2017 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 273 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 18 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 14 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: engine
190 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Engine, Feb 8, 2023
I am a recent 2017 Equinox owner with a 2.4L Ecotec engine. I purchased the vehicle 9 months ago and have put less than 30k miles on it since owning the vehicle. On Tuesday, 1.31.23, while driving to a work appointment on a busy interstate my equinox seemed to have a power failure and started making a noise. I proceeded to move toward the shoulder of the highway and before I could get to the shoulder, a warning light came on that there was low oil pressure, to stop the vehicle. Before I could safely get all the way to the shoulder, the car shut off and the engine ceased. From the time my vehicle started making noises, to it ceasing on that 4-degree weather day, was bout 6 seconds. The mechanic states the engine is ceased and that it would be about 10k for a remanufactured engine installed. No guarantees that this would not happen in the future as this is a manufacturer's defect in the size of the PCV system that is on vehicles with this motor, the 2.4L ecotec . The mechanic states that the rear engine seal has failed. This was caused by the defective PCV valve being too small which causes excessive pressure to build up and the rear main engine seal to fail. This is a known issue for vernal motors. There are literal thousands of people in this same situation, and I could have been killed by oncoming traffic had I not been able to get to the shoulder all the way. I have documents relating to this system failure and copies of the bulletins that gm has issued their dealerships, however the file is too large to attach here. Please email me for documentation.
Engine, Feb 6, 2023
My son was driving my 2017 Equinox with only 68,861 miles and the vehicle just stopped on him in the roadway. The dealership technician found the rear main seal blew out. The technician thinks it was likely caused by the pcv port getting clogged. The engine oil was changed less than 2 months before this occurred. The dealership is saying that due to the engine oil running very low there is internal engine damage and is recommending a complete engine replacement. My son said the vehicle just stopped without warning and went dead as he was exiting the highway, this incident could have had dire (or fatal) consequences if the vehicle would have just stopped on the highway.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 3, 2023
I get my oil changed every 2-3 months. This morning it decided to jolt and all the lights flicker while my daughter was getting out of the car. She had one foot out. I had it towed and was told it is a blown rear main seal and they are unsure of the extent of the damage at the auto shop I took it too, and was told it might have affected my engine. That I had to have it towed to a Chevy dealership for further evaluation and it was to extensive for them to do where I had it towed. I was told it was the 3rd car this morning that they received with this issue. All Equinox's. I was never given any notification on my dashboard that this there was an issue, till it was happening. I DO NOT have any leaks where I park my car on a daily basis. The extent of damage so far is at least $2500. I am out of pocket just for towing $260. If it is an engine problem, I will be out up to $8000. I still owe on this car thanks to inflation. Thankfully no one was parked in front of my car today or a kid walking in front of it.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 2, 2023
I own a 2017 Chevy Equinox. My husband and I are the only owners of it. It has just over 100,000 miles. Yesterday, February 1, 2023, I started my vehicle 15 minutes before I packed my 1 year old and 3 year old into the vehicle so I could take them to daycare and I could go to work. We drove down US HWY 8 (55 mph speed limit), onto County Road S to the kids' daycare. When I pulled into the parking stall, I smelled an oder of what I thought was gas. Looked at my gages and nothing was "wrong" - jumped out, & inspected around under the gas tank to see if it was leaking. It wasn't, so I thought maybe I drove over someone else's leak that I couldn't see. I took my kids out, brought them into daycare and left my vehicle running. When I came out, the smell was even stronger. I started to back up and noticed what looked like an oil pile. I then questioned if it was there prior and I didn't notice. I pulled over in the parking lot and saw it was leaking under the front end. I then parked it and shut the vehicle off. It was -15 out that morning. Not a single light came on my vehicle indicating that something was wrong. I checked my oil to see how much I had lost and it wasn't even registering on the dipstick. Empty. My husband towed it later that evening. Rear main seal blowout from frozen PVC. This is very concerning to me as it must have started to leak when I was driving and there was never a low oil indicator, overheating, engine light no oil was in my yard or driveway. And there wasn't enough oil in the daycare parking lot to have it be empty. This vehicle could has easily caused an accident to myself, my 1 year old and my 3 year old if it would have stalled going down the highway. It could have also caused an accident to another vehicle. I'm very lucky to have noticed where I did, but something should really be addressed with this. Not to mention we could have easily have been stranded out of town in extreme temperatures - especially for children.
