2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Engine Problems

222 NHTSA complaints on file

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Engine Issues in the 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

222 engine complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. Of these, 2 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, and 1 resulted in injury.

222
Complaints
2
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

All Engine Complaints

#11719161 |
Noticed knocking in the engine and excessive oil usage. I keep my vehicle maintained. I went and had the values and seals replaced around engine for oil. Not even two to three weeks later knocking again. Took it back and engine is burning oil. Read about this make and model having defective pistons and rings causing oil to burn excessively. This has cost me thousands of dollars and it's still not fixed.
#11713630 |
My daughter, the driver of this vehicle, noticed a noise. The check engine light came on. Over a short period, the noise from the engine progressively worsened. We brought the car to a certified mechanic. The mechanic's initial determination was that the engine would need to be replaced. It was determined that the engine was faulty, failing due to oil leakage that led to excessive oil consumption. As we were not ready to make that kind of financial commitment, we asked him if there was another option. We were instructed to check the oil frequently. We did so over the next couple of months, but the problem continued and worsened. As my daughter was driving, the engine would make a noise and lose power. Eventually, the vehicle started shaking and would shut down when stopped at red lights and stop signs, requiring the engine to be restarted each time. We...
#11711172 |
Excessive oil consumption leading to a broken engine
#11710470 |
The 2015 Chevrolet Equinox equipped with the 2.4L Ecotec engine has been reported to have excessive oil consumption due to several issues: Defective Piston Rings: The oil control rings are prone to sticking and clogging, leading to oil blowby and excessive consumption. PCV System Issues: Problems with the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system can create excessive vacuum in the crankcase, contributing to oil consumption. Timing Chain Problems: The timing chain can stretch over time, leading to misalignment and potential engine damage. Regular Maintenance: Owners are advised to monitor oil levels frequently and consider using synthetic oil for better performance and longevity. These issues can lead to significant engine wear if not addressed promptly. My vehicle is using too much oil. The 2.4L eco tec engine is installed in this vehicle. The Chevrolet dealership in Rockwall Texas texted me that the engine is bad and needs replacing. The vehicle is past...
#11707502 |
The 2.4 liter engine in my car has had excessive oil consumption. now the engine oil is like peanut butter and the blow by out the oil fill is strong.
#11706236 |
My 2015 Chevrolet Equinox has a cracked exhaust manifold, a known issue affecting many vehicles of this model. When using the heat or air conditioning, gas fumes enter the cabin, creating a serious risk of carbon monoxide exposure. I regularly transport my two young children in this vehicle, and we are forced to drive with the windows down in cold weather to reduce the risk. The vehicle also consumes oil and is still being financed. Despite the manufacturer being aware that this is a widespread problem, I am being quoted nearly $2,000 for the repair. This poses an immediate and serious threat to the health and safety of my children and myself.
#11705238 | Fire
When I was driving down the street, I noticed smoke coming from the hood then flames . I parked off to the side of the road and open the door and took off running away from the vehicle. Loosing everything clothes, phones , jewelry important documents. I paid off the vehicle. Was happy that for once in my life I did something good until that happen so please help on what to do . I know I didn't pay off the SUV for nothing.
#11705317 |
Timing chain tensioner lost tension and timing chain got so loose it would not turn the cams and catastrophic engine valve damage was done! This engine is notorious for this and there are class action lawsuits as a result but no recalls from GM as yet only TSB’s (Technician Service Bulletins). This is going to cost me thousands in repairs and I still owe $8500 on it. If this happens in traffic it could pose a serious safety risk in addition to the financial burden it is causing many people! Mine fortunately happened in my driveway and the vehicle had to be towed to my mechanic and has been there for 3 weeks. Have had rental vehicle costs as well. He had 3 other 2010-‘16 GM 4 cylinder 2.4L Ecotec engines in his small shop with the exact same issue! After doing research it is a common issue and GM...
