Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 3527 | 10016556 | Transmission fluid leaking from front axle seal. *tt | 09/22/2005 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 12/03/2012 | 72000 | ||
| Heater blows cold air and defrost does not work properly | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 23000 | 1 | |
| My 2006 chevy equinox had four problems that were fixed by replacing the steering column and motor: * several incidents where i could not turn the key in the ignition until i jerked the steering wheel back and forth (out of frustration). * several incidents where i could not move the steering wheel after starting the engine on a hot day. turning engine off and restarting a few times finally engaged power steering assist. * several incidents where i lost power steering assist while turning corners and required assistance from the passenger to turn the steering wheel. * several incidents where i completely lost power steering and engine power while driving in rain. steering column was smoking, shaking side to side and up and down, and felt like the whole steering column was falling apart under my hands. the car slowed down and did not respond to the gas pedal, even though the engine was running. three times the escondido dealer said nothing was wrong because there were no failure codes. i thought it was wrong that i almost died and there is no error code for that, but realized i was talking to a wall. my problems continued and i went to the poway dealer who said the overheated steering motor was forcing the engine into protective mode. they asked me to leave my car and replaced the entire steering column and motor on gm warranty. none of the described incidents have recurred since replacing the steering column and motor. my problems seem similar to those stated in these complaint odi numbers: 10168607, 10181373, 10195505, 10207818, 10210502, 10245868, 10248789, 10250004, 10321311, 10364217, 10383115, 10383313, 10410417, 10419886, 10440553. these are very dangerous problems. i could have died several times and could have killed people in other cars on the road with me. i bought this car b/c my dad was a lifelong chevy fan. this is not my father's chevy. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 23000 | ||
| My 2006 chevy equinox had four problems that were fixed by replacing the steering column and motor: * several incidents where i could not turn the key in the ignition until i jerked the steering wheel back and forth (out of frustration). * several incidents where i could not move the steering wheel after starting the engine on a hot day. turning engine off and restarting a few times finally engaged power steering assist. * several incidents where i lost power steering assist while turning corners and required assistance from the passenger to turn the steering wheel. * several incidents where i completely lost power steering and engine power while driving in rain. steering column was smoking, shaking side to side and up and down, and felt like the whole steering column was falling apart under my hands. the car slowed down and did not respond to the gas pedal, even though the engine was running. three times the escondido dealer said nothing was wrong because there were no failure codes. i thought it was wrong that i almost died and there is no error code for that, but realized i was talking to a wall. my problems continued and i went to the poway dealer who said the overheated steering motor was forcing the engine into protective mode. they asked me to leave my car and replaced the entire steering column and motor on gm warranty. none of the described incidents have recurred since replacing the steering column and motor. my problems seem similar to those stated in these complaint odi numbers: 10168607, 10181373, 10195505, 10207818, 10210502, 10245868, 10248789, 10250004, 10321311, 10364217, 10383115, 10383313, 10410417, 10419886, 10440553. these are very dangerous problems. i could have died several times and could have killed people in other cars on the road with me. i bought this car b/c my dad was a lifelong chevy fan. this is not my father's chevy. | |||
| 02/12/2011 | 47859 | ||
| On february 12, 2011, i began noticing the start up problems with the 2006 chevy equinox. it intermittently has excessive cranking time to start and as of lately (jan. 19, 2012) it only has gotten worse. i took it to the shop to get it serviced the same day and they told me it was the mass airflow sensor. i paid for that but the problem did not go away. since then, i have had the radio replaced and the gas has had many fuel delivery issues. i believe it is the powertrain control module which was recalled in the 2005 chevy equinox. it needs to also be recalled for the 2006 so that i can stop wasting my time and money on something that wasn | |||
| 04/14/2011 | 57646 | ||
| Vehicle will not pass state required emission, due to readiness error code. for reasons unknown the evap and egr system code will not reset (not ready code). we were told by several mechanics to drive the vehicle for several hundred miles. after 800 miles and several failed test later the system still will not reset. we called gm and was told to take the car to a dealer. against our better judgement we had no other options available and finally took it to our local gm dealer and was told the service tech downloaded software to address a p0171 code, which cost us over $300 and to drive it 200 more miles, bring it back for a test. the system still did not reset and the car will not pass emissions. we asked the service manager for other options and all he could give us was lip service (useless rambling), possible troubleshooting repairs and more money. i found on a topix website that gm recalled the pcm for the equinox but could not find the recall on the nhtsa website. please research and post the recall if gm has issued one for the pcm. | |||
