NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed the engine revved, a burning odor was detected with the check engine warning light illuminating The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys where the failure was diagnosed as an oil leak and a smell of burning odor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as an oil leak in the transfer case. The mechanic stated that the catalytic converter and exhaust manifold needed replacement. The catalytic converter and exhaust manifold were replaced. The contact stated that she picked up the vehicle however, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic who stated that there was an excessive oil consumption failure and the fuel intake sensor needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance as there were no recalls open. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,881.
I don't understand on why there can be a recall on a windshield wipers and not a recall on a defect which results in total engine failure while driving. You must be aware of the problems that the 2.4 ECO-TEC engine has in relation to oil consumption and clogged PCV valve in cold weather. When the valve freezes it results in oil loss and engine failure which puts the driver and passengers in a very dangerous situation. Its all about the money and how much GM would have to pay to make this problem right. Instead the NHTSA turns a blind eye to the dangerous problem and instead investigates on why some wiper blades don't work. Do some real investigation by first going to the Facebook page titled Terrain Equinox oil consumption problems and read some real accounts of owners being put in dangerous situations.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the windshield wipers and transmission became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the ball joint detached. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,300.
I have a 2015 Chevy Equinox LT, I had my car repair engine light came on all lights on dash lite service warning for ABS, Traction control, StabiliTrak and steering wheel, and when I would stop the car would stall. I took to Chevy dealership and had serviced. The intake valve was replaced covered under warranty, and the ECM (engine control module) replaced. Car seemed fine after 1 1/2 years service StabiliTrak came on and off , I had issues with low fuel mileage, only check engine light came on once and then right off again after I had the spark plugs replaced the outtake valve replaced no check engine light , regular oil changes. One day the Service StabiliTrak light came on and did not come off. This has been going on for 6 months I was driving and my car started jumping when I came to a stop, no lights came on. I continued to drive and when I parked my car sounded like a mac truck and was shaking and had the smell of burning oil or gas. I parked a 2 hours later I started it the same sound and smell along with the check engine light I looked under my car and there was oil dripping, I stopped and add oil and was able to drive home slowly. I parked over night I started it and drove around the block I turned off and then waited a minute turned back on opened the hood and the engine was shaking loud and reduced engine power message came up. I am at a loss I do not have money to fix this it is a 2015 no warranties are even covered over this issue if they are able to figure out what this is. I looked all over the internet and so many people have this problem I don't understand why it is not recalled or there is no class action against GM for this
my 2015 Chevrolet equinox 2.4l ecotec AWD vehicle with 102k miles had a massive oil leak in jan.2022, when it was -22 deg. f outside. The car was at work outside, and my drive home was about 7 miles. When I got home, I decided to check the oil on the dipstick and it was empty. The whole underside of the chasis was oil splattered. I added 3 quarts of oil and started the car up and oil was poring out of the rear main seal. I trailered it to a chevrolet dealer, and they said the pvc frozen up. The engine and subframe will need to come out.This was an expensive repair. This vehicle does burn oil. It does not leak oil thou. The engine oil light never came on during the ride home. I am glad I checked the oil, because the engine would have quit running on the freeway somewhere.
While driving on I-96 in Michigan, the vehicle began to shake, and act like it was going to stall out. The check engine light came on, the no power to engine and check oil level messages appeared, disappeared, and reappeared again. After getting off at the nearest exit ramp, the vehicle did eventually stall out and would not start again. I checked the oil, the dipstick indicated that there was no oil, the dipstick was dry. I was confused because I had just had oil changed approximately 3-4 weeks prior to this incident. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic where it was inspected and concluded that the engine was damaged and the vehicle would need a new engine. The mechanic indicated to me that there was a known issue with the Equinox 2.4L, 4 cylinder engines, where the engine burns excessive oil internally, leading to engine failure. He had just had another equinox in his shop with the same issue. The mechanic contacted Jasper motors, a company that rebuilds engines, they could get me a new engine, but not until mid-march because there were 40 of this engine on backorder. I conducted an internet search to see how widespread the issue is. Websites such as carbrain.com, chevroletproblems.com, motorreviewer.com, vehiclehistory.com, and wvdot.com, all say the same thing; the 2.4L engine "burns excessive oil". I guess on one hand, you could say buyer beware, you have to know what you are purchasing, but on the other hand, the Chevrolet dealer that I purchased this vehicle from did no disclose to me that there was a know issue with these engines and I should continually check the oil levels. Had that been disclosed, I would have likely purchased a different vehicle, or, at least had the necessary knowledge to prevent this from occurring. If there is a know issue with this engine burning excessive oil, why hasn't it been recalled and fixed?
