The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Reduced Speed" was displayed. The dealer was contacted, and a diagnostic test was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact associated the failure with Product Emission Recall : N192271200. The failure mileage was 90,000.
2019 Chevrolet Equinox: sudden loss of power
24 of the 310 complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 24
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 2,000
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding my 2019 Chevrolet Equinox and the repeated failure of its brake vacuum pump. This is not an isolated repair issue. I have had the brake vacuum pump replaced or repaired three separate times, and each failure has placed my safety, and the safety of others, at serious risk. The first failure was the most terrifying. While driving approximately 65 miles per hour on my way to work, I suddenly applied the brakes and discovered that I had almost no braking assistance. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and the vehicle failed to slow down as expected. I was fortunate that traffic conditions allowed me to avoid a catastrophic accident. Had another vehicle stopped suddenly in front of me, or had a pedestrian entered the roadway, the outcome could have been fatal. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated event. The brake vacuum pump has failed two additional times, resulting in similar symptoms, including the sudden loss of brake assist and an extremely hard brake pedal. Each occurrence has left me questioning whether my vehicle is safe to operate. I recently learned that General Motors is facing a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit alleging that certain Chevrolet Equinox vehicles suffer from a defective brake vacuum pump that can fail without warning. According to the lawsuit, this defect causes a sudden loss of power brake assist, significantly increasing stopping distances and creating a serious safety hazard. The lawsuit also alleges that GM was aware of brake vacuum pump issues through technical service bulletins and customer complaints dating back several years. My personal experience mirrors these allegations exactly. The failures on my vehicle occurred without warning and created an immediate safety emergency. The fact that I have experienced this same dangerous failure three separate times strongly suggests that replacing the component alone has not corrected the underlying defect.
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.
Air filter box housing top came off. Loss of power. Found that screws are used instead of a latch system. They had been wrenched down after last oil change and cracked the screw housing which is plastic. Filter housing came loose allowed more air and dirt to come into the housing box. Loss of fuel economy.
This issue presents a serious safety concern. During the initial occurrence, the vehicle was unable to sustain highway speeds for extended periods (approximately 10 minutes or more). When coming to a stop, the vehicle would shake, rev unexpectedly, lose power, and shut off completely. During these events, the vehicle would not accelerate, creating a hazardous situation, especially in traffic. The condition has since worsened. The same symptoms now occur upon starting the vehicle and during the warm-up period, increasing the risk of sudden engine shutdown without warning. Additionally, a distinct “gulping” sound is coming from the rear of the vehicle, raising concern that the fuel system may be compromised. No diagnostic or pending fault codes are present, and the local dealership has been unable to identify the cause. The vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles. Due to the unpredictable loss of power and engine shutdown, this issue poses an immediate safety risk to the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists.
A "Reduced Engine Power" warning in a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT usually indicates the car has entered "limp mode" to protect the engine, most commonly caused by a dirty/faulty throttle body, loose Charge Air Cooler (CAC) tube, or sensor issues (MAF/TPS). Common codes include P0299 (turbo underboost). When this occurs, I cannot utilize my remote starter. I purchased an Innova OBD2 Code Reader, connected it to the vehicle and this code P0299 populated. There has been a few times that the engine light would go off, then I was able to use the remote starter to start the engine.
