2015 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 679 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 24 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 19 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Visibility, windshield wiper/washer, motorMar 17, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.
Campaign 22V165000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowOct 16, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Campaign 15V666000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
231 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Mar 17, 2025
I took my vehicle to a Chevy dealership due to engine light coming on with the stability track light showing as well as "reduced engine power notification. They are saying the timing chain is needing replaced therefore requiring the entire engine to be replaced. Vehicle is available upon inspection. Once the engine light came on and the reduced engine power light came on vehicle started stalling in traffic. I was at a traffic light and the vehicle cut itself off once I came to a slow stop. Vehicle had to be turned off and back on. Vehicle also started losing power while driving when trying to pull over to incident. Yes. I took my vehicle to a dealership. Initially, they changed other parts on the vehicle. However, when they tested vehicle, it was still showing same signs. That is when they came up with needing a whole new engine based on the timing chain. Dealership will not replace timing chain and states the entire engine needs replaced. Vehicle has only been inspected by a Chevy Dealer. Yes, Once the engine light came on, the stability track and reduced engine power mode came on. they first appeared about a week before i took the car in. I made an appt as soon as the lights came on. The dealership was not available for immediate assistance.
Engine, Mar 13, 2025
I have contacted GM numerous times about excessive oil consumption in my vehicle. Even with pristine maintenance and making sure that the oil is changed when it needs to be, it is chugging oil. You can’t even drive 200 miles and it’ll be bone dry. Yesterday while I was driving, it stalled out in traffic and almost caused an accident! We were on an extremely busy highway and it just stalled right there! Thank God, the people behind us weren’t tailgating!! I have contacted GM numerous times. There is currently a class action lawsuit because a lot of of the Chevy equinox is burn excessive oil. There was a previous class action lawsuit on older Chevy equinox that was settled. It’s the piston rings and everything that are causing this issue. We’ve also had the previous recall fixed, but for some reason, they will not take it off of our vehicle!! The wiper blades were fixed and we’ve contacted numerous times about that getting corrected as well
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 26, 2025
Ending result timing chain : Beginning of result: 1. My vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of power steering while driving at highway speeds. The loss of power steering significantly compromised the driver's ability to maneuver the vehicle safely, especially during emergency situations, putting both the driver and other road users at risk of an accident. 2. Traveling at high way speeds my car suddenly lost complete power to go. Keep going up and down in speed in middle of interstate 3. No warning signs prior no check engine line appeared until after the safety risk above.
Engine, Jan 30, 2025
Oil issues. The oil light does not come on when there is low oil and the rear main seal busted and the car started to shake and then it turned off. No oil light or check engine light came on. The car did start back up and I was able to move it to safely. There has been several known issues with this model and engine. There is a current service bulletin 14882. However my 2015 equinox is not included in the service bulletin even though it is a known issue with models from 2010 to 2015. Thank You!
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 24, 2025
the 2015 equinox has been serviced and maintenance regularly. The engine's timing chain failed at 73k miles. No explanation on why. I was told even though I do maintenance regularly, it just happens in these vehicle. i now need a new engine not under warranty
Engine, Dec 23, 2024
Rear crankshaft seal has failed. Engin oil has blown out at bottom of engine and all over underside of car. Oil has covered the exhaust system causing smoke in and outside of car. Leaked engine oil could have ignited and caused a fire that would have consumed the entire car. There appears to be numerous postings on the internet of other chevy equinox owners with the same problem. There was no prior warning that the crankshaft oil seal was in the process of failure. I personally checked the oil pan drain plug and the oil filter cap, and these were not the issue of the oil leak. Again, from my investigation on the internet sites, it appears to be a common issue with the General Motors 2.4 Liter Vortec engine in the Chevrolet equinox car model. This issue can and probably result in total engine failure and need of engine replacement. The repair to replace the rear crankshaft oil seal is very costly and should not be needed on any vehicle with normal wear and use. With my internet investigation there appears to be a design problem with the PCV design and system. The PCV system is prone to clogging and freeze up in cold weather. This can result in excessive internal engine pressure the is a major cause of blowout of the crack shaft oil seal. The temperature at the night before was only 9 degrees. The car was last used under freezing conditions which could have contributed to engine failure.
Engine, Dec 6, 2024
We have had nothing but issues with the engine in this. We travel for my dad’s radiation and when you get about 120 miles to 240 miles it just burns oil and you end up having to replace 2 quarts or more. There should be no reason you have to add more oil that frequently. There was a class action lawsuit against them for this very thing but only for years 2010 to 2013. This is dangerous because what if the motor blows when you’re on the interstate and you cause an accident?? Just like the Chevy recall for the windshield wipers (I almost got into an accident on the interstate because they stopped functioning in a huge storm) and there was no fix for it at the time! I didn’t know about the recall till after the wipers had failed!