I was driving to work and when I stopped at a stop light my vehicle stalled. It started up again and whenI went to park it at work, it stalled again. It started again and did not experience any more stalling after that incidence. No check engine light ever came on, however I decided to have it checked over anyway as I did not think it should be stalling. That is when I had the repairs done.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, a message to turn off the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was restarted and moved to a different parking lot where the contact noticed that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the engine replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
My vehicles engine was destroyed when the timing chain snapped due to oil consumption problems with the engine. I started my vehicle up one day and there was a very loud sound for a few seconds and then the car shut off and wouldn't start again. I called many shops before taking it to be diagnosed and everyone of them including a Chevy dealer employee said that this unfortunately is a common problem with this vehicle . They have a terrible oil consumption problem which leads to the timing chain breaking and destroying the engine. I then took my car to a shop and they determined that it did snap and I needed a whole new engine. Chevy dealership didn't have any engines available and they still don't not because they are on back order still. So I had to take somewhere else and get a new engine put in. I got a zero mile engine put in the car with a warranty. But Chevy won't reimburse it because there is no recall associated with my vin Besides my vehicle I know of 2 other people who have the same make and model year who also had the timing chain snap and destroy the engine. One of which happened two weeks before mine. This problem has been detected in prior year models of the equinox. There was a class action lawsuit for year 2010-2013 They claimed to have fixed the problem but they clearly have not. I believe this engine needs inspected recalled and pulled from the market. This is a very costly problem that needs to be fixed. And Chevy should be held accountable for selling car's with faulty engines. I'm sure they're many more people affected besides myself and the two people I know . Luckily for myself I was in my driveway when it happened and not out with my kids in the car because total engine failure in the middle of traffic could have lead to serious injuries. Please look into this problem
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact’s daughter stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The driver pulled over to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the rear main seal replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The paint on my truck is defective, it is bubbling and falling off on the drivers side.
On December 29, 2021 my 2015 Chevy Equinox did not start (couple days prior vehicle would jerk when coming to a stop - no dash lights came on). Had my Equinox towed to the dealship where I bought the vehicle and where I had every oil change completed. The service department stated I needed a new engine (not given a reason on exact issue), it is currently sitting at the dealership as I dont have 8K to replace engine!
Oil pressure relief valve blew.
2015 Chevy Equinox with Excessive oil Consumption. Known complaints for this model. My engine seized up . No warning . Oil had been changed
In July/August 2021, the driver side windshield wiper got stuck mid-swipe. The only way to get it to go down was to physically move it. I was driving on the interstate in the middle of a downpour. Had to pull over several times on the way home because periodically it would move back up and get stuck. When it wasn't stuck I had to lean to the right to see out of the right side of the windshield to get home. For about 20 miles. My husband figured out the issue and purchased the malfunctioning part and repaired it. In December 2021, my engine seized at a stoplight. I coaxed the car out of the way and got it on the side of the road. The only warning to this was an occasional "ticking" noise, that never seemed to happen when my husband listened to it. We assumed it was the timing chain, but after having it towed to the dealer we were told it was an "oil consumption" issue. The "oil life" alert had been on for about a month, and I had planned on getting an oil change the weekend this happened. However, little did I know that the vehicle had ZERO oil in it. The low oil pressure light never came on. As a matter of fact no warning lights ever came on. The vehicle is now sitting at the dealership, unmoving because the fix is $8300.
