2009 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 94 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2009 reports, 5 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: vehicle speed control
11 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 18, 2017
VEHICLE DISPLAYED WILL IN MOTION MERGING ON TO THE HIGHWAY. THAT WHEN YOU TAKE OFF A DELAY HAPPENS AT OVER 4000 RPMS OR AT ANYTIME YOU TRY TO GO OVER 4000RPMS. ITS LIKE THE ENGINE CUTS OFF OR LOSES ACCELERATION AN STAYS AT 40 MPH AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE UNTIL THE GAUGE FOR RPMS GOES BACK DOWN UNDER 4000 RPMS. THEN THE ENGINE WILL START TO ACCELERATE AGAIN LIKE A NORMAL VEHICLE UNTIL YOU TRY TO PICKUP SPEED OR ACCELERATE OVER 4000 RPMS.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Nov 3, 2015
MY 2009 CHEVY EQUINOX IS SLOWING DOWN WHEN I REACH 4 RPMS AND WILL NOT SPEED BACK UP UNTIL I GO BACK DOWN TO 3 RPMS NO MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW I AN GOING ONCE IT REACHES 4 RPMS IT SLOWS DOWN. WHEN I SHUT THE CAR OFF SOMETHING IS STILL RUNNING UNDER THE HOLD BECAUSE I CAN HEAR IT. IT WAS 10 MINUTES BEFORE IT FINALLY SHUT OFF COMPLETELY.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Mar 21, 2015
ON THURSDAY 3/19/2015 AS WAS DRIVING TO WORK I NOTICED THAT ON THE DASHBOARD THAT THE STABILITRAKING OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROLLED AND SERVICE STABILITRAKING AND ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. ON MY WAY HOME THERE WAS NO MESSAGE ON THE DASH, BUT THE NEXT DAY 3/20/2015 ON MY WAY TO WORK THAT SAME MESSAGE CAME ON AND IT STAYED ON, SO I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND THEY TRIED TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WAS WRONG AND THEY COULD NOT FIN OUT WHAT IT WAS AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 17, 2014
ON OCTOBER 16, 2014, I WENT TO THE DEALER TO PICKUP MY VEHICLE STILL WITH NO ANSWERS TO WHY THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE IS READING: STABILITRAKING OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITRAKING AND ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. THEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. AS I WAS PULLING OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT, THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTING FLASHING RAPIDLY, VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER, IT WAS BACKFIRING AND SMELLED OF A FOUL ODOR. THE SALES MANAGER CAME OUTSIDE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LOOSE ENGINE POWER. BY THE TIME HE CAME BACK INSIDE TO SPEAK WITH US, HE STATED THAT HE COULD NO LONGER TURN THE VEHICLE ON. HE STATED THAT IT WOULD NOT TURNOVER AT ALL. I AM NOW AWAITING THE FINDINGS AND GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE DEALER'S LOT AND NOT IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, Oct 17, 2014
ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014, I WAS LEAVING WORK HEADED TO MY PHYSICAL THERAPY APPOINTMENT. IT WAS A RAINY DAY. WHILE IN ROUTE, A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD: STABILITRAKING OFF. I PROCEEDED TO TURN RIGHT AND GET INTO THE LEFT TURNING LANE HEADING TO MY APPOINTMENT. ONCE, I GOT INTO THE TURNING LANE THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE WAS FLASHING: STABILITRAKING OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITRAKING AND ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. THE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. I ATTEMPTED START THE VEHICLE AND IT MOVED A FEW INCHES THEN SHUTDOWN. ABOUT A FEW MINUTES LATER, I ATTEMPTED A SECOND TIME TO TURN IT ON. ONCE AGAIN, IT MOVED ABOUT A FEW MORE INCHES AND SHUTDOWN. WHEN I ATTEMPTED A THIRD TIME, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I CALLED ONSTAR FOR ASSISTANCE, THEY CONTACTED 911 BECAUSE I WAS A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION. THEY ALSO CONTACTED CHEVROLET ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR TOWING. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND PUSHED MY VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SAFETY UNTIL THE TOWING COMPANY ARRIVED. THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. ABOUT 25 TO 30 MINUTES LATER MY HUSBAND ARRIVED AND STARTED THE VEHICLE WITH NOT PROBLEM, BUT THE SAME MESSAGES APPEARED. ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014, DEALER CONTACTED ME AND STATED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICKUP AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM NOR READ THE GM CODES. THEY CLEARED ALL CODES AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE IT TO A CHEVROLET DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, Mar 20, 2014