#11688069 |
My vehicle has been cranking when trying to turn on. Sometimes when it does turn on, it will engage the anti theft system. It will also turn on my 4-ways, and windshield wipers other times without me triggering these buttons. Sometimes it will say that I don’t have power steering. Other times, my AC will not work. It puts me and my family at risk because if the system is continuously having issues, I worry that something bad will happen while we are driving! I saw that there are other similar complaints online for the 2015 Chevy equinox. I have no dashboard lights on, other than tire pressure light (which my tire pressure is fine, but the sensor for this has malfunctioned as well). This has been an ongoing and worsening issue since January 2024. I purchased the vehicle with no issues in December 2023.
#11681755 |
I lost power in the middle of a clover leaf intersection without any previous indicator lights. I was barely able to get to a small shoulder and almost got hit by other vehicles. I was able to restart the car and get to a safer location. The timing chain was failing amd the engine oil was gummy according to the mechanic. I was barely over 100,000 miles. Vehicle oil had been regularly maintained with Mobil 1 15,000 mile oil and never showed as low during checks. Throttle body was covered with carbon and the codes came back for the VVT. Timing chain was replaced but the engine lost compression a few months later. All known issues with this engine and I lost tens of thousands on GM’s negligence. Not to mention the dangerous driving situation I was put in with absolutely no warning.I have been sick over the situation for...
#11680862 |
The incident except for by my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox has major electrical faulty ends in and timing belt changes which causes the vehicle to stall on a consumer at any time for me I was driving on a major highway or five Lanes going to work and the car decided to slow down and started shedding off thank God that I made it to the far right side on a media strip and was able get the car to safety on the knee issue but she did slow down and shut off identity media call the triple A for help and roadside assistance they came as soon as they could and then test the car to see if it was the battery or the alternator which I had put in two brand new batteries and two brand new alternators and still have both he test them all and said no...
#11673346 |
The timing chain went down i only have 95000 miles on it is heard these timing chains went down on. Certain equinox i feel this should of been on a recall since chevy knew this was happening 3 000 dollars later
#11669803 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and jerked violently. The contact stated that the failure recurred consistently while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the contact was informed that fuel was not reaching the engine. The dealer determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that upon towing the vehicle back to the dealer, the dealer replaced the fuel pump. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal loud sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact sent an email to the CEO of GM, but no assistance was provided....
#11667865 |
excessive oil consumption 1qt per 600 miles
#11665877 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. 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 dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.
#11659615 |
AS I WAS DRIVING, AN ERROR CAME ON MY DASHBOARD STATING, "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". THE FASTEST I COULD DRIVE WAS 25 MPH, THEN YOU COULDN'T DRIVE AT ALL. I TOOK THE VECHILE TO THE MECHANIC AND HE STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY OIL PUMP AND MOTOR.
#11658851 |
I just purchased the vehicle she hadn't even driven it 2 months when it started to shut off on it's on. Causing very dangerous situations. Then the oil consumption problem that's been well known and heavily documented time after time. Without warning lights or low oil pressure light or even a check engine light to give any type of warning the front seal blew out causing heavy oil loose that caused the engine bay and over the bottom of the vehicle drenching areas that have really high temperatures that could have caused the oil to possibly ignite at any time from the high heated areas that was covered in oil. Also with front seal blown out without warning led to timming chain becoming faulty and then breaking leading to my valves impacting with pistons because this is a interference engine. The impact caused every valve to bend which led to...
#11658800 |
On [XXX], I was en route to Montgomery, Alabama, from Canton, Georgia, driving my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox on the highway at approximately 55 miles per hour. Suddenly, my truck began to decelerate rapidly on its own. A warning message appeared on my dashboard stating, “Engine reduced power to protect the engine.” I had to skillfully steer my truck over to the right shoulder to avoid a potential accident and escape the flow of traffic. It was extremely perilous to be on the highway as my truck nearly came to a complete stop. I had to have my truck towed to Chevrolet in Montgomery, Alabama. In addition, I had to get an uber because my truck would not start at all. I had to spend money on ubers and a hotel. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11656414 |
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, which I purchased used approximately one year ago. Since acquiring the vehicle, I have experienced severe and excessive oil consumption as well as ongoing fuel injector problems. Specifically, the vehicle requires additional oil every 100 to 200 miles, which is far beyond what is considered normal or acceptable for a properly functioning engine. I have not noticed any external oil leaks, and there are no warning indicators until the oil levels are dangerously low. This not only puts the engine at risk of damage, but also presents a potential safety hazard while driving. In addition to the oil issue, I have experienced fuel injector malfunctions which affect the car’s performance and reliability. This has resulted in rough idling, reduced fuel efficiency, and difficulty accelerating at times. I have come to learn that...
