Chevrolet Equinox Maintenance and Repair

michelle6

I read a lot of posts that said that they were having water leaks. So when I got home after it had rained, I decided to look since it seems if one person has a problem with this car, everyone else does too. Sure enough, my whole spare tire area was wet. I have also had problems with my windows, but mine slide down when they are all the way up.

sterlingnox

Has anyone else had acceleration problems? My nox suddenly accelerated on me when I was easing into a turning lane....I almost hit the vehicle in front of me, but quickly moved my nox out of the lane(almost got hit from the side..but I was lucky). My dealer is unsure of the problem, they put over 200 miles on it trying to "duplicate" the problem, but couldn't. I got my Nox in October and I think it has been in my dealer's garage more than my own (shouldn't they make the payments? ) Right after I got it, the Pass lock system malfunctioned and the car wouldn't start for 30 minutes after it was shut down..until the theft system reset (A problem if you want to make a quick errand!) This took 3 weeks to fix! I've also had the coolant/hoses replaced and software reinstalled to fix the Transmission/High RPM's and not shifting properly. (They are not sure if this fixed the problem because my dealer said they were "not sure what was in the software updates, but the believe it should work". I pick up my Nox tomorrow so I will find out, but I am leary of taking it becasue of the acceleration problem. I love my Equinox, not sure what else I would have if I had a chance for another...but I am dissappointed in the numerous problems and the poor gas mileage!

tweedledee

I've been reading this message board off and on since I purchased an Equinox two months ago. I thought I would comment on my experiences.

First,I checked my spare tire compartment, and low and behold there was about 2 inches of water in there. Everyone should stop what they are doing and check this out before the water gets so deep it overflows into other areas of your vehicle. Im going to take it into the dealer. Has anyone else taken theirs in for this problem? I'm wondering what (if anything) they do about it?

I'll chime in about gas mileage. I drive the car mostly on highways to and from the mountains to go skiing. It is about a 300 mile round trip and consists of highway, and windy steep ascents and descents. I average around 21mpg. I have 2200 miles on my car.

Occasional bad odors from engine area. I took it in to have them look at it. Of course they didnt smell anything at the time. Those that have this problem- is the smell continous or does it come and go? Im not even sure I have this problem...?

I have the three knocks when first starting out in the thing. I think it has something to do with the exhaust system. Not sure.

Anyone get a lot of water (or some sort of clear liquid) leaking out under the engine onto the ground? I am not using the air conditioner. And I sometimes get enough water leaking to fill a 32 oz container. Dealer told me this was normal!!! ??!

Im especially interested in this odor problem. I'm wondering if I have the problem or I am just imagining it. Also would like to hear others experiences with water leaking into spare tire compartment.

myfrustration

Just picked up my Equinox on Tuesday, when I was driving home from the dealer I noticed this unusual smell. After a week (almost) of driving it I know its not just me. I have played with all the heating functions and payed attention to the heat gage but the smell is consistant no matter what I do. Its a sulfer like smell. I know that others have complained about this so does anyone know if GM has a fix for this yet? I only have 106 miles on mine as of today, and I also noticed that my mileage is awful only city driving (short trips) and Im on a 1/2 a tank now. Help I really like this vehicle, but do not it to be in the dealer all of the time!

ron_m

Based upon the posts that I have been reading here in this particular forum, I would have to say that GM most likely released the Equinox prematurely. You would think that they would have learned their lesson after the TrailBlazer/Envoy/Bravada debacle. Regardless of the fact that the TrailBlazer and Envoy both have sold pretty well, a large percentage of the owners of these vehicles have experienced MAJOR problems with them. Unfortunately, the Equinox story appears to be taking the same twist. I sure do hate this because I have always favored GM's vehicles over the offerings of Ford and Chrysler both. There's just no way to describe how badly that I would like to see GM succeed long term. But they are going to have to realize that having good build quality for the Cadillac and Buick divisions alone will not keep them afloat for the long haul in today's highly competitive auto industry. Hopefully my suspicion of the Equinox initial build quality and downstream reliability is unjustified. I'd like to think that I am wrong about these vehicles--but right now I have my doubts based upon what I am reading and hearing around the office and out in public. Only time will tell...

