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2017 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2017 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

94 reports with mileage · 178 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.

  • Engine. Review the 178 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports

Engine complaints

178 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 24, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

While I was driving the rear main seal went out and I lost all my oil. Luckily I was close to home,could have blown my motor. This is a 1500.00 to a 2500.00 fix. This happened around feb.26 2024 and my car is still sitting I'm my drive until I can save up the money to fix it. Also the few places I have called around to fix it ha…

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While I was driving the rear main seal went out and I lost all my oil. Luckily I was close to home,could have blown my motor. This is a 1500.00 to a 2500.00 fix. This happened around feb.26 2024 and my car is still sitting I'm my drive until I can save up the money to fix it. Also the few places I have called around to fix it have had other equinoxes in for the same thind,22 that I know of.

NHTSA ODI #11579146

Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2024
Engine

I was driving when my car started knocking. I pulled over on the highway and noticed oil all over the undercarriage of the vehicle. I immediately drove to the dealership and had the mechanics take a look. They came back and said, "The rear main seal was leaking due to a plugged PCV port that froze because of the cold weather. Th…

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I was driving when my car started knocking. I pulled over on the highway and noticed oil all over the undercarriage of the vehicle. I immediately drove to the dealership and had the mechanics take a look. They came back and said, "The rear main seal was leaking due to a plugged PCV port that froze because of the cold weather. This caused high crankcase pressure to build, which blew out the rear main seal." Looking online, I found that this appears to be a common problem. The dealership said they could fix it by drilling the hole in the PCV port bigger, but there is currently no recall on this issue. Just to replace the seal, they are charging $2500, with an additional few hundred dollars to enlarge the PCV port. Thankfully, I was able to pull over and get it to the dealership. I can only imagine how bad things could have been if I hadn't been in a relatively safe spot.

NHTSA ODI #11578084

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI #11577105

Mileage unknown · Feb 29, 2024
Engine

I was driving my vehicle when it started putting at a red light. I was close to my place of employment so I drove it the few blocks there and parked it. When I went to start it on my lunch break I heard a bunch of rattling under the hood and it wouldn’t drive. I checked the oil and realized All of the oil had leaked out.

NHTSA ODI #11574726

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

My son was driving and all of a sudden the check engine light came on, it got really loud and stalled out while he was driving. Luckily he was on a road with a low speed limit. If this had happened on the highway it could have been extremely dangerous. He is a 16 year old new driver. We took it in and were told the rear main sea…

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My son was driving and all of a sudden the check engine light came on, it got really loud and stalled out while he was driving. Luckily he was on a road with a low speed limit. If this had happened on the highway it could have been extremely dangerous. He is a 16 year old new driver. We took it in and were told the rear main seal blew and we need a new engine. Apparently this is a know issue with this car. We are now in the process of installing a new engine on a car we have taken very good care of with less than 100,000 miles and still has a car payment. There were no prior warnings and the issue was confirmed by the dealer.

NHTSA ODI #11569881

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

Car started to leak oil, took it for repair was told it has a pcv valve issue, that can lead to main seal failure. This is a 13 hour repair, at a cost of approximately $2500.00 This issue can happen again, and especially in cold weather. So even if you get it repaired this pcv/valve issue can cause main seal failure again. Fro…

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Car started to leak oil, took it for repair was told it has a pcv valve issue, that can lead to main seal failure. This is a 13 hour repair, at a cost of approximately $2500.00 This issue can happen again, and especially in cold weather. So even if you get it repaired this pcv/valve issue can cause main seal failure again. From Mechanic Report: •Finding: .Other engine oil leak issue •Recommendation: See technician notes below •Technician's Notes: Rear main seal leaking. Lower oil pan very likely leaking as well. PCV system failing caused Excessive engine pressure which in turn caused rear main to fail. There is a GM TSB specifically for this issue. Without repairing PCV, seals will fail again. Repairing PCV system will require intake and valve cover removal. •Full recommendation: •-Remove valve cover and clean pcv passages •-Remove intake, replace pcv valve, and clean pcv passages. •-Replace rear main seal •-Replace oil pan seal My vehicle mileage is Odometer 68,201mi so I am out of the warranty window.

NHTSA ODI #11569488

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2024
Engine

No problems with car Oil life says 19% told by chevey dealership service department don't have to change oil till 0% Filled up car at gas pump and pulled away In middle of turning reduce power alarm, traction control and check engine yell at me I was just able to get the car into a parking spot Take car to chevey dealership serv…

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No problems with car Oil life says 19% told by chevey dealership service department don't have to change oil till 0% Filled up car at gas pump and pulled away In middle of turning reduce power alarm, traction control and check engine yell at me I was just able to get the car into a parking spot Take car to chevey dealership service department and they said It is turning of too easy meaning the timing chain slipped and there is NO oils on the dip stick even though it was just there to get oil change at 6K and oil life reader say 19% No sound, No hard turn over, No shifting issues I was glad I wasnt on the highway for it to slipped without warning while driving

NHTSA ODI #11569418

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2024
Engine

Took the vehicle in due to poor function to be addressed and the vehicle was found to have no oil in the engine. 5 quarts of oil was just placed in the engine at the beginning of the week and was told that the engine is burning oil very badly. This is very concerning as I am seeing that other people are having this exact issue, …

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Took the vehicle in due to poor function to be addressed and the vehicle was found to have no oil in the engine. 5 quarts of oil was just placed in the engine at the beginning of the week and was told that the engine is burning oil very badly. This is very concerning as I am seeing that other people are having this exact issue, often while driving on the highway. We are only driving this vehicle if absolutely necessary and do not have the money to replace the engine and the pistons. We have been diligent with frequent oil changes but we cannot keep pouring oil in this vehicle only for it to be gone within days or hours. This is a huge safety risk and could cause injury or death to myself, my children or others on the road. The check engine light came on after the oil was added. Took to our mechanic and they confirmed that the entire engine or at least all the pistons will need to be replaced in order to make this vehicle safe for driving. Called General Motors about this issue and was informed this very vehicle is in class-action lawsuit for the very same thing my vehicle is experiencing and that a recall should be coming out, but no one knows when this recall will come out. This is a common problem seen with the equinoxes and it needs to be fixed by the dealer or General Motors.

NHTSA ODI #11569332

85,200 miles · Feb 1, 2024
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking. The contact continued driving and the vehicle started to shake excessively. The message “Engine Power Reduced” message and “Stabili-trak” warning light illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The cont…

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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking. The contact continued driving and the vehicle started to shake excessively. The message “Engine Power Reduced” message and “Stabili-trak” warning light illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to get the vehicle parked in a parking space and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,200.

NHTSA ODI #11569228

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2024
Engine

Cold weather here apparently caused the rear main seal to blow out and leak all of my oil out of the vehicle very quickly. Now I’m left with a car that will not run, extended warranty will not cover. I’ve read MANY stories of the same exact thing happening to equinoxes. If this is so common why is it not covered? I have 2 small …

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Cold weather here apparently caused the rear main seal to blow out and leak all of my oil out of the vehicle very quickly. Now I’m left with a car that will not run, extended warranty will not cover. I’ve read MANY stories of the same exact thing happening to equinoxes. If this is so common why is it not covered? I have 2 small children 6 and under and work full time. I cannot afford a new vehicle. So disappointing this is such a common problem yet not covered at all leaving people without a vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11569123

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.

Go deeper into Chevrolet Equinox problems