Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-90, 91-92
I am really surprised by all the negative comments placed on these websites. My wife bought one of the first 1000 Equinox's made ('05, bought in March of '04) and we have had practically no problems. We live in the Midwest and so drive it in all kinds of weather and use it for business. I am by no means a car junkie, can fiddle a little and do the simple maintenance myself. It has 100,000 miles on it and I am changing the brakes for the first time, changed the tires only once at 70,000 miles and they still had some wear left on them. I haven't brought it to the dealership for any inspections or maintenance. (one recall on the rear hatch) I do my own oil changes every 4-4,500 miles. The only complaint that I would have is that the upholstery did stain badly and wasn't washable. I'm sorry so many others have had problems because it's been a very solid car for us.
"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)."
I feel as if I should put in my two cents. If this is their case, Chevrolet does not care about their image. Literally.
"My car broke down 126 times in 45 days!"
I don't know- three times a day?
My uncle owns a 2003 Saturn Vue, a shortened version of the Equinox/Torrent. I am surprised with GM. With all the problems on the Vue which WAS RELEASED IN 2002 AS A 2003, why would they expand the body and give it two new names? Anyway, my uncle will never buy GM again.
Same thump sound. This 05 thumps after the engine is turned off. Weird, really weird, 2 thumps every time.
Also the starter drags every once in a while. Will kick over after a few times, then fine. Hope it won't strand me one day?
Overall the car OK, only 24k, no other issues. If car gave me issues like all I've read, I would have got rid before going to the dealer and paying so many times like other people did.
Give me a break, get rid of it before going back and back to the honest LOL money making dealers.
I purchased a 2005 Equinox LT with all of the bells and whistles and luxury, it was GM certified with 11,000 miles on it and paint job in mint condition. My CD player has gone out after warranty expiration, I have had to take it in for the rotors dragging, they adjusted them but I had to pay for the alignment. I have had the starter to disengage, but what really gets next to me is the CD player. There are other sites that exclusively complain about this issue and GM does not have a recall. It is stated that the radio/cd players are manufactured by DELCO, who has been know for major recalls even on auto parts. Please e-mail GM customer care or call because something needs to be done. I presently have 27,200 miles on the vehicle, the only two issues I deal with is the starter disengaging from time to time and the cd player. My step-son who is a certified GM specialist along with 15 other certifications, stated that the Equinox is known for the starter issues. They need to revamp what they are doing or stop making them. I paid cash for my vehicle and I tell you, if I continue to have issues I am going to have to sell it, and purchase one of my favorite cars, a Nissan Altima.
I bought a 2005 LT in December of 2005. I instantly heard the thumping noise that everyone else has stated, and brought it in a couple times for a service, and always mentioned it, but they never got it to make the noise, so I decided to just deal with it as I did not have any other problems the first 1-2 years of owning the car.
I finally heard something about how it was a muffler problem, and that it is a cited problem with the car, so when I brought it into the dealer, I had to tell them the problem, they gave me a new muffler and the noise went away for a while, and now I hear it only on a rare occasion.
I also noticed shaking of the wheel when I apply the brakes when traveling faster than 30 mph; on my last service it only had 28,000 and I had to completely replace the front pads and rotors.
Now, 1,000 miles later the check engine light is on and after reading all these reviews, I am very scared to get it checked as I did not extend my warranty, since I have not had too many problems with it.
Overall I am okay with the car, but we will see after the latest check. Again for the people having the thumping noise, ask your dealer about the muffler. I hope that helps some of you!
I purchased my 2005 Equinox in September 2004. I have been, in general, happy with my Equinox. Specific problems that I have encountered have been:
May 2007: A 'triple failure' consisting of the thermostat, water pump and head gasket. I lost all Dex-cool in the reservoir. I had only had the car for 2 1/2 years at the time.
September 2008: Again, I lost all Dex-cool in my reservoir for reasons unknown. A pressure test revealed no leaks. I did need all 4 tires replaced and front brakes and rotors done at this time.
September 2008: 6 days after my car was returned from the dealer, the check engine light comes on. Once it is on, it is on for the duration of the trip. This usually happens after a cold start. I am afraid to have this looked at because, quite frankly, another car repair cannot be absorbed in our budget.
Ongoing: Every once in a while my key sticks in the ignition and I feel as if I am going to break the key in half trying to get it out.
Although I have loved Chevy in the past, we are thinking that other auto makers provide better warranties for our future purchases.
Anyone who has had a check engine light come on: I had ours (2005) checked at Auto Zone and they said the gas tank cover was worn and fumes were able to leak out. He sold me a $12 cover and I switched them out... problem solved. He said that was the problem 90% of the time when a check engine light comes on on an Equinox. Hope that helps others as well!
