Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 060232002 | 12/01/2006 | 060232002B | 10019478 | Normal operating characteristics of electric power steering (eps) system during extended lock-to-lock (maximum steering wheel rotation) usage. *tt | 03/16/2006 |
| 08022004 | 08/02/2004 | 10013328 | Groan hiss grinding noise while turning steering wheel at low speeds or standing still. *eh | 04/14/2005 | |
| 040308008A | 11/01/2005 | 040308008B | 10012178 | Groan hiss grind noise while turning steering wheel at low speeds. *eh update. *tt update. *nm | 02/16/2005 |
| 040232006 | 08/01/2004 | 10011194 | Rattle noise from front of vehicle or clunk felt in steering wheel while driving on rough roads. *tt | 01/10/2005 | |
| 3093B | 01/01/2004 | 10010260 | Groan/hiss/grind noise while turning steering wheel at low speeds. *tt | 11/08/2004 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 2084A | 10008860 | Rub or scrape noise from steering column when turning left or right. *mj | 08/24/2004 | ||
| 02084 | 01/01/2004 | 10007780 | Rub or scrape noise from steering column turning left or right. *tt | 07/12/2004 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 08222004 | 08/22/2004 | 10013091 | Steering wheel does not lock with key removed or steering wheel no longer locks after replacing ignition lock housing. *tt | 04/07/2005 | |
| 3084 | 10010376 | Steering wheel does not lock with key removed. *tt | 11/17/2004 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/14/2013 | 130000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while parked, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. additionally, there was a loud bang heard from the front end of the vehicle followed by a clunking noise coming from the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the technician stated the rack and pinion and steering shaft would have to be replaced. the air bag failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000. kmj | |||
| 01/14/2013 | 13000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated while parked the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel. additionally, there was a loud banging noise coming from the front end of the vehicle and a clunking noise coming from the steering. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the technician stated the rack and pinion and steering shaft would have to be replaced. the air bag failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000. da | |||
| 02/03/2012 | 56000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the contact heard a really loud grinding noise and the steering became very difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnose that the carrier bearing needed to be replaced. the failure recurred six months later. the vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic and was awaiting repair. in addition, the contact mentioned that the front struts were defective, the front driver side power window failed, and whenever the vehicle was started it hesitated and fuel fumes were emitted into the vehicle. the failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 56,300. pmb | |||
| 02/03/2012 | 56000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated while driving 50 mph the contact heard a really loud grinding noise and made the steering very difficult. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the carrier bearing was replaced. 6 months later the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic and was awaiting repair. the contact stated there was also a failure in her front struts, there was grinding noise in her steering, the front driver side power window failed, and when she started the vehicle it hesitated until she engaged the accelerator and then the vehicle started but she smelled gas. the failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileages 56,300. dt | |||
| 01/31/2012 | |||
| Car doesn't start on first attempt. it tries, then even after i release the key it continues to start, like its stuck, i have to pump the gas to get it to start, and it acts flooded. i have spent close to $5000.00 dollars, brakes, wheel bearings, emergency brake. the front end began to feel very loose. the problem was that the struts prematurely failed and created a very dangerous driving condition. replaced mounts struts etc etc this car has been a nightmare i bought thios car new out of the dealer. 2005 new problem stearing wheel is making a grinding noise dealer is saying $1300.00 to repair it when does it stop gm / chevy needs to fix this cars at no cost | |||
| 05/06/2011 | 81000 | ||
