6th Sep 2011, 17:22
I also have an 05, and I had to have them replaced about two years ago. Now I think that I may have to do it again.
How were you informed that the head gaskets needed to be replaced. My other question is have you found out anything about other 05's needing head gaskets? I know that the p/n has changed 3X in the last couple of years.
My speculation is that Chevy may be trying to avoid a recall due to faulty head gaskets or head design. But I can find nothing on paper, just mechanics inside the dealer that tell me that this is a known problem. Hmmm...
8th Sep 2011, 12:03
Replacing head gaskets is almost a 100% sure sign, that at some point the vehicle has been run too hot. Car savvy people know that overheating an engine ruins it, and will generally rush to trade it in if a family member stupidly drives it after it overheats. My brother's teenaged son had a tiny leak in his overflow tube, and on a trip the car overheated. He drove the car until it got so hot it quit. Naturally, it warped the head and blew the head gasket. The same thing happened to my best friend's car. His wife had a service station attendant check under the hood, and for some reason he left the radiator cap loose. She drove the car until it got so hot it quit. In both cases these cars were repaired and traded soon after because neither would ever be reliable again. Modern cars can't take overheating like the older cast-iron block cars could. In most cases I read on here of unreliable cars that were bought used, I have virtually zero doubt that these cars were, at some point, run hot.
9th Sep 2011, 19:54
I know how you feel. I have the same problem with my 2005 Chevy Equinox. I have replaced my struts 2 times in three years. I have change the transfer box 2 times. These cars are pieces of junk. I will never buy Chevy, and I tell my kids and grand kids not to buy any Chevy models..
9th Sep 2011, 20:36
I have own 2005 Chevy Equinox and 2008 Camaro; both of pieces of junk. I will never buy anything Chevrolet makes.. President Obama should not have bailed them out. They should have been out of business.
17th Nov 2011, 12:20
If you have the alloy rims, then corrosion builds on the inside plate of the rim and causes the rim to go wonky. Brush/sand the rims corrosion inside to get rid of the wiggle.
25th Nov 2011, 06:30
I have the same issue. The sound is the computer checking the brake's ABS system, and it's normal for this type of SUV.
30th Nov 2011, 15:35
I had the same problem with my 2005 Equinox... I was going to the beach and my head gasket blew.. so I went to a Chevy dealership, and they confirmed what I thought. It was still under warranty, and instead of fixing the problem and giving me a car rental to continue my trip, they told me to drive it to the beach, and then when I return home, to take it to my dealership!!! I did, and surprisingly I made it back before it broke down, but now I continue to have problems with the spark plugs and wires and O2 sensors. And now something is rattling underneath my car!!! Never had so many problems with a car before!!!
1st Dec 2011, 11:58
That's impossible... GM is outselling Toyota 2 to 1, so they can't have any problems with them.
31st Dec 2011, 16:21
I hate to tell you this, but the Equinox is the replacement vehicle for the Chevy Tracker, Pontiac Sunrunner, and also the Saturn Vue, which were all Japanese made by Suzuki.
1st Jan 2012, 18:55
Actually the Saturn Vue was based on the Opel Antara in its second generation. The V6 it was utilizing was of Honda origin... Japanese, but not Suzuki.
27th Jan 2012, 10:07
We have a 2005 also, and have these exact problems. We have turned the rotors till they have to be replaced, and have replaced the rotors 3 times.
We also have the same problem with the key. First it wouldn't turn, so we were told to replace the key. We did this, and then it would turn to start the vehicle, but now we have the problem with the key not coming out without force.
28th Jan 2012, 13:38
I have a 2005 Chevy Equinox that I have owned since it was new. In the past year, I have experienced similar starting issues as noted by other owners.
I have had it to my local GM dealer three times regarding this issue. I even printed out several comments from other owners for them to review... I was advised that they had never heard of the problem.
The good news is that the service adviser and manager finally had the issue happen for them to hear... typically after the vehicle had been run for a period of time, and then attempted to start again.
Their answer is MOTOR MOUNTS??? Really? I am not a mechanic, but I don't understand how a motor mount affects turning a key... Plus I don't recall anyone else coming up with this solution.
Has anyone come up with a solution to the starting issue???
THANK YOU!!!
3rd Feb 2012, 18:10
I had the same problem each time it rained or I washed my car. It turned out to be the drain ducts for the sun roof, which I cleaned (a real pain in the butt), and no more leakage problems...
20th Jul 2012, 17:46
I'm with you. Regular wear and tear is going to happen. I've replaced rotors, brakes, struts, and CV joints on every automobile I've owned.
The starting problem has been happening... I've noticed if I park it in a certain place, it's worse. This problem I'm having now has me perplexed... The bearings were replaced and they went bad. They were covered under warranty, so since then, my service engine soon light goes on and off at different times. The car doesn't want to go when it gets hot, it won't even roll unless you have the pedal to the floor, but that's only when it gets hot.
My car has been a great car up until now. I don't want to blow my car up. I've been lucky not to have the head gasket to blow. So, right now I'm just trying to figure out why it's making the noises and has no power when it gets hot. It makes a roaring noise, and when I slow it down the roaring stops, and I just have have the power problem. I lost my job 5/31, so I can't afford to pay big money to fix big problems.
I've owned Honda, Nissan, Chevy/GM, and they all have wear and tear, it's just part of life. My dad was a mechanic, and the old cars were easy to work on, but these new cars and their sensors really don't help anyone!!
Thanks for your post, because all brands of cars have their issues. If you have any input on my problem, I'd appreciate it.
paisleygirl06@aol.com
24th Aug 2011, 00:12
This story is so sad. I feel for you. I can't believe that your dealership did not offer to trade your car in after all those issues. Charging you for an alignment; they should be ashamed of themselves. They could not try to even help you out of the situation their product put you in.
I also purchased a 2005 Equinox, thinking it would save me money because it was a newer vehicle, and save gas, being a small SUV, and get me thru the snow with the AWD. Purchased it used and had nothing but trouble. Constant repairs. Got stuck in snow, even with the AWD, because it's just very low. I have a husband and friends that help fix it for less, otherwise I think I would have pushed it off the cliff long time ago.
I'm having a problem again with a loud noise in the front end after I just replaced the 4 wheel drive and front brakes. My whole front brakes were just replaced again after only a year. My husband thinks I'm just brake happy, but looking at all the comments, I see it's just the stupid, crappy Chevy. I need struts, and there has been a creaking noise in front end for months now. I will never buy another Chevy.