Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2017 record →
I was driving my vehicle when it started putting at a red light. I was close to my place of employment so I drove it the few blocks there and parked it. When I went to start it on my lunch break I heard a bunch of rattling under the hood and it wouldn’t drive. I checked the oil and realized All of the oil had leaked out.
My son was driving and all of a sudden the check engine light came on, it got really loud and stalled out while he was driving. Luckily he was on a road with a low speed limit. If this had happened on the highway it could have been extremely dangerous. He is a 16 year old new driver. We took it in and were told the rear main seal blew and we need a new engine. Apparently this is a know issue with this car. We are now in the process of installing a new engine on a car we have taken very good care of with less than 100,000 miles and still has a car payment. There were no prior warnings and the issue was confirmed by the dealer.
No problems with car Oil life says 19% told by chevey dealership service department don't have to change oil till 0% Filled up car at gas pump and pulled away In middle of turning reduce power alarm, traction control and check engine yell at me I was just able to get the car into a parking spot Take car to chevey dealership service department and they said It is turning of too easy meaning the timing chain slipped and there is NO oils on the dip stick even though it was just there to get oil change at 6K and oil life reader say 19% No sound, No hard turn over, No shifting issues I was glad I wasnt on the highway for it to slipped without warning while driving
Car started to leak oil, took it for repair was told it has a pcv valve issue, that can lead to main seal failure. This is a 13 hour repair, at a cost of approximately $2500.00 This issue can happen again, and especially in cold weather. So even if you get it repaired this pcv/valve issue can cause main seal failure again. From Mechanic Report: •Finding: .Other engine oil leak issue •Recommendation: See technician notes below •Technician's Notes: Rear main seal leaking. Lower oil pan very likely leaking as well. PCV system failing caused Excessive engine pressure which in turn caused rear main to fail. There is a GM TSB specifically for this issue. Without repairing PCV, seals will fail again. Repairing PCV system will require intake and valve cover removal. •Full recommendation: •-Remove valve cover and clean pcv passages •-Remove intake, replace pcv valve, and clean pcv passages. •-Replace rear main seal •-Replace oil pan seal My vehicle mileage is Odometer 68,201mi so I am out of the warranty window.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking. The contact continued driving and the vehicle started to shake excessively. The message “Engine Power Reduced” message and “Stabili-trak” warning light illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to get the vehicle parked in a parking space and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,200.
Was in an accident, where my front bumper was hit going about 60 and air bags did not deploy.
Took the vehicle in due to poor function to be addressed and the vehicle was found to have no oil in the engine. 5 quarts of oil was just placed in the engine at the beginning of the week and was told that the engine is burning oil very badly. This is very concerning as I am seeing that other people are having this exact issue, often while driving on the highway. We are only driving this vehicle if absolutely necessary and do not have the money to replace the engine and the pistons. We have been diligent with frequent oil changes but we cannot keep pouring oil in this vehicle only for it to be gone within days or hours. This is a huge safety risk and could cause injury or death to myself, my children or others on the road. The check engine light came on after the oil was added. Took to our mechanic and they confirmed that the entire engine or at least all the pistons will need to be replaced in order to make this vehicle safe for driving. Called General Motors about this issue and was informed this very vehicle is in class-action lawsuit for the very same thing my vehicle is experiencing and that a recall should be coming out, but no one knows when this recall will come out. This is a common problem seen with the equinoxes and it needs to be fixed by the dealer or General Motors.
Cold weather here apparently caused the rear main seal to blow out and leak all of my oil out of the vehicle very quickly. Now I’m left with a car that will not run, extended warranty will not cover. I’ve read MANY stories of the same exact thing happening to equinoxes. If this is so common why is it not covered? I have 2 small children 6 and under and work full time. I cannot afford a new vehicle. So disappointing this is such a common problem yet not covered at all leaving people without a vehicle.
The PCV System froze causing the rear main seal to blow on my 2017 Chevrolet Equinox Premier. No prior warnings such as check engine light of any kind. In a matter of one minute I was driving 65 miles an hour on the highway to a warning popping up on my LCD screen stating "engine oil pressure low - shut down engine now". Didn't even have an opportunity to shut it down, within 30 seconds of that message the car shut itself down. This could have caused injury to myself and others but i was able to get to shoulder before total engine failure. This happened after several days of below 0 temperatures, snow and ice.
