IllustrationKEY WON'T RELEASE RIGHT AWAY AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO RELEASE . IT'S HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES
2009 Chevrolet Equinox
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox are lower than the model-year median of 382.5.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →94Owner complaints
Model-year median: 382.5
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2009 Chevrolet Equinox
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 94 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Air Bags: 26 reports
- Electrical System: 23 reports
- Engine: 18 reports
- Electronic Stability Control (esc): 12 reports
- Vehicle Speed Control: 11 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Equinox years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
80–25K
625–50K
2050–75K
2275–100K
16100–150K
5150K+
77 reports with mileage · 17 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
Steering complaints
5 reportsTHE STEERING PUMP HAS GONE OUT, AND THE FLASHING ENGINE LIGHT JUST CAME ON . THE CAR IS MISFIRING. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR. MORE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE SAME ISSUES!
THE STEERING WHEEL IT GETS SO HARD TO TURN FOR NO REASON TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT PLEASE DO A RECALL IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ALL OF US
2009 CHEVY EQUINOX AWD HAS STEERING PROBLEM. WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT NORMAL SPEEDS FOR TURNS, THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND VERY HARD TO TURN AS IT SEEMS THE POWER STEERING ENDS. IT RECOVERS BUT INTERMITTENTLY. DOES NOT HAPPEN ON ALL TURNS BUT USUALLY HAPPENS MANY TIMES IN A DAY. HAPPENS DURING COOL OR WARM DA…
Read full complaint
2009 CHEVY EQUINOX AWD HAS STEERING PROBLEM. WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT NORMAL SPEEDS FOR TURNS, THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND VERY HARD TO TURN AS IT SEEMS THE POWER STEERING ENDS. IT RECOVERS BUT INTERMITTENTLY. DOES NOT HAPPEN ON ALL TURNS BUT USUALLY HAPPENS MANY TIMES IN A DAY. HAPPENS DURING COOL OR WARM DAYS AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER WEATHER SITUATIONS. I HAVE READ THAT OTHER GM VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED DUE TO THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. SEEMS TO BE A VOLTAGE DROP AND THEIR FIX IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THIS ISSUE IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY MANY CHEVY EQUINOX OWNERS. THE TURNS GET HARD AND THEN SEEMS TO RECOVER WHEN ACCELERATING INTO THE TURN. THIS HAS TO BE A VOLTAGE DROP ISSUE OR SIMILAR. THIS CAN CAUSE.AN ACCIDENT IF IT OCCURS AT THE WRONG TIME. PLEASE.HELP GET A RECALL.ON THIS.
WHEN TRYING TO TURN OFF THE CAR, THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE AUXILIARY POSITION. CHEVY HAS MADE A BYPASS SWITCH UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL TO RELEASE THE KEY AS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH IS COMMON WITH THE COBALT, HHR & EQUINOX. IT IS DOCUMENTED ON THE CHEVY FORUM WEBSITE. I AM AT DEALERSHIP NOW TO GET THIS FIXED. *TR
Recall campaigns
0No 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 ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.