2009 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical System
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER (DICK SHIRLEY CHEVROLET AT (336) 792-1922, LOCATED AT 2616 ALAMANCE RD, BURLINGTON, NC 27215) AND WAS ADVISED TO PLACE WD-40 ON THE IGNITION SWITCH TO REMOVE THE KEY. THE CONTACT DID AS ADVISED AND WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
I HAVE HEAT PROBLEMS, I HAVE PUT $1,200 INTO THE REPAIRS AND TO NO AVAIL THERE STILL IS A PROBLEM
IN 2015, I TOOK MY CAR TO MONUMENT CHEVROLET AND TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY CAR IS NOT UNLOCKING THE DOORS WHEN I AM USING THE REMOTE. I HAD TO USE MY KEY TO UNLOCK MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR MANUALLY AND THE REACH OVER TO UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. BEFORE THE DEALERSHIP EVEN RAN A DIAGNOSIS TEST, THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS MY LOCK MECHANISM AND IT WAS GOING TO COST ME $300.00 PER DOOR TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I DECLINE AND TOLD THEM I WILL DO IT THE OLD FASHION WAY BY USING THE KEY. IT LOOKS AND SEEMS LIKE THE DEALERSHIP KNEW THERE WAS A EXISTING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE AS QUICKLY AS THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE MALFUNCTION. NOW ITS OVER A YEAR AND I STILL HAVE TO UNLOCK MY CAR THE OLD FASHION WAY EVEN AFTER I CHANGED THE BATTERY IN THE REMOTE.
HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR ELECTRIC WINDOW AND DOOR LOCKS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY OR NOT AT ALL. I HAVE SOMEKNOWLEDGE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS SO I STARTED TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM. AFTER 5 MINUTES I FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM TO BE COMPLETELY BROKEN WIRES THAT ARE PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS RIGHT BEFORE IT GOES THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND PROTECTED BY A RUBBER BOOT/SLEEVE . ALMOST ALL WIRES THAT ARE PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS AT THIS LOCATION WERE EITHER BROKEN AS I MENTIONED OR THE INSULATION WAS SO BRIDLE AND CRACKED THAT THE COPPER WIRE STRANDS WERE EXPOSED. THIS IS IN A TIGHT SPOT AND WOULD BE HARD TO SPLICE. I TOOK A PICTURE TO SUPPORT WHAT I AM WRITING AND I'VE ATTACHED IT. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAZARD IF THE EXPOSED WIRES EVER COME IN CONTACT WITH CHASSIS GROUND.
OUR VEHICLE'S RADIO BEGAN TO NOT SHUT OFF AFTER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED, AND THE KEYS WERE OUT OF THE IGNITION. WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS CONVINCED THAT IT WAS EITHER THE DOOR SWITCH OR THE RADIO. HAVING A MAJOR GUARD PROTECTION PLAN, THE RADIO WASN'T TO BE COVERED AND THE DOOR SWITCH WOULD. I CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED THINKING THAT WE'D CONTINUE TO SHUT THE RADIO OFF. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW STOPPED WORKING AND I REPLACED THE MOTOR (TO NO AVAIL) AND DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE DID I FIND THAT SIMILAR OWNERS HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS. I EVENTUALLY RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRICAL PATHWAY FROM THE CAR BODY TO THE DOOR CAUSED THE WIRES INSIDE TO STRETCH, CRACK, AND BREAK. THE 2 WIRES THAT WERE BROKEN WERE THE DOOR SENSOR WIRE AND THE POWER WINDOW WIRE. TAKING IT BACK TO PARKWAY CHEVROLET TO HAVE THEM RESEARCH THIS AND DIAGNOSE, THEIR REMEDY WAS TO HAVE THE WIRES RE-SAULDER. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE WIRING HARNESS BE REPLACED. LOOKS AND SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE MALFUNCTION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. AFTER PARKING AND ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, A CLICKING SOUND EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOW STOPPED OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME. MECHANIC ADVISED THE WIRING HARNESS INSIDE THE DOOR HAD BRITTLE WIRES AND THE DOOR HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE PART; TWO BROKEN WIRES AND FOUR OTHER BADLY FRAYED. *TR
WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION FOR SOME TIME NOW. SOME TIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES OF WORKING WITH IT BEFORE IT WILL COME OUT. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO SUPERIOR CHEVROLET OF SILOAM SPRINGS TWO TIMES AND HAVE SPENT A TOTAL OF $720.72 AND IT'S STILL NOT FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO TRY BUT IT WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $200 TO $300 DOLLARS AND IT STILL MIGHT NOT BE FIX. AFTER CHARGING ME THIS MUCH FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE FIX THEY SHOULD MAKE SURE IT REPAIRED ON THEIR OWN TIME. *TR
THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW STOPPED FUNCTIONING. WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE WINDOW WITH THE CONTROL. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IF THE DOOR WAS OPENED THE CONTROL FUNCTIONED. I TOOK THIS VEHICLE TO THE BLAISE ALEXANDER DEALERSHIP IN MUNCY, PA FOR REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRE THAT CONTROLLED THIS FUNCTION WAS "CRIMPED" AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE OTHER WIRES (6 IN ALL) WERE GOING TO FAIL EVENTUALLY. AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB FOR LIKE PROBLEMS I DETERMINED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. MY CONCERNS ARE IF THIS WIRING FAILS AND THE WINDOW DOESN'T OPEN OR THE POWER DOOR LOCK DOESN'T FUNCTION IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE WILL BE COMPROMISED. IF THE SHOULD OCCUR AND THERE IS A FIRE OR OTHER ISSUE IT COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR MORE. *TR
DIC (DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER) DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS INADEQUATE FOR DAYLIGHT/SUNLIGHT VISIBILITY. NO LISTED MEANS TO ALTER/BRIGHTEN.
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2009 Chevrolet Equinox has 10 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.