Ron M.

camaro86

I tried to go through the GM customer assurance center and they gave me the run around for about a month so do not do that. I then filled out the BBB Autoline form on the web and received a settlement over the phone in about a week. The final repurchase will take approx. a month.

jons214

I took ownership of my Equinox on the 25th of January and have been still going through road trails. Have followed the "break-in" as the manual states and so far she has performed well. Checked coolant for color and although the color is not quite pink, there has been no strange smell coming from the engine compartment. We have recently had some heavy rain here and during my daily checks the cabin is dry. No leakage in the rear compartment or from the top hatch. Fuel comsumption has been about 18 to 20 in city and the highway figures are not long enough to add in for an accurate measure. I love the ride quality and the general handling of this vehicle. I feel safe in her....not "spam in a can" as with the foreign modes of the same class. And I did not even consider Ford...did not want to be lit up like toast. Production date was in December 2004. I hope that the "teething" problems that many of the people had will be resolved and that they will have better luck with their vehicle. As for myself I am very pleased so far...

liberty07

Thanks for your post. It's nice to hear a good report now and then in light of the many problems posted with the Nox. Glad to know nothings wrong.

myfrustration

Does any one know how to tell from the door tags (or something else)when the vehicle was produced? Is there a website that I can check out for this information? I have already run the vin number and nothing comes back except that there are no new records on my nox. ????

tiffany2

Hi,

I am having the same problem with the standing
water in my NOX the dealership is blaming it on
my sunroof and I never thought the problem was coming from the sunroof. Did you have a sunroof installed or did you buy your NOX with a sunroof.
Also did you end up keeping your nox and what happened. Mine is at the dealership right now being repaired.

jons214

The information is on the driver's side door...date upper right hand corner. Hope this helps.

sheep132

I purchased an equinox in March 2004. My July 2004 we had the car back 5 times and could not ride in the car without getting sick. It took over 2 months haggling with the dealership and GM Customer Assistance, writing complaint letters to GM headquarters (CEO, COO who never responded). It was not until I filed a complaint with my state's consumer protection agency (The Attorney General's office) that GM agreed to repurchase the vehicle. I will NEVER buy any car made by GM again in life. You could not give me one of their vehicles. All the while, they denied that they were aware of any odor problems. We were the first ones complaining even though complaints were posted all over this website. Supposedly the fix is the new hoses to the radiator. Some people have had this done. How is it working? I can't believe that people are buying these cars and still as of 2/05 smelling the odor. You would think that they would just do a recall and replace all of the hoses. It seems like you have to ask for the hose fix in order for them to do it.

I am happily driving my new Toyota Highlander from my Equinox refund !!!

renek

It depends on what state you live in, but I recently went through a GM buyback. My brand new Equinox was out of service for more than 30 days within the first year of warranty. At 25 days out of service I had to send a certified letter to Chevrolet telling them that they had 5 days to fix the vehicle. Once that 5 days passed, GM started the buyback process, but trust me when I tell you it takes a long time to get through the process. I was out of my vehicle for at least two months.

renek

I am on my second Nox in 6 months. The first one was backfiring upon start-up and somethimes would not start at all and now the second one is doing the backfire thing only. It seems to happen when the vehicle is luke warm. What I mean by that is after I drive my vehicle to work, and it sits in the parking lot for about 3 hours, I go out at lunch to start it and it makes a popping noise out of the tail pipe. I have not seen any complaints of this anywhere and my dealer is starting to think I'm insane because it will NEVER do it when it's in for service. Has anyone else had this happen? I guess I'm lucky though, because neither of my Nox's have had the smelly odor.

luv_my_nox

Just purchased my New LT FWD Equinox Jan 31, came right off the truck, still with the wrappers. MFG date: 1/05. Equipped with Sunroof and Leather. After 600 miles and about 1 month I am happy to report no problems. I looked it over, top and bottom, and was impressed with the paint, build, fit and finish. It is a nice looking vehicle. My wife loves it. I've driven it in the rain and snow and have no leaks any where. No abnormal noise. Antifreeze is still a nice looking light red, and no odor. I'm impressed with the ride, handling, and acceleration. Transmission is smooth and responsive. Wife and I luv the vehicle and its universal features. I believe GM finally has the Nox quality under control.

michelle6

Is this a popping or knocking noise? I have had a knocking noise and I have complained several times to the dealership but they do not know what it is. And of course, they cannot duplicate it. Check out equinoxownersclub.com and equinoxcentral.com . There are a lot of people on both of these and maybe you could find someone on there with the same problem.

michelle6

Is this a popping or knocking noise? I have had a knocking noise and I have complained several times to the dealership but they do not know what it is. And of course, they cannot duplicate it. Check out equinoxownersclub.com and equinoxcentral.com . There are a lot of people on both of these and maybe you could find someone on there with the same problem.

