2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Engine Problems

Got word from the mechanic at the dealership that the cam shaft is leaking oil as well as the fuel injectors retainers are out and need to be sealed as they are also leaking. the engine went into safe mode to prevent any engine fires.

Vehicle is leaking coolant excessively. Faulty 55513550 water pump (ACDelco/GM OE) commonly causes engine overheating, coolant leaks (often from the weep hole), and unusual noise (squeaking/rumbling) in 1.6L diesel engines for Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox, and GMC Terrain. It may cause cabin heating issues and trigger engine codes. Major Problem #2: Electrical Described by Tony Dubois at Midas (Cinco Ranch location) - Electrical pulse are being received through the wiring causing lights to go on and off. No other manufacturer or repair shop can fix this issue because of the inability to access the coding. This is an Dealership software issue.

My car has a slow crank and when I am driving down the road it cuts off completely and does not want to crank. I have a signal on my car that says reduced speed and the speed is cut down and drags . My car also smells like gas and there is a leak coming from the vehicle it drains really bad . my brakes goes out every few months . My Car radio goes out like there is a shortage. Its horrible

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor of fuel coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the brake pads were wearing abnormally quickly. The message speed reduced was displayed. The engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Engine power low

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.

Vehicle displayed reduced engine power, check engine light, and service brake assist all at the same time. Brake pedal wouldn't move leaving me without brakes. Coasted to stop and shut off car. Brake did not release and now engine won't start. Informed brake vacuum booster pump is problem and ruined motor now.

My 2018 equinox was running perfectly. Then several warning lights popped up on the dash. I pulled into my daughter's school and didn't have power breaks. Even though brake fluid was full. It wouldn't start back up. A mechanic shop looked at the car and said they thought the timing was off. But couldn't guarantee it. Another mechanic looked at it a few days later and said I needed a new power break pump that the had broken at the camshaft connect. He said the car would need to rebuild the motor or buy a used motor because of the damage. I have heard of several people who have had the same exact issue with the chevy 1.5 turbo motor in many chevy vehicles. There should be a recall as there is never a warning that the vacuum break pump is getting ready to go bad and cause severe engine...

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal seized while depressing the brake pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that a gasket had detached and was missing, and there were plastic pieces inside the engine, and there was oil intrusion into other parts of the vehicle and engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was parked at the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 200,000.

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Premier. The engine connecting rod to the #1 piston separated, causing the engine to stop while the vehicle was in motion. The only warning light at the time was the tire pressure monitor system. The incident had no warning. My husband was driving the vehicle. Initially he thought the car blew a tire by the noise, but then the engine stopped/stalled while I was driving. He was able to get to a side road. The vehicle would not start. He smelled burnt rubber and then thought he broke a belt. He pushed the On-star button for roadside assistance. The car was towed to Ferman Chevolet, Adamoo Dr., Brandon, Florida where they inserted a camera scope and confirmed the rod separation. I do not have paperwork except to show they gave me $2500 towards a trade-in. Over the phone they said it would be $1800 to take apart...

This rare equinox has a Turbocharge issue that causes rapid engine power loss, and melting under the manifold and around the fuel injector pipes. The recent recalls do not include this GM made diesel equinox due to its rarity, and small consumer ownership of 506,775 units sold in its lifetime. However, GM has been just as negligent with this diesel 1.6L, as with the other major model lineup. Diesel particulate sensor goes bad every year around installation anniversary (previous recall). Stated every year in purchase anniversary month 10/2021, 10/2022

My son was coming home from work 3/26/2025 after 5 pm, when a warning message came on that said "Engine Power Reduced". My son attempted to pull over, however, the brakes did not work. This caused a definite safety risk to my son and others as he could not stop the vehicle. Gratefully, he was on the street and not on the freeway where speeds are higher which could have caused injury or possibly death. He found a clear area to pull over and put the car in park and pushed the start/stop button to turn off the car. The car had to be towed to my home. The car was towed to the repair shop 4/1/2025. There were no previous warning messages regarding the engine or otherwise until the day of the incident. The vehicle is currently in the shop and has been inspected.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact had to firmly depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to respond. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. Additionally, the engine made a clicking sound, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vacuum pump was replaced, but the mechanic discovered metal shavings from the vacuum pump in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The...

No code, no indication of anything wrong, no lights or warnings, no sounds or rough running indications on the vehicle. It just completely died in the middle of the highway while traveling down the road and would not restart. Middle of the night with me and my granddaughter in the vehicle. It ended up being a problem with the timing chain which was not broke. Nor were there any indication there was a problem with it.

