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, Dec 29, 2021
2015 Chevy Equinox with Excessive oil Consumption. Known complaints for this model. My engine seized up . No warning . Oil had been changed
Engine, Visibility/wiper, Dec 29, 2021
In July/August 2021, the driver side windshield wiper got stuck mid-swipe. The only way to get it to go down was to physically move it. I was driving on the interstate in the middle of a downpour. Had to pull over several times on the way home because periodically it would move back up and get stuck. When it wasn't stuck I had to lean to the right to see out of the right side of the windshield to get home. For about 20 miles. My husband figured out the issue and purchased the malfunctioning part and repaired it. In December 2021, my engine seized at a stoplight. I coaxed the car out of the way and got it on the side of the road. The only warning to this was an occasional "ticking" noise, that never seemed to happen when my husband listened to it. We assumed it was the timing chain, but after having it towed to the dealer we were told it was an "oil consumption" issue. The "oil life" alert had been on for about a month, and I had planned on getting an oil change the weekend this happened. However, little did I know that the vehicle had ZERO oil in it. The low oil pressure light never came on. As a matter of fact no warning lights ever came on. The vehicle is now sitting at the dealership, unmoving because the fix is $8300.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 20, 2021
Issue with oil consumption on this vehicle. Needs 2 quarts of new oil every 2-3 weeks with moderate driving. Mechanics say this is a known issue with Chevrolet Equinox’s since 2011. The only true fix is to replace the engine and even then the problem can reoccur with new engines. I have joined a Facebook page called “Terrain-Equinox Oil Consumption Recall” with thousands of members experiencing same issue. There is no assistance from dealerships to assist in covering repair costs. There was a limited recall for model year 2013 but same issues are present in 2014’s and 2015’s as well. There are also many complaints about on this issue on this bursa website. Looking for any assistance.
Engine, Dec 11, 2021
The timing chain broke at 107,988 miles on this vehicle, I bought it with 72000 miles on it in April 2020. luckily I was in a parking lot and the vehicle not moving. It's over a $5,000 repair estimate. I have it at a local repair shop. yes it is available for inspection.
Engine, Nov 30, 2021
Excessive oil consumption has caused my engine to completely deplete all oil which can lead to my engine freezing while driving
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 8, 2021
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut-off with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart soon after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 1, 2021
Engine cut off while driving. Happens while driving slow or fast, side road or highway. No check engine light. Timing chain issue, $2500 fix. I've had the car 6 months, only 77,500 miles. I do not feel safe in this vehicle any more. RECALL THIS before people have to bury their families due to your faulty parts. Thank goodness no accidents resulted in my 4 experiences.
Engine, Sep 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 50 MPH, she heard loud knocking sounds coming from the engine and the vehicle was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter was able to pull into the nearest parking lot. The vehicle was towed to her daughter's friend residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The dealer informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under recall because the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact also contacted a second dealer - Mike Bell Chevrolet (1200 N. Park St, Carrollton, GA 30117) for the repair. The dealer confirmed the information of the first dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 10, 2021
Timing chain issues
Engine, Aug 18, 2021
May 29, 2021 last oil changed at Chevrolet Service Center Aug 14, 2021 engine stopped working due to empty oil, as a result of oil leakage. However, the oil light didn’t show up. Note: Oil change is not yet due.
Engine, May 17, 2021
While driving, the check engine light came on. After getting the code we called our local mechanic and he told us the first thing we should do was check the oil level, as this is a common problem with 2015 Equinoxes. We had to add 2 quarts just to get the oil to even reach the dipstick. At no time did we ever receive an indicator about the oil being low, we just got the check engine light. Our mechanic said if we were lucky that an oil change might fix the issue. After leaving the shop, the Equinox kept stalling and the engine light came back on. We took it back in and he replaced both solenoids, which we thought had fixed the problem, but he informed us about this being a well-known issue. We then had to take the Equinox to a GM dealership anyway to fix the windshield wiper transmission issue (which is a known issue that I only discovered after my wipers broke while I was driving on a busy highway in the rain) and we asked them to do a fuel consumption test. The diagnosis came back that the pistons and rings need to be replaced, which appears to be the same issue that the 2011-2013 Equinoxes/Terrains have. There are special coverages for the previous model years and there was also a class-action lawsuit, so I don't understand why I'm repeatedly being told by GM that it's not a common issue with 2015s. As someone who works for a supplier to GM and who has friends and family members who work for GM, I'm not ignorant to how the automotive industry works. It's no secret that these engines get used across multiple model years, so it seems likely that this is the same 2.4L engine. Yet GM has repeatedly told me that even though I believe that this is a common issue, it actually is not.
