2017 Chevrolet EQUINOX

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Chevrolet EQUINOX has 367 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (53% of all complaints), specifically: keep getting reduce engine power code 2138 which is throttle pedal sensor that should not have gone bad even when the car has68000 miles on it.. ⚠️ 7 fire reports filed.

7 fire reports 22 crash reports 27 injuries

367

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

194 complaints

53%

• KEEP GETTING REDUCE ENGINE POWER CODE 2138 WHICH IS THROTTLE PEDAL SENSOR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE BAD EVEN WHEN THE CAR HAS68000 MILES ON IT.
• WE NOTICED A BAD FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD OIL LEAKING FROM IT TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS BLOWN. THEY DID THE REPAIR AND A WEEK LATER HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN AGAIN. IT'S BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THE SAME ISSUE.
• DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, MY CAR MAKE A LOUD BANG, IT SAID TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING IDLE ENGINE, ENGINE OVERHEATING, IDLE ENGINE, SERVICE STABILITRACK, SERVICE ANTI LOCK BREAKING SYSTEM, SERVICE POWER STEERING SYSTEM, MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING, I WENT TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY TO THE OFF RAMP AND ALL OF A SU

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“KEEP GETTING REDUCE ENGINE POWER CODE 2138 WHICH IS THROTTLE PEDAL SENSOR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE BAD EVEN WHEN THE CAR HAS68000 MILES ON IT.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

35 complaints

10%

• AFTER STARTING THE CAR THIS MORNING THERE IS NO INTERIOR NOISES. NO BLINKER, NO RADIO, DISPLAY ON RADIO IS BLANK. RADIO AND EVERYTHING WORKED THE EVENING BEFORE WITH NO ISSUES AT ALL. CHECKED ALL FUSES AND STILL NOTHING. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD CHEVY ISSUE. TO SP
• I RENTED A 2017 CHEVY EQUINOX. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INSIDE FOR IT TO HEAT UP. SOME HOW THE KEY FOB AND KEY TRANSMITTER GOT LEFT BEHIND. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION, TURN OFF CAR. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR SAID NO FOB ON DASH AND I COULD NOT START IT. I DONT THI
• THIS INVOLVES THE AIR CONDITIONER. IT WILL BLOW COOL AIR AND THEN SUDDENLY START BLOWING HOT AIR FROM THE VENTS FOR ABOUT 15 TO 30 SECONDS AND THEN STARTS BLOWING COOL AIR AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD/HIGHWAY AND HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AT RED LIGHT/STOP SIGN. IT DOESN'T H

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“AFTER STARTING THE CAR THIS MORNING THERE IS NO INTERIOR NOISES. NO BLINKER, NO RADIO, DISPLAY ON RADIO IS BLANK. RADIO AND EVERYTHING WORKED THE EVENING BEFORE WITH NO ISSUES AT ALL. CHECKED ALL FUSES AND STILL NOTHING. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD CHEVY ISSUE. TO SP”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

32 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KRISTAL AUTO MALL (5200 KINGS HWY, BROOKLYN, NY 11234), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS USED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE, THE VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING IN REVERSE AS THE GEAR FAILED TO REMAIN IN POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DEALERS (GILROY CHEVROLET, 6720 AUTOMALL CT, GILROY, CA 95
• DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, MY CAR MAKE A LOUD BANG, IT SAID TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING IDLE ENGINE, ENGINE OVERHEATING, IDLE ENGINE, SERVICE STABILITRACK, SERVICE ANTI LOCK BREAKING SYSTEM, SERVICE POWER STEERING SYSTEM, MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING, I WENT TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY TO THE OFF RAMP AND ALL OF A SU

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KRISTAL AUTO MALL (5200 KINGS HWY, BROOKLYN, NY 11234), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

20 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE OIL WARNING GAUGE DECREASED TO ONE PERCENT, THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (HUFFINES CHEVROLET PLANO, 1001 COIT ROAD, PLANO, TX), BUT NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS
• PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE, VERY DANGEROUS! I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK DRIVING ON THE NORTHEAST EXTENSION OF THE PA TURNPIKE HEADING SOUTH, AND I WAS BETWEEN EXIT 95 & EXIT 87 ON FRIDAY 8/2/19 AT APPROX. 3:30 PM. I WAS DRIVING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH AND WAS NOT USING CRUISE CONTROL WH
• WHILE AT STOP LIGHT, VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK. DEALERSHIP COULDN'T REPEAT ISSUE SINCE IT ONLY OCCURRED WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD. ISSUE PERSISTED AND BECAME WORSE. VEHICLE STALLED AS IF IT WAS OUT OF GAS. STARTED AGAIN AFTER A FEW MINUTES. NEXT DAY STARTED WITHOUT ISSUE BUT BEGAN TO JERK WHEN APPLYING BREAK

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE OIL WARNING GAUGE DECREASED TO ONE PERCENT, THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (HUFFINES CHEVROLET PLANO, 1001 COIT ROAD, PLANO, TX), BUT NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

19 complaints

• I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH ON A HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLES IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME WERE STOPPED FOR AN OBSTRUCTION. A VEHICLE FROM THAT LANE TRAVELED INTO MY LANE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE - I ESTIMATE THE COLLISION TO HAVE OCCURRED AT 30-40MPH. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS
• VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE IT BROADSIDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN A HARD CRASH. THE ENTIRE FRONT END AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. FRAME RAILS WERE BENT AND THE MOTOR MOVED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INSURANCE TOTALED THE VEHICLE.
• VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE ANOTHER CAR HIT ME IN THE PASSENGER SIDE UP FRONT IN A HARD CRASH.THE ENTIRE FRONT END AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED FRAME RAILS WERE BENT AND AC COMPONENTS WAS IN THE MOTOR.AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY INSURANCE TOTALED THE VEHICLE 17,200 OF DAMAGES

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 14 crashes

“I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH ON A HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLES IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME WERE STOPPED FOR AN OBSTRUCTION. A VEHICLE FROM THAT LANE TRAVELED INTO MY LANE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE - I ESTIMATE THE COLLISION TO HAVE OCCURRED AT 30-40MPH. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 367 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: KEEP GETTING REDUCE ENGINE POWER CODE 2138 WHICH IS THROTTLE PEDAL SENSOR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE BAD EVEN WHEN THE CAR HAS68000 MILES ON IT.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: AFTER STARTING THE CAR THIS MORNING THERE IS NO INTERIOR NOISES. NO BLINKER, NO RADIO, DISPLAY ON RADIO IS BLANK. RADIO AND EVERYTHING WORKED THE EVENING BEFORE WITH NO ISSUES AT ALL. CHECKED ALL FUSES AND STILL NOTHING. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD CHEVY ISSUE. TO SP
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KRISTAL AUTO MALL (5200 KINGS HWY, BROOKLYN, NY 11234), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: TL* THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE OIL WARNING GAUGE DECREASED TO ONE PERCENT, THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (HUFFINES CHEVROLET PLANO, 1001 COIT ROAD, PLANO, TX), BUT NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)