glohan

What is the best way to get some results from your dealer if they do not seem to want to do anything about your problems? I do not have the time or money to take them to court over this.

noxlover

Hey Everyone

I bought my Nox in November and have had absolutely no problems with it! Wasn't aware of these problems when I bought it but I am sure glad mine is doing good. My mileage isn't where I would like it but is getting better as I drive it. No problem with any leaks or bad smells. It handles great and is comfortable. Sorry for all of your problems but I sure am glad my Nox is doing so well!

brendan1

tweedledee,

About the fluid under the engine...try using your washer fluid, both front and back, a lot of the NOX's have a defective valve in the bottom of the washer fluid tank. Try using both the front and back and see if the fluid is not leaking from the washer fluid tank, they replaced mine and I had no more problems. As for the odor, I've had mine in 2 times and both times they said they are ordering replacement parts and a re-flush kit...both times I allowed for a month to pass and heard nothing back. I finally have a lawyer involved with getting this settled since the dealership and GM Corporate will not work with me on this. It's to the point the odor is permeating into the house (a gargae kept car); I've warned GM that if the situation is not fixed that I'll be going for more then a fix to the car...

liberty07

Good to hear nothing is wrong with your Nox. I'm getting ready to buy and posts like yours are reassuring.

renek

Mine is definately a popping noise from the tailpipe and it will only pop under certain circumstances. I'll check out the other sites you mentioned. Thanks for the info.

mwatson69_2k

My nox is just over 5000 and my last fill up was 13 MPG!!! Going to make a call to the dealership to see what I can do...

jim_dandy

My Equinox does that too.
That noise you hear is not Backfiring,
but is a snapping, popping or tinging sound which is the stainless steel pipes expanding or contracting with heating and cooling. The exhaust can amplify the sound like an instrument. When it's in the garage and the engine is off, it is even more noticable.
As time goes on, with age, the noise will subside.
Some vehicles are louder than others.
GM uses stainless steel exhaust pipes and mufflers. They last, usually for the life of the vehicle. I currently had two GM vehicles where the orignal exhaust lasted for 170,000 miles.
They also made noise when new, but not as loud as the Equinox. Hope this helps.

cid95

I have officially joined the stinky Equinox club. I purchased my Nox in Jan. 05 and started noticing a "dead animal smell" almost immediately. I got used to it after a while, but my girlfriend could not stand to be in my car.

Today, I had my first oil change (not at a Chevy or GM dealer) and I jokingly told them to remove any dead animals if they found them. They called me a few minutes later and told me they thought they found my problem. When I picked up my car they explained that there was a coolant problem. They had some of my coolant in a bottle and the smell of it would knock you out. It smelled just like a dead animal. The coolant also had black particles floating around in the bottom. They told me that they knew three people that had already had their Equinox repurchased because of this problem and they sugggested I go to my dealer immediately.

I immediately left there and went to my dealer. I spoke with the Assistant Service Manager and he told me that he was not aware of any bad odor problems or coolant problems with the Equinox. He is supposed to call me Monday morning when his manager gets in, since they were about to close. I also talked with my salesman while I was there and he also said he was not aware of any problems.

So if this problem (there is a problem) has been corrected by GM it doesn't sound like all dealers are aware of it. I will see what happens.

jim_dandy

What is the manufacture date of the vehicle?
It is posted sticker on the driver side door near the latch. In the upper right corner. The date is a number like; "10/04" for Oct. of 2004.

npgmbr

GM has issued a TSB for the Coolant issue. If your dealer is not aware of it tell them to check for it.

Makes you wonder if automakers don't disseminate this info or the dealers just dont care enough to look.

sp12gage

I have the same problem! The past dozen fill ups were less that 13.5 mpg. The posted gas mileage was the reason I leased the Equinox. Taking to the dealership this week. Good luck.

ndao

My just stop working 2 days ago, like the case of other member in this forum had,the service shop show me an GM document #15808349 and made no repair until GM come up with solution how to fix it. I called Chevrolet Customer Assistance and got the same message ...."wait"

joe3891

Try pulling the fuse for a few seconds, it repairs a multitude of problems with that unit.

ndao

Thanks
I follow your advice, the CD is now working fine.

eliebe

Just took a test drive. Nice SUV but rear visibility seems a problem. Does anyone know if the rear headrests can be removed. Also is this odor thing a reason to not get the car?
Thanks

05awdlsnox

Bought my Nox 11/04....Talk about vehicle shock going from a Mustang...but that's an entirely different story.

