2005 Chevrolet Equinox from North America - Comments

I have all the same problems with my Equinox. The loud thumping after I turn the car on, that's if my car starts. It likes to not start when it wants to." I have brought it to the dealer 3 times to get that fixed and they keep telling me that it's an electrical thing that they fixed" that is just WRONG!!! I have a question, does anyone when they are driving hear the engine real loud? It sounds like my car is going to break down... the dealer says Equinoxes are a loud car... that can't be true???

I have all of these issues: thumping noise in the back, popping noise in the front, rattling front when I go over holes or apply the brakes at faster speeds, paint chipping off the number keys, driver side window very slow and off track... and worst of all, the car won't start after I take short trips - I have to wait several hours and try again. I have it in the shop now for the last problem and they have been unable to replicate it as of yet. Of course it will happen as soon as I get it back. : (

I purchased a 2005 Equinox new and now have about 45,000 miles. I too have had the problem with the brakes vibrating when applied. I took it to the dealer who turned the rotors which took care of the problem for a while, then it came back. Same thing, dealer turned the rotors. The car went out of warranty and the problem returned. I took it to our personal mechanic who turned the rotors again. Problem went away, but is now back. I have never had a car to do this before and am glad to see that other Equinox owners are experiencing the same problem. Has anyone found a permanent solution?

The other problem has been the key in the ignition doesn't want to come out when I turn off the car. It will come out so far, but then is stuck and has to be pulled out with some force. The dealer replaced the ignition and the problem corrected itself. Now it is happening again. Has anyone heard of this?

I am glad to hear that other people are having troubles with the 2005 Equinox also. I will never purchase/lease another one again!

Let's see:

Major water leak (they won't tell me where) that ruined all the internal carpeting (they replaced) and RUSTED out my electrical wiring system so the wiring had to be replaced. It also rusted the towing hitch in the back that they didn't want to replace because it was a "post sale" add-on. WRONG - it came with the car at purchase from the factory - thankfully I had saved the window sticker that listed everything the car came with and it listed the towing hitch.

Radio knob has lost all of it's black painted on covering - it's just a white button now.

And today - I blew a head gasket. It was weird; I drove home from work (the car seemed louder than normal, but otherwise drove okay), pulled into the driveway and shut it off and removed the key. The fan kept running and wouldn't stop. Since I've had major electrical problems before with the rusted wiring, I got in and drove it right back to the dealership. There was a slight sensation in the steering that would occasionally feel like you were hit with a blast of wind - but there was no wind. The dealership tells me it was a wonder the thing drove as the head gasket was blown and there was NO coolant left!

I have a 2006 AWD Equinox with about 22,000 miles on it. So far I have had no issues with the car, knock on wood. It runs great and performed extremely well this year through a nasty Wisconsin winter when I did a lot of driving on unplowed or icy streets. My only concern is that I occasionally have the "tha-thump, tha-thump" sound occur from somewhere around the rear of the vehicle. It usually happens within a few minutes of starting the vehicle and then will not occur at all for the rest of the trip. The noise is not related to the surface I'm driving on (i.e., it does not happen after going over a bump), so I don't think it's a loose bracket. It has done this since I purchased the vehicle new in July 2006. I've ignored the sound to date, as it doesn't appear to affect the performance of the vehicle. If anyone figures out what this is, please post to this site. Thanks.

April 22, 2008.

Two weeks ago, my wife and I bought a used 2005 Chevrolet Equinox AWD with 29,000 KM. It seems to run fine with no brake or gas problems.

Some of the comments left on here really make me wonder if there is a lot of negative exaggeration happening here, which would make these comments really useless.

Keep in mind that we're talking about a Chev vehicle here. I have owned Chev trucks, and still own one today. I own a fully loaded 2003 Chevy 2500 LT. with 128,000 KM., and it's an awesome vehicle. Not even a hic-up.

If rotor problems keep occurring, why don't you just upgrade the quality of the brake components. It makes for a really nice feel on the braking, and with less chance of ever overheating your brakes.

Comments on Gas: Terrible gas mileage? Compared to what? You don't want to compare it to my full size pick up truck; 4WD, with it's 6.0 litre engine. You have to keep in mind that this Equinox AWD vehicle still has a six cylinder engine in it.

But the Dealership did phone today saying that the last owner complained the engine light was on, and after they checked it out for him (before he sold it), they analyzed that it needed a new throttle body, and that the part just came in, and that it's covered under warranty.

We never experienced the actual problem, and we don't know if the Dealership is just doing a warranty scam, but we're more them willing to have the part replaced since it's covered by the warranty.

Like I say we've only had the vehicle for 2 weeks, and I'm a big believer in Chevy's (and Toyota's, and Honda's), but if we experience any problems with this vehicle, we'll post them.

2005 Chevy Equinox AWD LS.

I am a retired senior citizen, my husband passed away 3 years ago. When he died, I purchased a brand new vehicle because he's not here to take care of me or my car anymore, and I really don't know anything about fixing cars. I figured if I bought a brand new vehicle, I wouldn't have to worry about break downs and repairs.

