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2008 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 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

298 reports with mileage · 72 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 110 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports1 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

370 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2014
Tires

2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CORRODED TIRE VALVE CAP. *SMD

NHTSA ODI #10625687

25,000 miles · Aug 13, 2014
Air BagsSeats

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT IT WAS DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. T…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT IT WAS DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #10621987

70,000 miles · Aug 11, 2014
Exterior LightingSeat Belts

HAVE OWNED MY 2008 EQUINOX SINCE JULY 2008.... STITCHING ON THE WEBBING ON BACK SEAT BELT HAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED AT THE BUCKLE. CANNOT BE USED AT ALL FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT COVER HOLDS WATER AND BULBS HAVE TO REPLACED A FEW TIMES A YEAR DUE TO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10621489

75,000 miles · Aug 11, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH 2008 EQUINOX, PURCHASED IN JULY 2008.. KEY WILL GET STUCK IN IGNITION AND TAKES SEVERAL TRIES TO REMOVE IT. CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT ON INTERMITTENTLY AND PASSENGER AIRBAG SHUTS OFF. *TR CHECK STABILITRAC LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY AND SHUTS OFF WHEN ON INTERSTATE AND/OR WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET DRIVERS SIDE…

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MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH 2008 EQUINOX, PURCHASED IN JULY 2008.. KEY WILL GET STUCK IN IGNITION AND TAKES SEVERAL TRIES TO REMOVE IT. CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT ON INTERMITTENTLY AND PASSENGER AIRBAG SHUTS OFF. *TR CHECK STABILITRAC LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY AND SHUTS OFF WHEN ON INTERSTATE AND/OR WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW IS INOPERABLE ALMOST 100% OF THE TIME, BUT WILL WORK,SOMETIMES, WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUTTING OR WHEN YOU HIT THE DOOR PANEL. VEHICLE ALARM WILL SET BUT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR NEVER LOCKS AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR RARELY LOCK, SAME FOR WHEN CAR IS PUT IN DRIVE. WILL NOT LOCK BY USING THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON LOCATED INSIDE VEHICLE BOTH BACK DOOR LOCKS GET HUNG AND MUST BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10621475

26,000 miles · Aug 9, 2014
Exterior Lighting

I PURCHASED MY 2008 EQUINOX IN MARCH 2010; THERE WAS SLIGHT MOISTURE BUILDING UP IN BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES; NOW MAJOR MOISTURE. AFTER REPLACING BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND MULTIPLE BULBS, THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WENT OUT IN JULY 2014. I TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP AND GM PART WAS REPLACED FOR $350 (HAD WORK DISCOUNT). MY RIGHT SIDE IS BUILD…

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I PURCHASED MY 2008 EQUINOX IN MARCH 2010; THERE WAS SLIGHT MOISTURE BUILDING UP IN BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES; NOW MAJOR MOISTURE. AFTER REPLACING BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND MULTIPLE BULBS, THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WENT OUT IN JULY 2014. I TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP AND GM PART WAS REPLACED FOR $350 (HAD WORK DISCOUNT). MY RIGHT SIDE IS BUILDING UP WITH MOISTURE AND WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED ONCE MY HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. THIS IS A KNOWN GM ISSUE; HOWEVER, GM DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A POORLY MANUFACTURED HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IN THE EQUINOX. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10621054

55,000 miles · Aug 7, 2014
Air Bags

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. WHEN A PASSENGER OCCUPIES THE FRONT SEAT, THE AIR BAG INDICATES IT IS "OFF", WHICH RAISES A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN I WILL NOT ALLOW MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE TO OCCUPY THE SEAT UNLESS THE SYSTEM REGISTERS A PASSENGER. EITHER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING OR "BOUNCING" IN THE SEAT S…

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PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. WHEN A PASSENGER OCCUPIES THE FRONT SEAT, THE AIR BAG INDICATES IT IS "OFF", WHICH RAISES A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN I WILL NOT ALLOW MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE TO OCCUPY THE SEAT UNLESS THE SYSTEM REGISTERS A PASSENGER. EITHER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING OR "BOUNCING" IN THE SEAT SOMETIMES WILL INDICATE THE AIR BAG IS ON; A VERY FRUSTRATING AND UNSAFE CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10619487

100,767 miles · Jul 31, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash

FIRST INCIDENT, STEERING FAILURE. SERVICE STABILITRACK WARNING APPEARED AND STEERING WENT OUT MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHO STATED STEERING MODULE WENT OUT AND REPLACED AT MY OWN COST. VERY DANGEROUS TO LOOSE STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. ENTIRE STEERING AND INTERIOR CONTROL MODULE WAS ALSO RE…

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FIRST INCIDENT, STEERING FAILURE. SERVICE STABILITRACK WARNING APPEARED AND STEERING WENT OUT MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHO STATED STEERING MODULE WENT OUT AND REPLACED AT MY OWN COST. VERY DANGEROUS TO LOOSE STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. ENTIRE STEERING AND INTERIOR CONTROL MODULE WAS ALSO REPLACED A SECOND TIME. DEALER STATED IT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS TO WEAR OUT AND NEED REPLACED. SERVICE STABILITRACK WARNING STILL CONTINUES TO COME ON OCCASIONALLY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUE. HOPEFULLY THE STEERING WILL NOT GO OUT THIS TIME WHILE I AM GOING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS. HAVE ALSO CONTINUOUSLY EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH WATER IN THE VEHICLE. CAN HEAR THE WATER SLOSHING AROUND. WATER IN THE HEADLIGHTS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. DOOR LOCKS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, FRONT END COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10617962

53,000 miles · Jul 25, 2014
Latches/locks/linkages

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC LOCK SYSTEM FOR THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ODI #10616208

76,200 miles · Jul 17, 2014
Electrical System

CAR FAILED TO START AFTER A HARD OVERNIGHT RAIN STORM THE NIGHT BEFORE, THEN STARTED AFTER A 15 MINUTE WAIT FOR THE AAA. IT HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT A LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. REPEATEDLY TURNED KEY TO START POSITION, BUT NO POWER TO THE STARTER. HAD OBD 2 DIAGNOSTIC BUT NOT CODES FOUND, JUST WAIT TO …

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CAR FAILED TO START AFTER A HARD OVERNIGHT RAIN STORM THE NIGHT BEFORE, THEN STARTED AFTER A 15 MINUTE WAIT FOR THE AAA. IT HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT A LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. REPEATEDLY TURNED KEY TO START POSITION, BUT NO POWER TO THE STARTER. HAD OBD 2 DIAGNOSTIC BUT NOT CODES FOUND, JUST WAIT TO SEE IF HAPPENS AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10611394

Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2014
Air BagsElectrical System

AIR BAG DOES NOT STAY ON! DRIVING OVER 20 MPH AIR BAG DID NOT TURN ON AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT REMAINED OFF. A PERSON WEIGHING ABOUT 200 LBS WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND AIR BAG WAS OFF WHILE CAR WAS ON, IN DRIVE, AND MOVING. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. IF ACCIDENT DID OCCUR AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY COULD BE FATAL. …

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AIR BAG DOES NOT STAY ON! DRIVING OVER 20 MPH AIR BAG DID NOT TURN ON AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT REMAINED OFF. A PERSON WEIGHING ABOUT 200 LBS WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND AIR BAG WAS OFF WHILE CAR WAS ON, IN DRIVE, AND MOVING. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. IF ACCIDENT DID OCCUR AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY COULD BE FATAL. NEEDS TO FIXED! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610265

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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