| 02/18/2011 | 67760 | ||
| I have a 2006 chevy equinox and i've been having difficulty starting it. the cd/radio was not working correctly displaying numbers/letters and signs. -failure to start -poor fuel economy -radio/cd failure i did some research and found that the 2005 chevy equinox had the same problems and a recall was issued for faulty pcm, which was covered under a nhtsa recall for replacement. the report indicated that it can cause the problems listed above at random times: i checked with the dealership and they indicated that there is no listing for recalls on my 2006 chevy equinox. | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 66537 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. when water made contact with the transmission the vehicle lost power. the contact was unable to accelerate to the normal speed. the dealer confirmed that whenever water entered the transmissions protection shield it caused the vehicles speed to decrease. the dealer will replace the transmission shield. the estimated repair cost was $570.00. the contact is also unable to defrost the windshield since the heater motor failed to operate normally. a complaint regarding the failure was filed with the manufacturer. the manufacturer stated the warranty expired; therefore, they will not assist with the repairs. the failure and the current mileages were 66,537. | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 41600 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 chevrolet equinox with 41,000 miles on it. at about 50 mph i felt a vibration. a mechanic then inspected the vehicle and stated that i needed a carrier bearing for the driveshaft, and that they see this problem frequently. when i approached the dealer to secure the replacement part, i was told that there was currently at least a three month wait for the part, and that it was not advisable to drive the vehicle for safety reasons. i was then told that there were others waiting for the part as there is a nationwide shortage. calls to other dealers resulted in the same outcome, there were many customers waiting for this part and were unable to drive their vehicle in the meanwhile. the parts are on order, but it is clearly apparent that there is a defect in this part, as it should not need replacement so often and in low mileage vehicles. *tr | |||
| 03/03/2006 | 1 | ||
| 17 trips to the dealership for repeated problems with brakes, rotors, bearings, transmission, clicking/other sound in engine compartment not fixed as of yet by gm, broken door hinge, broken license plate bolt receivers, starter, seat belt clip, air conditioner, remotes, noises in front end, engine miss, clunking when wheels spun on wet pavement. *tr | |||
| 11/19/2005 | 17080 | 800 | 11/19/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact hears excessive noise coming from the rear of the vehicle when driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately five times and they replaced the rear differential twice. currently, the vehicle is still making the noise. there are no recalls on the vehicle. the fuel system was unknown. the current mileage was 18,300 and failure mileage was 17,080. updated 4/21/08 *cn updated 04/21/08 *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 02/18/2011 | 67760 | ||
| I have a 2006 chevy equinox and i've been having difficulty starting it. the cd/radio was not working correctly displaying numbers/letters and signs. -failure to start -poor fuel economy -radio/cd failure i did some research and found that the 2005 chevy equinox had the same problems and a recall was issued for faulty pcm, which was covered under a nhtsa recall for replacement. the report indicated that it can cause the problems listed above at random times: i checked with the dealership and they indicated that there is no listing for recalls on my 2006 chevy equinox. | |||
| 01/04/2011 | 58026 | ||
| I brought my 2006 chevy equinox in for a oil change on 1/4/11 and was told that my carrier bearing on the drive shaft was completely shot. i was informed to bring it to a mechanic right away otherwise i will lose my drive shaft. i brought my car immediately to the shop and was told that the part had to be ordered from gm and the part was around $500-$600. i contacted gm because if i was driving on the highway and the drive shaft went my car could have flipped and put me and others in danger. i was told by gm that they would not help with the costs of the bearing. when the bearing goes, which i'm told should have never gone, the car should vibrate badly or make noises which even the mechanic noted that no signs were given. if i had not brought my car in for a oil change i would have never known about this problem. i drive myself along with a disabled daughter and 2 year old grandson in this car and i have put all of us at risk even other drivers. this had to be a defective bearing that gm refuses to take care of. i feel that they didn't care about the safety of myself and other drivers on the road. now i have to wait for this expensive part and then have it repaired. thank god for the oil change because that is what i feel saved my life and others. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 52000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. while driving at any speed, the contact noticed that the check engine and traction control warning lights would illuminate intermittently, causing the vehicle to loose all power. the dealer made four attempts to diagnose a failure. the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was approximately 53,000. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000. the vin was unavailable. bw | |||