Unfortunately my 2005 Equinox SUV has been a real problem for me, and lately a very devastating strain financially on me.

The fuel economy seems reasonable for a brand new SUV. and the vehicle is very sharp looking and very roomy inside.

The reliability of my vehicle constantly worries me, and seems to be a constant issue. I am constantly waiting to see what the next malfunction and repair will be.

I have documented all the problems that I have had with my Equinox since I purchased it.

The suspension started to rattle at 6,200 km. Front and rear (My Dealership repaired it under warranty), but I had to pay for the wheel alignment ($240.00), it wasn't covered under the warranty.

The power steering failed at 12,540 km., the steering was impossible to turn (The Dealership repaired it for me under warranty).

AWD went at 21,641 km it resulted in the Dealership rebuilding the transfer case for me (and was covered under my warranty).

3 out of 4 shocks leaked at 32,340 km right in my driveway, the Dealership replaced it under warranty.

During my regular service at 36,500 km., the dealership noticed that both rear axle seals leaked onto the brake pads and had to have a bearing/seal kit installed and brakes/Emergency brakes were replaced under warranty. I had to pay the $240.00 for the wheel alignment again (wasn't covered by my warranty).

36,756 km., I noticed a grinding noise in back of the vehicle. The Dealership found the rear axle shaft bearing was blown; the axle shaft was also replaced. Again I had to pay the $240.00 for the wheel alignment.

At 42,832 km., I noticed water leaking under my vehicle; I brought it into my Dealership. They found the water pump was leaking, and it was replaced under warranty.

At 54,182 km., again I noticed a constant noise going over bumps; the Dealership inspected my equinox, and replaced the inner/outer Tie rods. Paid the $240.00 for the wheel alignment.

59,640 km. Paint is pealing off the front and rear gold Chevy emblems (Dealership wouldn't fix it because it's considered cosmetic and not covered by my warranty).

60,961 km. Front axle has a whine now, gear shifter has a lot of play in it, but it is no longer covered by warranty. My Dealership fixed it and was kind enough to let me charge it until my Pension came in ($842.63).

My Dealership also noticed the front axle has a light leak, rear and front main seals are also leaking, and needs to be replaced fairly soon.

I was told that the front rotors will need to be turned every 12,000 km. ($80.00+taxes), and replaced every 18,000 km ($180.00+ taxes). My Dealership service tech. says it is a common problem with the equinox, and my Dealership also recommends that I buy new brake pads ($120.00) with the new rotors at the 18,000 km mark.

62,854 km, my Equinox is in the shop again, the Dealership says it has a blown head-gasket. I have no idea what that is, and I really can't afford to fix it right now, so I've been taking the local transit.

Since my husband died, I don't go out of town much anymore, I've decided that after I get it out of the shop, I'm going to sell my Equinox SUV, and just use the local transit.

I've put a lot of money into my vehicle in the 3 years I've owned it, some days I feel so sad. I go to the cemetery and visit my husband every morning and evening, and I try to be strong, I want to show him that I will be OK, that I can do this. I really want him to be proud of me, but some days I can't help but cry. I miss him so much, we were married 52 years, and I never thought I would be without him, he did so much for me.

The brakes on this vehicle are too small, as evidenced by the bigger brakes on later (2008) model years. I would like to upgrade if Chevy even offered an upgrade. Or if there was any other upgrades available. Tiny discs on the front, manually adjustable drums on the rear. Did we time warp back to the 1950's? This is a total joke. Wake up G.M.

One of the biggest things in life that we have all learned is that where there's smoke there's always fire.

My wife and I bought the used 2005 Equinox; I actually looked into the brakes yesterday, and compared it to the 2008. What a big, big difference, I can tell that this will be a never ending problem.

I wonder why Chevy/GM would put such a cheap type of braking system on a vehicle that is in a price range that would be purchased by people with families. If GM had any pride at all they would do a complete recall and replace that cheap braking system.

In the last 5 years I have also noticed that Chevrolet/General Motors are only about the profit, and not as concerned about the safety, pride, and reliability aspects of all its vehicles (unless of course you can afford it).

I love my "overpriced" 2003 Chevy LT 2500 truck ($54,000 new with its leather, 6.0 Vortec gas guzzling engine, and heavy duty disk brakes all around), but with the direction that GM/Chevy has went, I can guarantee that my next 4X4 truck will be a nicely priced; extremely reliable, fully loaded, V6 Toyota Tacoma TRD at $36,000 (and best of all the Tacoma has a very slow depreciation rate)!

The lower "entry level" vehicles Equinox, Cobalt, Epica, and now even the Silverado are nothing but a sad unreliability issue that continuously rips off young people, families, lower/middle income people, and anyone who doesn't want to waste money on an expensive vehicle.