Engine, Apr 27, 2021
MY 2015 CHEVY EQUINOX WAS SCHEDULED FOR ITS REGULAR OIL CHANGE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 27TH AT 8 AM. THE WEEK PRIOR I STARTED HEARING A "KNOCKING" NOISE AND TWO WEEKS PRIOR SMELLED AN ODOR THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. THREE DAYS BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT I DROVE CAR 5 MINUTES ONSITE AND WORK AND PARKED IT. I CAME OUT 40 MINUTES LATER AND IT WOULD NOT START (HOWEVER, IT DID TURN OVER). ATTEMPTED TO JUMPSTART VEHICLE TO NO AVAIL. CONTACTED TOW COMPANY ON MONDAY AFTER CHECKING AGAIN AND HAD IT TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO DO SERVICE. RECEIVED A CALL AT 10:47 AM STATING THAT VEHICLE NEEDED NEW ENGINE, SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE. I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. 120 K MILES AND ENGINE DOWN??!! NO WARNING SIGNAL, NO LOW ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING!! GMC NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES AND INCLUDE ALL EQUINOX IN THE RECALL, FOR OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.
Power train, Engine, Apr 27, 2021
CONSTANT BURNING OF OIL, UP TO 1 QUART IN LESS THAN 1,000 MILES. HAD OIL CONSUMPTION TEST DONE DUE TO ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS ON OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES WITH THIS MOTOR, AND LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY REFUSES TO COVER ANY REPAIRS THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH OIL CONSUMPTION.
Engine, Apr 19, 2021
HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION 1 1/2 QUARTS EVERY MONTH
Power train, Engine, Apr 6, 2021
REAR MAIN SEAL BUSTED OPEN DUE TO FREEZING PCV. THIS YEAR OF VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TBS RECALL. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, MY EINGINE CODE, AND THE REPAIR/THE FIX, AND TYPE OF PROBLEM IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS DESCRIBED IN TBS 14882. MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 17, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS AN ABNORMALLY STRONG EXHAUST ODOR INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CRACKS TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER EDD ROGERS CHEVROLET BUICK, LLC., (674 W BOCKMAN WAY, SPARTA, TN 38583) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,200.
Engine, Mar 15, 2021
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK IT IN TO GET ASSESSED. WITH LESS THAN 90,000 MILES, THIS VEHICLE REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE. IT CONSUMES A LOT OF OIL AND HAS BEEN SINCE I BOUGHT IT ONE YEAR AGO, ME HAVING TO ADD OIL EVERY 2 WEEKS. ALSO, THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS REPLACEMENT-WHICH IS STILL ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. EVERY MECHANIC I HAVE SPOKEN TO SAYS THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL HAS BEEN HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. AND THERE IS NO RECALL.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 10, 2021
MY VEHICLE STALLED RECENTLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY COMING TO A STOP.. PRIOR TO THE STALL WHEN I TURNED MY CAR ON IT MADE A TICK SOUND BUT DROVE OK UNTIL IT STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND DROVE HOME. WHEN I CHECKED THE OIL THERE IT WAS EMPTY. I WAS WELL UNDER THEM TIME BEFORE I NEEDED MY NEXT OIL CHANGE. I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A PISTON AND RING ISSUE THAT WAS THE SAME THING DESCRIBED IN THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT INVOLVING 2010-2013 EQUINOX. BECAUSE MINE IS A 2015 I RECEIVED SOME COST ASSISTANCE BUT PAID $1200 OUT OF POCKET FOR THE FIX. SEEMS LIKE GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT HAS NOT LET CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THIS SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS UPSET BECAUSE I DRIVE WITH MY CHILDREN WHO ARE 3 AND 1. GM NEEDS TO TELL THEIR CONSUMERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.
Engine, Mar 2, 2021
OUR 2015 CHEVY EQUINOX HAS JUST OVER 78,000 MILES ON IT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT AND SAID IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND MAKING A NOISE. SHE GOT IT HOME AND WE HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP. WE WERE TOLD THAT DUE TO A FAULTY PVC PIPE IN OR NEAR THE INTAKE HAD FROZEN UP CAUSING PRESSURE TO BUILD UP AND IT BLEW OUR REAR MAIN SEAL, SNAPPED THE TIMING CHAIN AND BREAKING OF TEETH. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES AND THAT A SPECIAL BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED BUT NOT ON OUR YEAR. WE ENDED UP PAYING JUST SHY OF 1900.00 TO FIX THIS. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE DESIGN FLAW HADN'T BEEN FIXED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN REPEATEDLY. WE STILL OWE A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS CAR AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THIS KIND OF BILL AGAIN. WE WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED.
Engine, Mar 1, 2021
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY EQUINOX DOWNTOWN ST LOUIS, 3 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. CAR WASN'T RUNNING RIGHT. SHAKING AND RATTLING. HE GOT PULLED INTO A PARKING GARAGE WHERE LATER IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE NEXT DAY, THE BODY SHOP TOLD US THE PCV VALVE WAS CLOGGED OR FROZED AND PROBABLY BLEW THE SEALS. WE HAD TO HAVE OUR CAR TOWED 3 HOURS BACK TO HOME. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON BEFOREHAND. I HAVE COMPLETED ALL MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD NO TROUBLE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS AND THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. AND IN THIS CASE LEFT MY FAMILY STRANEDED 3 HOURS FROM HOME!
