Vacuum pump failed: On May 28th, 2025 the brake pedal on our 2019 Chevrolet Equinox became very hard along with check engine light, a "Reduced Power" notification, and "Brake Assist Failure" notification. After a mechanic inspected the engine, he found that the vacuum pump had shattered. The mechanic replaced the pump with an OEM replacement from GM. On May 11th, 2026 the same exact issue happened again. 1. The vehicle and/or part is available for inspection. 2. Anyone driving or riding in the vehicle is at risk due to the difficulty of braking. 3. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer since the 2nd incident.
2019 Chevrolet Equinox brakes complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 85, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was trying to stop at a light and the brakes wouldn't work. I almost crashed into the car in front of me but I had to step on it really hard to stop. Then the brakes were stiff and it was hard to stop. I brought it to a Chevy dealer yesterday and they said the vacuum pump exploded and pieces were in the engine, and it messed up the cam shaft. This is 5l worth of damage. When I looked it up online it seems this has been an issue with GM cars and the equinox was left out of the recall which could have prevented this. I have 95k miles on this car and never had an issue until now. However it is not worth spending 5k on a car that is high in mileage.
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the brakes failed to operate properly while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake pump had exploded, causing damage to the camshaft sensors and several other parts inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched the failure and became aware of a recall associated with the failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH and exiting the parkway, the brake pedal was depressed but remained depressed to the floorboard. The contact's husband attempted to pump the brake pedal, but the vehicle was unresponsive and failed to slow down as intended. The contact's husband then shifted to neutral(N), and the parking brake was activated until the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster pump or vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
On Monday 12/22 at around 10:30am, I was driving back from Stanford CA where I have been taking my mom to her radiation therapy appointments. All of a sudden my brakes got super hard (Service Brake Assist appeared) and when pressing the brake pedal it continued to accelerate, I was able to swerve to my right hand side went over a curved side wall and pulled over before almost crashing the car in front of me and scaring my mom that was resting her head on the side seat. Vehicle has OnStar but prior to this it had not given me any alerts that is what caused such concern as it directly affects braking performance and Vehicle safety specially about this happend 8 months after purchase and No recalls are listed for my VIN. I had to call my brother to pick up mom because she has been delicate of health with cancer pain and couldn't wait long for towing truck to arrive since I used my insurance AAA to tow my car. After doing research this is a known malfunction and they are still selling the vehicles with a high price. My car has been in repair for over 3 months and still waiting.
My brakes stopped working while driving on highway I80 West. I had to have AAA tow my car to nearby shop. The mechanic said my vacuum pump needed to be replaced and he sees this happen often with Chevrolets.
On multiple occasions my vehicle (2019 equinox LT) that I bought just over 30 days ago has falsely activated the forward collision feature and slammed on its own brakes followed by “service ESC” and “service brake assist” with traction control lights and stability control lights illuminating. Dealership has confirmed that 4 computer modules are out of date on programming/updates. This is a critical safety issue and I am unsure why it hasn’t been recalled as I have read multiple instances of this. Unfortunately because it has not it is a hefty repair bill. When this happened the last time before heading into the dealership, there was a vehicle behind me that could’ve rammed into my rear due to the sudden and excessive braking at highway speeds when I was pressing on the gas.
My wife and I were in our car driving on [XXX] on [XXX] at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I was about three car lengths behind the car in front of me and I was doing 30-32 miles per hour. The brake lights in front of me went to red and I immediately stepped on my brakes but my car would not stop nor slow down causing me to hit the person in front of me. It was a matter of seconds passing but when I hit the back of that car in front of me I had both feet on the brake pedal. My car would not stop. My wife was injured, the young lady that I hit hurt her leg and the back end of her car was destroyed. Our car was totaled. The vehicle is now in possession of AAA auto insurance where I was told the brakes would be looked in to. I will be placing a call to the General Motors customer service to lodge a complaint. There were no warning signs of any type prior to this accident. This car is a 2019 model with only 30,200 miles on it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Repaired a friend's vehicle that had a total brake failure. Vehicle only has 50k miles and no brake repair history. Blew all of the brake fluid out of the stainless braided line coming from master cylinder rear brake channel to abs module. Found the line coming from the front channel to master cylinder also starting to fray and come apart as well. Did not blow out yet. No evidence of brake lines rubbing on any components or that anything has been apart or touched before. Line looks to have failed from the inside out.