#11648676 |
I took my vehicle to a Chevy dealership due to engine light coming on with the stability track light showing as well as "reduced engine power notification. They are saying the timing chain is needing replaced therefore requiring the entire engine to be replaced. Vehicle is available upon inspection. Once the engine light came on and the reduced engine power light came on vehicle started stalling in traffic. I was at a traffic light and the vehicle cut itself off once I came to a slow stop. Vehicle had to be turned off and back on. Vehicle also started losing power while driving when trying to pull over to incident. Yes. I took my vehicle to a dealership. Initially, they changed other parts on the vehicle. However, when they tested vehicle, it was still showing same signs. That is when they came up with needing a whole new engine based...
#11648139 |
I have contacted GM numerous times about excessive oil consumption in my vehicle. Even with pristine maintenance and making sure that the oil is changed when it needs to be, it is chugging oil. You can’t even drive 200 miles and it’ll be bone dry. Yesterday while I was driving, it stalled out in traffic and almost caused an accident! We were on an extremely busy highway and it just stalled right there! Thank God, the people behind us weren’t tailgating!! I have contacted GM numerous times. There is currently a class action lawsuit because a lot of of the Chevy equinox is burn excessive oil. There was a previous class action lawsuit on older Chevy equinox that was settled. It’s the piston rings and everything that are causing this issue. We’ve also had the previous recall fixed, but for some reason, they will not take it off of our...
#11644970 |
Ending result timing chain : Beginning of result: 1. My vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of power steering while driving at highway speeds. The loss of power steering significantly compromised the driver's ability to maneuver the vehicle safely, especially during emergency situations, putting both the driver and other road users at risk of an accident. 2. Traveling at high way speeds my car suddenly lost complete power to go. Keep going up and down in speed in middle of interstate 3. No warning signs prior no check engine line appeared until after the safety risk above.
#11639665 |
Oil issues. The oil light does not come on when there is low oil and the rear main seal busted and the car started to shake and then it turned off. No oil light or check engine light came on. The car did start back up and I was able to move it to safely. There has been several known issues with this model and engine. There is a current service bulletin 14882. However my 2015 equinox is not included in the service bulletin even though it is a known issue with models from 2010 to 2015. Thank You!
#11638190 |
the 2015 equinox has been serviced and maintenance regularly. The engine's timing chain failed at 73k miles. No explanation on why. I was told even though I do maintenance regularly, it just happens in these vehicle. i now need a new engine not under warranty
#11632220 |
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...
#11629211 |
We have had nothing but issues with the engine in this. We travel for my dad’s radiation and when you get about 120 miles to 240 miles it just burns oil and you end up having to replace 2 quarts or more. There should be no reason you have to add more oil that frequently. There was a class action lawsuit against them for this very thing but only for years 2010 to 2013. This is dangerous because what if the motor blows when you’re on the interstate and you cause an accident?? Just like the Chevy recall for the windshield wipers (I almost got into an accident on the interstate because they stopped functioning in a huge storm) and there was no fix for it at the time! I didn’t know about the recall till after the wipers had failed!
#11627943 |
[XXX] I was driving on [XXX] when my car abruptly stopped. I was almost hit by the driver behind me. I was able to roll the car over to the shoulder. The car was towed. I had 2 mechanics inspect the car on 11/26/24. They both concluded that the piston rings are defective and the car is consuming oil excessively. The oil consumption in their opinion led to burning of oil in excess that I would be unaware of. Therefore leading to no oil in the car even though the car is reading 100% oil. Thus further leading to engine failure. There were no warning lights on in the car prior to the car stopping. I called Chevrolet Customer Care Assistance. I was informed by the representative that the warranty was no longer valid but, an appointment could be made at a local chevrolet Dealership. However; I would have to...