Excessive oil consumption has caused my engine to completely deplete all oil which can lead to my engine freezing while driving
The timing chain broke at 107,988 miles on this vehicle, I bought it with 72000 miles on it in April 2020. luckily I was in a parking lot and the vehicle not moving. It's over a $5,000 repair estimate. I have it at a local repair shop. yes it is available for inspection.
The service airbag sensor is constantly going off. It scares me, I am afraid it will explode
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH in a rainstorm, he heard an abnormal sound and the windshield wipers stopped working at 45 degree on the windshield. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer and the dealer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,300.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while it was raining, the windshield wipers seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and restart the vehicle however, the windshield wipers failed to function properly. The contact stated that she was able to drive to her residence after the rain had stopped. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,025.
The contact owned a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, another vehicle in front of the contact's made a left turn but the contact was not able to brake in time and rear-ended the other vehicle. No air bags were deployed. The contact was transported by ambulance for a compression fracture on her vertebrae. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut-off with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart soon after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine started burning excess oil and then Engine failed. This occurred quite quickly and did not notice any low oil indicator. Needed to replace Engine
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 70 MPH in the rain, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact's wife pulled to the side of the road for a while and then continued driving. The contact stated that he was an independent mechanic and had diagnosed that the windshield wipers ball joints were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V165000 (Visibility) which he related to the failure. The dealer was notified of the repair that was performed prior to the safety recall and sent a claim along with the part receipt to the manufacturer for reimbursement. The contact later followed up with the dealer, who referred him to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the reimbursement claim was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Engine cut off while driving. Happens while driving slow or fast, side road or highway. No check engine light. Timing chain issue, $2500 fix. I've had the car 6 months, only 77,500 miles. I do not feel safe in this vehicle any more. RECALL THIS before people have to bury their families due to your faulty parts. Thank goodness no accidents resulted in my 4 experiences.
Driving my SUV it shut off and would not start. When I was at a red light my car would totally shut off. I finally got it started when I returned home at shut off again I had to call a tow company to take it to Winter Haven Chevrolet Center. They stated it was intake cam solenoid replaces valve 0.736 also the mechanic stated they had to perform induction system cleaning service.It's very dangerous driving my vehicle then the vehicle just shuts off and die almost caused an accident. I need to know if there is a recall I had to spend $828.51. I would appreciate if somebody would get back with me on this.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that his daughter informed him that the front driver's side windshield wiper linkage was fractured and had detached. The failure occurred on three separate occasions. The two previous failures were repaired by independent mechanics. The most recent failure was repaired by the contact, who replaced the windshield wiper linkage however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Timing chain issues
I was travelling at approximately 65/70 mph on the freeway when it began to rain very heavily and I turned on my windshield wipers. The windshield wipers came on for a few seconds and then stopped moving. The wiper blades would not come back on after multiple attempts. I could not see out my front window. I was able to put on my hazards and pull quickly off onto the berm with my passenger guiding me. I called the Chevrolet Dealer and they said they could replace the Windshield Wiper Transmission under a "Special Policy" at no cost to me. Dealer explained Chevrolet knows there is a problem with the wiper transmission and the special policy extends warranty to replace for no charge to me. Dealer said at this time Chevrolet is not recalling, just waiting until a car owners wipers fail and then they will replace. I had it replaced. The Dealer has replaced other Equinox wiper transmissions in my rural county, pop. 62,000. Chevrolet issued a recall for Windshield Wiper Transmission failure for the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. Chevrolet and NHSTA are aware there is a problem with the Equinox for more than just the 2013 models, including the 2015 which I own. To date no recall or advisory has been issued to me or other Equinox owners. I was fortunate to have a berm to pull over on, fortunate not to crash my car and injure myself, my child or any other vehicles. Had I been further on my journey on the state route or county road to my home, with zero visibility, I would have had nowhere to pull over safely.
Engine Rear main seal leaks oil.
May 29, 2021 last oil changed at Chevrolet Service Center Aug 14, 2021 engine stopped working due to empty oil, as a result of oil leakage. However, the oil light didn’t show up. Note: Oil change is not yet due.
