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4.4

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
25,158 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Chevrolet Equinox cooling system problems

cooling system problem

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2005 Chevrolet Equinox Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #29

Apr 012010

Equinox

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2005 Chevrolet Equinox passenger window will not come down and drivers window sometimes will not come down. Have to pull up or down with hand.. the ignition does not lock and the vehicle will run without the key in it.

- Spotsylvania, VA, USA

problem #28

Jun 162010

Equinox

  • 92,000 miles
2005 Chevy Equinox. Incident started in summer still having problems. In shop today as we speak! 1/3/2011.

- Louisville, MS, USA

problem #27

Dec 072010

Equinox

  • miles
2005 Chevy Equinox head gaskets went after 76,000 miles.

- Weeki Wachee, FL, USA

problem #26

Oct 092010

Equinox

  • 62,567 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2005 Chevy Equinox that I purchased used in March 2009 from johnny londoff Chevrolet. I have been taking it to the dealer for regular maintenance and they would say everything is working properly. I've been experiencing alot of problems with this car since I've purchased it. The air didn't work & I paid to get it fixed only for it to go out again. When I start it sometimes it doesn't want to start, I hear noises like it's misfiring when it does start. I recently had the vehicle serviced & had a multipoint inspection & was told again everything is working properly only to be driving home & when I tried to stop the brakes don't work. I could have had an accident & my child was in the car as well. I had it towed back to them to find out what caused this & they said the hub bearing needs to be replaced & the harness needs to be replaced. It's not gonna be cheap to fix as I'm not under warranty. I want this to be investigated as to why this happened without any warning since I've only had the car about 1 year & 8 mos. The mileage when I bought the car was 53010 & since I have had it I'm only at 62567 miles. I need answers just like others experiencing some of the same problems.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #25

Aug 062010

Equinox

  • 80,000 miles
This complaint is in regards to the car itself, air conditioner compressor and window switches. I purchased a 2005 Chevy Equinox from chris nickel dealership (used). For $10,000 on June 12, 2010 ;not even 2 weeks after purchasing this vehicle the passenger side window would not roll up......it had the motor in the window go out......had to have it replaced..... at 8 weeks of owning it....the brakes were squealing........took it back to the dealership......they said it is normal for these cars and brakes to do that........they said they turned the rotors and gravitated them and said it would fix the problem......on my way home....the car air conditioner was blowing out hot air......I once again called the dealership......they said it was most likely caused by low freon........however 2 weeks later it started making a funny noise........took it to a mechanic to have it checked out.......told it I was to continue to drive it......it would lock up the engine.........it cost $918 to have it repaired.......(called the dealership to let them know of this problem....refused to listen and make customers happy........ in my purchase......they had a certified mechanic inspectors signed and dated form showing that all items had been checked and they were in tip top shape........now I am wondering do they just go through and place a check mark in all the boxes because some of the boxes were checked and they are not included in my car.......... I believe that this is an ongoing problem in these vehicles and costing consumers lots of money they should not have to put out.....please check into this and correct the problem.......make the consumers happy check out this website for more complaints on the 2005 Chevy Equinox www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2005/Chevrolet/Equinox/cooling+system.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

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problem #24

Apr 282010

Equinox

  • 80,000 miles
I had to have my 2005 Equinox's head gaskets repaired. I bought it certified used and GM is not covering the cost. It has 80,000 miles and I have found several siteson the internet reporting this as an issue with the 3.4 liter engine. My cousin and her husband had a Pontiac Montana mini van that had the same issue and GM did nothing about it. I found one site listing court cases in ca and mo because of the dexcool destroying gaskets.

- Birningham , MI, USA

problem #23

Apr 062010

Equinox

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Defective head and rear seal gasket, and tensioner...

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #22

Jan 132010

Equinox

  • 84,000 miles
I own a 2005 Chevy Equinox. I have had numerous problems with this car-before and after warranty. Most recently, I had to pay over $1600 to have my head gaskets replaced/repaired. I am still waiting to see if different gaskets are cracked and will need repair. I have heard from numerous repairs shops and online sources, that the head gasket problems with the Chevy Equinox were known before being put out for sale. My car overheated on the highway and locked up. I could have been seriously injured. I was thankfully able to get off the road. These issues could have been avoided if Chevy would have fixed this problem prior to selling. There is no reason why a four year old car should require this much work.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #21

Nov 242009

Equinox

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While idling the vehicle would hesitate as it would stall. While driving between 50-60 mph the temperature and engine warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the vehicle lost power. She had the vehicle towed to a local gas station. A mechanic stated that the thermostat failed, because it was located near the exhaust system. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

problem #20

Jan 012009

Equinox

  • 33,000 miles
2005 Chevy Equinox, replaced head gasket 2 times, blown again. The exhaust and fumes that come out because of this are horrible. The car is not safe to drive and should be recalled, GM is very aware of this problem and refuses to do anything.

