The drivers' side front seatbelt will not retract back into the b pillar when taken off. It will get caught in the door when closing it and prevent the driver's door from closing. The transmission slips out of gear when decelerating and accelerating in traffic. This causes the transmission to slam back into gear.
Chevrolet Equinox slipping problems
46 of the 9,236 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Equinox describe transmission slipping, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 46
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,200
- typical mileage
- 80,000
By model year
Often reported together
Loss of power 6Transmission failure 5Check engine light 5Jerking 4Stalling 3Hesitation 3Harsh shifting 3Adaptive cruise 3
What owners say
Under light-moderate acceleration, a feeling of the transmission slipping is felt. From my understanding, this is a known issue with the newest generation of Equinox & Terrain. I previously owned a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD and it had the exact same issue. My local GM Dealership replaced the CV Axle and Axle and the issue was corrected temporarily, but soon after the issue returned. I then recently purchased a brand new 2026 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD and the issue started with mine around 300 miles, but worse than my previous 2025 model. I am not sure if this an issue with only the AWD models or not, but an investigation needs to be conducted because I am concerned about the safety and longevity of the the axles and or other affected components on the vehicle that is causing the persistent issue.
I was on the way back home from the office driving [XXX]. Speed limit of the road was 45mph and I was driving around 40 mph. There was a traffice light and it changed to yellow. The card in front of me stopped but the brake was slipping and my vehicle couldn't stop, ended up hitting vehicle in front of me. My vehecle equipped with Automatic Emegency Brake and Front collison warning but no warning popped up and automatic brake didn't work. I pushed brake so hard but it was slipping. I was holding steering wheel with both hand and stepping on the brake. and triied to avoid crash by turning vehicle to the right. But couldn't avoid crash and hit the passenger side of the vehicle in front of me with my driver side corner. Brake did not work and none of the emergency features equiped in the vehicle responded, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping and shifted hard. Additionally, while on an incline, the vehicle failed to get up to speed. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train). The vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode back to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,381.
My 2023 Equinox RS losses power during quick acceleration for lane changes or passing. It will also lose power during some turns at normal speed. It will also accelerate and deaccelerate at a low speed making it feel like the gears are slipping. Auto stop on occasion will be a hard take off requiring a firm foot on the brake. At time it will also shift hard into 1st gear. My car has been in the dealership three times for this issue and the last time the tech said there was a recall for the issue and performed some reset and gave me the car back. Other than that they said there is nothing they can do about it. This issue presents a major safety issue especially when it losses power during a lane change or passing someone. I can't anticipate when the power will come back and by that time the traffic has now caught up to me. This problem started probably 6-8 months after I purchased the car new from the dealership.
Automatic transmission slips and shutters/shakes when accelerating and going from a complete stop. Vehicle is not drivable long distances as the issue gets worse as the car heats up. No codes or sensors are indicating a problem. This is an ongoing problem despite having the transmission rebuilt. Issues first started a year ago and have been progressively getting worse.
My vehicle suddenly began giving a message engine power reduced. This happened on a highway that required with a maximum speed of 65 mph. My vehicle reduced speed to under 40mph which may be beneath the minimum speed limit. I took the vehicle to a chevvy dealer who said my transmission was slipping. I took it to AAMCO spent 6000 on repairs only to have the engine power reduced error continue to appear. AAMCO claims they have made all repairs yet the light is still on and my vehicle continues to lose engine power on fast highways (the intended interstate). I called chevy because I had seen similar issues in older models and they refused to accept me rendition of events because my vehicle was not serviced by chevy. I tried to upload a photo of the error message The upload is not working.
Got the equinox brand new on march 2025. Few weeks later had to take it to service/dealer with backup camera problems and it had to be replaced. It started to have speakers issues due to a very loud humming sound while driving. Also window from drivers side runs slower than the rest of windows. The visibility through front glass is non existent when raining due to the angle. Transmition started slipping and started to have a check engine light pop up and had to take it to service again... And finally at the beggining of november had to take it to service due to a sudden battery drain. She wouldnt turn on for no reason.the defective module is on backorder with no estimated arrival date, leaving the vehicle unusable. Its been there for 2 months now... They provided a loaner. Everything has been confirmed by dealer. They said that had 3 pages of codes pop up to be fixed.
My 2024 Equinox was returned to the dealership on approximately October 1, 2025, due to a check engine light related to the torque converter. I required a rental vehicle during this time. I picked up my vehicle on October 10, 2025, and all repairs were covered under my extended warranty. I was informed that my rental reimbursement would be issued once I submitted the required paperwork. My safety and the safety of my grandchildren were put at risk loss of power and control-stalling, in ability to accelerate in traffic, gear slippage and over heating Given the known history of torque converter issues in the Equinox—dating back as early as 2005—it is disheartening that GM continues to sell vehicles at premium prices while failing to properly support the customers who purchase them.
After I purchased my vehicle, 2026 chevy equinox rs, I noticed severe distortion on the front windshield. I had it replaced once, with the same problem. They were going to put another windshield in but we wanted to see it first, which was worse than the first two. I do not like the feeling of being car sick. Also, the transmission slipped once, while driving. It felt like it went into neutral and then back into gear. The dealer looked at it and could not find anything wrong. It was good for a few weeks and then it did it again.
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 slipping
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have transmission slipping problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (10 complaints), 2011 (10 complaints) and 2018 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix transmission slipping on the Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,200 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Equinox?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history