UPON MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM HIGHWAY INTO PARKING LOT, APPROXIMATE SPEED 15-20MPH, THE STABILITRAK ILLUMINATED, THEN THE MESSAGE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED, WHICH WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. GOT VEHICLE PARKED AND SHUT ENGINE OFF. LET VEHICLE REST FOR 30 MINUTES. STARTED VEHICLE, AFTER NORMAL DASHBOARD SEQUENCE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON, STABILITRAK LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE WITH SOME REDUCED HANDLING, ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. AFTER VEHICLE SAT FOR 2 DAYS, WENT BACK OUT TO TAKE TO DEALER, HOWEVER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF, NO STABILITRAK MESSAGE LIT UP. VEHICLE HAS PERFORMED WELL FOR PAST 2 WEEKS, WITH SOME MINOR HESITATIONS. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, Mar 16, 2014
CAR HESITATED, SLOWED DOWN, LOST POWER. WARNING LIGHTS INCLUDED STABILITRAK OFF, TRACTION CONTROL OFF, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. REPAIR WAS TO CLEAN THROTTLE BODY. JAN OF 2014, (83,000 MILES) SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, AND THROTTLE BODY CLEANED AT DEALER AFTER DIAGNOSTICS. MARCH 1, 2014 (85000 MILES) WHILE ON INTERSTATE 80 SAME WARNINGS CAME ON BUT I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS IN GEAR AND THE CAR RPMS WOULD GO UP WITH PRESSING THE GAS PETAL, AND SEMI ALMOST HIT ME FROM BEHIND. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO SHOULDER, STOPPED TURNED OFF AND RESET WITH RESTARTING THE ENGINE.. I LEFT THE INTERSTATE AND MADE A LEFT TURN, THE CAR SPUTTERED AND HESITATED, AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC ALMOST HIT ME. REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING THEN CAME ON ALONG WITH STABILTRAK AND TRACTION CONTROL OFF MESSAGES. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER IT OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. AND I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER TURNING IT OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY HAD A 1 MONTH WAIT TIME FOR THE PART? WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN JANUARY, THE CARS AHEAD AND BEHIND ME HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. A LADY AT THE SERVICE COUNTER ALSO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT 4 OF US AT THE SAME TIME HAD THAT PROBLEM. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 23, 2014
THE THROTTLE BODY WENT BAD IN MY CAR FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 3 YEARS. I HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED IN JANUARY OF 2011, AFTER ONLY OWNING THE CAR A MONTH. IT NOW NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN TODAY IN JANUARY OF 2014. I PRESS THE GAS PEDDLE AND CAR DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE, THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WILL TAKE OFF AND RUNS AS IF THE ENGINE IS BEING PUSHED AND PULLED. IT ALSO STALLED OUT ON ME ONCE WHILE DRIVING IT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE CAR WILL NOT GO FORWARD. *TR
Electrical system, Visibility, Vehicle speed control, Tires, Jan 7, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, ACCELERATION POWER REDUCED DRAMATICALLY AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 3 MPH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 3 MONTHS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO OTHER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300.
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Jul 25, 2012
WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE WARNINGS SUDDENLY TURNED ON INDICATION THAT STABILI-TRAC AND TRACTION CONTROL WENT OFF AND NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. AT THIS TIME ENGINE LOST POWER AND VEHICLE WAS SLUGGISH WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Feb 25, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME SLUGGISH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AND WOULD EXHIBIT SIGNS OF WANTING TO STALL. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED TO WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 10 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL FAULT IN THE THROTTLE BODY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,978 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,911.