← New search

2005 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 382.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

507 reports with mileage · 131 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 159 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 114 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

56 crash reports13 fire reports32 injury reports

What owners actually said

638 reports
74,000 miles · Apr 26, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Electric

I HAVE A 2005 EQUINOX AND HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES NOW IN 3 WEEKS! THE THERMOSTAT WENT OUT, THEN THE RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND NOW THEY SAY THE HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BUBBLING SOUND CAN BE HEARD WHEN YOU TAKE OFF FROM A STOP. I'M ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES MAKING ACTING STRANGELY.. THE…

Read full complaint

I HAVE A 2005 EQUINOX AND HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES NOW IN 3 WEEKS! THE THERMOSTAT WENT OUT, THEN THE RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND NOW THEY SAY THE HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BUBBLING SOUND CAN BE HEARD WHEN YOU TAKE OFF FROM A STOP. I'M ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES MAKING ACTING STRANGELY.. THE FRONT SHAKES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10397450

77,000 miles · Mar 30, 2011
Power Train

SHAKING IN VEHICLE SIMILAR TO THAT OF AN UNBALANCED TIRE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR ANOTHER ISSUE JUST HAD THEM CHECK TO SEE WHAT THIS "NEW" SHAKING WAS AND THEY TOLD ME THE CENTER CARRIER BEARING WAS "SHOT" AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED THAT THIS REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY AT A CO…

Read full complaint

SHAKING IN VEHICLE SIMILAR TO THAT OF AN UNBALANCED TIRE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR ANOTHER ISSUE JUST HAD THEM CHECK TO SEE WHAT THIS "NEW" SHAKING WAS AND THEY TOLD ME THE CENTER CARRIER BEARING WAS "SHOT" AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED THAT THIS REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF AROUND $1200 PLUS LABOR. THE SAFETY ISSUES HERE ARE ENORMOUS. IF THE DRIVE SHAFT LETS LOOSE THE VEHICLE COULD FLIP, ROLL, OR ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. WHY HAS A RECALL NOT BEEN DONE? I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS EXACT ISSUE. IT IS NOT COMMON FOR A CARRIER BEARING TO FAIL ESPECIALLY SO OFTEN AND EARLY. I HAVE 77,000 MILES ON THIS 2005 EQUINOX, WAY TOO SOON FOR SUCH ISSUES. I AM THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED WITH GM. I WILL NEVER BUY GM AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10393766

60,000 miles · Mar 30, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

HAD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM EXHAUST AND HAVE EXHAUST FUMES COMING THRU THE VENTS, AND FOUND THAT IT WAS THE ERG VALVE (BROKE IN TWO). WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO GET REPLACEMENT PART AND WAS TOLD BY THE PARTS GUY THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE EQUINOX AND THAT THEY NOW HAVE CHANGED THE ENTIRE PART SO YOU CAN NO LONGER JUST REP…

Read full complaint

HAD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM EXHAUST AND HAVE EXHAUST FUMES COMING THRU THE VENTS, AND FOUND THAT IT WAS THE ERG VALVE (BROKE IN TWO). WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO GET REPLACEMENT PART AND WAS TOLD BY THE PARTS GUY THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE EQUINOX AND THAT THEY NOW HAVE CHANGED THE ENTIRE PART SO YOU CAN NO LONGER JUST REPLACE THE $20 TUBE, YOU HAVE TO GET THE $300 PART, PLUS LABOR AND THEN HAVE THE SHOP 'RESET' THE COMPUTER TO MATCH THE NEW PART..........ANOTHER $200 SERVICE. THIS APPARENTLY IS A HUGE PROBLEM DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE RECALLED!!! NICE SCAM CHEVY! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10393696

5,000 miles · Mar 16, 2011
Electrical System

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK SEPT 2010. ITS A USED CHEVY EQUINOX 2005 FROM A BIG "MAZDA" DEALERSHIP HERE IN EDINBURG,, TEXAS. I DIDN'T BUY IT WITH WARRANTY. AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING IT, I HAD TO CHANGE THE BRAKE PADS ALREADY. THEY SENSORS STARTED MESSING UP WITHIN 3 DAYS. BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT CUS I HA…