Windshield wipers have been repaired 3x in 5 months because in heavy rain when wiper was increased from low to next level they go to left and stop. It’s been a bushing replacement. The last incident occurred on 8/13/2021 during heavy rainstorm in Cincinnati, OH. I am a 63 yr old female, driving by myself at night. The wipers quit working. Found spot to pull over, set for over an hour waiting for rain to ease up, which it didn’t. Luckily for me I was about 2 miles from my home. I finally braved it in the rain which had let up to a steady pace, put on my flashers and made it home on a back road. What a hazard, when I think I could have been on an interstate instead of 45 mph back road, my blood pressure goes sky high. My VIN says no recalls, but numerous articles mention 2015 Equinox wiper issue. What recourse do I have?
My car runs hot (even with all of my fluids). If I drive "too far" (25-30 mins) driving over 55mph while it's hot outside, my check engine light comes on, all the gauges in my car start going back and forth. A couple different alarms will go off (Service All Wheel Drive System, Service StabiliTrak, Service Park Assist) . My engine revs and my car will start jerking. Sometimes my car won't even start back up right away. My car jerks going up hills. For close to two years my radio and back up camera stopped working, and out of nowhere it started working fine. My tires often lose air. My windshield wiper motor has gone out twice.
Service power steering message comes on when starting vehicle.
While on the highway in the rain, the wipers were engaged to the highest setting and suddenly went was the windshield and stopped working. The wipers are in perfect condition, the wiper motor no longer engages or turns on. Super lucky to not have crashed as I had ZERO visibility from the rain.
I was driving back from Albany to Troy NY on 787 in a steady light rain when the rain roared to full torrential downpour. I put my wipers from the regular steady setting up to high, and they instantly both went all the way to the left and turned off in the upright position. They would not respond again. Middle lane, 65 mph, thunderstorm, and I can’t see anything out my windshield and cars are flying beside me on both sides. I rolled my window down but couldn’t see around my hood to the road and steer at the same time. I couldn’t get to the right lane to pull over because of the traffic and even if I could it was dangerous to be on a narrow shoulder at that point in this rainstorm. I put my flashers on, slowed to 40 and stayed in the middle lane as best I could based on the white lane markers as I still had zero visibility out my windshield. One I was past the last of the on ramps for that section I could pull over to the right lane at least and I got off at the next exit. Once I was on a city street to pull over, there was still so much traffic I had to wait until I could get out and put my wipers at least in the down position. They did not feel broken or slack at all. I waited a while for the rain to let up, but it would soon be dark, so I decided to slowly drive the rest of the way. it took me a half hour to drive the length of Troy on side streets slow enough so I had some measure of visibility in the still downpour. I cannot believe the wipers stopped working at the high speed setting on a highway in the middle of a storm. I could have crashed my car easily. What if my children had been with me? A failure like this is unacceptable and incredibly dangerous. It is a holiday weekend. I will call the dealership tomorrow in hopes they are open to speak to them about this.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and jerked violently. The contact stated that the failure recurred consistently while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the contact was informed that fuel was not reaching the engine. The dealer determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that upon towing the vehicle back to the dealer, the dealer replaced the fuel pump. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal loud sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact sent an email to the CEO of GM, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Driving today during a thunderstorm and the windshield wipers just quit working. The wiper blades stopped half way and that was it we made it to the side of the road and I could move the wipers back and forth really easy and could here a clunking down in by the motor needles to say my 2015 equinox with only 90,023 miles on it can’t go down the road with no windshield wipers this could’ve really been bad had not known my surroundings because I immediately couldn’t see the road !!! My 2000 silverado still has all its factory wiper arms and motor yet why is this pile falling apart ?? GM better go back to the drawing board on this major malfunction
On 25 June 2021, about 12:30 pm, driving from home to Bank then Shopping Center in Slidell, La. East bound on I-12 then at I-12/I-59/I-10 junction merged right on I-59s to I-I0w lane merge. In right lane approaching exit 263 (Gause Blvd) when a sudden thunderstorm happened. Switched Wipers on to High. About 1/2 mile from exit lane without any warning the wipers suddenly quit. I eased onto shoulder/turned on Hazard Lights, and continued at a slow speed to exit the Interstate and exit as it was a very heavy rain and I was afraid of being plowed into from someone from behind driving too fast for conditions. Also there is a Truck Stop on this exit and it was a very un-safe to be in on the shoulder. I exited to the right and pulled into the Truck Stop Parking Lot. After about 30 or so minutes the rain stopped so I drove home. My Equinox is well maintained and has about 98,000 miles on it. As an 82 yo driver both myself and my wife(passenger) were in a very dangerous situation as were the others traversing the highway at this time. As it is a Friday afternoon, I will have a mechanic check it on Monday. I think it linkage problem same as been reported in the 2010 to 2016 models, but only the 2013 models were recalled.