Well, I'm now quite confident that my wife is traveling down the road of disappoint in her flashy little "Chevrolet Equinox lemon", and you guessed it, I picked this vehicle for her and I don't have the heart to show her the Equinox reviews on this website (male pride thing).

When her vehicle starts falling apart (and by the reviews here, it will) I guess we'll just eventually take the loss, and trade it in for something more reliable, and it won't be a GM/Chevy Vehicle.

I wish I knew about this website before we purchased our 2005 Equinox, I would have went with the Toyota RAV4 for my wife.

04:19.

I am very sorry for your loss. You will be in my prayers.

We leased a 2005 Equinox 4 years ago (June 2004) and it now has 133,000 kms. It is due to be returned in 1 month. We are in Canada so the vehicle was driven through the winter. We owned 2 Chevy Ventures before this vehicle that we were generally satisfied with. We found the gas consumption to be acceptable and comparable to the vans (same engine poser). While you would expect a certain amount of wear and tear with that many kilometers traveled, it is our impression that the 2005 Equinox model (or at least our unit) is a lemon.

1) The fabric stains remarkably easily

2) The paint on the buttons on the radio has worn off

3) The silver coating on the door handles has worn off

4) The rotors have been problematic

5) There are 2 paint chips the size of a dollar bill that simply came off an undamaged fender and door sill

6) On one wheel the silver coating is peeling off

7) We had the ignition problem

8) Daylight running lights don’t work anymore (covered under recall)

9) Steering column replaced

10) Loud squeaking sound coming from front end when turning right

11) Hydraulics on tail gate replaced

12) Etc. Etc.

This is a great thread going here.

I purchased my Equinox in April of 2004 ('05 model).

Have had to cut rotors three times now, and I am at about 72K miles now.

I am just taking this a 25K mile routine now, I can live with this. Also be aware that cutting or changing rotors might not resolve the issue if the true problem is being originated by a bad caliper which doesn't release.

Change your calipers too, find out which side is the one locking up or grinding on you.

My problem is always on the left side.

I purchased my 2005 AWD Chevy Equinox LS in April of 2005. Overall I have loved the car. I am in sales and drove the car many miles and it never let me down. However a couple weeks ago I went to drive it and it would not start. I thought it was the battery since I have since gotten a company car and was not driving the Equinox as frequently. I took it to the mechanic and the problem was not the battery or the starter. They found a broken wire, fixed it and it seemed to be running fine. One week later I took it on a 100 mile trip and after sitting for a couple hours it once again would not start. The mechanic cannot seem to find what the problem is. Has anyone has had this problem and found a solution to the problem?? I am probably going to sell it now but it needs to start first!

I purchased my 2005 Equinox in March 2005. I have pretty had most of the problems mentioned here.

The paint on the interior chips easily. Looks terrible.

I drive for work and the seats are very uncomfortable.

My daytime running lights stopped working around 20k miles. Covered under warranty and no problems since.

Sometimes it doesn't want to start... sometimes it does.

Replaced the rotors twice, at 40k miles and 80k.

And best of all... at 82k miles, a blown head gasket. Great. Can't wait to get rid of this thing.

Bought a new 2005 Equinox in October of 2004 with 138 miles. Great car, loved it... until 40,000 rolled around. To the poster that wondered if we are "exaggerating" our problems... tell that to my checkbook.

40k-Replaced rotors and brakes, began to feel problems with the steering, chatter throughout.

50k- Squeaking in front suspension when turning, loud popping noise while turning from front suspension. Dealer I bought it from handled complaints VERY poorly, so I took it to another dealer.

55k- Had to have tie rods replaced, broken suspension arms, steering column shot, l shaft replaced. Complained of rattling noise while going over bumps after fixed, dealership said nothing found and "normal suspension chatter" yet I have never heard it on any of our vehicles before now.

60k- Took it back in because we thought a rear bearing was going bad as well as RF HUB. Both replaced.

67k- Starter would stop working at random times. Would take in to dealership, couldn't be duplicated, nothing done. Finally it started with what sounded like nuts and bolts in a blender combined with a high whine, could hardly drive it the ten miles to the dealer. Took apart the ignition and found an oil pan screw in it! Still has starting problems once in a great while.

78k- Same steering issues have popped up again, another bearing has gone out, premium sound system goes in and out with LOUD bass pops and radio stops working. We mentioned this before but because it couldn't be duplicated while being looked at nothing was done.

Delivery to present- Transmission often sticks while shifting out of third gear during normal acceleration. Let up on gas pedal a little and shifts. Also hear the aforementioned "Thu-thump Thu-thump" after starting vehicle.

I am sitting at 80k miles as of today and trying to get the dealership to fix the front end again for free. These problems aren't new, yet GM has not done any recalls pertaining to such poorly made parts. Don't get me wrong, I love my Equinox... but I drove an 88 Blazer until 2002 and never had to replace anything beyond normal wear and tear. I can't see myself continuing to pour money and time into my three and half year old Equinox much longer.

We also own a 2007 Grand Prix that has now had FIVE l shafts replaced.