While in rush hour traffic in temperatures at 5 degrees or lower my car came up with a warning light of "Engine Power Reduced" as I proceeded to cross over to the right lane of the highway in order to pull onto the shoulder of the road the car lost all engine power. The car was towed to a Chevy dealer for assessment of "rear seal blown causing oil leak and ruining the engine causing needed replacement" My safety & that of other vehicles around me were in danger from the engine power going from 55 to 0 in moments in rush hour traffic in extreme temperatures. The car was assessed by the repair shop & our auto insurance.
I was driving my car to work it started shaking really bad. It cut off on me and was leaking oil. Check engine light, oil light, and low oil pressure indicator came on. The worst start or drive
Our temperature recently dropped below zero temps. Our PCV system froze which caused an obstruction. This caused the crankcase to pressurize blowing out the seals, losing all oil, and catastrophic engine failure. Our safety could have been impacted as we live in a rural community with subzero temps. Being stranded without service on a phone or vehicle to stay warm could have catastrophic consequences on human life. Losing engine power on a busy road could lead to a crash etc. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. This is a known issue in 2.4L engines as seen in bulletin 14882 from March 2015. The vehicle was inspected by the GM dealership in our town who confirmed this was the issue. There was no warning prior to the failure- the incident happened while driving home from work- at the time of failure the stabiltrak and reduced engine power came on.
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter inspected the vehicle and discovered that there was no oil in the engine on the dipstick. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve was clogged due to moisture buildup, which caused the crank case to fail. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for a new engine. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, there was white smoke coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was a trail, and a puddle of oil underneath the vehicle. The contact who is an independent mechanic and stated that there was a rear main seal leak, and the engine might need to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Rear main seal engine could have blown causing accident on highway or other road while driving. GM knows of this ongoing problem with this vehicle . Problem was reported by auto shop. Auto shop pulled up to customer of this GM ongoing problem. Car produces no warning lights . no warning lap messages no other symptoms of problems prior to failure. First. When temperature was around 5°
My 2017 Chevrolet Equinox has a cracked exhaust manifold which is causing fumes smell of gas and oil burning and the engine smoking profusely and inside the car. I researched online and found a lot of recalls for Chevy Equinox with this same issue.
PCV valve froze causing rear main crankcase seal to break and massive oil loss. Fotunately I was able to get home and not have the engine die on the road in -10 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
When I was driving the vehicle, the dash said low pressure oil turn car off. Not even enough time to find a place to pull over. It just shuts off. Had been going 55 instead of 35. I could’ve gotten rear-ended with it just shutting off talk to a Car repair shop and they said those are all starting to do that the rear main seal blowing out. They didn’t have a big enough hole in the intake and it’s plugging up and building pressure and blowing the rear main seal.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon pulling out of the driveway, she observed that oil had pooled underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the PCV valve was clogged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and shake, prompting the contact to tow the vehicle to be diagnosed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined there was no compression in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 89,000.
BELOW ZERO DRIVING CAR IT STALL HEARD NOISE SMELLED AWFUL COMING FROM EXHAUST CONKED OUT WHILE IN TRAFFIC WAS TOLD THIS IS COMMONLY KNOWN PROBLEM BY GENERAL MOTORS BLOWN REAR SEAL DUE TO ICE BUILDUP ON PCV VALVE NO WARNING.
On 12/31/23, my 2017 Chevrolet Equinox burst into flames in the driveway. I had not driven it in three weeks due to a medical problem, so my husband cranked up the car and idled briefly to keep the battery operational. About 15 minutes after he exited the SUV, it caught fire. I have seen recalls for other model years that describe the Equinox's excessive oil consumption, which can lead to engine fires and other hazards. Although there is no recall on the 2017 model, those complaints are consistent with my experience. The insurance company has declared the car a total loss.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the stabili-trak, emergency brake, and ABS warning lights illuminated. After tuning off the vehicle, the warning lights disappeared. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake control modulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts being on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000. The VIN was not available.
Vehicle gives false oil life of 20% when oil is 0% blowing engine. Oil consumption issue blows engine.
My son was driving when the Pvc froze in very cold weather causing the rear main seal to leak oil, ruining the timing chain. Vehicle not drivable. Very expensive repair and could have been even worse if he had not pulled off he highway when he did. Can't believe GM knew about this problem for years and did nothing to solve it.
