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2006 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 382.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

602 reports with mileage · 93 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.

  • Visibility. Review the 247 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 141 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports9 fire reports11 injury reports

Engine complaints

68 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2021
Engine

Vehicle keeps over heating fixed everything that can cause it to overheat and the problem still consists read many complaints over 700 with the same issue even when the problem get temporarily fixed it starts overheating again in a couple month car will mainly over heat at idle the heat won’t work it’s a bad antifreeze smell it’…

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Vehicle keeps over heating fixed everything that can cause it to overheat and the problem still consists read many complaints over 700 with the same issue even when the problem get temporarily fixed it starts overheating again in a couple month car will mainly over heat at idle the heat won’t work it’s a bad antifreeze smell it’s a problem that has many complaints but still nothing is being done I have 5 children I didn’t think I would be driving with my children wondering if my car was going to over heat and us having to pull over on a free way or a street being stranded bc of a problem that’s happening with these vehicles and nothing is being done

NHTSA ODI #11419708

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2020
Engine

CAR STALLS NO MATTER IF I'M AM NOT MOVING OR GOIN 65 MILE AN HOUR,WITHOUT WARNING, I LIVE IN RURAL AREA LOT OF CURVY ROADS, KEY WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES IN IGNITION, WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL ON 06 EQUINOX IGNITION SWITCH ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, I AM PETRIFIED TO DRIVE IT , BUT NEED TO WORK,IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OR HOW FA…

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CAR STALLS NO MATTER IF I'M AM NOT MOVING OR GOIN 65 MILE AN HOUR,WITHOUT WARNING, I LIVE IN RURAL AREA LOT OF CURVY ROADS, KEY WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES IN IGNITION, WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL ON 06 EQUINOX IGNITION SWITCH ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, I AM PETRIFIED TO DRIVE IT , BUT NEED TO WORK,IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OR HOW FAST YOUR GOING CAR STALLS WITHOUT WARNING,HAVE HAD CAR SINCE 2013 OR SO AND ALWAYS BEEN KEY PROBLEM BUT NEVER STALLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11329501

180,000 miles · Apr 27, 2020
EngineSteeringWheels

CAR KEEPS OVERHEATING REPLACED EVERYTHING STILL OVERHEATING

NHTSA ODI #11322333

Mileage unknown · Dec 13, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineUnknown Or Other

I BOUGHT THIS CAR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO FROM A USED DEALER SHIP AFTER THE CAR TURNED 12 MONTHS THE CAR STARTED SAYING IT WAS OVER HEATING BUT WHEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOT HOT AT ALL THE SENSOR JUST SAID OVERHEATING ALL THE WAY TO THE RED WHEN THE CAR READ OVERHEATING THE RADIATOR FLUID OVERFLOWED WITH OUT BEING HOT WHEN …

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I BOUGHT THIS CAR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO FROM A USED DEALER SHIP AFTER THE CAR TURNED 12 MONTHS THE CAR STARTED SAYING IT WAS OVER HEATING BUT WHEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOT HOT AT ALL THE SENSOR JUST SAID OVERHEATING ALL THE WAY TO THE RED WHEN THE CAR READ OVERHEATING THE RADIATOR FLUID OVERFLOWED WITH OUT BEING HOT WHEN OPENING THE LID THERE WHERE AIR BUBBLES WITH NO HEAT. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1000 DOLLARS TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH STILL NO SUCCESS WHEN IT SAID OVER HEATING THE CAR STARTS SLOWING DOWN AND THEN IT STOPS WHERE EVER YOU ARE AT RIGHT AWAY SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WHEN AT TIME IT SAID OVER HEATING THE HEATER STOPS WORKING. I HAVE HAD TO LET THE AIR OUT SEVERAL TIME A DAY AND NOW IT SAID OVERHEATING AS SOON AS I LEAVE MY HOME. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED BUT NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE GOT A NEW RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, TEMPERATURE SENSOR ,THERMOSTAT, FILTER AND STILL NOTHING. I TOOK IT TO GET IT CHECKED WITH THE COMPUTER AND 18 SENSORS WENT OFF AND 8 WHERE FAILED SENSORS. I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION IT HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE JUST GOOGLE IT AND YOU WILL SEE. I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE AND THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE I HAVE CHILDREN AND I LIVE IN A AREA THAT HAS COLD WEATHER FOR 3 MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THAT CAR WHEN IT READ OVER HEATING WHEN IT WAS NOT. I HAVE BOUGHT ABOUT OVER 39 BOTTLES OF RADIATOR FLUID TO KEEP IT FULL BUT ONE BOTTLE LAST ME LESS THE A DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME INFORM YOU OF THIS CONCERN. I HAVE GOTTEN STUCK ON HE HIGHWAY AND STREET WITH MY KIDS. THE CAR IS NOW JUST SEATING IN MY DRIVE WAY.