Engine, Feb 1, 2023
I had noticing a faint smell of diesel type chemical gas off/on at times when driving the prior week but thought it was other cars as it was noticed when stopped. Few days ago had saw a very small drip in the driveway. Could not see anything specifically and looked more like gas color. Had just had oil changed the month before at the Chevy dealership and everything looked good. Drove to work and noticed a very hot smell once parked. Smelled like chemicals and something burning. Could see something dripping but not excessive. Was able to make it home. No lights showing issues or overheating. Immediately saw large amounts of oil leaking from the car and very hot smell. Checked and little to no oil in the car. Immediately went to dealership and the knew what was wrong without even seeing it. PVC system frozen causing excessive crankcase pressure and failure of rear seal. 70,760 miles. They said they have seen numerous cases of this and GM knows it’s a problem. Gm refused to cover any of the cost. Had to pay $2,656 to have this fixed. Rear seal replaced along with cleaning intake ports, needed to replace cooling system thermostat also. Dealership even feels that this should be a recall and to hold onto any paperwork in hopes that this company will realize this is a big issue in cold weather. Dealership said by the time I had smelled anything the damage was already going on. Hopefully no other issues with the engine. Still smelling chemicals/hot but they said it the extra oil that was spilled out still burning off and should improve in a few days. They said it should be ok now but to let them know right away if anything is off.
Engine, Jan 25, 2023
on december 23 2022 i was driving home, there was a loud sound coming from engine, causing an engine oil leak, vehicle was towed to local dealer, diagnost PCV valve was frozen and clogged, causing pressure inside engine, i was informed that the engine was destroyed, and needed to be replaced, there was no warning light before this happen, temperature in chicagoland was 30 below zero, i had to wait 2 hours for tow truck, i have an extended warranty and they dont want to cover for this repair, dealer shop is asking $7500 dollars for new engine, is not fair i only had this vehicle for 5 months,
Engine, Jan 24, 2023
My PVC pipe in my engine unbeknownst to be me froze which caused pressure build up in the my crank case, which caused my real seal to blow and completely drain all my oil from my engine and seized my engine while I was driving at 70mph. This is a known issue with these vehicles as I have come across 3 other people who have had this issue. GM would not do anything for me and would not look further into the issue for me.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle, and the rear crankshaft seal was leaking oil onto the ground. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a clogged PCV system causing the rear crankshaft seal to leak oil. The dealer determined that the crankcase seal needed to be replaced and the PCV orifice needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 14882 (Plugged PCV Orifice in Intake Manifold) however, the vehicle was not covered by the TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Engine, Jan 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. During the failure, the power steering and power brakes became inoperable. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the PCV valve was frozen and clogged, causing pressure inside engine crankcase. Due to the failure, the rear main seal became deformed, causing an engine oil leak. The contact was informed that the engine was destroyed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 8, 2023
The exhaust is coming into the cab. Was told that Chevy is allowed to kill people slowly with carbon dioxide poisoning. Also was told NHTSA is paid by Chevy to keep the information of the exhaust issue under wrapps. I understand killing babies is no crime in the liberal world but I am not an ugly liberal.
Engine, Jan 6, 2023
The engine failed while I was on the road traveling with my children. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and it has been confirmed with an engine compression test that all 4 cylinders are failing. I did not receive any warning lights and had the vehicle tested.
Power train, Engine, Jan 1, 2023
The rear main seal on the vehicle broke and dumped oil onto the road. The vehicle instantly stopped being able to accelerate, but no engine lights came on. My safety was put at risk as I was on a main county road in heavy traffic. Luckily, I was able to pull into a parking lot, but had it happened five minutes later, I would have been stranded on the side of the interstate. Prior to this incident, my vehicle has been in near mint condition and has regularly been serviced for upkeep. At the time of the repair, there were other cars of the same model with this issue in the repair shop. It left me without a vehicle for five days, and cost just south of $1,300. For a vehicle of this age, milage, and condition to have this kind of mechanical error is not acceptable, especially knowing it is a common issue with this model. General Motors should issue a recall on this as it has the potential to leave someone in a very dangerous situation.
Engine, Dec 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power four times within 15 miles. The vehicle failed to restart after the fourth time and was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the timing chain and camshaft were faulty, and there was no oil in the engine. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 29, 2022
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Upon inspection, the contact noticed there was no oil on the dipstick. The positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV) was frozen, causing the rear main seal to become fractured. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Engine, Dec 28, 2022
Loss of engine oil due to Frozen PCV when driven in subzero blowing out rear main seal this is a common problem and design defect known by GM can cause complete engine failure and safety related issues. I have yet to have this repaired but I assume the price will be substantial
Power train, Engine, Dec 28, 2022
I arrived at my workplace. Was there for about an hour, I then went outside to grab something from my vehicle and noticed that I was leaking oil. After further inspection, I realized that I no longer had oil in my vehicle. I had it towed to my service station. After looking at it they called me and said that the PCV had gotten clogged with ice, therefore causing pressure buildup and blowing out the rear main seal. There were no warning lights whatsoever of this problem. I am just happy that I wasn't on the highway or long drive, because this would have left me stranded or worse causing an accident. From doing research online, this seems to be an issue that GM is aware of and refuses to make right. They had a recall for this exact issue for model years 2010-2014 but now are refusing to issue one for later years, even though the same engine style and PCV placement are the same. Not telling their customers about this potential serious issue is almost criminal and then not standing behind their product with either a recall or reimbursement of cost of repairing is ridiculous.