#11627590 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly vibrated before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that prior to the failure, there was an increased frequency of oil changes. The contact stated the oil was being changed once per month. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing (VVT) solenoid. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
#11625427 |
The piston rings in my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox have failed, causing significant engine problems. Chevrolet is aware that faulty piston rings are a known issue in this vehicle, as evidenced by numerous complaints and class action lawsuits regarding this defect. The faulty piston rings have caused my engine to consume excessive oil, leading to reduced performance and potential engine failure. This defect poses a safety hazard, as the engine could seize or fail unexpectedly while driving. I have discovered that Chevrolet has issued Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) acknowledging this issue, but they have not issued a recall or provided sufficient support to affected owners. Chevrolet has not offered to repair the issue under warranty or provide any assistance, even though this is a known defect with widespread complaints. This defect significantly impairs the safety, use, and value of the vehicle. I believe a recall or formal investigation is warranted to...
#11621829 |
As I was driving. I had complete engine failure. 60 days after a new engine . I had battery failure, bad battery wire, bad alternator & a bad serpentine belt
#11614007 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. Additionally, when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
#11614098 |
Excessive oil consumption causes need for engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, and timing chain repairs
#11613116 |
excessive Oil Consumption problem- which we were not aware of and it caused our vehicle to shut down in the middle of the street blocking traffic- making it a huge safety issue & should be a recall. Due to the excessive oil consumption that caused our timing chain to break. This is an issue that chevy knew was happening to this year & other years around the same time, but never informed us - now it needs a new engine & they won't replace it. It only has 88,000 miles, we had recently changed the oil & oil filter so this was unexpected.
#11601526 |
My car burns so much oil, we have to add oil to it every time we go on a hour or longer trip. Doing research and according to my mechanic the 2012-2017 equinox has an engine defect that causes it to burn excessive oil. This issue needs to be recalled. It makes the vehicle unsafe to drive because you can not predict how much oil it will use!
#11599335 |
Truck reads airflow, engine speed reduced, airbag failure
#11598624 |
On the morning of 7/1/24, I drove my vehicle to work as usual. There were no exceptional incidences and the only warning light on the dashboard was that of a malfunctioning tire sensor. I parked at my job as usual. There were no signs of overheating or smoking and there were no warning lights on the panel except for what was previously mentioned. That evening, as I was leaving, the car started and stopped after driving about 2 yards. It would not start again afterward and I wound up having it towed to my mechanic. He told me that I had no oil and that the engine was irreparably damaged and would need to be replaced. Again, there were no warning lights on the dashboard alerting me of low oil or engine overheating prior to this incident. As a matter of fact, the check engine light did not turn on...
#11596804 |
Bought this car in February 2024 and ever since then I have had nothing but problems with the engine. The first problem happened 12 days after I had bought it and it magically disappeared all the oil which end up causing a timing issue I should not have had no oil after getting an oil change 12 days before. I ended up having to get the engine replaced with a used engine. And then it was back-and-forth to The Shop or five times before I could actually keep my car longer than a few hours. And now with the Hughes engine, we are back to the same problem heavy oil consumption which means there is a problem with the 2.4 L L4 engine, it should not be consuming 5 quart of oil less than 2000 miles of driving.
#11591849 |
My 2015 Chevy Equinox is burning oil at an alarming rate. I just found out I have been driving this car with NO oil. I had no indicator lights come on warning me of any danger. I have only 68000 miles on this car and they are telling me I need a new engine. I still owe $15,000 on this car that I have only had for 8 months...and they want me to pay $9000.00 for a new engine on a defect that GM knows about. My [XXX] drives this car (well I won't let him now) but what if the engine blew while he was driving? This is a VERY DANGEROUS defect and people can get seriously hurt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11583055 |
Timing chain broke at 150,000 miles. I have only had the car for a year and a half. This is a known issue for the 2015 Equinox and the warranty company doesn't want to cover it, even though I have a 2 year 24,000 warranty on it. I have only driven 19,000 miles so I'm clearly within the window.
