I have had numerous problems with my 2005 awd chevy equinox, including the head gaskets blowing, losing acceleration on the 270/highway, ongoing acceleration problems, and other problems which still continue. I have begged for chevy to help get the car fully repaired and the customer service representatives just keep telling me to bring it into the dealer. I've tried two dealers and returned to the purchasing dealer who will only make repairs if they can pull a code - they report I am having problems with my spark plug wires - first they reattached it, and then replaced one but car still doesn't drive as it did before head gaskets blew. Please, please help me - I've had my car in the shop 8 times in 4 months and the dealer and chevy will not provide me with an extended warranty - car warranty ends in 6 months or help repair properly. I am scared to drive this car and don't know what to do as they don't take my concerns seriously as the only way they diagnose is by pulling codes.
2005 Chevrolet Equinox engine complaints
Page 6 of 7: complaints 131 to 160 of 165, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tensioner,pulley& fan belts failures...driver side window-defect..windows freezes will not go up,when up will not go down..
I bought the eqinox in the end of february 2005. I noticed a sour smell, and had the dealer clean interior because of the rotten smell. The smell persisted, and the dealer had the coolant system flushed and said that would cure the problem. Then , when the weather warmed up and I turned on the vent light steam would come out of the vents and moisture on the window inside. I had the car in the shop again for 5 days, and they said they could not find anything wrong. They had flushed the system again and the smell was still there. Two weeks later the engine light came on. I took it back to the originals dealer, and they determined the heater core was gone and they replaced it and seemed to run fine , except it seemed to run hot and would leave a large puddle. I complained, but the dealer told me that it was normal, and that all was okay. Last month in may 2007 every time I stopped the temperature gauge would climb so the dealer replaced the thermostat. 3 weeks later the gauge would hit red every time I would stop at a light. I brought it back again this time they said the head gaskets were shot. I contacted chevrolet, and they were supposed to gave me the parts, but it still cost $918.00 since now I was out of warranty. I have spoken to several mechanics, and they claimed the engine heads warped due to the heater core problems in the beginning, and that if I had a private repairman repair the gaskets the job would have coasted $1000, and chevrolet did not give me any real break.
Bought the car used with 20,000 and it was having problems a week later. Passenger window would not roll up,grinding and clicking at slow turns. They replaced rotors ,clutch and suspension and the problem was solved. Then came the air condition not blowing cold air and the ignition sticking on start up. The final straw was the transmission slipping and dropping into lower gears,the car will be in the shop in the morning. Last chevy I will ever buy back to nissan.
Tl*- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. While driving at 55 MPH on an incline the engine lost power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle immediately. The check engine occasionally illuminated before the engine stalled. The dealer informed the contact that this problem was due to a cracked spark plug which was caused by rain entering the vehicle through the windshield and coming into contact with the spark plugs. The spark plugs were replaced, and a shield was sealed to prevent water from coming into contact with spark plugs. The contact stated approximately 3 months later she experienced the same problem. The dealer removed and replaced the spark plug, the wire and the coil. A month later the vehicle experienced the same problem. The dealer informed the contact that a cracked spark plug was the reason for this occurrence. The vehicle currently had 33,000 miles.
2005 chevy equinox awd, 3 starters, 3 coolant tanks, all coolant hoses changed, heater changed twice, a pillar panels leaked air, radiator replaced, battery bolt replaced, rear shelf broke, constant coolant smell in car, made wife sick, had car 5 months approx, spend around 90 + days in shop, dealer did all they could, but g.m. Refused to work on car under warranty anymore, g.m. " forced " to buy back under lemon law, bought toyota, period. Have all receipts and paper work for anybody interested.
There have been several problems that have been fixed, however one remains. There is a popping noise, coming from the back end, resulting in many pops in a series, and then it won't do it again. This usually happens after a cold start and driving it for a couple minutes then coming to a stop. However it has happened immediately at start up and during the course of driving for the first couple minutes.
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.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted and was placed in drive, however it did not move. The vehicle was towed to a dealership who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Also, the vehicle shook while driving over 60 MPH and when the brakes were applied. The dealership replaced the tires twice, rotated, and balanced the tires in an effort to correct the problem. The dealership also replaced the rims, wheels, and hubs, however the problem persisted. In addition, the air conditioner unit fell off the bracket which caused the engine to shut down. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. Updated10/04/06.
Took in for oil change and lube tech at dealer suggested take in for service due to discoloration of antifreeze, told by service advisor this was okay and not to worry. Second oil change same issues, finally have appointment to hopefully correct,poor gas mileage, erratic shifting, gas cap that will not stay on,check engine light once or twice a week, and only 8300 hundred miles on vehicle. Will have hard time buying another chevorlet again.