| 05/05/2010 | |||
| I took my 2006 chevy equinox in to an authorized dealer to look my vehicle over up an down to fix anything that was potentially wrong with it before my warranty ran out at 80,000 miles to which they said nothing was wrong! 3,000 miles later my oil changing guys whom i trust and always use pointed out that my carrier bearing is completely obliterated and advised the vehicle is 100% unsafe to drive and should not be on the road. from what i have read this is potentially a fatal problem especially if the drive train falls out moving at high speeds. my mechanic told me he wouldn't let his dog ride in the vehicle. i am frustrated with the authorized dealer and frustrated that gm would allow these unsafe problems to occur on their vehicles(shame on you gm). | |||
| 03/03/2006 | 1 | ||
| 17 trips to the dealership for repeated problems with brakes, rotors, bearings, transmission, clicking/other sound in engine compartment not fixed as of yet by gm, broken door hinge, broken license plate bolt receivers, starter, seat belt clip, air conditioner, remotes, noises in front end, engine miss, clunking when wheels spun on wet pavement. *tr | |||
| 06/21/2007 | 7056 | 1 | 11/21/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle made a thumping noise while driving. eventually, the vehicle stalled and failed to move. the dealer stated that the failure was caused by a defective sensor connected to the transmission, which prompts the rpm to downshift. the vehicle has been in the repair shop for 21 days. the failure mileage and speed were unknown. the current mileage was 7,500. the consumer stated questions the safety of the vehicle because it downshifts at high speeds and may cause an accident. the consumer stated the failure mileage is 7,035 and 10mph. updated 08/29/07 *tr | |||
| 11/16/2006 | 19000 | 9 | 10/30/2005 |
| 2006 chevy equinox has shut off 9 times w/in 3 separate rain weather incidents. spring 2006. i advised him that my car has shut off repeatedly when it was raining 4 several days or when we have rainstorms. the most serious incident is when i had my family in the car driving to bridgeport,ct on the evening nov 16, 2006. it started to rain really hard & my car started to make this roaring sound all of a sudden . i was pressing on the gas & i noticed the car had lost power. the lights were on but the odometer was dropping. i kept pressing the gas pedal & nothing happen. there were a lot of trailers/cars on the road. i couldn't see in front of me because of the heavy rain fall. i slowly moved over trying to get to the shoulder since the car was still gliding on the rain. i was at exit 27 southbound on i95 which is a down ramp 2 get off the exit i couldn't see the shoulder on the side of the highway b/c of the rain & i was afraid 4 me & my families due 2 safety reasons that moving on the shoulder with the hard visibility due 2 the rain wouldn't be a smart move on my part. so i was able 2 make it w/no power steering down the exit ramp i was able 2 pull over off the highway. the car has turned it's self off when it rains really hard in a storm or it has been raining 4 hours. this is a major concern & safety issue 4 me & my family. i shouldn't have 2 inconvenience my family & friends when it rains but i'm afraid my family & i could get killed. something occurs. i can't put my families life in jeopardy or my own. i can't trade in the car because if god forbid someone else gets this car & gets killed then i would have some fault in knowing i gave a faulty car 2 a dealership. i can't live with that. yes, it's an inconvenience 4 me and my family but i know their is a problem with this car that needs 2 be fix or solved b4 someone gets killed. i could have caused an accident on i95 & killed myself, my family & other people on the highway. please help me? *nm | |||
| 07/03/2006 | 50 | 50 | 07/03/2006 |
| Bought new 2006 equinox with three original miles. 1) right rear seat belt locked up, ratchet tighter and would not release until removed and fully retracted. six occurrences, three times to dealer who could not duplicate. 2) left rear seat belt locked up, ratchet tighter and would not release until removed and fully retracted. four occurrences, three times to dealer who could not duplicate. 3) engine falters when in reverse. three occurrences, dealer has not looked at this issue. 4) instrument cluster / gauges not working. three occurrences, two times to dealer who could not duplicate. 5) engine will not start. six occurrences, one time to dealer who could not duplicate. 6) engine will hesitate to start / extended crank. five occurrences, one time to dealer who reprogrammed pcm but issue still exists. 7) ignition switch grinding or will not turn. daily occurrences, one time to dealer, issue still exists. 8) no onstar data communication. one occurrence, one time to dealer who could not duplicate. 9) onstar unable to detect service light in instrument cluster. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 10) engine coolant extremely low within 5000 original miles. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 11) engine coolant brown and foaming. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 12) alarm system deactivated itself, interior and exterior lights on, doors were still locked. issue not brought to dealer at this time. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 11/27/2006 | 6919 | 6 | 07/03/2006 |