I was driving with grand babies in my car and a severe rainstorm hit. I turned on the wipers and they went back and forth 2 times then I heard a clunk and they stuck to left side. I could not see at all and almost had an accident! I did some research and see that you have been aware of this issue since at least 2015. NHTSA has been investigating since then as well. There have been over a thousand reports so far. Please advise as to where I should bring my car to get it fixed by GM.
Was driving in the rain when my windshield wipers stopped working causing me to lose visibility. I struggled to pull over to safety since I was unable to see during the downpour.
My wife and son were driving through town in a pouring rain and had the windshield wipers running on high. All of the sudden the wipers stopped and never started working no matter what was selected on the switch. My wife had to blindly pull to the side of the road and wait for the rainstorm to stop. When she got home I went online and researched the problem and it sounded very common that the Chevy Equinox has defective wiper transmissions that have plastic bushings that pop loose. Sure enough when I removed the wiper cowl cover this was the problem. The motor ran fine but the wiper transmission plastic bushing that connects to the motor linkage was worn out and popped off. 2015 Chevy Equinox with 82K miles. The local parts store had a replacement from Dorman that I purchased to replace the wiper transmission with and he said they sold a lot of these as this was a common problem with the Equinox. This caused a very unsafe driving condition during a rainstorm, especially if my wire had been on a bridge or an area where she could not have quickly pulled to the side of the road.
The windshield wiper assembly broke off and windshield wipers no longer function. I have not had it repaired yet, so it is available for inspection. My son was driving on the freeway when it started pouring rain. He had to pull over to the side of the Freeway because the windshield wipers didn’t work. I have not brought the vehicle to be inspected yet. No official inspection of any kind has occurred as of yet. There were no warnings.
The brakes stop working and then the card turns off
Without warning, windshield wipers suddenly stopped working during a significant rain storm that resulted in loosing all visual of interstate. Traffic had slowed to 45 MPH due to rain prior to the complete failure of windshield wiper transmission. As we were lowering driver and passenger windows to get a bearing of where we were in the interstate, we were sideswiped by a semi that caused significant damage to the entire drivers side of the car and a flat tire. This was a serious safety issue that was very close to causing a fatality and/or multi-car collision.
While driving home in a pretty good rainstorm, put windshield wipers on high and they completely stopped working. Couldn't see anything on a busy interstate while driving 75 miles per hour. I feel that this could have endangered my safety and the other vehicles driving on the highway as I had to pull from the middle lane of 3 lane I-75 to find the shoulder, which I could barely see. No warning. Vehicle has 89,000 miles on it. Took to dealer and vehicle was still under my personal extended warranty, but would have been a $400 repair. Couldn't drive the vehicle for a week until it was fixed because I didn't want to put my safety in jeopardy in case it rained.
My 2015 Equinox has about 90k miles. Today the lift gate (automatic) started to not stay open. It would open fully and slowly fall. After a few minutes, it would close. About 1 hour later, the tail gate will open, start to close, try to open and then closed quickly. I was under the door and could not hold the door open. If I hadn't moved, I would have lost an arm.
Wipers stopped working.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that a month after having an oil change performed on the vehicle, he noticed that the engine had consumed 2 quarts of oil. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he had been adding a quart of oil every1,000 - 2,000 miles. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026