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, when the vehicle in front stopped suddenly, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle slowed down; however, it did not stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal twice, and the vehicle failed to respond and rear-ended the vehicle in front, where it came to a stop. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. All the air bags were deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The insurance company was notified, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. The contact related the failure to  the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V704000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The vaccum pump for the braking system exploded in the cam shaft. Check system brake assist came up on the dash. The power brakes were non operational making it incredibly difficult to stop and increasing the distance by at least double. This is a 'known' issue with chevrolet but they have chosen NOT to issue a recall.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The contact completed the work himself. The contact recently took the vehicle the vehicle in for service at a dealer and was informed that the rear brakes and calipers would need to be replaced soon. The contact stated that the pads and rotors had been replaced approximately one year ago, and the vehicle was not driven daily. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal was extremely hard and tight. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle because the vehicle was not being driven at a high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as CAM shaft failure, timing chain, and vacuum pump failure. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft, timing chain, and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact, who was an independent mechanic, stated that it was very important that the braking system operated independently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,400.
Break assist break vacuum pump
Vehicle Information: 2019 Chevrolet Equinox VIN: [XXX] Mileage: [Insert your current mileage] Engine: 1.5L Turbo ⸻ Complaint Summary: Sudden and complete loss of brake assist while driving. Brake pedal became extremely hard to press, making it difficult to stop the vehicle safely. A warning message appeared on the dashboard stating “Brake Assist”. This happened without warning and made braking unpredictable and dangerous. If I had been driving downhill or in the mountains, I could have easily lost control or crashed. I was lucky to be on a relatively flat road when it happened. I inspected the vacuum hose and brake fluid level — both were normal. After researching, I discovered this is a known issue in 2019 Equinox models with the 1.5L turbo engine, related to vacuum pump failure or loss of vacuum supply to the brake booster. There are service bulletins and limited coverage programs (N192268490 and N182202780), but my VIN does not show an open recall. I believe this is a serious safety defect that could affect many vehicles not yet covered by the recall or service campaigns. GM needs to expand the recall and properly warn drivers before someone gets killed. Please investigate this problem and hold GM accountable for fixing this safety-critical issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My vacuum pump failed on this vehicle. Causing my brakes to lock and a crash to almost happen
I own a 2019 Chevy Equinox LT 1.5L and am experiencing the exact symptoms described in GM recall 18V576000. After 1–2 hours of driving, the rear brakes begin to drag, creating hesitation during takeoff. The issue resolves after the vehicle cools down. Both my mechanic and independent research confirm this is the same safety defect described in that recall, but my VIN is not included.
I was driving brake pedal went causing me to use emergency brake to stop. Took and got it diagnosed. The brake vacuum went out. The repair bill was $680 that have to pay tomorrow 6-19. I had someone in my car that I was transporting. This could end very card if I was an experienced CDL driver. My car 2019 Chevy Equinox only has 107,310 miles. I am so frustrated this is not on the recall list for the same problem other GM owners were having
I was driving and all of a sudden my brake assist light and engine light come on and then when I tried to brake, the brake pedal was very hard to push and it was very hard to stop.
Poor quality Vacuum Pump failed, resulting in debris in crack shaft assembly and preventing brake functionality. Check engine displays and error message stated "Service Brake Assist" which does not indicate a vacuum pump failure, which is misleading in troubleshooting issue. Hard brake pedal is a symptom, which would lead a repair facility or consumer to replace Brake Power Booster, which does not resolve issue, but will temporarily resolve brake pedal symptom, leading to further damage to crank shaft.
I was driving down the road and my engine stopped. It stopped so suddenly that I did not have time to get out of the road and my safety was put at risk. When I took it to a certified Chevrolet dealership, they told me that the vacuum pump failure caused extensive damage to the motor and I needed to have my entire motor replaced. When I asked them what I could have done to prevent such catastrophic failure, they stated that there was nothing to prevent it. I did not have any warning on my dash at the time of the incident. This was at least the 2nd vacuum pump failure on this vehicle since I've owned it. I got it replaced at a certified Chevrolet dealership in 05/2022 when my brakes went out. In 05/22, the brakes went out but I was in a driveway and I did not feel my safety was a concern at that time. Now it's not even been 3 years and the vacuum pump failure risked my safety and caused catastrophic damage to engine to be replaced.
