Once reaching around 50,000-60,000 miles, I began to experience a tremble/shudder sensation when driving between 35-45mph and the vehicle would appear to be on either 2nd or 3rd gear (usually under stress going up a hill). Mentioned to 2 different dealers but denied it being the transmission, both claiming because they never heard of Transmission issues with the Equinox. They ruled it as a PCV issue or balancing issue. After replacing the PCV and valve cover gasket as well as checking the balancing, the issues continued with no resolution. Even had the transmission fluid exchanged but no resolution. Now the shudder has intensified at times where it can feel very aggressive, feeling as if the transmission will give out or the Equinox will stall out entirely. I've searched online and numerous blogs have reported a known "Transmission Shudder" where some dealers, while under manufacturer warranty and extended warranty, were replacing the entire transmission or the Torque Converter Clutch which ended up resolving the issue. Now out of warranty, my Equinox as well as others reported online, the shudder continues.
Chevrolet Equinox shudder problems
34 of the 9,236 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Equinox describe shudder or vibration when accelerating, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 34
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical mileage
- 73,539
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 13Check engine light 10Oil consumption 9Hesitation 4Engine failure 3Fuel pump 2Knocking 2Sudden acceleration 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P129F 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered violently. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via the phone. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer made the contact aware of an unknown recall and stated that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Grinnell Motors (410 W St S, Grinnell, IA 50112); where it was diagnosed and determined that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,700.
My car is a 2020 Chevy Equinox with only 31852 miles. While driving today, all of a sudden the car started shuddering badly and stalled in the middle of the highway. Talk about a very scary situation. I pushed the car to the side of the road, and had it towed to a local shop. They found that the Fuel Pump Control Module had failed (P129F code). Upon doing some research, I found out that the 2021 Equinox had recalls issued for this same exact issue. I also found that the 2020 and 2021 Equinox both used the same part number Fuel Pump Control Module (13565638). Because of this, the recall should be extended to the 2020 Chevy Equinox so that owners pay get the major possible safety issue fixed. Luckily, I did not get into an accident when this occured and honestly Chevrolet should be reimbursing me for the repair as this should have included in the safety recall for 2021 Equinox using the same part. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hopefully seeing the right thing done here. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, shuddered, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine had been replaced approximately two years prior due to a similar failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and stalled twice after idling, or while coming to a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V013000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered before hesitating to maintain automotive power. In addition, while at a stoplight, the vehicle lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. A second independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed the failure. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,500.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact became aware that transmission fluid was leaking from the bottom of the vehicle and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
At a stop sign while waiting for passing traffic, the car shuddered and the engined died. Attempts to restart the car failed. The car had roughly 1/4 tank of gas. Towed to a mechanic who put 2 gallons of gas in it and started the engine. Two days leading up to this, with the instrument panel on the screen that shows estimated distance remaining and fuel economy, I observed the fuel economy number changing wildly as I drove, going up to 99 mpg every time I let off the gas and coasted to a stop. Seems to be an electronic component for fuel has failed. When the car had died, the engine light came on. It was off after adding more fuel and restarting the car. the federal safety agency website says there are 0 outstanding recall repairs for this VIN. So if the faulty fuel pump was replaced under the federal safety agency Campaign 23V013000, it has failed again. the federal safety agency website does not show any date/location of said prior recall repairs, so I have doubts whether it was ever actually repaired.
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH in cold weather, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the work garage, where the contact noticed that a significant amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. A mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the main crankshaft seal had failed because the PCV system had frozen. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance in covering the repair under Technical Service Bulletin: Bulletin No: PIP5093B. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: control module: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. Incorrect software in the transmission control module (TCM) may result in harsh shifting, reduced power, unintended deceleration, rear wheel lockup, or cause the vehicle to move in an unintended direction.
- Risk
- Rear wheel lock-up or moving in an unintended direction can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the transmission control module software calibration, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N242471620.
Recall number 24V839000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
- Risk
- Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Buick Customer service at 1‑866‑608‑8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Recall number 20V668000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
- Risk
- If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Recall number 17V516000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, 'theft protection.' an ignition key park lock cable end fitting was not fully seated on the automatic transmission shifter nail head during installation.
- Risk
- This can prevent the cable auto-set from correctly adjusting the cable. An incorrectly adjusted cable prevents the shifter from locking in the 'park' position when the key is removed from the key cylinder.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for a properly functioning shift lock when the ignition key is removed. Dealers will repair vehicles that exhibit the subject condition. The recall began august 17, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438.
Recall number 04V302000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Equinox shudder
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have shudder or vibration when accelerating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (5 complaints), 2013 (5 complaints) and 2011 (4 complaints).
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