Camshaft broke into pieces into the engine causing the vehicle to not run on the roadway with minors in the car.

Good afternoon I hope everyone is well. This complaint I'm filing for Turbocharger/Supercharger A under boost condition (P0299) with my daughters 2018 Chevy Equinox. When you research this error with Chevy/GM vehicles you'll see this impacts all vehicles, but Chevy/GM is only recalling their vehicles from 2022+. I've spoken with numerous auto mechanics throughout the United States, and every auto mechanic has stated this is an issue that impacts all Chevy and GM vehicles. Both Chevy and GM are deceiving everyone and there's a significant issue that requires Chevy and GM should address.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle unintentionally went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the turbo charger assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger boost assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for the last time where it was diagnosed that once again the turbo charger boost assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately...

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Engine Power" message flashed on the instrument panel with an audible beep coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the vacuum pump had damaged the cam shaft, causing the cam shaft to explode, releasing particles into the engine long block. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was then linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, and attempting to stop at a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact made a left turn into a parking lot and became aware that there was brake fluid leaking from the vacuum pump where it was attached to the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 130,000.

I'm writing to request an extension of the recall for the Brake Vacuum Pump issue and seek compensation for repairs on my 2018 Chevy Equinox. In November 2023, while exiting [XXX] in Warwick, RI, my brakes failed despite full pressure. I had to steer into the breakdown lane and eventually stopped in a parking lot. At the time, I was nine months pregnant and extremely shaken. After stopping, the vehicle exhibited erratic behavior and not stopping, entering "limp mode." The car was towed to a local mechanic who initially thought the brakes were at fault. It was later diagnosed at Sullivan Tire that a "catastrophic failure of the Brake Vacuum Pump" caused camshaft damage, leading to repair costs of $3,197.17. The mechanic stated this failure was unprecedented for a vehicle with only 64,271 miles. I discovered that a recall for this issue exists but does not cover the 2018 Equinox....

Vacuum pump failed and broke with no warning signs at all. After replacement now it will not start well and when it does I have lose off power. Lost brakes while driving on a country road and had to have it towed.

Brake assist light went on, had the brake pads and rotors replaced, light went off. 6 months later the light came back on but this time the brake pedal was hard. I did not drive it after that. After looking online and seeing dozens of people with the same issue, I took a chance and bought the brake booster and had my friend, who is a certified mechanic, replace the part. The old vacuum pump had frozen up and broken along with the gears, which had fallen into the engine, just like what I was seeing all over the Internet. People are getting hurt and lives are at risk, this should have been recalled!!!!

P0299. Engine power reduced [XXX] mileage 95617 Charged air cooler needs to be replaced. P0299 [XXX]. Mileage 96101. Turbocharger O.E. REPLACEMENT replace Turbocharger Assembly. P0299 [XXX] engine power reduced. P0299 [XXX] engine power reduced. Mileage 68340. Engine light goes on and off. The code P0299 is a code where my engine light comes on. Then after calling the dealership Miller Brothers Ellicott City, MD With my concerns that the light is on again but by the time I'm given a service appointment the engine light goes back out. I feel that this continues to happen with my vehicle several times while my car was covered by my extended warranty as well as my 100 thousand miles powertrain where in which my Turbocharger is not functioning correctly and should be made part of a recall of All Chevy equinox vehicle which have the 1.5 liter engine where the engine power reduced...

The brakes in our 2018 chevy equinox have went out three times in the past month. First time the car was parked fully functioning the night before, woke up the next morning for work and there was no brakes. Replaced the vacuum pump and they worked good as new. Second time we are driving down a busy highway and had been for half an hour. 2 minutes from our destination at the ONLY turn we had to make the whole trip, the brakes all of a sudden went out. This could have easily resulted in a fatal crash. Again, the vacuum pump. Now were to today, the third time our brakes have failed and this time it came with the check engine light and “engine power reduced”. GM NEEDS TO RECALL.

Due to mechanical error with the vacuum brake pump that has had millions of vehicles listed in the recall except for the Equinox, it caused $4,000 worth of damage to my vehicle and almost caused a crash on a highway in close proximity to an ambulance that was actively on an emergency run. I was on a major highway traveling at about 60 MPH. I was able to coast enough to wear I could safely get to the shoulder of the highway, take an exit ramp, and coast up the hill out of the way of the ambulance. I contacted GM and have yet to hear anything further back. This incident could have cause a catastrophic crash and further delayed medical treatment for whomever was needing the ambulance. After some research on the matter, I found that 3.4 million vehicles of GM were recalled after this exact issue had resulted...

