2006 Chevrolet Equinox Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE ENGINE FAILED. THIS IS MECHANIC REPORT FROM CHEVY DEALERSHIP:" THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED DIAGNOSIS AND FOUND MISFIRE ON THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. THE EXHAUST LIFTER IS COLLAPSED CAUSING NOISE AND NOT OPERATING, ALSO HEARD A LOWER END KNOCK FROM ROD BEARINGS,SUSPECT LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AT ONE TIME TO BE THE CAUSE OF INTERNAL DAMAGE. WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER INTERNAL NOISES,RECOMMEND ENGINE REPLACEMENT TO AVOID FURTHER REPAIRS DUE TO BEING RUN ON LOW OIL PRESSURE. ". I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. *TR
OUR 2006 EQUINOX HAS HAD OUR ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON US SEVERAL TIMES BETWEEN APRIL 3RD THRU SEPT. 4TH OF 2014. IT HAS SHUT DOWN TWICE WHILE AT A STOP AND ABOUT 4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. AFTER 1-2 MINUTES, THE CAR WILL START BACK UP. IT SEEMS IT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING 50-60 MILES PER HOUR AND THERE IS NO WHERE TO PULL OVER AND A CAR BEHIND YOU MAY NOT NOTICE THAT YOUR CAR HAS SHUT DOWN AND MAY NOT STOP QUICK ENOUGH. AT TIMES, THE BRAKES ARE HARD TO STOP THE CAR AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE (OUT OF STATE - HOURS AWAY FROM HOME), WHICH HAD A STEEP GRADE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. ENDED UP HAVING TO GET A NEW ENGINE ( WELL WARRANTY COMPANY PUT IN USED ENGINE THAT HAD 40,000 MILES ON IT). HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GET HOME AND TO GET BACK TO PICK UP THE CAR WEEKS LATER. *TR
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR IS HARD TO START. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT TESTED. THEY SAID IT IS ON BECAUSE OF THE GAS CAP. I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE GAS CAP AND THAT WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE WITH THE STARTING. THEY RESET THE LIGHT. I BOUGHT A NEW GAS CAP. LIGHT CAME BACK ON. IT IS TILL ON AND HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING. NO MORE CHEVROLETS FOR ME. *TR
WAS IDLING IN CAR AT MILITARY CHECK POINT TO GET TO SCHOOL IN 2012 AND FANS UNDER HOOD GOT LOUD TO COOL IT DOWN. WENT DEAD SEVERAL TIMES. LET SIT 45 MINUTES. CHECKED RADIATOR AND WAS FULL OF WATER. BARELY MADE IT HOME, GOING DEAD ALL THE WAY. TOOK TO DEALER AND SAID COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM AT ALL CHARGED ME OVER $100 TO CHECK IT. FOR MONTHS IT WOULD DO THIS OFF AND ON. THEN THE FAN UNDER THE HOOD STARTED COMING ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THEN THE CAR WOULD RUN WHEN I TURNED THE KEY OFF. NOW IN JANUARY 2014, THE HEATER IS BLOWING COLD AIR AND I HAVE NO DEFROST AND THE ENGINE TEMP. GAUGE IS ALL OF THE WAY TO HOT. I CAN ONLY RUN IT FOR 15 MINUTES THEN IT GOES DEAD AND I HAVE TO WAIT 45 MINUTES FOR IT TO COOL DOWN TO GO ANOTHER 45 MINUTES. REALLY BAD FOR ME BECAUSE IT TAKE ME 30 MINUTES TO GET TO WORK SO I HAVE TO ADD ANOTHER 45 MINUTES.....THAT'S THERE AND THEN 45 EXTRA HOME. *TR
IT WOULD CHUG WHEN I STARTED IT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP TO GET FIXED AND THEY SAID THERE IS A BIG CRACK IN THE EGR VALVE PIPING. *TR
THE FAN IS MY CAR ONLY BLOWS OUT COLD AIR. NOT GREAT WHEN THE WEATHER IS 25 DEGREES AND SNOWING. REALLY GM, STEP UP TO THE PLATE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP FAILED. THE WATER PUMP WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO THEN ADVISED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
2006 EQUINOX OVERHEATED CAUSING CAR TO QUIT ON INTERSTATE, HAD TO BE TOWED, RENT A CAR, RENT A MOTEL ROOM, HAD MY CAR TOWED TO CHEVROLET SERVICE TALLAHASSEE, WAS TOLD THAT HAD HEAD GASKET PROBLEM EXT COST 2400.00 IF NO OTHER PROBLEMS SO I HAD CAR TOWED HOME, HAD TO PAY FOR TRAILER AND GAS, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC HE VERIFIED WHAT CHEVROLET DEALER HAD SAID EST COST AT THIS POINT $2000.00 MAY BE MORE IF OTHER DAMAGES FOUND, RESEARCHED ONLINE FOUND THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR EQUINOX CALLED GMC WAS TOLD HAD I TOOK IT TO CHEV. DEALERSHIP THEY MIGHT COULD HAVE HELPED ME GET DISCOUNT BUT COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE I TOOK IT TOOK LOCAL MECHANIC. THIS CAR IS A BIG DANGER ME AND MY GRANDKIDS COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WE BARELY MADE IT OFF THE INTERSTATE. GMC NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 EQUINOX AFTER I DRIVE IT AND IT SITS FOR AWHILE...30 MINS OR SO ....IT DOESN'T WANT TO START AGAIN....I HAVE READ SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE AN 06 CHEVY EQUINOX. OVER THE PAST MONTH IT HAS BEEN RANDOMLY SHUTTING OFF AS YOU ARE DRIVING. THE FIRST TIME I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND IT SHUT OFF. AFTER A FEW TRIES TO START IT BACK UP I CALLED MY HUSBAND HE CAME TO GET ME AND IT STARTED BACK UP. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC THAT DAY. HE SAW NOTHING WRONG. THERE WAS NO CODE THAT CAME UP TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM. SINCE THEN IT HAS SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIME WHILE IN MOTION. THE ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN AND THE TC LIGHT WILL COME. I FOUND THIS FORUM AND READ OTHER COMMENTS OF THIS HAPPENING. I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND HAVE TO GO OVER A BRIDGE EVERY DAY TO GO TO WORK. I AM SCARED THIS MIGHT HAPPEN WHILE ON THE BRIDGE OR HIGHWAY. GM SHOULD REALLY LOOK IN TO THIS PROBLEM IF IT IS HAPPENING TO MORE THAN A FEW PEOPLE. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO GIVE AWAY IF NO PROBLEM CAN BE SEEN BY A MECHANIC NOR CAN I AFFORD A NEW CAR. SOME ONE PLEASE HELP OR GIVE ME AN ANSWER. *TR