- Adrian, MO, USA

problem #19

Jun 102009

Equinox

  • 55,600 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Please note, just spent $847 on this vehicle, brakes, serpentine belt, rotors, thermostat. This vehcile has been a lemon since it was exported from Canada as that where it was built!!!

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #18

Oct 172008

Equinox

  • 1,200 miles
Bought 2005 Chevy Equinox brand new. Chemical smell in cab at about 1200 miles and at 19,000 A/C leak detected and compressor and parts replaced.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #17

Jul 152008

Equinox

  • 60,000 miles
I bought a 2005 Equinox 4 months ago, paid $4000 down on this car and then 2 month later I had to put out $ $956 on the cooling system. The air compressor had went out. Now 2 months later the car had started getting a little over heated. I put engine coolant in it and it seemed to be doing better. 2 weeks after putting the engine coolant in it runs hot again worse than before and I am being told that it has a blown head gasket. I took it to a place that I trust with my vehicle repairs first because I was afraid to drive it to the dealership where I bought due to being afraid it would mess it up even more. They called and told me what the problem is and that's when I called the dealership. They say they are going to come and tow the vehicle to their shop and check it out and see what can be done. Or either see about giving me another car. I'm not going to keep putting money out to get this car fixed and nothing is under warranty any more. There are a few other problems with this vehicle. A couple of times it's acted like it didn't want to start, and I can get out of it and lock it and before I walk away it will unlock by it self. Also I have gotten out of it and the bell will keep dinging like the key is still in it. I've noticed that when I'm making a sharp turn that there seems to be noise with the front tire or something on the passenger side. I can't afford to be fixing this car every couple of months. It's crazy...

- Tuscumbia, AL, USA

problem #16

Jul 302008

Equinox

  • 39,700 miles
Our 2005 Chevrolet Equinox began to blow warmer air than usual when in the coldest air conditioning setting. We took it to the dealership and were told the problem was an internal valve in the compressor for the air conditioning unit. $1,050 to replace. Our vehicle is 9 months and 4,000 miles out of warranty. We took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and he said without having to look anything up. It's a systemic problem with the 2005 model year Equinox and the part is back ordered for 2 months because so many people have the same problem.

- Tarpon Springs, FL, USA

problem #15

Apr 272005

Equinox

  • 15,113 miles
Took delivery O '05 Equinox in June of '04. Within the first year I began having an odor of coolant in the passenger compartment. Had coolant system flushed and tank cleaned out in April of '05. This was apparently before a tsb was issued for the problem. In March of '06 I had it back to the dealer for the same problem and this time they had a tsb for it and changed the hoses and coolant under warranty. Again in July of '06 dealer replaced the tank and coolant due to coolant gelling in tank. In August of '06 with 35,557 miles on the car (just under the 36,000 mile warranty there was again the smell accompanied by overheating. Dealer found leaks in the front and rear head gasket. Just barely got this job in under warranty! within weeks I was back at the dealer for a heater core replacement. They told me that this sometimes happens with the problem of the head gasket. (why didn't they check this when they were doing the head gasket if that was the case?) anyway I was back to the dealer by December due to the sound of air in the system after the heater core replacement. They found a leak between the tranny and the back of the block. They replaced the metal heater O-ring that was leaking. I never asked for any of the old parts from the dealer. I recently had the car to my mechanic (not the dealer) because of the smell of coolant in the cabin and the sound of water rushing/air in the system. He told me there is a tsb for hth problem and I would have to flush the system and change all the hoses. That was the end of March and I was saving $ for the job. This week my car overheated all the way to the red and when I checked the reservoir it was empty. I can't afford to replace or flush the coolant system every few months or year, especially when it is supposed to last much longer. If you have any advice on a remedy for the situation I would greatly appreciate it. I have had numerous other problems with this vehicle which I have not listed here.