#11581263 |
I am constantly having to add oil and get oil changes it burns through oil about 3 quarts every month if not more and it is costing me way more than I should have to be doing and it is a serious problem that something should be done about
#11577980 |
Our 2015 Chevrolet equinox burns excessive oil… we’re constantly low on oil and we looked it up in the 2013 Chevy equinox had a recall for the same issue… it’s the same engine as the 2013, but there was no recall on this one. It’s been happening for a while
#11576274 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The contact stated that the Chevrolet mobile app indicated that the oil level was at 50 percent. The contact coasted the vehicle to a nearby Walmart. The Walmart attendant checked the oil level and concluded that there was no oil in the oil pan. The Walmart attended added two quarts of oil to the engine however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to Midas where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that, due to the excessive mileage, the repair did not qualify to be...
#11575145 |
at about 100,000 miles it started using a lot of oil. I have to put a quart in at about every 1,000 miles. There is a lot of pressure when you remove the oil cap at idle. I never addressed the wiper issue because I changed the parts myself about 6 months before I got the recall.I won't be buying another chevy!
#11573114 |
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the was vehicle parked, it was discovered that engine oil had leaked from the vehicle and the engine oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear main seal had failed due to the positive crankcase ventilation system being clogged. The rear main seal was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,963.
#11572678 |
severe engine knocking and oil consumption
#11572714 |
My car received an oil changed recently and then shortly after my engine went completely out due to having no oil. My timing chain stretched out and broke resulting in no compression to my engine. The light didn’t even come on to indicate that there was an issue until after the car completely broke down.
#11567629 |
This vehicle kept throwing a code for timing chain. After further investigation through different garages and money spent, the equinox needs a new engine.
#11567211 |
Oil started leaking bad underneath engine. I did some research and seen with this make and model that it is common issue. That the Pcbank valve freezes up and blows out rear seal. I took to a local certified repair shop and they verified that is the problem and just so happens that they have another one in their shop with exactly the same issue,. So, not only am I seeing multiple complaints online, I’m experiencing first hand.
#11567383 |
Pcv valve is bad which caused my rear main valve to fail. I have always kept up on my maintenance, paid on my car for 6 years. It was paid off for 2 months and this all happened.
#11566752 |
I have always kept up on oil changes. Just recently it started burning through more oil than normal. Now my rear main seal is leaking and it is pushing out oil.

Other 2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Problem Areas

Visibilitywiper 250 complaints Power Train 61 complaints Unknown Or Other 53 complaints Electrical System 44 complaints Air Bags 36 complaints Fuelpropulsion System 30 complaints Visibility 18 complaints Electronic Stability Control Esc 15 complaints Service Brakes 15 complaints Steering 14 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 13 complaints Structurebody 8 complaints Suspension 7 complaints Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasher 6 complaints Wheels 6 complaints Seat Belts 4 complaints Seats 4 complaints Fuel System Gasoline 3 complaints Visibilitywindshield Wiperwashermotor 3 complaints Exterior Lighting 2 complaints Tires 2 complaints Air Bagssrs Malfunction Warning Lamplight 1 complaint Back Over Prevention 1 complaint Engine And Engine Cooling 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlcrankcase Pcv 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systemmanifoldheadermufflertail Pipe 1 complaint Equipmentaccessoryfloor Mat 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings 1 complaint Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump 1 complaint Power Trainautomatic Transmissioncontrol Module Tcmpcmtecm 1 complaint Power Traintransfer Case 4 Wheel Drive 1 complaint Service Brakes Hydraulic 1 complaint Structure 1 complaint Structurebodyhatchbackliftgate 1 complaint Tirestreadbelt 1 complaint Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal 1 complaint Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System 1 complaint Visibilityrear Window Wiperwasher 1 complaint Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasherlinkages 1 complaint
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