I Have the 05 Equinox awd, and I love it. I have the slightest clicking nose for 3 seconds a bit after I start the car and that's it. I also have had the starting trouble with the battery, I took it in to the Chevy dealer and they couldnt figure it out, I then worked with a local GM mechanic and we swaped out some things and its good now. Besides that, this car is awesome, acceleration is great and it is a pretty smooth ride. handles great in the snow and is solid in the rain. Only thing I wish is that it was a stick, had a bigger engine, or got better mileage, but if I want that ill just trade in for the new 09 sport equinox...
I bought our 2005 Chevy Equinox in April 2005. It has 104k miles on it and so far no major issues until today, starting problem everyone is talking about will lead to having to replace one of two fuel pumps = $1,260. If both replaced $1,700.
The car has been very dependable, however all of the minor issues listed above we've experienced too.
Will definitely do more research prior to buying another car.
I have had my 2006 equinox for 3 and a half years. For the most part I have not had any problems except the rotor issue. That was until this weekend when me and my small children were getting on the highway, and the gas pedal dropped to the floor. My foot was no longer on the pedal, both of my feet were jamming on the brake pedal. Nothing would stop it or even slow it down, and the speed got all the way up to 95mph. I was terrified at the last second just before I had to choose to roll it over off the side of the highway, or run into several cars, I jammed my brakes one last time and you could hear the gas pedal break free. This was the worst experience of my life, and I have 19 months left on my lease. I am horrified to think I may have to put my kids back in this car again. So far there are no answers for why the car did this. But to everyone out there, please be safe.
Sincerely,
Mother of 2 small children.
I have a 2005 Equinox. This thing is the biggest piece of junk! The plastic that covers the dashboard cracked for some reason. The brakes are horrible! And now I think I have a blown head gasket at 80,000.00 miles. I've always done the scheduled maintenance on this piece of junk and now this. I do have an extended warranty, but its says it is only covered if its caused by the failure of an internally lubricated part. I have no idea what that means! I would never buy another Chevy based on this one. I should have kept my Rendezvous!
Purchased the 2005 Equinox LT AWD in July of 2008 with 91k miles on it. The buttons on the radio were worn off and the paint was chipped away on the console, but for 10k what can you expect.
Was previously owned as a company car and had all maintenance records on Car Fax.
The #1 issue I have with this car is the TURNING RADIUS STINKS! It is by far the most ridiculous turning radius I've ever had to endure, and when you're driving in Chicago traffic, parallel parking, and getting into and out of tight spots, it's a REAL PAIN!
Other issues:
#2) The key gets stuck in the ignition all of the time.
#3) The car continues to start itself for about 2-3 seconds after you release the key from the start position.
#4) The headlights have both just gone out with the right one flickering on and off.
#5) The brakes are VERY squeaky when there is any moisture at all on them.
This is a very comfortable car and it drives well, although I've yet to experience it in the winter. The leather is very luxurious and I love the feel of the car. I wish it had a little more umph when I floor it, but it's an SUV, so I don't expect much. The few parts in the car that are fabric are very easily stained.
Overall, this car gets a 7 out of 10 from me. Mostly because of that stupid turning radius. I'm cursing it on a daily basis.
I have a 2005 Chevy Equinox with 60, 000 miles on it. It has had some of the similar problems listed above, not starting, key getting stuck, check engine light on, etc. Now I have to replace the head gasket and who know how much that will cost, somewhere between $1500-2000. I will not buy a Chevy again.
We own an 05 Equinox LT AWD with 67500 since new.
Yesterday on a long drive to the beach we had a slight whiff of smoke coming from the steering wheel. This happened three times during the 150 miles trip. On the first restart smoke came out again but much more than before. Disconnected the battery. Have any other Equinox owners had this problem?
I purchased a 2005 Chevy Equinox new in November, 2004. It currently has 80,000 miles. It also now has a blown head gasket for which the dealer has quoted $2,015 to repair. Two weeks ago, I spent $650 to replace both rear wheel bearings. Two months ago, I spent $700 repairing the ABS. The repair history on this vehicle goes back to 20,000 miles. This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. I understand that things can go wrong with a machine but these repairs are not normal wear and tear items. These are major defects that a buyer should not have to absorb. I change oil at 3,500 miles faithfully and take care of the car.
I have contacted Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center and started a claim file. If GM and Chevy provide financial assistance in this latest repair and prove that they will stand behind their product, I will write this vehicle off as an exception and consider purchasing another GM product. I will also stand up and spread the word that GM supports the customers when a problem occurs. If they will not stand be behind their product, I will never purchase another GM product again.