, 2023 |
State | MI |
Description | I lease a 2022 equinox. February 15, 2023 I was driving from the store and began to pull in my driveway. I live on a dirt, dead end road. I turned the steering wheel and there was no reaction. The car kept going straight. I put on the brakes and the car didn't stop or slow down. I was stopped when I hit my own lamp post and a large rock at the end of my driveway. There was no warning that anything was out of the ordinary. Just no response to the steering wheel and nothing when I applied the brake. There wasn't anything different in the brakes or steering wheel, they felt normal. No pulling, nor sign that the power steering went out. There was just no response to either. Putting the car in park I got out of the car to assess the damage. Some broken trim was the only damage. Put the car in reverse and it worked and I drove up the driveway and parked. Going back to the place of the accident to clean up the mess. The road was dry and conditions were good. No inclement weather. I reported to the mcdonald chevrolet and they towed the car in. The problem could not be recreated and there were no codes. I had no choice but to pick up the car. I wrote on their receipt and mine that I do not feel this car is safe to drive. The mechanics did their best. I called gm support in hopes that they would help and spoke to maureen. She continually told me that if there was no code showing and it couldn't be recreated there wasn't anything wrong with the car. There could not be a problem. I have 2 more years to drive this car. I refuse to put my grandchildren or my mother in this car because even though it might not happen again, it might. Every time I get ready to make a turn I'm looking ahead to see what I will run into if I lose steering and brakes again. Or I wonder who else will be hurt if these systems fail. |
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Date | Mar 09, 2023 |
State | GA |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled inadvertently in the middle of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 5 attempts. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was diagnosed as inadequate fuel pump flow. The dealer related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 23v013000 (fuel system, gasoline) however, parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,936. |
Category | Engine, Fuel System, Gasoline |
Date | Feb 22, 2023 |
State | AZ |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated while reversing at approximately 5 mph, the vehicle stalled. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle was sputtering. The service vehicle now message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was like nhtsa campaign number: 23v013000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 1,300. |
Category | Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly |
Date | Feb 09, 2023 |
State | MI |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded without impact. There was a hole detected in the glass. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was determined that the sunroof assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000. |
Category | Suspension |
Date | Jan 30, 2023 |
State | IL |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, a rattling noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on various occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and that the rattling noise was becoming louder. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. |
Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
Date | Jan 18, 2023 |
State | TX |
Description | Got a smart start ignition interlock installed and my vehicle caught on fire while parked. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Jan 04, 2023 |
State | AZ |
Description | December 17th, 2022 - check engine light came on with an onstar message to have my engine/transmission system serviced within 7 days. Dealership replaced fuel pump module on december 23rd. Drove the car to a basketball game that evening (14 miles) and check engine light came back on with same onstar message. Took car to dealership on january 3rd (due to holiday, didn't drive vehicle after check engine light came on). Dealership advised it was a low battery. So battery was replaced and advised we should come get the car. When they were driving the car from the back of the lot to the front of the lot - the check engine light came on again. They called us to tell us not to come get the car that they found a new code issue. They advised they would call us tomorrow. |
Category | Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking, Back Over Prevention: Warnings |
Date | Jan 03, 2023 |
State | MI |
Description | The infotainment/radio display goes blank or only shows random lines. This problem continues to happen several times per week. When this occurs, the back up camera does not work which I believe violates fmvss 208. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership twice and the issue has not been fixed. The first visit they replaced the radio/radio display and that did nothing to help the problem. The second trip to the dealership in october 2022 resulted in them stating the problem could be a usb cable and placed it on order and we are still waiting for the part, which was supposedly on back order. |
Category | Visibility/wiper |
Date | Dec 19, 2022 |
State | MI |