| On may 6th 2011 i was traveling to work on the 17w expressway. after exiting the expressway and making a left hand turn on to grant avenue where i am employed my steering wheel felt funny. upon making a left hand turn in to the parking lot my steering completely went leaving the steering wheel to spin completely around with no control of the tires what so ever. there is a defect in the compartment that holds the rack and pinion. if the steering wheel had became defective while traveling on the express way at sixty five miles an hour there would have been nothing i could do but brake and god knows what way the wheels would have turned and how many incident people i would have wiped out before the vehicle came to a stop probably flipping because of lack of control. this is a serious situation and i see that there have been recalls on chevy products for this exact defect. people are going to be killed and probably have been prior to this incident. this has to be rectified immediately. i believe chevy should recall these vehichles immediately. my vin# is as follows: 2cndl73f356040374. this repair is costing me $670.00 with cost of repair and towing. i believe that i should be reimbursed for chevy's negligence. | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 30000 | ||
| I have a 2005 chevrolet equinox lt with the vehicle identification number (vin) 2cndl63f556188181, 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. | |||
| 06/30/2009 | 51000 | ||
| I have a 2005 chevy equinox ls. i purchased the vehicle january 2009 seemed to be driving pretty good. i took it out of town and as i began to stop at the stop light the steering felt loose and the wheels moved side to side on its own. i thought it strange but kept on driving. started up the on ramp and the steering wheel had a loose like play in it. didn't think anything of it. started to excel onto the highway and as i began to reach 60 miles per hr the front end started moving loosely left to right. then i started reaching 65 miles per hr and the front bounced and wobbled as if it were going to drop. i had to go 75 miles per hr before the jiggling of the front end of the van stopped. the van drove great at 60 or less. whenever putting on the breaks there would be a crunching noise as if a pole was in the way keeping the foot break from pushing down to the floor. i would have to lightly lift my foot then push it down quickly to stop the van safely. this is very dangerous and should have been taken care of before selling the vehicle. | |||
| 01/05/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I bought my car brand new with 4 miles on it. i have been the only owner. since i purchased my vehicle i have had to have the fuel pump replaced in 2007 ($1400). my car has been in the shop numerous times for costly repairs. my key comes out of the ignition while driving, and it is hard to start. i have to wiggle the key every other time i try to start my car. i've also had problems with my car starting. when i go to crank it up it sounds likes it tries to start then dies. this happens often. my car is not in the shop due to water leakage. there a large collection of water with my spare tire, and the floor in the back seat is soaked. i was told from the gm service department they see this often in my model vehicle but no recall for it at this time so it's out of my own pocket. also i have taken my vehicle to the dealer several times for my steering wheel. it makes a loud sound every time the wheel is turned and they cannot seem to fix the problem. i have had to replace my headlights and brake lights very often. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2010 | 34200 | 1 | |
| While driving my 2005 vehicle to work noticed a lot of smoke coming out of the front of steering wheel. had the vehicle taken to the dealership and was told that the power steering parts had to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 63900 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while driving 30 mph, the contact felt a vibration and heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. no warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the carrier barron was failing. the repair would cost $1,300; however, the necessary part was on backorder. the vehicle has not been repaired and the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 63,900 and current mileage was 64,000. | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| Door locks do not unlock unless manually operated and steering box faulty causing loose steering. *tr | |||
| 11/08/2008 | 1 | ||
| The chevy equinox is over-all a piece of garbage. ever since i bought it in 2004 it has given nothing but problems. i bought the vehicle brand new, but i doesn't perform like a brand new vehicle. since i've had this vehicle it has over heated on me, the ac system had to be repaired, the gage lights keep coming on as if something is wrong with the vehicle, when i drive on the express way and hit 60 mph the steering wheel start shaking when as i'm braking, the one belt that the equinox has snapped while i was driving, and three weeks after i got the belt fixed as i was driving and i turned on the ac the vehicle started smoking. keep in mind that my warranty expired earlier this year so majority of these expenses are coming out of my pocket, and guess what, yesterday on 9nov2008 the equinox died on me. i can't even get it to start. when i turn the key all the vehicle is doing is making a clicking noise but it's not turning over. i don't know if it's the battery because the horn works, the gage lights come on, the radio works, but it's just not turning over. it's back in the shop again, and there's no telling how much this is going to set me back. this vehicle has given me and my wife so much heart ache, and what i just listed were some of the high lights of problems that this vehicle has given us. times are tough right now and this equinox is not making things any easier. the gm company should be ashamed of themselves for making such a crappy product such as this vehicle. never again will i ever buy another chevy or any other gm product. i regret ever buying this vehicle. *tr | |||