Engine, Dec 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that his wife informed him that she noticed an abnormal oil odor inside the vehicle. Additionally, the contact noticed a puddle of oil in the driveway and there was no oil on the dipstick upon inspection. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle he determined that the Positive Crankcase Valve (PCV) had frozen, and the engine rear main seal was busted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in any recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 97,400.
Engine, Dec 26, 2022
WHEN DRIVING I HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE AND THE VEHICLE LOSS POWER. WHEN LOOKING AT VEHCILE CUSTOMER NOTICED OIL LEAKING. CUSTOMER THEN LOOKED AT DIP STICK AND THERE WAS NO OIL IN VEHICLE. CUSTOMER GOT AN OIL CHANGE AT JIFFY LUBE 0N 11/8/2022.
Engine, Dec 23, 2022
I have approximately 79000 miles on my [XXX] 2017 Equinox 2.4 SUV. I have 2 complaints. One is the blower for the heater works intermittently. The dealer claims it was the cabin air filter but I am not sure. There are a lot of reports on the internet claiming a melted plug causes this problem. The second complaint is the dealer claims the vent pipe for the PCV valve has condensation that froze and if I don't pay 764.00 to have it cleaned out the rear main oil seal will blow out and I will loose all the engine oil. I have also seen many reports of this happening on the internet. Has anyone investigated this and what was the results of the investigation? Should a car be sold in the northern states that can have the rear seal blow out just because the temperature is below freezing? INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Dec 2, 2022
Rear main engine seal failed which was confirmed by the Chevy dealer. Vehicle had leaked massive amount of oil in driveway which was only noticed after wife drove car to work. Next day, vehicle needed 4 1/2 quarts of oil to register on dipstick and oil visibly dripping from engine approx. 2 drops per second. Red oil pressure light never cam on. Engine light was on for 1 week prior with error codes P0013 and P0014. Vehicle has 79k miles, no towing, and was 6 weeks out of 6 year warranty. The oil leak failure could have easily caused engine damage and left my wife broken down on the freeway. Dealer originally quoted $2600 for both repairs and dropped their quote to $2000. I believe the seal failure to be either design and/or manufacturing defect. I am greatly disappointed in GM for lack of quality control and not standing behind their products.
Engine, Nov 11, 2022
I was driving when the engine started to slow and eventually stopped running. The check engine light was on for approximately 2 days prior to incident. The vehicle was brought to auto shop where they determined there was an oil consumption issue with the vehicle, and ultimately the engine would need to be replaced. The safety of myself and my 3 children, infant and two toddlers were put at risk. Having been stranded needing to wait for a ride to bring us home.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 18, 2022
Main rear seal blew and upon towing to Dealer they said they had 3 other equinox vehicles there all done around 130000 miles and all the same year - low oil light never appeared - Car just stopped during winter season and I am 72 years and in the country , with no heat waiting for AAA - Problem of not getting oil light low was never explained but rear main seal was fixed - Upon completing repairs a check engine light remains -Car drove fine after the fix and continues to drive fine but check engine light remains
Engine, Oct 4, 2022
Per Mechanic my engine is burning through oil. When I went in for an oil change I was told I only had 1 quart left. I was informed this was a common issue with these engines at this time.
Engine, Oct 4, 2022
We are experiencing excessive oil consumption problems with our 2017 Chevy Equinox that has a 2.4-liter Ecotec engine. We believe that the Engine replacements may be covered by a settlement so long as they can be traced directly to excessive oil consumption caused by defective piston rings. Can you please provide information as to where to go to pursue our reimbursement? The engine knocked due to there being low oil and not realizing the defect in the engine. There were no warning lights or an indication that there was a problem until the engine made noise. The issue started in May of 2022 and we did a repair on it that cost $2468.00, however, that repair did not fix the problem and now it is going to a dealership for another repair for the same issue.
Engine, Sep 29, 2022
Driving my 2017 equinox and the engine started making noise, we checked the oil and it was good. The car has 113,000 miles on it, and the oil life has 34% left. The next day I get in it to drive away after being at the hospital and a warning comes on "Engine Power is Reduced" the car is sputtering and shuts off. The car had to be towed and they tell me my engine is with out oil and now the engine has to be replaced. NO warning, NO lights, and NO leaks. Now what Chevy?