OVER HEATING BLEW ALL WATER OUT HAD WRECKER TAKE TO LYNN SMITH DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS !ST TIME . TOOK BACK TO LYNNSMITH HEATING UP AGAIN ,COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM 2ND TIME .OVER HEATED ON DEC 15 TH ,REPLACED THERMOSTAT GOOD FOR TO DAYS OVER HEATED A 3RD TIME BLUE ALL WARER OUT AGAIN AND WOULD NOT RESTART A REAL PROBLEM CAR NOT RUNNING AND PAYMENTS WONT STOP COMING. *TR
SPOUSE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INDICATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON THE VEHICLE HAD RISEN QUICKLY WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT. THE GAUGE ONLY DECREASED SLIGHTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. SUSPECTED A THERMOSTAT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY INDICATED THE SAME. REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. TESTS INDICATED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF THIS ISSUE. NO LOSS OF COOLANT. NO COOLANT IN THE OIL. NO OIL IN THE COOLANT. NO WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. THE ONLY INDICATOR WAS THE QUICKLY RISING TEMPERATURE. AT THAT POINT, NO PREEMPTIVE MEASURES COULD BE TAKEN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN WHEN MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, COMPLETELY. NO POWER TO THE CONSOLE OR ANYTHING ELSE. I COULDN'T EVEN TURN ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS. I WAS AFRAID THAT SOMEONE GOING TO HIT ME BECAUSE IT WAS DARK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,759. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000. MAH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO RESTART. THE ENGINE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED 90 MINUTES LATER. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE WHERE THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND THE IGNITION HAD BEEN REPLACED, AS WITH OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WERE REPAIRED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER SERVICED AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED AND NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. UPDATED 7/16/12 *CN THE HEAD GASKET AND INTAKE GASKETS WERE REPLACED. IN JUNE 2012, THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND WHITE SMOKE AND WATER WERE EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. A MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE REAR HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED AND THE #1 CYLINDER HAD FAILED AS WELL. UPDATED 07/18/12
BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 65,000 MILES. WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED, CAR LOST POWER. NO INDICATION OF ANY ISSUES BEFORE, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO OTHER WARNING WHATSOEVER. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2005 & 2006 EQUINOX'S SINCE I WAS INFORMED OF HOW COMMON IT IS FROM THE LADY AT THE BMV....I KEPT ASKING MY CHEVY DEALER HOW DOES A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 65,000 MILES BLOW A HEAD GASKET AND SOMEHOW I DOUBT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE HEARD OF IT. *TR
OUR 2006 EQUINOX BLEW A HEAD GASKET AT 100000 MILES UNDER NORMAL USE. WE HAVE FOUND DOZENS OF OTHER 06 EQUINOX OWNERS ONLINE THAT HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE FORUMS OF EQUINOX OWNERS DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM. CHEVY SHOULD REIMBURSE US FOR THE COST OF FIXING THIS. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM AND THEY SAID BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *JS
BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *KB
2006 EQUINOX STARTED BLOWING COLD AIR, ENGINE OVERHEATED AT STOP LIGHT. REPLACED THERMOSTAT, BUT DIDN'T RESOLVE. VEHICLE NEEDS NEW HEAD GASKET . COST WITH INITIAL THERMOSTAT AND CURRENT WORK APPROXIMATELY $3K. MECHANIC SHOPS CONTACTED GM AND WERE NOT PROVIDED THE INFORMATION OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS SUCH AS MINE, THOUGH A MYRAID OF COMPLAINTS POSTED ON LINE THAT STATES THAT GM IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX FOR 5 MONTHS NOW. ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON SPORADICALLY, CAR OVERHEATS WHILE IN TRAFFIC OR IDLING. I CANNOT DRIVE MY TOO LONG. WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS IN THE MIDDLE. A/C BLOWS OUT HOT/FAN AIR WHILE IDLING, SOMETIMES BLOWS OUT BAD SMELL. WHILE CAR IS IN MOVING MOTION A/C BLOWS COLD AIR. AFTER APPROX. 30 MINUTES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, HOT AIR COMES OUT AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIRS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX. LAST INCIDENT IS REPORT BELOW, HOWEVER I CANNOT HAVE THE CAR PARKED ON FOR MORE THAN 2 MINUTES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD WATER MOVING INSIDE THE DASHBOARD. THE FAILURE STARTED IN AUGUST OF 2007. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND LIFTERS WERE FAILING. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO AUTHORIZED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,347. UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 08/19/11
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Quick Summary
The 2006 Chevrolet Equinox has 67 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.