2005 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD review from North America

The 6-disc radio unit failed at 50,000 miles. Cost was $150.00 plus $40.00 reprogramming for the PCM (radio interfaces with PCM and is locked to vehicle).

Paint on the frequently used radio controls wears down over time, but not a big deal.

Other than that, just regular repairs such as new tires, wipers, etc and nothing major.

We get great gas mileage in this vehicle at 25 MPG highway. Combined mileage is usually about 21 MPG, which would make our city driving around 17 MPG, which sounds right.

The 5-speed automatic behaves very well and the 3.4L V6 has plenty of power for acceleration and passing. Its 210 lb/ft of torque gets it up to speed nicely. It feels much more responsive than our old Toyota RAV4, probably because of the good torque.

The ride is comfortable and the Equinox even hauls 8-foot 2x4's when needed, which is nice. One of the most reliable vehicles we've owned so far.

I've read a few reviews about people having trouble with these vehicles. The main culprit is really the PCM, which is faulty and can cause weird problems ranging from fuel delivery issues (non-starting and bad gas mileage) to anything else. 2005 had a small batch of bad PCM's that simply need to be replaced and most problems are fixed. NHTSA estimates that only about 2% of all GM sold in 2005 had the PCM problem, which means 98% of people who bought a GM car never had problems. The other 2% flock to the internet to complain and a percentage of that complain about the Equinox. I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just have the dealer hook up their Tech II scanner and check the PCM before you buy it if you're worried.

I do all of our mechanic work on the vehicle and it is very easy to work on. The 3.4L V6 is a proven engine unlike our old Toyota 4-cyl that had engine sludge problems. The automatic is a 5-speed unit from Japan that is a proven unit as well. The drivetrain is the first thing I look at when buying a car, and the Equinox drivetrain is a definite 10/10 for reliability and ease/cost of maintenance.