Excessive oil consumption
This vehicle continues to burn oil and the engine light does not turn on when the vehicle is low on oil. I have had this car for 4 years and it has been an issue where when I take it in for oil change there is no oil left in engine. Vehicles are not supposed to burn oil. I have been told it is an internal engine issue and that this is a known problem from this vehicle by the Chevy dealership. It is unsafe for anyone to be traveling without oil in their vehicle and not have any type of alert to know it is low. I could break down at anytime and it would be a serious cost to me to have this repaired even though it is a “known issue“ with Chevy equinox.
The 2.4L Ecotec engine has a known issue, established in a previous GM service bulletin for older models using the same engine, that causes the rear main oil seal to burst.
REAR MAIN SEAL, ISSUE CAUSES THE OIL PRESSURE TO FAIL. IF NOT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE BLOCK BLOWS AND DESTROYS THE ENGINE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2017 EQUINOX, BUT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET
I had no warning lights car was driving fine no hesitation when stopped to turn car off it wouldn’t start back up had it checked by a shop said the engine is completely gone due to no compression and possible timing belt or chain broke. Uses excessive amount of oil the car does not even have 100,000 miles on it
Car keeps throwing a P0014 code. Have changed the camshaft position sensor, changed oil and air filter. 200 miles later, check engine light is back on and throwing P0014 code again
My infotainment system lost power.all ADAS systems stopped working All warning alarms stopped no blinker sound, no dome light or back up cameras. Im not even sure if my airbags are working. radio, gps climate control out. I was in nyc when this happened lost gps guidence was my first time there wound up lost in that traffic a lot of near misses . I took my vehicle to my dealer they confirmed my ifotainment center needs replaced at a cost of 2200 dollars. Im on ssi disability thats more than a months pay so i had no choice but drive it the way it is. I looked up issue on google there are hundreds of complaints on there. There should be recall on this issue as i see it started in 2012 to present. There was no warning just started the car and nothing was working. No ADAS warnings i see as a total safety issue
Excessive oil consumption
Car is burning to much oil l. Per tsb the accepted rate of oil consumption for engines used in tge vehicles referenced is 0.946 liter (1qt) in 3200 km (200) mi). Just got an oil change on 5/2/22 it was 101,612. when I got it changed.. And currently it's at 103,346. When I check dip stick and oil level it had approximately half of quart of oil remaining. Took to courtesy mitsubishi In Attleboro Massachusetts where I brought the car because of engine warranty. You can smell oil in the interior of vehicle when driving. No oil leak coming from vehicle
My vehicle burns oil I know other people who have the same problem but know body's wants to figure it out so I'm probably wasting my time thank you anyways
Vehicle would stop running and went into low power mode when driving on the highway
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle with the air condition activated, there was an abnormal exhaust fumes inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the exhaust manifold was faulty and needed to be replaced. The exhaust manifold was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
Engine died
Crankshaft Position – Exhaust Camshaft Position Not Plausible. Despite the varying
The valve timing is out of position from a timing chain jumped out of position. There are oil flow problems to the phaser from incorrect oil
Driving home in the rain. Windshield wiper stopped working randomly everything I read online is that there is no recall for my year of car but for 2013 and 2014 for windshield wiper transmission arm linkage
PVC pipe froze, causing engine to cease up, blew out rear plug of the engine, drained the entire engine of oil and entail blew the engine. I was driving at 65 mph when this happened. No warning lights came on that the engine was overheated, and car just ceased up and blew while I was driving. GM did absolutely nothing to help with this issue, I was left to fix this problem alone. My father replaced the whole engine by himself so that we could trade it in eventually.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormally loud sounds and was jerking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the engine was leaking oil onto the ground. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the catalytic converter had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that she had to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the dealer sold her the vehicle with a missing O2 sensor and a faulty catalytic converter, which the dealer later replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000. The VIN was unavailable.
UNKNOWN. This complaint is related to a letter I received from GM notifying me that there is the POTENTIAL for failure of the front windshield wipers due to failure of the wiper ball joints. The letter states that GM will only fix the problem IF they fail. It seems to me that this is a KNOWN problem that has the potential to cause serious injury or loss of life if it were to fail during inclement weather where you need your wipers for visibility. I believe that GM should make this issue a recall and am asking the NHTSA to look into this and advise GM to recall the affected vehicles.
