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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,346 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 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2005 Chevrolet Equinox Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #37

Oct 152012

Equinox

  • 100,000 miles

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

Ignition switch won't turn unless you wiggle it sometimes for 10 minutes. Dealer says needs ignition cylinder replaced I have 5 keys none work. Will cost $300-$400 to replace. I have had many vehicles 15 _ 25 years old and have never had this issue. It seems Chevy will only be held accountable if someone dies. I am very dissatisfied with their accountability. I have read many of the same complaints but no help.

- Harvard, IL, USA

problem #36

Jul 012014

Equinox

  • 100,000 miles
Getting a very loud humming/growling sound coming from front of vehicle. Starts when driving over 25 mph and gets louder the faster you drive. Thinking the front rear end is going out. Nothing but trouble with this vehicle. Will never buy one again and don't recommend to anyone. Sister also has an Equinox and she has put in over $3000 to get it just to run. Going to fix it fast and trade it in. Chevy should recall this piece of crap.

- Morgan, MN, USA

problem #35

Jul 072014

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 54,269 miles
I had trouble inserting the key in to the ignition. After inserted I drove the car to the store. When I turned off the car the key would not come out of the ignition. After wiggling the key around it finally came out of the ignition and the steering column locked. When I tried to put the key back in the ignition the steering column would not unlock. After several attempts the column unlocked and the key was able to be inserted and the car started. This has occurred repeatedly since the above date.

- Point Pleasant, NJ, USA

problem #34

Apr 172014

Equinox 6-cyl

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V302000 (power train). The contact has experienced a failure. Updated 9/18/14 the consumer stated the ignition lock cylinder failed. The vehicle would sputter to a stop need to be restarted. The vehicle eventually failed completely. Updated 02/12/2015

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #33

Jun 122014

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
The center drive shaft bearing has failed for the second time. Once at 50,000 mile and now at 100,000 miles. Costly to replace 800 dollars. This bearing could cause a severe accident an injury if not know why the vehicle is vibrating. Chevy says not their problem for parts to wear out.

- Revere, MA, USA

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problem #32

May 222014

Equinox

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the key was difficult to remove from the ignition intermittently. The key was stuck in the ignition on more than one occasion. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and to be repaired. The dealer stated that the time frame had expired to receive the recall repair for NHTSA campaign id number: 04V302000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

- Benton, AR, USA

problem #31

May 052014

Equinox

  • miles

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

The key fails sometimes to turn in the ignition cylinder, went to mechanic, ignition switch needs replacement.

- Brunswick, ME, USA

problem #30

May 092014

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 190,100 miles
I had to have my battery replaced today. My battery had to be replaced due to the ignition switch that is not completely turned off when I put the car in park. For a year or so I have been able to drive down the road and my cars key has been removable from the ignition switch. I have asked about the ignition switch before to my dealership over the years with no resolve. Since the recall of other GM models during the same year my car was made recently I have read over these issues and my Equinox is having the same issue. I do not have to put my car in park for the key to be taken out of the ignition switch. Now my battery is being compromised due to it not completely being able to shut off.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #29

Apr 082014

Equinox

  • miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the key would not turn in the ignition in any direction. There was a recall related to the failure under NHTSA campaign id number 04V302000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

- Des Moines, WA, USA

problem #28

Apr 172008

Equinox

  • 40,000 miles
Equinox was on a recall previous owner received notice, I never did, I have been pursuing this matter for over 7 years, given to the run-around by Chevy can at -1800-222-1020.

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #27

Feb 142014

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles

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

I was driving my 2005 Equinox LX with my two grandchildren when they noticed a smell of exhaust gases in the rear passenger compartment. This was with the heating system on and in its normal configuration. After stopping I checked the exhaust system for leaks and could not identify any immediately with a visual inspection. I opened the hood and noticed the pipe connecting the egr valve to the exhaust manifold was disconnected and emitting exhaust gas into the engine compartment and intake area. It appears that the weld on the pipe boss was cracked. This seems to have occurred prematurely. After calling the dealership for a new pipe I was told by the parts department the pipe was no longer available and I would have to obtain a kit which included the pipe and a new egr valve. My question was this ever considered for a recall item as the kit is $360.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #26

Dec 272012

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Car will not start unless I change the rear brake fuse. When I change it, it continues to blow out..