Dt*: the contact stated there were numerous problems with the vehicle. First, the engine would intermittently not crank. The dealer replaced the battery however, this did not correct the problem. Second, while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle intermittently did not slow down. The brake pedal was pumped several times to get the brakes to activate correctly. Third, the transmission revved high and intermittently did not change gears correctly while driving. Fourth, the ABS lamp illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the ABS lamp was reset. Lastly, the front passenger window was rolled down and would not rise back up. The dealer replaced the window regulator and the window was repaired. The vehicle was repeatedly taken to the dealer and addressed the problems that could be duplicated and made appropriate repairs. Hard start/hesitation and almost stalling. Also, determined speed sensor was causing reduced power.
I purchased my 2005 chevy equinox on aug. 22, 2005 and instantly fell in love. Soon after it began to smell as if my vehicle was going to over heat. I took the vehicle to the dealer to have it check out and nothing was found. Although they did add more antifreeze. Things were going fine until it got cold outside. When starting my brand new 2005 chevy equinox a popping noise was heard from the rear. I took it to the dealer and they stated that it was the exhaust. They replaced the exhausted and nothing was heard, at least for two weeks. Needless the say the noise has come back and no one seems to know what's wrong. To top it off a foul smell comes from the vents went the heat is on. I now have to ride with the window slightly open because the smell is now cause headaches for me and my passengers. I am deeply concerned about the condition of my vehicle because I have a small child that I am concerned about while traveling in this car.
Bought brand new 2005 chevy equinox. Bad odor coming from vents. Dex cool is corroding cooling system, and engine. 17,000 miles have had it in 3 times for entire coolant system flush... Still is un bearable. Be aware this is not an isolated case. Consequence- after extended drive (greater than 30 minutes) results in light-headedness, headache, or watery burning eyes. It leaves a film of antifreeze vapor on the windshield, on the inside. Gm does not consider this vehicle inoperable. Go figure. Gm has done little to satisfy our needs, they pay for new hoses and flush- which obviously doesn't work. 900 dollars a pop, for the same result. Parts repaired: 5 hoses (all of them) 3x, dex-cool 3x. Safety is something they strive for at gm, what happened?
There is a bad smell coming from the air vents. Found out that there was mold in the cooling system. There are many many other things that have been wrong with my car. They have had 3 attempts to fix the problem and have not. I have a dr. Statement that the car is not safe for me to drive because of my asthma and other medical problems. The car has been back to the dealership 8 times since I bought it in april for many things. But 3 times for the smell and 3 times for the brakes and nether have been fixed.
Check engine light keeps going on and they've only been able to ascertain anything a couple of times. The code is lost in the computer with multiple starts and shut offs of the engine. The computer is reset at different intervals--no one can tell me how long I have to get to the dealership after the error light is lit.
I have a 2005 chevy equinox the muffler system is very loud and needs replaced. I have taken it to the dealer where I bought it and they say there is no way to fix the problem. Even the garage manager agrees that it is to loud.
Contact states: bought a brand new vehicle in august 2004. The anti-freeze was changed. The anti-freeze was brown and the smell was severe and nauseous. The car has been the shop 9 times with so many different reasons. The antifreeze line wasn't bled right and the antifreeze was leaking in the ground. There was a leak in the dome light and sunroof, the suspension and engine would tick, the horn did not work, there were front end problem, the shifter would stick, there ignition problem, noise when turning the vehicle, gas mileage problem and there was a toxic smell from the anti-freeze, the vehicle over heated, the brakes made noises, the consumer had driven through a car wash, the dome light had filled with water, the lower dash was dripping water and the vehicle would not accelerate vehicle would not accelerate and the engine light had illuminated, the vehicle pulled to the right when driving and when braking,there was poor gas mileage during city driving, there was a loud noises when making turns on the front struts, the front brake rotors were out of round, the shifter would stick, the ignition cylinder was binding, there was popping when the vehicle was started from cold, and the brake pedal would go to the floor. *sc
Coolant was turning brown and starting to smell. Defective hoses were the problem. Hoses had to be replaced, engine flushed, new coolant, etc. Chevy knows of the problem, but has not informed any owners.
Foul odor in cabin coming from heater, also smell is noticable outside the car. Checked the coolant and it is dark brown and has a strong foul odor. The vehicle does not get anywhere near the mileage per gallon that gm states it should get of 19 and 25. Lucky if it get 13mpg city and 15 highway.