Vehicle runs with reduced engine power. Was initially told the turbo needed cleaned, and it continued to happen. Then was told it needed to be replaced. The final result is that the tube that connects to the turbo keeps falling off. Being told there is no fix, and no recall, we just need to keep putting it back on when it pops off.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH for approximately a mile, the Engine Power Reduced message was displayed. The vehicle lost motive power, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact spoke with an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The contact continued to drive, and the engine power reduced message was displayed, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer contacted the manufacturer for additional guidance. The dealer later informed her that the vehicle needed two computer program updates. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle decelerated. The reduce engine power message was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the air conditioner caused the failure, the charge air cooler was freezing, and the turbo and shutter system needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. While driving at highway speeds, the reduced engine power message was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Michael Bates Chevrolet Inc. (23755 Allen Rd., Woodhaven, MI 48183, (734) 365-6790), where it was diagnosed that there was zero pressure in the turbocharger. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
There was a recall back in 2019 for this same issue the charge air cooler is still disconnecting from the throttle body. I bought this car in 2021 supposedly the issue was fixed back in 2020 after the recall was issued. The same thing is happening. When I accelerate the air hose connecting to throttle body is disconnecting from and causing the engine warning of reduced engine power to show up. This is very concerning because when driving on the freeway with my family this is happening and this could get someone killed. The fixes back in 2020 are not up to standard or the replacement parts are faulty or the repair was not completed successfully. This has been happening since last year summer
This vehicle has started to lose power was taken to firsteam Norfolk Va where purchased took for oil change and tire rotation also loss of engine power at speeds of 20-32 mph and 50-62 mph. Dealership at Norfolk Va sent to firstteam Hampton VA Chevrolet for diagnosis and came back no engine light and small misfire 3/4 sparkplugs needed changed 177.00. After plugs were changed still had misfire then they felt it was number 4 injector 500.00 but never did work. I took it to national shop for recommended injector and when plugs were pulled mechanic found no new plugs. Injector was replaced with gm part and still misfiring. Norfolk firstteam towed vehicle back to Hampton Va firstteam and they are now giving me the run around. They want a blank check to replace parts till they find the problem. Unexceptable to even ask. Service writer has been very disrespectful and hung up on national shop and myself. When asked questions regarding work done service writer would just talk over us and speak to us disrespectful and then hung up. We have requested service manager at Hampton firstteam Chevrolet contact us and we were told she would tell him later. I have contacted Aston Lewis Jr owner of all firstteam dealerships here in Va requesting help three times and still no response. We need this reported so someone can fix the misfire and power loss the dealership does not know how to fix. Car is under power train warranty . Any help would be nice.
The vehicle is operating on reduced power and shuts of almost immediately. After plugging a scan tool in and reading the codes, it said the crankshaft timing was over advanced and the sensor needed to be changed. I've changed all four sensors (both crank and cam sensors). The engine shows no codes, but when I crank it, it immediately reduces power, shuts off, then shows the same codes. After trying a few times, it says the ECM, MAP sensor, and heat sensors are bad. When I disconnect, then reconnect the battery, it only shows the crank sensor code. The check engine light goes off, but comes on again right before the engine shuts off each time. As a result, the vehicle has been sitting since 10/4/22 due to it shutting off suddenly in traffic. I've had to change the battery twice during this time due to the battery completely dying and a jump start doesn't work.
Winter 2021, vehicle went into reduced engine mode as I was going up a hill. There was no one behind me and I made it 100 ft to a driveway. I was able to turn around and get car home. Towed to Sonju, dealer where it was leased from. Fixed by them and returned to regular use. 06/28/22, while driving on a Hwy 53, 45 mph zone, with no notice, engine went into reduced power mode. I was almost hit due to the proximity of the car behind me and the sudden loss in power. I managed to hit my hazards, pull into middle turn lane until traffic passed. I then was able to get into a business parking lot. I shut car off. I made some phone calls. Turned car back on, all was fine. Back on the road. No call to dealer. 07/08/22, engine in reduced power mode while I was only .5 miles from my house. Made it to a turnaround point where I was able to turn vehicle off. Called dealer to make appt for service. Limped vehicle home. Vehicle towed to Sonju for fix. 07/18/22, after fixed at dealership, it was picked up. We made it 22 miles. I was in a urban part of Duluth, MN-speed limit 30, heavy traffic. As I turned to go up hill, engine again went into reduced power mode. There is no shoulder for me to go to and I'm almost hit from behind as the car jerked and slowed. I was able to pull off. Shut car off. When I started it up, it was still in reduced power mode. As it had been 30 mins, traffic had subsided, I went another mile to my work, where car would be safe to sit. Made arrangements for tow back to dealer. 07/19/22-towed to dealer after hours. When I moved it for better position for tow truck, the check engine light was on, but engine reduced power mode message never came on. 07/22/22-Per dealer, there is no explanation and thus far they can't figure it out. They continue to drive it to recreate the issue, but no end in sight of when I will get this vehicle back. 07/26/22-no word from dealer-vehicle is still there. I stopped bugging them!
Service bulletins that may apply
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle...
- This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000...
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on vehicles outside of a California...
- This bulletin advises the technician to flush the cooling system multiple times if oil has been found in...
- This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the...
- This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil...
- This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox?
24 of 310 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox (8%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2011.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox?
There are 0 recalls and 201 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox
Check engine light 63Brake failure 16Stalling 16Jerking 13Engine failure 10Adaptive cruise 9Fuel pump 8Spongy pedal 8Fire or smoke 7Hesitation 7Transmission failure 6Won't start 6No deployment 5Fuel leak 5Headlights 5
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