Engine, Nov 29, 2024
[XXX] I was driving on [XXX] when my car abruptly stopped. I was almost hit by the driver behind me. I was able to roll the car over to the shoulder. The car was towed. I had 2 mechanics inspect the car on 11/26/24. They both concluded that the piston rings are defective and the car is consuming oil excessively. The oil consumption in their opinion led to burning of oil in excess that I would be unaware of. Therefore leading to no oil in the car even though the car is reading 100% oil. Thus further leading to engine failure. There were no warning lights on in the car prior to the car stopping. I called Chevrolet Customer Care Assistance. I was informed by the representative that the warranty was no longer valid but, an appointment could be made at a local chevrolet Dealership. However; I would have to pay for a diagnostic. They would then decide what they would do about my car. I questioned why I needed to pay for the diagnostic when 2 mechanics already assessed the vehicle. I also informed them that each mechanic alerted me to the oil consumption issue and that this is something many people have complained about. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Nov 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly vibrated before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that prior to the failure, there was an increased frequency of oil changes. The contact stated the oil was being changed once per month. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing (VVT) solenoid. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Nov 15, 2024
The piston rings in my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox have failed, causing significant engine problems. Chevrolet is aware that faulty piston rings are a known issue in this vehicle, as evidenced by numerous complaints and class action lawsuits regarding this defect. The faulty piston rings have caused my engine to consume excessive oil, leading to reduced performance and potential engine failure. This defect poses a safety hazard, as the engine could seize or fail unexpectedly while driving. I have discovered that Chevrolet has issued Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) acknowledging this issue, but they have not issued a recall or provided sufficient support to affected owners. Chevrolet has not offered to repair the issue under warranty or provide any assistance, even though this is a known defect with widespread complaints. This defect significantly impairs the safety, use, and value of the vehicle. I believe a recall or formal investigation is warranted to address this issue and hold Chevrolet accountable for repairing affected vehicles.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 24, 2024
As I was driving. I had complete engine failure. 60 days after a new engine . I had battery failure, bad battery wire, bad alternator & a bad serpentine belt
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 11, 2024
Excessive oil consumption causes need for engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, and timing chain repairs
Engine, Sep 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. Additionally, when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Power train, Engine, Sep 6, 2024
excessive Oil Consumption problem- which we were not aware of and it caused our vehicle to shut down in the middle of the street blocking traffic- making it a huge safety issue & should be a recall. Due to the excessive oil consumption that caused our timing chain to break. This is an issue that chevy knew was happening to this year & other years around the same time, but never informed us - now it needs a new engine & they won't replace it. It only has 88,000 miles, we had recently changed the oil & oil filter so this was unexpected.
Engine, Jul 12, 2024
My car burns so much oil, we have to add oil to it every time we go on a hour or longer trip. Doing research and according to my mechanic the 2012-2017 equinox has an engine defect that causes it to burn excessive oil. This issue needs to be recalled. It makes the vehicle unsafe to drive because you can not predict how much oil it will use!
Suspension, Power train, Engine, Jul 5, 2024
Truck reads airflow, engine speed reduced, airbag failure
Engine, Jul 3, 2024
On the morning of 7/1/24, I drove my vehicle to work as usual. There were no exceptional incidences and the only warning light on the dashboard was that of a malfunctioning tire sensor. I parked at my job as usual. There were no signs of overheating or smoking and there were no warning lights on the panel except for what was previously mentioned. That evening, as I was leaving, the car started and stopped after driving about 2 yards. It would not start again afterward and I wound up having it towed to my mechanic. He told me that I had no oil and that the engine was irreparably damaged and would need to be replaced. Again, there were no warning lights on the dashboard alerting me of low oil or engine overheating prior to this incident. As a matter of fact, the check engine light did not turn on either. Of course this would happen just as I finished paying off the car. So now I am forced to spend $3k+ to replace the engine. It is a shame that so many people are having the same issue with this make/model and Chevy should make reparations to those that have been affected.
Engine, Jun 26, 2024
Bought this car in February 2024 and ever since then I have had nothing but problems with the engine. The first problem happened 12 days after I had bought it and it magically disappeared all the oil which end up causing a timing issue I should not have had no oil after getting an oil change 12 days before. I ended up having to get the engine replaced with a used engine. And then it was back-and-forth to The Shop or five times before I could actually keep my car longer than a few hours. And now with the Hughes engine, we are back to the same problem heavy oil consumption which means there is a problem with the 2.4 L L4 engine, it should not be consuming 5 quart of oil less than 2000 miles of driving.
Power train, Engine, May 31, 2024
My 2015 Chevy Equinox is burning oil at an alarming rate. I just found out I have been driving this car with NO oil. I had no indicator lights come on warning me of any danger. I have only 68000 miles on this car and they are telling me I need a new engine. I still owe $15,000 on this car that I have only had for 8 months...and they want me to pay $9000.00 for a new engine on a defect that GM knows about. My [XXX] drives this car (well I won't let him now) but what if the engine blew while he was driving? This is a VERY DANGEROUS defect and people can get seriously hurt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Apr 15, 2024
Timing chain broke at 150,000 miles. I have only had the car for a year and a half. This is a known issue for the 2015 Equinox and the warranty company doesn't want to cover it, even though I have a 2 year 24,000 warranty on it. I have only driven 19,000 miles so I'm clearly within the window.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 5, 2024
I am constantly having to add oil and get oil changes it burns through oil about 3 quarts every month if not more and it is costing me way more than I should have to be doing and it is a serious problem that something should be done about
Engine, Mar 18, 2024
Our 2015 Chevrolet equinox burns excessive oil… we’re constantly low on oil and we looked it up in the 2013 Chevy equinox had a recall for the same issue… it’s the same engine as the 2013, but there was no recall on this one. It’s been happening for a while
Engine, Mar 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The contact stated that the Chevrolet mobile app indicated that the oil level was at 50 percent. The contact coasted the vehicle to a nearby Walmart. The Walmart attendant checked the oil level and concluded that there was no oil in the oil pan. The Walmart attended added two quarts of oil to the engine however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to Midas where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that, due to the excessive mileage, the repair did not qualify to be covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Mar 3, 2024
at about 100,000 miles it started using a lot of oil. I have to put a quart in at about every 1,000 miles. There is a lot of pressure when you remove the oil cap at idle. I never addressed the wiper issue because I changed the parts myself about 6 months before I got the recall.I won't be buying another chevy!
Engine, Feb 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the was vehicle parked, it was discovered that engine oil had leaked from the vehicle and the engine oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear main seal had failed due to the positive crankcase ventilation system being clogged. The rear main seal was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,963.