Read full complaint

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK SEPT 2010. ITS A USED CHEVY EQUINOX 2005 FROM A BIG "MAZDA" DEALERSHIP HERE IN EDINBURG,, TEXAS. I DIDN'T BUY IT WITH WARRANTY. AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING IT, I HAD TO CHANGE THE BRAKE PADS ALREADY. THEY SENSORS STARTED MESSING UP WITHIN 3 DAYS. BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT CUS I HAD NO WARRANTY. I CHANGED THE OIL WITH SYNTHETIC OIL AFTER A MONTH AFTER HOPING IT WOULD GET BETTER. BUT IT KEPT ON HAPPENING ALL THE TIME UNTIL NOW. ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT SENSORS. THEY TURN ON ALL THE TIME. AND THE BARRING VIBRATES AND YOU CAN FEEL IT WHEN GOING SLOW. I JUST GOT IT FIXED THE OTHER DAY AT A FAMOUS CAR REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THERE'S A 50/50 CHANCE THAT CHANGING THE BARRING WILL WORK. BUT IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER CHEVY EQUINOX 2005/2006 MODELS THAT THEY'VE FIXED BEFORE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CHANCES ANYWAY AND I BOUGHT A NEW BARRING AND CHANGED ALL MY 4 TIRES. AFTER A DAY THE LIGHT SENSORS TURNED ON AGAIN AND THE BARRING STARTED VIBRATING AGAIN. I CALLED THEM UP THEY SAID TO GO TO A DEALERSHIP. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP CUS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED ALREADY AND I KNOW THEY'RE GOIN TO CHARGE MORE. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES AND SENSORS ON THIS MODEL THAT'S WHY IM FILING A COMPLAINT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10390432

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

01/21/2011 THE EQUINOX WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND WAS HAULED TO THE DEALER. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THERE APPEARED TO BE A SLOW LOSS OF COOLANT, REQUIRING A GALLON OF COOLANT TO BE ADDED OVER THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTH PERIOD. THERE WERE NO LEAKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, NOR ANY INTERIOR CABIN LEAKS APPARENT, BUT THERE HAD BEEN A "SYRUP…

Read full complaint

01/21/2011 THE EQUINOX WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND WAS HAULED TO THE DEALER. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THERE APPEARED TO BE A SLOW LOSS OF COOLANT, REQUIRING A GALLON OF COOLANT TO BE ADDED OVER THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTH PERIOD. THERE WERE NO LEAKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, NOR ANY INTERIOR CABIN LEAKS APPARENT, BUT THERE HAD BEEN A "SYRUPY" SMELL IN THE PASSENGER CABIN. THE DEALER PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE HEATER CORE WAS LEAKING. THE NEW BATTERY AND HEATER CORE REPLACEMENT TOTALED $1090.11. APPARENTLY, WHEN THE BATTERY DIED, THE DIAGNOSTICS CODES RELATING TO THIS INCIDENT WERE LOST. 03/16/2011 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY IN THE PAST BUT HAD ALWAYS BEEN RELATED TO A LOOSE GAS CAP AND WAS EASILY REMEDIED BY TIGHTENING THE CAP. WHEN THAT SOLUTION DID NOT WORK, THE EQUINOX WAS TAKEN INTO THE LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP. IT WAS THEN DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT, WHERE IT IS NOW BEING REPAIRED. THE REPAIR TOTAL IS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT $1400. IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS, THIS VEHICLE (WITH ONLY 68K MILES ON IT) HAS REQUIRED AT LEAST $2400 DOLLARS IN HEATER CORE AND ENGINE HEAD GASKET REPAIR COSTS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE HEATER CORE LEAKS WERE LIKELY TO HAVE HAD THE SUBSEQUENT EFFECT OF COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE HEAD GASKET. I HAVE FOUND MANY DOCUMENTED REFERENCES TO SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRING IN THIS ENGINE MAKE, THE 3.4L GM V6. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE A RELATED LINK TO PROBLEMS WITH THE TYPE OF COOLANT USED IN THIS ENGINE (DEX COOL). AT THIS POINT, I AM NOT AWARE THAT GM HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS PROBLEM. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT SO THAT IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE MOUNTING EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT DEFECTS IN THIS ENGINE TYPE.