Description | The contact owns a 2022chevrolet equinox d2. The contact stated that there was distribution in the front center of the windshield. The viewing makes it seem as though the lines painted on the roads were curving inward. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnoised the windshield layers were not laid correctly and the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the windshield had the same failure. The dealer informed them that the windshields were designed in a way that the distortion could not be avoided. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,500. |
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Date | Nov 22, 2022 |
State | FL |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated while driving 73 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The engine power reduced message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to several dealers, but no failure was found. The vehicle was taken to an auto zone to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel sensor needed to be replaced. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and was informed that the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by an authorized dealer. The failure mileage was 10,000. |
Category | Wheels |
Date | Nov 09, 2022 |
State | TX |
Description | On friday, 11/04/2022 at about 1230 while traveling south on I-35 in waco, texas the 2022 chevrolet equinox rs texas registration rpw-5038 driven by [xxx] experienced a dangerous incident. She indicated that she heard a loud noise followed by immediate deflation of the driver side front tire. [xxx] was in the left of travel and immediately pulled over to the left shoulder of the roadway. [xxx] then contacted aaa for assistance. Waco towing responded to the scene. The vehicle was towed to a safe location for assistance. The subsequent damage was the tire rim was cracked across the middle of it around the whole wheel. The damage looked like a clean break except one part where the rim was bent inwards. There was a dent in the rim's edge from what appears to be impact damage with the roadway surface possibly caused from the rim breaking apart. There was no other visible damage to the edge of the rim of the tire. The exterior part of the tire rim and the tire do not appear to be damaged. The rim was a 19x7. 5 rim/wheel. A replacement rim was ordered from stonebriar chevrolet in frisco, texas. [xxx] indicated that had she been traveling in any other lane this could have been a serious incident. In my opinion it appears that there may be a defect with that particular rim/wheel which caused the damage and near serious motor vehicle crash. I am a retired bergen county police officer in new jersey. During my career I've investigated numerous motor vehicle crashes but none experiencing this type of equipment failure. My name is [xxx] it is my opinion and hope that this incident be investigated further. Hopefully to prevent this from happening again with a negative outcome. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Date | Nov 07, 2022 |
State | MI |
Description | I feel asleep while driving on a residential side street. The vehicle drifted over to the right side of the road and I hit the back end of a u-haul truck. I didn't hear any warning and I don't believe the automatic braking system worked to prevent a collision with such severe damage. I was told the repairs are ,000. 00 roughly. My car has been in the chevy body shop since the accident in may. They suddenly decided to total the car but don't have additional charges. |
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:throttlebody/manifold, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
Date | Oct 25, 2022 |
State | MD |
Description | The contact owns a 2022 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle body had detached. The dealer reattached the throttle body; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle inadvertently decelerating and then stalling while driving. Additionally, the lane change alert with blind side zone alert feature malfunctioned. The vehicle was then taken to rosenthal chevrolet (6500 little river turnpike, alexandria, va 22312) where an engineer diagnosed that the vehicle performed as designed and he was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an engineer to rosenthal chevrolet to diagnose the vehicle. The failure mileage was 4,772. |
Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection, Power Train |
Date | Oct 25, 2022 |
State | MA |
Description | Transmission malfunctioned without warning at approx. 4,700 miles. Upon starting the vehicle multiple warnings went off and vehicle could not be shifted into any position; when attempting to put vehicle back in to park, would not recognize that it was in park so the vehicle could not be safely shut off and when turning off the ignition a warning alarm would sound and the display would remain on. Vehicle could not be locked due to being stuck âonâ. Blind spot warning constantly detects a vehicle even when there is none rendering the feature useless and possibly confusing other drivers behind me into thinking it is a side mirror turn indicator and not blis. |
Category | Service Brakes |
Date | Aug 18, 2022 |
State | OH |
Description | Since day one rear disc brakes pads rubbing on rotors at all speeds. Yark chevrolet confirmed. They have no fix. |
Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
Date | Aug 08, 2022 |
State | MI |