| (1) on or about 10/27/06, alarm system deactivated itself, interior and exterior lights turned on, doors remained locked. (2) on 11/01/06, alarm system activated itself, doors locked themselves. (3) on 11/27/06, vehicle shuttered and went into 'limp' mode which may have caused damage to the transmission. onstar and dealer retrieved the following error codes: (i) p1626 - theft deterrent fuel enable signal lost, (ii) c0276 - traction control not allowed (tcm / abs), (iii) u0100 - lost communications with transmission control module (tcm), (iv) u2105 - lost communication with engine control module (ecm). between 11/27/06 and 12/21/06, dealer supposedly replaced bcm three times and 3rd new bcm fixed problem. each new bcm would go to zero (0) and the mileage could not be programmed. during that time the theft deterrent system was deactivated which was unknown to me. current mileage is incorrect. i believe that the original faulty bcm may have been re-installed and the codes cleared when they were unable to fix the problem. i do not believe that the other none-bcm error codes have been addressed but the dealer forced me to take my vehicle home on 12/21/06. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/14/2006 | 1200 | 1 | 07/04/2006 |
| I have had issues with this vehicle since a few months after the original purchase. the problems started with a load knocking noise that originated from the rear of the vehicle, after 5 attempts to fix at the dealership, they eventually ended up replacing the entire rear axel and all components. after this issue was resolved, the brakes began making a high pitched squealing noise that gets progressively worse each day. the brakes have been inspected and do not need replacement. sounds like some parts may dislodge from the vehicle. there is also an issue with starting the vehicle. at random times, the vehicle will not turn over when cranked to start. the car is currently in the shop to try and resolve the brake noises and starting issue. the vehicle has been in the shop at least 10 times. would like to have the vehicle purchased back by chevy. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 05/08/2010 | 23764 | 1 | |
| While driving my dad's 2006 chevrolet equinox, it suddenly started vibrating rather badly at about 45-50 mph. i checked the vehicle out, and found that the carrier bearing had rusted apart, and basically was doing nothing. the vehicle only had 23,750 miles on it, but is out of warranty due to age. to repair the vehicle was almost $500. i have read dozens if not hundreds of complaints about this same problem from consumers that feel the same as i do. general motors knows that there is a problem concerning this and they will do nothing to rectify the problem. they put a defective poorly made part on this vehicle and it needs to be covered under a recall. a failure of this bearing at 70 mph probably would have caused a drive shaft failure {separation}, which could lead to an accident. i sincerely hope that gm can be made accountable in this instance, because they are ripping the public off with their inferior craftsmanship. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2010 | |||
| I took my 2006 chevy equinox in to an authorized dealer to look my vehicle over up an down to fix anything that was potentially wrong with it before my warranty ran out at 80,000 miles to which they said nothing was wrong! 3,000 miles later my oil changing guys whom i trust and always use pointed out that my carrier bearing is completely obliterated and advised the vehicle is 100% unsafe to drive and should not be on the road. from what i have read this is potentially a fatal problem especially if the drive train falls out moving at high speeds. my mechanic told me he wouldn't let his dog ride in the vehicle. i am frustrated with the authorized dealer and frustrated that gm would allow these unsafe problems to occur on their vehicles(shame on you gm). | |||
| 02/27/2010 | 23000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 chevy equinox 23,000 miles. during very heavy rain i lost all acceleration and the car slowed down. i was on the highway so i was very lucky to not die because traffic was light and there was room for me to get right (slowly...) the rain got lighter and acceleration resumed. *tr | |||
| 09/05/2009 | 23000 | 1 | |
| The center carrier baring in my 2006 chevy equinox is completely rusted and falling apart. the part however is on backorder for 3-6 months wherever i call. i think since the piece is in such great demand it should be recalled. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 11/19/2005 | 17080 | 800 | 11/19/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact hears excessive noise coming from the rear of the vehicle when driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately five times and they replaced the rear differential twice. currently, the vehicle is still making the noise. there are no recalls on the vehicle. the fuel system was unknown. the current mileage was 18,300 and failure mileage was 17,080. updated 4/21/08 *cn updated 04/21/08 *tr | |||