Vacuum pump coming apart internally making it virtually impossible to stop the car using the brakes. This was a known issue on other GM Models the vacuum pump failing caused damage to my camshaft and possibly to my engine.

So where do i begin. There are no leaks on my driveway but I have to add coolant every other day & then when I opened my hood it looks like there’s grease everywhere like over the bolts where the bottom & top meet. At time the car stalls it loses power or doesn’t even pick up power. It just drags. Sometimes a strong odor comes from the vents of the a/c & then it at times doesn’t blow cool air just flat air. Also six months after having the vehicle the 2 TPMS went out & when I took it back to dealer where i purchased it they basically told me that I didn’t even have any TPMS that the machine didn’t pick up any & now the display was showing all 4 empty & the TPMS icon constantly on the display. I found that odd & I didn’t...

The contact’s girlfriend owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the girlfriend's vehicle was parked and would not start. The contact utilized a Nickson Industries Engine Heater Oil Product, CAT' Engine Heater 90-Watt Dipstick Heater 24-inch, Part number 15200, to heat the engine oil. However, a part of the dipstick heater melted off into the oil pan. No warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local mechanic who dropped the oil pan and removed the fragment from the dipstick heater. A new battery was installed, and the vehicle was inspected. The contact sent fragments of the dipstick heater to the manufacturer, and it was confirmed as a manufacturing failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

2/20/24 while coming to a stop at a stop light in a busy intersection, the car completely died/shut down. Hazard lights could not be turned on. No lights in car, no error message. no lights at all. RPM gauges remained in the same position as when the vehicle died. I was able to put it in park. After about 5 minutes the car was able to be restarted. It was not clear why it finally restarted. I tried to push break, push start button and push hazards. There have been similar incidents in the past but this incident took much longer to be able to restart the car. Those incidents the RPM gauge dropped into the off position in those other situations. The hazard lights were at least able to be turned on and I still had lights in my dash. This is a dangerous engine error that can not...

My 2018 equinox is not included in any recalls. However, it has been in for engine repair, even though the vehicle only had 70,000 miles on it at the time. After that, the ABS system was acting up, the automatic door locks and locking mechanism failed and went outs, the brakes have been repaired three times and the suspension is worn down. I only have $86,000 mi on it. I am now getting ready to take it in again for transmission issues. My car is not included in any recalls, but seems to have the issues stated and all the recalls

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, the ECM was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: N222372590. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the start of the vehicle was abnormal. The contact drove the vehicle out of the driveway and then into the garage. The contact stated an hour later while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact connected to a jump box to the battery and charged the battery for an hour. The contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the shift to park warning light remained illuminated. The contact purchased a new battery however, the vehicle failed to start. The battery was disconnected to prevent the battery from draining. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a voucher for the repair...

the vacumm pump grenaded and sent metal chunks into the camshaft knocking the reluctant wheel out of position causing the car to shut down and lose brakes and power steering. There were no prior engine codes or warning. multiple mechanics verified this and it is a known issue. Gm needs to deal with this and should put out a recall. such a new vehicle should not need motor work at 70k miles!!

Vacuum pump for brake booster failed. Lost braking power. Caused debris to be injected in to engine. Caused camshaft failure. Dealership confirmed, and inspected. Check Engine light and Reduced Engine Power message at time of failure. Slight rear brake pulsation 1/2 hour before. I thought it was just moisture/rust on the rotor as the car had been in the body shop for 2 months following a deer collision.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to remain running after being started. While depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was slow to respond. The contact stated that his brother used an ODB scanner and retrieved DTC codes: P0017 (Crank shaft Phaser, Exhaust Camshaft, Valve Cover Gasket), P1556 (Variable-Solenoid), P0011 (Camshaft), PO0014 (Engine), and P2227 (Turbo Charger). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the failure was related to the timing chain, cam shaft, brake booster, and vacuum pump. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that there was no coverage for the repair under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 182,000.

Car stopped working at 72K miles. sputtered, stopped, cranked but no start. P0017 error - which has a TSB on it. Camshaft position error. Chevy knows about the issue but just hopes it happens outside of warranty, which is not acceptable. Vacuum pump also had catastrophic failure.