| 02/13/2008 | 31000 | 1 | |
| Problems with car began immediately (transmission, air conditioner, odometer, window motor, car shifting abruptly, and skidding on any wet service.) finally went into 20 ft skid, wheels locked, no response to steering. car hit pole. airbags did not deploy, seat belts did not lock. car totaled. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2005 | 5 | ||
| 2005 chevrolet equinox safety issue with the steering. consumer states that the steering failed completely. dealer blamed the failure on ice in the wheel well. then the trouble light illuminated and the issue has not yet been fixed properly. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle had to be towed because it wouldn't start. the dealer cleaned the connector, however the computer did not pick up any diagnostic history, even though the trouble light had been coming on quite consistently. on feb 25, 2006 the consumer once again lost steering, but regained it and continued to drive. at that time they replaced the ignition switch. the trouble light continued to come on and once again the vehicle would not start. the dealer discovered that by pushing on the fuse box, the vehicle would start and steer. on 2 separate occasions, the consumer became stranded, the doors wouldn't unlock and the vehicle wouldn't start, but the horn worked. the consumer let the vehicle sit overnight and when she came back, the vehicle still would not automatically unlock, she opened the door manually and pounded on the fuse box, and the vehicle started up. the second time the consumer became stuck, pounding on the fuse box did not work and the vehicle didn't start, even though the battery was fine. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and for the second time, the ignition switch was replaced. as soon as the consumer left the dealer the trouble light illuminated again. the consumer stated the steering continues to go out a couple of times. the consumer also stated the resume button for the cruise control doesn't always work properly. *jb | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 24000 | 3 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. since purchasing the vehicle at 24,000 miles, the steering wheel and brakes have not worked and the service engine soon light illuminates intermittently. the purchase date, vin, powertrain, and engine size were unknown. the current mileage was 30,000 and failure mileage was 24,000. updated 12/07/07 | |||
| 09/10/2007 | 20200 | 0 | 01/20/2007 |
| My chevy equinox has a loud groan, grinding noise when making low speed turns such as in parking lots or sharp turns. there was a recall notice from 2004 to january 2006 but chevrolet informs me that my vehicle is 3 numbers off so they will not make repairs. since it was for the chevy equinox i don't see that it matters what the numbers are if my vehicle is having the same problem. i have spoken with the local dealer and chevrolet with no positive response. i question whether this is causing more problems with the steering and whether it is safe. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2007 | 21523 | 1 | 09/24/2005 |
| On january 26 i took my 2005 chevrolet equinox to the dealership from which i purchased it (classic east, madison ohio 44057) for an oil change and mentioned that i heard a rattle in my steering column when i was on rough road. they attempted to fix the noise by adjusting the preload steering gear, but it did not work so they special ordered a part. i returned on february 1 and they attempted to fix the noise by installing a power steering gear, but that did not work. using technical assistance from general motors, they ran several diagnostic tests and ultimately ended up replacing the steering column on february 2. on february 3 i phoned the dealership to let the service department know that the steering did not feel right- it was alternately very loose or very tight. i was told that i had electronic power steering, so that was normal. i stated that it had never been that way before, but was assured that it was normal and i should drive it for a while to see if it got better. on february 24, i was driving in a parking lot and heard a snap in my steering column. at that point, i had lost all control of the steering and was able to turn the wheel 360 degrees with no impact on the tires or car. i had the car towed to the dealer at that time. at this time, they have not yet determined if this was dealer installation error or a faulty part. nm | |||
| 12/08/2006 | 34300 | 5 | 10/09/2006 |
| Brake noise,thumping and grinding. steering wheel is very tight and loosens at any time. rotors are faulty. when starting periodically ignition switch sticks in the cranking position once manually started unless you jiggle key, causing possible fire hazard. *nm | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 1 | 11/05/2004 | |