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #25

Oct 142013

Equinox

  • 120,000 miles
My center bearings were replaced about 3yrs ago thought it was a fluke though I had heard from many people that this was an ongoing problem. Clunking began under my car again so I knew what it was. Took it to the mechanic and the center bearings were broke again and the bearings and the back of the driveshaft also. The rear U joint was also broken. This is ridiculous as well as dangerous. I take good care of my car no running over logs in the woods or things of that nature how can this keep happening unless it is a defect or flaw in design.this time with the clunking my anti lock brakes were going off every time I stopped too.mechanic had a hard time getting the parts to replace apparently everyone needs them but Chevy sees no problem with this.

- Warren, PA, USA

problem #24

Jun 152010

Equinox

  • 85,000 miles
Not sure of exact first date clunking sounds under car took it in and the bearings that hold the drive shaft were broken. Mechanic said never saw something like that on a car without any other damage and that when he checked with local dealer was told that it was happening a lot. I reported to Chevy also and yet they said there were no problems.

- Warren, PA, USA

problem #23

Sep 292013

Equinox

  • 132,645 miles
This vehicle is a joke, I already put money down on it and have only had it a little over 2 weeks. 5 days it was actually in my possession but not able to drive it much. The rest of the time it was at the car lots mechanic, it dies driving down the road, it is hard to start and sometimes won't start after 10 tries, it is shifting hard and not when it is necessary( down shifting when speeding up) and it has a horrible noise coming from the front driver side which the mechanic can't figure out. Not to mention that the fuel pump will need to be replaced thanks to the fuel gauge not working properly... I feel like I just made a very costly mistake( I still owe 6900 on this vehicle... ) Chevy should be ashamed of this vehicle and should be fixing these problems.

- Anderson, MO, USA

problem #22

Oct 242006

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 34,000 miles
Problem with sway bar links, replaced twice. Still problem with front end as chewed up tires...replaced struts, steering shaft, brakes front& back. Front end and brake problems... cost me over $3500 to this point, plus head& rear seal gaskets...

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #21

Jan 222013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the when attempting to start the vehicle, the key would become resistant to being inserted into the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was told that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The mechanic also stated that they felt the failure was related to NHTSA recall campaign id number: 04V302 (power train). The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. The failure mileage was 166,000 and the current mileage was 167,000.

- Philidelphia, PA, USA

problem #20

Apr 092013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
Carrier bearing on 2005 Equinox totally gone. Mechanic discovered that the driveshaft is bent which most likely caused the carrier bearing to wear down. Mechanic said it is very difficult to bend the driveshaft unless the vehicle is in a major accident. I am the original owner of vehicle and it has never been in an accident. I have heard a thumping noise in the rear of vehicle when slowing down for the past 6 yrs. Several shops and dealership were unable to diagnose the issue.

- Overland, MO, USA

problem #19

Jan 182013

Equinox

  • 110,000 miles
I heard a rattling coming from under the car, so I took it my repair shop. He said it was a broken carrier bearing, and ordered the part. Said it would be $550 for parts and labor. The next day he called and said he wouldn't be able to replace just the one part, but that the entire drive shaft might have to be replaced, for around $1200. Very consistent with other owners' issue.

- Hackettstown, NJ, USA

problem #18

Jan 092013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 34,362 miles
Infrequently, without warning, this vehicle's transmission will abruptly down shift. The shift will happen as the vehicle slows and violently slows the vehicle immediately. Infrequently this happens as I slow to turn to enter the on ramp for interstate driving. In the most recent case, the roadway surface was very slippery. I was just beginning a right turn and the transmission shifted violently. The rear of the vehicle began to swing to the right as the front tires immediately dropped their speed. This vehicle is not equipped with stability, traction control or anytime of anti skid accessories/options. The slippery road surface greatly magnified the effect of the unexpected downshift and resulting immediate drop in speed. Until this event, the down shifting was so infrequent, I was only remotely concerned about it. My concern up until this event was more focused mechanical and not control ability. I quickly made an appointment with the GM dealer where the car was purchased. They assessed the problem and called me to advise, there is a transmission software update which GM recommends for this transmission. It is not certain it will fix the problem, but most likely it will. I was charged $180. To diagnose and reprogram. When I picked up the car I expressed my concern. GM apparently knows there is a program error which needs an update, and I am suppose to pay to fix the known problem" yet there is no safety bulletin for this known problem" I strongly pointed out this is known problem is a safety issue which can become a serious accident under the right surface conditions. The service adviser agreed with me, however stated to the effect, this software update is the repair GM authorizes. I feel this software update needs to be mandatory for older vehicles operated in slippery roadway conditions, even a service bulletin would help warn unsuspecting drivers.

- Cedar Falls, IA, USA

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