NHTSA ODI #10391389

45,000 miles · Mar 4, 2011
Fuel System, Gasoline

MY 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX FAILS TO START SOMETIMES. IT TURNS OVER LIKE IT WANTS TO START BUT NOTHING. I'VE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY CAN'T SEEM TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. STEPPING ON THE GAS WILL USUALLY GET THE CAR TO FINALLY START BUT NOT ALWAYS. IT IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN. THE BATTERY, STARTER, ETC HAS BEEN CHECKED AND T…

Read full complaint

MY 2005 CHEVY EQUINOX FAILS TO START SOMETIMES. IT TURNS OVER LIKE IT WANTS TO START BUT NOTHING. I'VE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY CAN'T SEEM TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. STEPPING ON THE GAS WILL USUALLY GET THE CAR TO FINALLY START BUT NOT ALWAYS. IT IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN. THE BATTERY, STARTER, ETC HAS BEEN CHECKED AND THEY'RE FINE. NEXT STEP IS CHANGING FUEL PUMP (VERY EXPENSIVE) BUT NONE OF THE LOCAL GARAGES SEEM TO THINK THAT IS REALLY THE PROBLEM AS THEY SEE THIS A LOT ON THE EQUINOX. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10386413

56,000 miles · Feb 15, 2011
Power Train

AT 60 MPH MY 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX WAS RATTLING. WE BROUGHT THIS TO OUR MECHANIC AND HE INFORMED US THAT THE CARRIER BEARING AT THE U-JOINT WAS FAILING. I FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS ONLY 56,000 MILES ON IT. COST TO REPAIR WAS $550.00. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10382754

61,487 miles · Feb 12, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. ENGINE; BLOWN HEAD GASKET; ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI #10382428

30,000 miles · Jan 31, 2011
Steering

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT WITH THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) [XXX], WITH A PRODUCTION OF APRIL 2005. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH OPERATION, AND THE KEY WAS HARD TO TURN IN THE CYLINDER. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE SPARE …

Read full complaint

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT WITH THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) [XXX], WITH A PRODUCTION OF APRIL 2005. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH OPERATION, AND THE KEY WAS HARD TO TURN IN THE CYLINDER. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE SPARE KEY THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE FROM PURCHASE.AT 60,000 MILES I STARTED HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. AT 98,000 I STARTED TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN. I HAD MY LOCAL DEALER CUT TWO NEW KEYS; I AM NOW ON MY THIRD NEW KEY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN I TAKE THE KEY IS OUT THERE IS NOT KIND OF LOCK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10379689

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2011
Structure

2007 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT. CONSUMER STATES BEFORE THEY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IT HAD WATER IN THE FRONT FLOOR BOARD. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS FIXED AND IT WAS NOT FIXED. CONSUMER CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE WATER BUILD UP *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED EVERY TIME IT RAINED, THERE WOULD BE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF WATER IN THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONSU…

Read full complaint

2007 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT. CONSUMER STATES BEFORE THEY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IT HAD WATER IN THE FRONT FLOOR BOARD. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS FIXED AND IT WAS NOT FIXED. CONSUMER CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE WATER BUILD UP *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED EVERY TIME IT RAINED, THERE WOULD BE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF WATER IN THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10378884

Official recalls

1

04V302000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Jun 30, 2004

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 114, 'THEFT PROTECTION.' AN IGNITION KEY PARK LOCK CABLE END FITTING WAS NOT FULLY SEATED ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER NAIL HEAD DURING INSTALLATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN PREVENT THE CABLE AUTO-SET FROM CORRECTLY ADJUSTING THE CABLE. AN INCORRECTLY ADJUSTED CABLE PREVENTS THE SHIFTER FROM LOCKING IN THE 'PARK' POSITION WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE KEY CYLINDER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING SHIFT LOCK WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED. DEALERS WILL REPAIR VEHICLES THAT EXHIBIT THE SUBJECT CONDITION. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Chevrolet Equinox problems