| 2005 chevrolet equinox experiencing problems with the steering.*mr the vehicle is equipped with variable steering. it was the consumer's understanding that with variable steering, the steering was looser during city driving and would become tighter during highway driving. the consuemr feels that the steering was too loose, that the vehicle wandered and pulled to the left while driving. *nm | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 11/11/2006 | 6 | ||
| We purchased a 2005 chevy equinox in september of 2005. through our research, this was one of the only vehicles that would accommodate 2 rear facing child seats with safe operation. the equinox now has approximately 16, 000 miles on it. on 11 november 2006, my wife and our 14 month old twin daughters were on their way to visit her friend. i receive a phone call from my wife. she is frantically screaming to me that something is wrong with the equinox. she explains that when she applies the brakes at speeds above 45 -50 mph, she is experiencing a violent shaking of the vehicle's front end and the steering wheel, and feels that she would not be able to stop the vehicle in an emergency situation. i advise her to decrease her speed and continue to her friends house and that i will return home and take our subaru to meet her. we switch vehicles. once on the highway, i accelerate to approximately 65-70 mph and notice traffic backing up due to police activity down the road. i apply the brakes slightly and the equinox begins to shake violently to the point that it feels as though the front wheels are pulling in opposite directions, and i am having a difficult time keeping the vehicle between the marked lanes. the steering wheel is also shaking and i have to grip it tightly to hold on. i don't recall having experienced a steering wheel shake this violently. after decreasing to about 50 mph, the shaking subsided to the point that the vehicle was controllable within the lanes. this occurred several more times during the ride home, so i sustained a speed that was safe for myself and the other motorists. a trip that would take a little over an hour took about 2 hours to complete with minimal traffic. being that this occurred over a weekend, we have not been able to get the chevy to the dealership or a repair station to have it checked. after having the chevy checked i will notify your administration of the outcome. *nm | |||
| 07/12/2006 | 15859 | 8 | 04/09/2005 |
| Cd player broke, water soaking floor boards twice causing mold & mildew. complete loss of radiator fluid, loss of engine power while driving twice. unusual wear of tires. rubbing in steering column when turning, knocking sound when turning slowly to the right, a/c not cooling efficiently. *nm | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 02/15/2005 | 6000 | 11/13/2004 | |
| Dt:consumer has been told by dealer that vehicle had excessive clearance in the steering shaft. this caused a banging noise when vehicle was jarred, and loose steering. dealer told consumer that there were eight people with same problem that were on waiting list to have problem repaired at this dealership. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/19/2005 | 20 | 2 | 06/10/2004 |
| Very erratic steering when changing lanes at 50 mph caused me to lose control and crashed into a grassy ditch. this was the second time i noticed the steering was very different then i have ever felt. after hitting the ditch the car rolled. remarkably, i was not injured and both airbags deployed and my seat belt kept me from injury. there wasn't any broken glass. the car held up to the 5 star safety. my concern is the bobble effect when changing lanes and the too tight steering. fortunately, no other vehicles were involved. my equinox suffered about $10500 damage. $4500 were for the airbags and related parts. my car is still in getting fixed. my only complaint is the steering at highway speeds. i will no longer have confidence in driving this on the highway.*ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 05/02/2005 | 3 | 06/06/2004 | |
| I purchased a chevy equinox in 2004, since i got it, i have taken my car 3 times to service for the cd changer, and once i took it to check the engine service light and a really strange noise coming from the front of the car while driving, but what really concerns me is that on may 2005 i had a car accident due to my steering wheel, got locked while i was driving at 60-65 mph in a highway, prior to the accident the engine service light turned on, and a few minutes later the oil service light too, i tried to avoid impacting any other vehicle around me but i couldn't. the two tires from the passenger right side came out of the rims, the tire from the drivers rear side came completely out of place. the strange thing is that the impact was in the drivers side door by the handles, but it looks like the whole car was put in a two story building and had been throw down from it, because it didn't support the collision. they are still investigating this incident. they estimated the damages in almost $8,000.00 | |||