Chevrolet Equinox ball joint problems

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Steering, Suspension · MD · crash

Driving around a curve and the steering wheel would not move. Wheels locked up and heard a clink the lower control arm disconnected from the car.

Filed Aug 2, 2025 · Visibility · GA

Front wipers stop working in the middle of a rain storm while driving down the highway we were unable to see anything(road/cars)out of the window. We had to put on flashers and stick head out of a rolled down window to (which with rain slapping you in the face is not safe either) try and get to a shoulder on the highway safely. My hubby and I were terrified and thought we were going to die or cause harm to others on the highway. After rain slowed down we got home very slowly with hazard light running. Once home I searched the web for problems that could have caused the wipers to suddenly stop. Results were to check fuses and relays (all checked out fine). I read that it could be a bushing on linkage arm that came off. Husband and I took off wipers and the cowl and sure enough linkage arm bushing had popped off of the ball joint. We tried to replace old bushing with a new one and put everything back together as it was taken off. Turned on wipers and it popped right back off. My car is now sitting in the yard unusable because I can not safely (for my family or other families out there) go any where because it is raining/will rain. There were no warnings or messages nothing they just stopped moving. One of the most scariest things in our lives, so glad our kids and grandson was not with us when it happened and that by the grace of God my husband and I made it home safely. This is very dangerous. It is also not uncommon due to information/videos on the internet. Please help correct this dangerous issue. Car is available for inspection any time Thank you

Filed Apr 30, 2024 · Visibility · MN

Joint on the front windshield wiper assembly failed. Was driving in a 4 lane highway doing about 70 mph while it was raining. Windshield wipers stopped halfway through the movement they sat for a moment they moved to as far as they could go towards the driver side and that’s where they stayed. The driver side one was over the edge of the vehicle. I followed tail lights turning onto a side road, pulled over safely. Moved the wipers to a down position, there was no resistance. Checked the fuse and that was fine. Waited a bit for the rain to settle a bit and drove to a safer location. Once off the highway and away from traffic when turning the windshield wipers on I could hear the motor still going so knew it was an issue with the arms. I had been on the road for about 2 hours all major highway with still over 2.5 hours left of my drive when they failed. We had to trailer it home as it was not safe to drive with the amount of rain we were getting. Replaced the motor and arm mechanism when we got it home and saw that it was one of the ball joints that broke. There were no warning lights, we have the old parts if needed for inspection, this looks to be the same issue as the recalled parts on the 2014-2015 equinox.

Filed Feb 29, 2024 · Suspension, Transmission · VT

The transmission doesn't shift properly and the wheel bearing and the tie rods keep going bad

Filed Feb 9, 2024 · Visibility · WA

While vehicle was in motion front wiper failed to operate while it was heavily raining. Resulting in have to pull to side of road and request a tow to a mechanics due to the dangerous hazard of no longer being able to see out of front windshield and possibly causing accidents and or fatalities. This problem was due to the Ball joint linkage system failing.

Filed Oct 30, 2023 · Visibility · 150,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 70 MPH in the rain, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact's wife pulled to the side of the road for a while and then continued driving. The contact stated that he was an independent mechanic and had diagnosed that the windshield wipers ball joints were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V165000 (Visibility) which he related to the failure. The dealer was notified of the repair that was performed prior to the safety recall and sent a claim along with the part receipt to the manufacturer for reimbursement. The contact later followed up with the dealer, who referred him to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the reimbursement claim was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Filed Oct 30, 2023 · Brakes, Engine · 107,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the tire pressure monitor warning light and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the thermostat, and head gasket needed to be replaced. Additionally, there were other mechanical issues with the front and rear brake pads, rotors, calipers, drive belt, and the lower control arms. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

Filed Sep 27, 2023 · Engine · 86,400 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon the depression of the brake pedal, the vehicle vibrated and sputtered with the "Engine Power Reduced" message displayed. The vehicle then failed to exceed 25 MPH after the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the water pump, engine gasket, upper and lower control arms, and other unknown engine parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,400.

Filed Jun 1, 2023 · Suspension · FL

Rear control arm mounts have rusted out and are unrepairable. This should not happen to a 10 year old vehicle and seems to be a common issue with this chassis style and numerous models.

Filed Apr 22, 2023 · Visibility · NC

In February of 2021, I was traveling with my son (and was 8 months pregnant) on a highway going roughly 60-65 mph. All of a sudden, a terrible storm hit the area and I turned my wipers on. Within moments I heard a noise and both wipers were no longer working. I had no visibility and almost wrecked. I was extremely traumatized by the situation. I was able to pull off the road and waited until the storm passed (2 hours). I found a small shop that confirmed the wiper mechanism needed to be replaced because of the “ball joints”. They didn’t have the part, so I had to continue the 3 hour drive stopping when it started to rain. A 3 hour drive took us 6 hours. I was able to have the issue repaired for nearly $215.00. Fast forward to today (4/22/23) and again, the wiper mechanism has given out. Again, we were on the Highway and during a storm, the mechanism gave out and we lost operation in the wiper on the driver side. I was traveling with my two children, and again almost ran off the road and had no visibility. After doing research it looks like there is a “special coverage” for this issue and I think it’s a poor decision for this part to not be recalled and handled appropriately by GM. I have called GM and scheduled an appointment to have my wiper mechanism inspected/fixed and was told I would need to cover the cost. That is unacceptable. This is extremely dangerous and has caused me not only hundreds of dollars now, but the security of even getting in my vehicle to drive when it’s raining or a storm is approaching. Please do the right thing and require a recall. Invoice from the first fix in 2021 is attached. I am happy to provide the invoice for the next fix after it occurs next week.