NHTSA ODI #11288978

58,000 miles · Nov 12, 2019
Engine

EVER SINCE I GOT THIS VEHICLE I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD WHAT SOUNDS LIKE WATER IN THE DASH WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. I'M CONSTANTLY REFILLING THE ANTIFREEZE DAILY, I'VE BEEN READING THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE ANTIFREEZE WHICH IN SOME CASES LEAKED OUT OF THE AIR VENTS INTO THE VEHICLE. LEAKING ANTIFREEZE…

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EVER SINCE I GOT THIS VEHICLE I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD WHAT SOUNDS LIKE WATER IN THE DASH WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. I'M CONSTANTLY REFILLING THE ANTIFREEZE DAILY, I'VE BEEN READING THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE ANTIFREEZE WHICH IN SOME CASES LEAKED OUT OF THE AIR VENTS INTO THE VEHICLE. LEAKING ANTIFREEZE SOME WHERE IN THE ENGINE. I'VE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE HEADS DUE TO THE LEAKAGE. ANTIFREEZE LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE OIL CAUSE WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I'VE ALREADY FLUSHED THE COOLING SYSTEM AND THEY ALSO DID A REVERSE FLUSH AND THE WATER GUSHING NOICE IS STILL THERE. GM NEEDS TO GET THIS FIXED...

NHTSA ODI #11279687

167,000 miles · Mar 14, 2019
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MIST FROM THE HEATER BLEW INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND CREATED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE MIST PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING OUT OF THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MIST FROM THE HEATER BLEW INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND CREATED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE MIST PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING OUT OF THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW WATER PUMP WAS NEEDED. THE MECHANIC FLUSHED OUT THE SYSTEM AND PLACED A NEW HEAT SYSTEM IN THE ENGINE WITH NEW ANTI-FREEZE. THE FAILURE RECURRED LATER THE SAME WEEK. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.

NHTSA ODI #11186752

81,368 miles · Jul 25, 2018
Engine

THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON-STAR CODES ARE P0137 AND P0128. I HAVE 81,368 MILES/130948,843750 KM. I WAS DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #11113483

118,350 miles · Jun 12, 2018
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

IN APRIL OF 2015 I PURCHASED A 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX FROM SID DILLION CHEVY DEALERSHIP. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE IT RAINED AND WATER HAD LEAKED INTO DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE IT STARTED BUT THERE WAS NO ACLERATION AND THE CAR WOULDN'T DRIVE WHEN PUT IN GEAR. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP …

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IN APRIL OF 2015 I PURCHASED A 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX FROM SID DILLION CHEVY DEALERSHIP. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE IT RAINED AND WATER HAD LEAKED INTO DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE IT STARTED BUT THERE WAS NO ACLERATION AND THE CAR WOULDN'T DRIVE WHEN PUT IN GEAR. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VECHICAL BACK OUT THE DEALERSHIP TO BE LOOKED AT. IN FINDING THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS SUNROOF DRAIN THAT BACKUP AND LEAKED WATER INTO MY DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD, ALSO LEAKING WATER ON TO THE THROTTLE SENSOR WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEY INFORMED ME THAT DRAIN HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT AND THE ERROR CODE WAS RESET AND THE VECHICAL RAN AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER AND I WAS AGAIN INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THIS THE SAME PROCEDURE WAS DONE AS BEFORE AND I ASKED WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SUNROOFS DRAIN, WHEN IT RAINS I WILL HAVE WATER THAT LEAKS INTO VECHICAL IF THERE IS LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN AND THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO BROKEN PARTS THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE FIXED. I INFORMED CHEVROLET MAIN CENTER OF THE ISSUE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THE VECHICAL AND TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. I'VE TAKEN PREVENTIVE MEASURES BUT KEEPING THE DRIAN CLEARED AND WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENS RESETTING THE ERROR CODES, BUT LAST WEEK 06-07-18 I HAD THE LINE CLEARED AND THE FOLLOWING DAY IT RAINED AND THE THROTTLE SENSOR ERRORED RESET THE CODE AND VECHICAL RAN. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING I GOT CAUGHT IN HEAVY RAINFALL THE VECHICAL COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4 LANE BUSY ROAD AND WOULD NOT MOVE, WATER BEGAN LEAKING INTO THE DRIVER SIDE AND ALSO FROM THE PEDAL AND INTIOR LIGHTS. I'M VERY FEARFUL OF DRIVING THE VECHICAL. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE.

NHTSA ODI #11101380

127,000 miles · Feb 14, 2018
EngineVisibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THE HEAT IN THE VEHICLE DID NOT WORK, AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSIS THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THE HEAT IN THE VEHICLE DID NOT WORK, AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSIS THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

NHTSA ODI #11072966

98,000 miles · Nov 13, 2017
EngineStructure

3.4L GM POWER PLANT USED IN UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF VEHICLES BLOWING HEAD GASKETS, AND INTAKE GASKETS SINCE 1996. I DESIGN FLAW THAT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. WE CANT KEEP ALLOWING COMPANIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HARD WORKING PEOPLE BUY SELLING THEM JUNK. ALL OF THEM NEED TO BE HELD TO A HIGHER …

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3.4L GM POWER PLANT USED IN UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF VEHICLES BLOWING HEAD GASKETS, AND INTAKE GASKETS SINCE 1996. I DESIGN FLAW THAT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. WE CANT KEEP ALLOWING COMPANIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HARD WORKING PEOPLE BUY SELLING THEM JUNK. ALL OF THEM NEED TO BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.

NHTSA ODI #11045609

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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.

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