On July 18, 2026, I was driving to work around 0530 am when my rear driver's side tire blew out from the tread sidewall to the rim ruptured, having a catastrophic failure that almost resulted in a crash. The tire only had 18,500 miles without any prior damage or hitting something. Their is a current recall for these tires for the very thing that happened yet my tire batch was not listed as part of the recall. This event was costly and prevented me from working that day. Continental CrossContact 275/40/R21
Chevrolet Equinox tire blowout problems
64 of the 9,236 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Equinox describe tire blowout or tread separation, most of them for the 2017 model year.
- owner complaints
- 64
- worst model year
- 2017
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,400
- typical mileage
- 61,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Oil consumption 5Engine failure 5Check engine light 5Stalling 4Loss of power 4Sunroof shattered 2Fire or smoke 2Knocking 2
What owners say
Under 13k miles the tire developed a bubble on the sidewall. The week is 3824 which is just two weeks prior to the 4024 tire run that was recalled.
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.
This auto is not driven often due to the fact that the owner is out of town for work more than she is home. The car was driven on a three hour trip when the sidewall of the michelin latitude tour 225/65/r17 tire blew out. She was able to just make it off the road and change the tire. Upon further inspection another tire shows sidewall cracking that covers the outside sidewall.
Report of Dangerous Rental Vehicle and Serious Safety Incident – Rental Agreement #289216922 I am submitting this report to formally document a serious safety issue involving a rental vehicle I received from Avis in May 2024. Several safety components malfunctioned and put the safety of my and my passenger in a life threatening situation. At the time of pickup, the vehicle had a visible dent near the front right tire, which was acknowledged by the rental agent and dismissed as cosmetic. I also noted a faulty rear hatch, which opened unpredictably and struck occupants in the head on multiple occasions as it behaved erratically. Over the course of the rental, the vehicle displayed additional signs of mechanical failure — including instability at highway speeds, loud squealing, and parts of the bumper physically falling off during the trip. On May 30th, while driving at highway speed, the vehicle suffered a sudden tire blowout. Critically, the onboard system misidentified the location of the blown tire, indicating the front right tire had failed when it was actually the rear right. This misinformation delayed proper response and nearly resulted in a rollover. We were stranded on the roadside for over an hour, narrowly avoiding several collisions. A critical system failure. A responding tow truck driver observed signs that the vehicle may have previously been involved in a collision — which aligns with the visible damage present when the vehicle was picked up. Avis has, despite multiple attempts, refused to confirm whether the vehicle was removed from service after the incident or whether any safety inspection was conducted -- we remain severely concerned for the safety of anyone else using this vehicle. This vehicle should not have been rented in its condition. The failure of safety systems, mechanical instability, prior collision damage, and the loss of exterior components created a serious and unacceptable risk to the driver, passenger, and others on the road.
PVC port plugged during freezing weather caused excessive crankcase pressure causing the rear main seal to blow out resulting in the loss of engine oil. Went to 2 different repair shops who confirmed each other’s diagnosis. At minimal mileage for a 2017 year car, the engine had to be replaced at considerable cost. The car was continuously maintained by a Chevrolet dealership, with records to support that maintenance.
After very cold winter weather, car started to smell. PCV valve blew and car was seizing causing it to blow out the rear systems. It had spilled oil onto the garage floor and had a bad emissions smell. Dealership said they added 3 quarts of Oil and that within 30 minutes two quarts leaked out. No warning lights on dashboard, no affected cautions through the equinox app (which still shows that I have 80% of my oil still remaining). While driving the car started making a ticking sound during acceleration and a bad smell. I am now left with a $3700 bill. Numerous others have detailed exact experiences with their equinox after the last February, cold spell in Chicagoland. I was very fearful driving the car and my safety was compromised. The car was shaking, and the smell was pungent Right now my car is at the dealership so I do not have the invoice
Defective pcv valve system caused the rear main seal to blow out. Causing oil leak which made my engine stall while driving on interstate 95.
Rear crankshaft seal has failed. Engin oil has blown out at bottom of engine and all over underside of car. Oil has covered the exhaust system causing smoke in and outside of car. Leaked engine oil could have ignited and caused a fire that would have consumed the entire car. There appears to be numerous postings on the internet of other chevy equinox owners with the same problem. There was no prior warning that the crankshaft oil seal was in the process of failure. I personally checked the oil pan drain plug and the oil filter cap, and these were not the issue of the oil leak. Again, from my investigation on the internet sites, it appears to be a common issue with the General Motors 2.4 Liter Vortec engine in the Chevrolet equinox car model. This issue can and probably result in total engine failure and need of engine replacement. The repair to replace the rear crankshaft oil seal is very costly and should not be needed on any vehicle with normal wear and use. With my internet investigation there appears to be a design problem with the PCV design and system. The PCV system is prone to clogging and freeze up in cold weather. This can result in excessive internal engine pressure the is a major cause of blowout of the crack shaft oil seal. The temperature at the night before was only 9 degrees. The car was last used under freezing conditions which could have contributed to engine failure.
Severe oil consumption which could lead to damage to engine and vehicle failure when driving, which could cause an accident or worse. The dealer stated that the rear main seal could blow out and cause the vehicle failure. Defective parts that GM is aware of, but not addressing to the owners. There is a service bulletin (14882) that dealers are aware of concerning this issue, for an extended warranty of 120,000 or 10 years, no charge to customers to repair. Part#12591866.crankshaft real oil seal. The dealer refuses to honor it.
Related recalls
Tires: tread/belt
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with certain Hankook tires. The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.
- Risk
- Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782; and Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N212343560.
Recall number 21V612000 · Recall details
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
- What is wrong
- General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2012 chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain vehicles, manufactured from july 18, 2011, through september 6, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 138, "tire pressure monitoring system" (TPMS). The tire pressure monitoring system is designed to illuminate the tire pressure warning light when the pressure in a tire is 25% below the recommended cold tire pressure. On these vehicles, the light will not illuminate until the tire pressure is more than 25% below the recommended cold tire pressure.
- Risk
- Underinflated tires can result in tire overloading and overheating, which could lead to a blowout and possible crash. The resulting crash could cause serious injury. Underinflated tires can also result in premature or irregular wear, poor handling, and poor fuel economy.
- Remedy
- Gm dealers will update the body control module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about november 9, 2011. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 11V511000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Equinox tire blowout
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have tire blowout or tread separation problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2017 (9 complaints), 2011 (7 complaints) and 2013 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix tire blowout or tread separation on the Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,400 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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