I was driving on the freeway way and during rush hour at 65 miles per hour the brakes completely stoppped working the peddle wouldn’t press I had to swerve to avoid an accident and slowly exited the freeway when it was safe to coast over from the number one lane to the exit. The vacuum pump failed which exploded inside my engine which in turn makes the engine stop functioning and destroys the whole engine with out warning
The vehicle vacuum system and the power brake booster has caused the vehicle brake to fail in motion the second incident was almost fatal
The brake vacuum booster failed, causing the brake assist system to malfunction. Yes, the component is available for inspection upon request. While merging onto the highway, the brake pedal became extremely tight, making it difficult to slow down or stop, creating a hazardous situation. Yes, the issue was confirmed by a service center, and the brake vacuum booster is being repaired. No, the vehicle and component have not been inspected by these parties, but the service center is addressing the repair. Yes, a “Service Brake Assist” warning appeared immediately before the brake pedal tightened. Afterward, the check engine light came on.
I was driving down a driveway with a slight incline. I pressed the brakes and they were very hard to press and vehicle would not stop until I collided with a wall. This is the fourth time that this has happened in the last two years. Each time it has been the brake booster vacuum pump which my mechanics have said is a common problem with this vehicle. One of the previous times my daughter was driving on the highway when the brakes failed and she ended up in a ditch off the shoulder. This is very dangerous and someone is going to get killed if it hasn't happened already.
My wife started noticing issues with our 2019 Equinox. We got several error mesaages: service brakes, service sylteering, enigine light and abs. I did some digging online and found similar issues with other Equinox owners. The fix is to replace the battery. We did and after leaving the shop the car won't move. It will go into differnt gears but wont move and is currently at home in our driveway.
originally system warning message to service brake system. had system checked by mechanic. nothing found. after a few weeks as i was merging on a highway i felt my engine start to stall. I immediately tried to make my way to the side of highway. brakes were very hard to press and car stalled with engine light immuninating, and no power steering. code P0017. engine will crank and sputter but will not start also has blowby present. cam and crankshaft sensors/actuator solenoids were replaced, then the vacuum pump cover was opened and found broken parts inside. upon removal of pump it was found broken. suspect broken parts are blocking crankshaft or either of the cams to not be able to rotate properly. this issue possibly has cause timing chain issues as well. parts in the vacuum caused it to seize. exhaust cam continued to spin shattering the end connected on the pump. I have done research and found that others have had the same thing occur with the warning for brake system and then weeks later the brakes do not work, which is due to the pump providing pressure for the brake boost system.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal felt firm and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal two feet, the brake pedal travelled down as needed, causing the braking distance to be extended by 222 ft. approximately. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had seized and shredded to parts inside the engine. The mechanic determined that the vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that two unknown dealers and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Brakes locked up after turning off of an exit leading to an intersection and incident that could have killed myself and those around me. AAA towed my car to their garage and said it fits a safety recall according to the year make and model and I needed to take it to Chevy because the Brake Vacuum Pump has disintegrated despite my brakes, rotors, brake pads, fluids, etc all in brand new and phenomenal shape as well as a well maintenance’d vehicle which is proof this is a manufacturer issue, not my doing, nor is it “wear and tear”. The vehicle also smelled like fire which is another reason management at AAA and other local garages feel this is a safety issue beyond what they feel comfortable with. Chevy said that although they fixed many of my make and model for this same very DANGEROUS issue, nothing can be done because it doesn’t fit the vin. AAA advised me to reach out again explaining this is a danger on the road and needs fixed properly. Other garages will not feel comfortable fixing this issue knowing this recall by GM lists public litigation’s totaling millions of dollars worth of lawsuits for the SAME EXACT problem. I would appreciate urgent assistance on getting this extremely dangerous recall taken care of.
Engine light came on. Said (reduced engine pressure). Started jerking then breaks went out.
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