- N. Massapequa, NM, USA

problem #14

Mar 052008

Equinox 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I just bought the vehicle a 205 Chevy Equinox and the 2nd day I took my wife for a drive & we both noticed a bad odor coming from the ventilation. It caused her to get sick. I told the dealer and they did an ionizer cleaning thing, but that didn't work, because after 2 days, for the last two weeks I've been sick with upset stomach, nausea, headache, sinus problems, earache. Had to take off work because I was feeling bad. I've read some other reports on this type vehicle and noticed people complained about same thing.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #13

Jun 202007

Equinox

  • miles
We have a 2005 Chevy Equinox, as my mechanic would say, is a problem child. We have experienced what most have with the odor coming from the cooling system. Our biggest complaint in with the suspension, and now the ABS system. It took several visits to figure out why our vehicle was making loud noises in the front end. It all started while I was driving it around a sharp corner. From that day on, which was about six months ago, till present time the car has been load. We have an excellent mechanic. The noise in the front turned out to be the strut plates. This cost us $300 per side. We thought we had solved the issues except for about a week ago a louder noise stared. It felt and sounded like the car was going to break in two. We brought it back to our mechanic. This time it was the suspension system again. I do not know what it is called. There is a rod that is from the top of the strut that goes down to the wheel. These both needs to be replaced. The vehicle is at the shop now. Thank fully theses rods only cost $30 a piece. The vehicle only has 46000 on it. Then we can talk about the ABS system. Not every time but quite frequently we would back the car up and they ABS would engage. Only way to fix this was through replacing the sensors on the wheels. In not knowing which sensor is bad we would have to replace all of them which would amout to at least $1200. The good news or not such good news, however you want to look at it, the ABS system is engaging going forward now, on dry pavement while braking. At least the mechanics should be able to find the falty sensor now that it is happening all of the time. Shame on us for not doing our research before we bought the vehicle.

- Bethlehem, NH, USA

problem #12

Nov 212007

Equinox 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 41,000 miles
Currently my vehicle is in the shop for a head gasket repair. I have previously had to take the vehicle in for a tsb on the cooling system to have the system flushed and new hoses and coolant replaced. A foul odor was being released from the vehicle and a sludge and discoloration was building up in the reserve tank. I recently started to notice that the vehicle was running hot (near red line at stop lights). Upon checking my coolant level it was very low. It is a closed cooling system and this should not be. I immediately took it into the dealership. Upon a service writer opening the hood the vehicle was sizzling and boiling. He quickly pointed out the sludge and discoloration again in my reserve tank and he told me this was indicative of a serious problem with the cooling system. I have been informed that I have a blown head gasket. I have researched on line and seen that this has occurred with numerous other 2005 Equinox owners resulting in major engine problems and failures. Everything from gaskets and heads to water pumps and entire engines having to be rebuilt or replaced is on record. Is there any recourse available to the consumer in the event that problems should continue after this major repair? my vehicle is no longer under warranty and I still owe a very substantial balance. I cannot afford continuing major repair costs in addition to my monthly payments when it appears this was a manufacturing defect/problem. I look forward to your response. Donna huff-bolek shady side, Maryland

- Shady Side, MD, USA

problem #11

Jun 102007

Equinox 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100 miles
I bought the eqinox in the end of February 2005. I noticed a sour smell, and had the dealer clean interior because of the rotten smell. The smell persisted, and the dealer had the coolant system flushed and said that would cure the problem. Then, when the weather warmed up and I turned on the vent light steam would come out of the vents and moisture on the window inside. I had the car in the shop again for 5 days, and they said they could not find anything wrong. They had flushed the system again and the smell was still there. Two weeks later the engine light came on. I took it back to the originals dealer, and they determined the heater core was gone and they replaced it and seemed to run fine, except it seemed to run hot and would leave a large puddle. I complained, but the dealer told me that it was normal, and that all was okay. Last month in May 2007 every time I stopped the temperature gauge would climb so the dealer replaced the thermostat. 3 weeks later the gauge would hit red every time I would stop at a light. I brought it back again this time they said the head gaskets were shot. I contacted Chevrolet, and they were supposed to gave me the parts, but it still cost $918 since now I was out of warranty. I have spoken to several mechanics, and they claimed the engine heads warped due to the heater core problems in the beginning, and that if I had a private repairman repair the gaskets the job would have coasted $1000, and Chevrolet did not give me any real break.

- Pittsfield, MA, USA

problem #10

Apr 032007

Equinox 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,000 miles
Bought the car used with 20,000 and it was having problems a week later. Passenger window would not roll up, grinding and clicking at slow turns. They replaced rotors, clutch and suspension and the problem was solved. Then came the air condition not blowing cold air and the ignition sticking on start up. The final straw was the transmission slipping and dropping into lower gears, the car will be in the shop in the morning. Last Chevy I will ever buy back to Nissan.

- Auburndale, FL, USA

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