The radiator is leaking coolant, increasing the chance of the vehicle to overheat. Taken to dealer twice for repairs, but the problem recurred.
I own a 2005 chevrolet equinox with 8500 miles, the antifreeze is dark brown in color and there is a film of brown stuff on the recovery bottle. It also smells like rotten meat.
2005 chevrolet equinox - bad odor coming from HVAC and coolant system, first noticed with approximately 1200 miles on the SUV, had in and was told they could do nothing, after further complaining they contacted gm and told me they had to order some new "stuff" and once in they would replace and flush the coolant. I've called twice now over the past month, dealership still has not received "stuff". Issue not resolved.
Cooling system problems, foul smell, fluid is a dark color when it should be light pink. Problem was first pointed out at 2nd oil change appointment. They advised that the cooling system was malefunctioning and that I should contact the dealership to have this fixed. They also mentioned that they have seen 3 other equinox's all with the same problem. Upon contacting the dealership they advised that it was not a malefunction, they did not seem concerned about this problem. Appointment is scheduled in a couple days. Upon reading more about this cooling system problem I am even more concerned due to the fact that there is yet to be a recall and all of the vehicles are having the same problem.
Purchased a 2005 chevy equinox new from dealer. Vehicle spent two days at dealer, only for dealer to tell me that there is no fix for problem. My equinox has coolant contamination which emits a bad odor. Chevy still has to tsb out on this problem yet, and others are having the same problem. This was noticed @ 1500 miles. Currently, the vehicle has 2700. Dealer told me that there would be no problem driving until chevy comes out with tsb. If you look at the coolant resevoir, the coolant is dark in color and sludge is forming in the container (residue).
This is a correction to the complaint I submitted yesterday. The complaint number is 10100295. On that complaint please delete the part of the complaint that says the abnormal odor from the engine coolant is entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle. I found that the coolant reservoir cap was loose, allowing the strong odor of the coolant to escape and be drawn into the passenger compartment. When I tightened the cap the odor stopped entering the passenger compartment. I am still very concerned about the abnormal odor and color of the coolant. This could be adversely affecting components of the cooling system and engine.
I recently purchased a 2005 chevrolet equinox. After only 500 miles the engine coolant has turned brown and has a very bad odor (stinks). When the heater is turned on, the odor comes into the passenger compartment and is almost intolerable.
My 2005 chevrolet equinox has reoccruing problems with 1) the engine coolant turning from the normal dex cool pink color to a dark brown / black color. 2) horrible smell entering the passenger cabin when the engine is running the heat is on.the vehicle was picked up from the service department on november 18th and according to the dealer, gm's technical line is instructing all service departments to take no repair actions as they are still trying to determine the cause. The first time I took the vehicle in they performed a coolant system flush which took care of the problem for a couple of hundred miles, only to return. *ak this problem is happening all across north america so it cannot be blamed on weather or type of fuel used. I have many concerns with the long term reliability of this vehicle.
Since I've owned the vehicle, there has been a strong odor in the cabin of the car. I noticed the coolant has changed from pink to black with sludge floating in it. I am also getting far less average gas mileage than was listed. I am averaging less than 17 MPH on the highway. Not close to the 25 that is advertised. Was informed by the service manager that that the smell and other coolant issues is normal for this vehicle (05 chevrolet equinox). With the heat on and windows up, the car is almost undrivable due to the smell.
Vehicle has a foul odor inside when engine is hot or heater is on.
We purchased a 2005 chevrolet equinox on march 30, 2004. In july we started to notice a strange odor in the car. My husband would get headaches and experience dizziness when riding in the car. Since then we have had the car back 5 times for the odor problem and have both had multiple upper respiratory infections requiring medical treatment. 2 of the 5 times they found standing water in the tire well and were unable to determine the origin they replaced rear gate seals (the cargo mat carpet in the back was not even wet). Another time they replaced the carpet in the back passenger seat because they said it got wet when there was water in the tire well and was causing the odor. The next time they flushed the radiator coolant because they said they has a technical service bulletin to do so. The last time they changed the radiator hoses. The dealership (porter chevrolet in newark, de) states that they cannot replace or repurchase the vehicle as we have requested. The district service manager for gm said he rode in the car and did not smell anything so there is no basis for him to replace or repurchase the car. The dealership states that they have not had any other customers complain about an odor and they said they contacted gm and that they have not had any complaints either. There are numerous postings on edmunds.com from equinox owners who have complained to dealerships and gm from different parts of the country. Is this problem known to gm? What is the problem and is it hazardous to drive the car with this odor problem?
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