2017 Chevrolet Equinox 80,000 miles always serviced, I have proof Purchased 10/26/2016 New 12/16/2022 I had the vehicle serviced @ Walser Polar Chevrolet White Bear Lake, MN just like I have since I purchased it new. Oil & Transmission fluid changed, new tires, wheel alignment, rear brake pads and rotors, $2,045.00. No mention of a class action lawsuit for Frozen PCV valve, causing the rear main seal to blowout. GM has known about this problem for years and has done nothing to rectify it. I brought my vehicle into Walser Polar Chevrolet for service as always trusting I would leave having a safe ride in the deadly winter weather conditions, that was not the case. They knew there was an Issue with this Make & Model, I should have been notified regarding the freezing of the PCV valve and rear engine seal blowing out. Someone is going to DIE because of this, they will break down in subzero temperatures and freeze to death. 12/24/2022 at 6:45 am on Christmas eve. I had no warning whatsoever there was a problem until the Equinox started to sputter, the engine light came on and a few minutes later the engine shut down. The PCV valve froze causing the rear main seal to blowout, the engine was completely destroyed. $9,700 estimated repair bill. Thank God, I made it to White Bear Ave and a police officer showed up, it was 11 degrees below zero out. AAA had a 299-minute estimated wait. I know of 3 other people this has happened to last Month and there were 3 others vehicles that weekend
My engine failed. It's available for inspection upon request. The engine stalled in the middle of high traffic. I called GM customer care and explained to them what happened. They told me to take it to a GM dealership for diagnosis, (it was already diagnosed by a major company). The dealership confirmed a broken timing chain and bent valves. They also said that it was $12,000 to repair and that GM would only cover $1,200 since its out of drive train warranty. They request that I put down $8,657 before they could order a new engine. The codes the car gave were P0016, P0017, P228D, P0089, and P0341.
The engine cracked during the negative degree weather during Christmas Eve and the spark plugs were broken in half also as a result to this. Not sure if it is from the oil change that was done or if it was from the weather. But as a result the vehicle has been sitting due to this terrible mishap. I did get regular oil changes so I feel that this is not something that should have happen. But when the vehicle was towed to Firestone they stated it was a common situation with the Chevy Equinox. I am totally disappointed because I have a great vehicle but it is not of use to me with a crack seal on the engine due to this malfunction.
Oil consumption issues, faulty valves caused decreased engine pressure light, engine light. Unable to go over 25 m/h and now will not even start. Told this is a known issues with vehicle and I need a new engine.
My 2017 equinox which I purchased at this dealership starting burning excessive oil and has bad piston rings, they quoted me a $9500 for engine... I had those issues at 97500 miles and the dealership failed to properly inspect and fix the rings even though this motor was known for these issues. The failed piston rings should have been fixed when my vehicle was covered under warranty at approx 97,500 miles! My equinox has approx 100,600 miles on it currently and has sat for 1.5 months. So 600 miles past the warranty and now it needs a new engine? It needs a new engine because the service department knowingly failed to thoroughly fix my car when I had it in at 97,500 miles.
Cold evening, short drive required. Started car with remote, cleared remaining ice and snow (uneventful) First portion of trip uneventful - engine failed on return trip. Fortunate to be alive as car “suddenly” began making clatter from engine. No indications of trouble by any display or warning features of vehicle. Car began lurching - icy roads - 4 degrees outside temperature Dealership and repair work performed by Mills Chevrolet - 6600 Elmore Ave., Davenport, Iowa (563) 345-5000 Paperwork (handwritten technician’s notes on documents) provide that dealership profited more than $4,000 for “core” replacement engine. GM manufactured and provided vehicles with 2.4 liter Ecotec engines which suffered one class action law suit, essentially, ignoring future generation production and sales to end users, by continuing to manufacture and provide such vehicles to their dealership representatives. (Mills Chevrolet, Davenport, Iowa) dealership sold this vehicle (as well as others) with this KNOWN DEFECTIVE ENGINE. Sold again as a used car and profited from that sale - and profited from the repairs which became necessary as a result of failure of their KNOWN DEFECTIVE ENGINE. GM should be put on notice that their product is defective and dangerous (and costly) to operate. And, as a direct result of their negligence, as it relates to their known engine dilemma and their reluctance to honor a positive sales position with potential sales customers - in my opinion, it is a matter of time bef
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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