The vacuum pump that controls the power brakes broke/went tight, causing the brake pedal to get extremely hard and almost caused us to crash on the interstate. It turns out that this vacuum pump is attached to the camshaft on the 2018 Equinox and it doesn't have a shear pin, so when it goes tight, it destroys the camshaft and timining chain as well. It will cost over $4k to repair. This is a huge safety concern, not to mention the unexcpected costs to the consumer. GM is well aware of this issue, and has issued recalls on the same vacuum pump on different models of Chevrolets/GMCs

Service brake assist

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while at a stop light and releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle shutdown before the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The electrical systems in the vehicle turned on and off and the doors were locking and unlocking independently. Additionally, the instrument cluster warning lights were turning on and off. The contact also stated that the parking brake and traction control functions were engaged. The contact released the brake pedal and the vehicle jolted and turned on and restarted. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the NHTSA hotline, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,400.

Has had 2 codes come up for bad fuel injectors maybe more before it hit 50,000 miles dealer can't recreate cases a bad miss fire really surprised it runs

When backing into my drive way moving the gear from d to r the car will jump. This has made it to where I fear to park where I have to reverse. As well as when I started driving down the road the auto stop start kicked on while doing 30 when the car powered back on in the busy intersection the car was clunking I pulled over asap and took a look under the car to make sure nothing was leaking when started back up it went away. It’s very unsafe to have a car that you can’t disable the auto stop feature from coming on as if the intersection was not a safe place for this to happen

When my cats gets turned on my radio doesn’t turn on so I have to reset it until it turns on meaning I have to press and hold for 20sec to get the volume knob lite but my radio doesn’t work and on top of it the auto stop is tripping when I do auto stop the car turns off and restarts on its own and shows light on dash saying traction control on or off and then it will say brake release and than brake check my steering wheel controls don’t work meaning my auto control isn’t working to set and one day out of nowhere it will all work like nothing happen radio will turn on but I can’t turn volume on or change station and it’s a frozen screen and sometimes it goes all blank black but I can hear music with no screen

The “Check Engine” light is still on regardless of the maintenance done on the vehicle. The oil pump is possibly damaged after pieces from broken vacuum pump may have entered into engine.

The vacuum pump in my 2018 Chevrolet Equinox no longer works. I have a “hard brake” and when I attempt to stop At low speeds there is a grinding sound with my vehicle.

Winter 2020/2021 I had to replace my exhaust manifold and now winter 2021/2022 I am having issues with my turbo/super charger but same code of P0299 for both incidents. Wondering what is going on with my vehicle. I bought it at 42,000 miles and now has 88,000 on it

engine problems

On approximately 11/18/21 3:30 pm I drove my car and the engine just died. Busy street. It took me 30 minutes to restart and pull safely into the first parking lot I could get to. every time I went to start vehicle it would take 3-4 minutes each time, I had to turn car completely to stop the car from trying to start. When it finally started it would only go 10 feet before the engine stopped running. I had to have my car towed to the dealership. On 12/8/21 the dealership called me and said the the pump which is inside the engine failed and that the engine would have to be replaced for $8,500.00 HELP!

62 k Miles car completely shut down and power steering became useless making it extremely hard to even move out of traffic. There were no warning lights Car has always been fully serviced at dealership. Vac pump failed causing camshaft to break , bending pistons New engine required. Car at dealership going into 3 weeks now

CHECK ENGINGE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. CODE SAYS DEALER SPECIFIC, WENT TO GO TO DEALER, LIGHT WENT OFF. TWO WEEKS LATER, LIGHT COMES BACK ON FOR A FEW DAYS, GOES BACK OFF. HAD THE DIESEL SYSTEM CLEANED BY DEALER, LIGHT STILL COMES ON AND OFF. CAR HAS 42K MILES, EXPERTLY MAINTAINED. DEALER WANTS $135 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THAT THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS SAY THERE IS NO SOLUTION FOR. ON STAR DIAGNOSES FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND DIDN'T EVEN SHOW THE 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' AS BEING ON. SIMILAR REPORTS FROM OTHERS ONLINE INVOLVING THE 1.6L DIESEL. NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES WITH THE LIGHT ON, BUT CHEVROLET SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE - EVEN IF THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. A TWO YEAR OLD CAR SHOULDN'T BE HAVING RANDOM CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUES.

THE OIL PLUG IS WEAK AND DAMAGED