Description | Driver side blind spot would wrongfully detect a vehicle in the blind spot when there was no other vehicle around. In certain cases it would leave a huge uncertainty whether you could or not change lanes to left or make a left turn safely. |
Category | Seat Belts |
Date | Aug 08, 2022 |
State | MI |
Description | When retracting the driver front seat belt a âbinding or grindingâ noise is present when the belt unspools to be attached around the driver. After buckling and movement in the driver's seat the noise is still present. The belt appears to retract but the noise is still present. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Jul 24, 2022 |
State | NV |
Description | After driving an arriving at home, I open the hood to let the heat out. Heat coming from cat. Converter. Or eng. Not sure. It is so hot , I cannot put hand anywhere. My point is, I believe all those rubber hoses are going to wear out fast. Dash temp. Gage is below half way. All that heat , battery wear etc. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Jun 20, 2022 |
State | TX |
Description | Lost acceleration car died while driving on highway , on 6/17 fuel pump was replaced (p1295 found fuel pump would not change speeds as commanded causing the cel due to internal fault) on work order. The fuel pump was replaced on 6/17 and on 6/18 the engine died again on highway after losing acceleration. Trouble starting back up but when it did it just dies again when trying to put into drive. Exact same thing as the initial issue. I suspect there may be a defective fuel pump james wood chevrolet is the dealership doing the work. The invoice number is tccs887027 with customer # 319235 on 6/17/22 |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | May 26, 2022 |
State | MI |
Description | Front of gas tank punctured by road debris due to no shielding on the gas tank. The complete contents of the tank emptied onto the highway in under 5 minutes. The same debris also hit the muffler but only scratched it, proving a metal shield would have protected the gas tank. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Service Brakes |
Date | Apr 25, 2022 |
State | FL |
Description | Brakes lost all fluid. This resulted in a loss of function for related systems including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking. Limited braking capability put my wife and I in danger. The car was less than a week old at the time. The dealer repaired it immediately on monday morning. Dealer attributed the problem to a loose brake line. The warning lights and e-mail messages came in after the failure. |
Category | Engine, Vehicle Speed Control |
Date | Feb 26, 2022 |
State | IN |
Description | While driving at approximately 45-50 miles per hour, the engine completely failed. An engine failure/failed/reduced power alert message appeared on the dash at the time of the event and the car lost all power, losing speed and coming to a stop. The road was curbed on both sides with no available shoulder or median to access leaving the vehicle stranded in the right, eastbound lane with continuous traffic approaching from behind. My safety and the safety of others were at risk as I was on a 45mph, 4 lane road, with vehicles approaching quickly from behind and having to change lanes to go around my vehicle and avoid an accident. This could have been catastrophic if I'd been on an interstate or in many other situations. I discovered an email from onstar diagnostics that was time stamped at the very time I experienced the incident, 8:02am. The email states "an issue with the engine and transmission system in your 2022 chevrolet equinox has been detected. Please service your vehicle immediately." also, it was only about 25 degrees and I was afraid to stay in the car due to the continuous traffic. I purchased this vehicle 3 days ago on wed, feb 23 and it has approximately 200 miles on it. There were no symptoms prior to the incident today. The vehicle is currently at bill estes chevrolet in indianapolis, indiana and will be looked at this monday, feb 28th. |
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
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This is my 3rd Equinox. We were in an accident in the 2nd one & forced to get a new car. Bought a new 2022 in May. Have over 13,000 miles on it. No issues-love it!!!!
I have at 2022 Chevy Equinox LT and the brakes grinding when reversing and now my infotainment screen is glitching as if it’s going out. It’s brand new. Only had it since March. Brakes have been grinding for awhile.
I have a 2022 equinox with 4k miles on it. Brakes been grinding since 1 week old and low miles. Just had it at shop and all looks “ok, it’s a known issue but there’s no fix” So I’m supposed to drive around with brakes grinding all the time now and wait for a fix?! It’s an issue on 21&22 models so I don’t see a fix coming soon. Brand new car with issues again. . Also my radio was going crazy, wouldn’t turn off was changing the channel and volume itself. Never buying a Chevy again!
I have a Equinox 2022 that I am leasing and have had multiple issues involving breaks, electrical and possible drive train. I have it “serviced” each time an issue arises. One service visit was 2.5 weeks long and I still have the same brake issue. I call and ask if there is a fix for any of the issues and have had no resolve. The dealership has offered to switch my leased vehicle to another lease.for double the price because that was “all they had”. I feel I am getting no resolve for any issue and gaslighted into thinking everything is fixed and working properly. Do I have options?