Power train, Engine, Mar 1, 2021
MY VEHICLE HAD A OIL CHANGE AT 86,000 MILES. I HIT 90,722 MILES . THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE AND WHEN I GOT OFF WORK AND TRIED TO START THE CAR IT STARTED BUT THEN SHUT OFF. I HAD NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, NO LOW OIL LIGHT AND HAD A PERFECT DIAGNOSTICS REPORT ON MY ONSTAR, I HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER PER ON STAR, AFTER SPEAKING TO THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THE MOTOR BLEW UP BECAUSE IT JUMPED TIME AND DUMPED OIL. I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR BUT GM IS REFUSING TO FIX IT BECAUSE THE WARRANTY JUST WENT UP 6 MONTHS AGO . I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL SHOPS CHEVY KNOWS ABOUT THIS TIME CHAIN OR JUMPING TIME ISSUE AND IN MOST CASES A NEW MOTOR IS REQUIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHY NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND HOW OIL COULD DUMP AFTER HAVING A OIL CHANGE 3,000 MILES GIVE OR TAKE ? AND WHY CHEVY IS PASSING THE PROBLEM ONTO THE CUSTOMER.
Engine, Feb 25, 2021
LIVING IN TEXAS WE NORMALLY DON'T HAVE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES BUT THIS WINTER WE HAD SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES AND NEGATIVE WIND-CHILL FOR SEVERAL DAYS. MY FAMILY HAD NO RUNNING WATER OR ELECTRICITY AND TRIED TO DRIVE UP THE ROAD FOR FOOD (ROUGHLY 1/8TH A MILE) AND NOTICED A TRAIL OF OIL WHEN WE GOT OUT. MY HUSBAND HAS WORKED ON VEHICLES HIS WHOLE LIFE AND AFTER SOME INVESTIGATING AND RESEARCH DETERMINED THE PCV VALVE HAD FROZEN WHICH CAUSED THE REAR MAIN SEAL TO BLOW. AFTER TAKING IT TO A GM DEALER WE DISCOVERED HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM WAS, THERE WAS EVEN ANOTHER EQUINOX WITH THE SAME DIAGNOSIS (WE LIVE IN A VERY RURAL AREA SO FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AT THE SAME TIME SAYS A LOT). IT WAS NOT A CHEAP FIX COMING IN AT $1400. THIS WAS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE BUT A FAILURE ON GM"S PART WITH THEIR FAULTY DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF THE MOTOR. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER STORIES I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, SOMETIMES CAUSING EVEN MORE DAMAGE THAN WE HAD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL OR COMPENSATION GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN A REAL BIND FROM THIS HAPPENING. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FILING A CLAIM THROUGH INSURANCE, SO HOPEFULLY THEY CAN HELP, BUT I CANNOT SPEAK ON THAT YET.
Engine, Feb 21, 2021
IT HAS 116 K MILES ON IT. IT DID NOT START. WE CHANGE NEW BATTERY BUT NO LUCK. THEN, WE TOW IT TO THE SHOP, THE MECHANIC FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND MISSED UP LOT OF THINGS. NOW, HE ADVISED TO CHANGE THE ENGINE AND FOUND IT VERY EXPENSIVE. OIL CHANGED REGULARLY AND THE MECHANIC FOUND OIL INSIDE THE ENGINE IS STILL CLEAN.
Power train, Engine, Feb 20, 2021
MY VEHICLE HAS CONSUMED MORE OIL THEN I CAN EVEN PHANTOM, TRADITIONALLY OIL IS SUPPOSED TO LAST 3K MILES AND WHEN YOU REGULARLY CHANGE IT YOU SHOULDN'T NOTICE MUCH CONSUMPTION IF ANY AT ALL, THIS VEHICLE NOT ONLY CONSUMES ON AVERAGE A QUART OF OIL EVERY 500 - 1K MILES BUT I AM ALSO NEVER ALERTED THAT MY OIL IS LOW. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS TYPICALLY WITH SYNTHETIC OILS COMING ALONG AND THE NEW RECOMMENDATION BEING 7500K MILES BEFORE OIL CHANGE I WOULD BE COMPLETELY DRIED UP IF I DID NOT CHECK MY DIP STICK REGULARLY. I ACTIVELY SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAIL PIPE WHEN LEAVING A RED LIGHT AND CAN SMELL THE BURN WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAN'T BE GOOD FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. MY CAR WILL HAVE ROUGH/SURGING IDLE AT RED LIGHTS, HAS EVEN SHUT OFF AT ONE POINT COMPLETELY EVEN. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE O2 SENSORS AND I CONTINUE TO ADD 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES TO KEEP UP WITH THE EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION. THERE WAS A LAWSUIT CLAIMING THIS PROBLEM ONLY EFFECTED 2010-2013 EQUINOX HOWEVER I KNOW NUMEROUS EQUINOX OWNERS WITH MODELS NEWER LIKE MYSELF WITH THESE SAME ISSUES. GM SHOULD EXPAND ENDING WITH MODEL YEAR 2017 AND STOP HIDING BEHIND THE BUSH.
Engine, Feb 19, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE REAR MAIN SEAL TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000.