Love the truck, mileage is iffy, had the retarded driver's window problem fixed...haven't encountered the smelly problem, but I do have this happening:

When I start the truck, and put the vehicle into drive, upon intial acceleration there is a noise from the front end that sounds like a garage door spring recoiling....I've had the front struts replaced and the problem still persists and the dealer has no clue what's going on and has a call into GM Tech....anyone else experiencing the same problem?

jim_dandy

If your Check Engine Light comes on, try a different brand of gas. It may take up to 150 miles before the light resets.(An EPA thing!)
Poor grade gasoline effects your emissions and will cause your Check Engine Light to come on.
This is true with all newer vehicles, foreign and domestic, due to stricter emission standards.
Poor gas will also cause deposits and clog fuel injectors.
Check out this link for high quality Gasoline Retailers: http://www.toptiergas.com

npgmbr

Folks, please be advised that you should always use the fuel grade that the manufacturer recommends for your vehicle. If your "Check Engine" light comes on that is not a sign to move to a higher grade. As a matter of fact doing so COULD void your warranty.

cokekiller

Our Equinox is a few months old. Love it so far and almost no problems. Only thing is that rear/blind spot visability needs to be improved.

My wife's key were stolen. I was able to purchase a new keyless entry fob on eBay. Does anyone know how to program it. This will save me a trip and $50 at the dealership...

I had two new keys made at Home Depot. They match exactly but neither will turn on the ignition? Any tips/suggestions as to why this is. Do I have to go to the dealer for a new ignition key???

Thanks!

navydude86

Wondering if anyone has the problem while driving around 70ish that the NOX doesn't [non-permissible content removed] into O/D for a few minutes/miles. I've taken mine into the dealership 3 times and now they suspect the mass airflow sensor was the culprit. Any other transmission stories would greatly be appreciated. Other than that and low gas mileage I love my Nox.

mitzij

You need a key with a transponder that matches your car. Available at the dealership. The dealer also has to program the remote to match. Since you didn't buy it there, they will probably charge .3 hr to program it.

navydude86

UPDATE: Dealer kept my car over the weekend to determine if the Mass air flow sensor was the culprit. Well I called them this morning and the service guy said "well... they are still doing diagnostics on your car. We'll call you". Seems to me it ain't fixed yet. Also has anyone experienced the car while cruising shifting into like 1st or 2nd, or hard shifting when starting from a dead stop to 2nd? thanks

manmtn

Has anyone experienced loud screeching/grinding sounds while making a sharp right or left hand turn? My wife’s Nox has started making these noises. Also while accelerating to a high rate of speed the engine rev’s to a high rpm rate for a long time before shifting gears, I
usually have to let off the gas to get it to change. Has anyone reported on these problems?

michelle6

The grinding noise is more than likely your struts. Go to the dealership and get it checked.

luvmyequinox

The dealer hs mine as well. They have had it for 2 days now (3500 miles). I had/have the same problem with the shifting. Sometimes it just will not go into the next gear. One time it sat at 3000 RPM before I had to let my foot completely off of the pedal for it to shift. It has done this in cruise control before as well. I'll reply again after the fix.

myfrustration

Hi everyone,
Picked up my nox over a month ago, immediatly noticed the smell in the cab. I now have 560 miles on the vehicle, and I have noticed the smell is sporatic at best. My Gas mileage is ranging from 16.5 to 14, city driving 20 miles a day to work and back. So far no leakage problems and I do have a sunroof. Everyone keeps telling me to wait 2 to 3k about the smell. I am confused since it was much worse to begin with, but seems to be going away with time. Is this possible. My nox was produced in January of this year. I have yet to take it to the dealer hoping this smell thing goes away. As far as the trannie, I too have noticed that the foot needs to be a big part on the shifting of it especially during a heavy exceleration. I have not used the cruse as of yet, but I am about to I will write back after my Trip.

navydude86

Got my Nox back on monday and so far so good!! It's shifting like a champ and it seems the gas mileage is better (so far). The fix was they found a MISSING Bolt from my Mass Airflow Filter (Valve). And this fixed the problem (knock on wood). The service manager said that GMC corp troubleshooters led them to it. U might want to inquire about it as well.

manmtn

Thanks...I'll have it checked out.

npgmbr

* * *ONCE AGAIN EVERYONE* * *

GM has issued a fix for the smelly Nox issue. Don't wait for it to get worse and your frustration level to grow. Take it in and get it fixed.

luvmyequinox

Got my NOX back finally. I am told the shifting issue is normal, that is a progressive learning transmission. And as for the gas mileage, I have to break it in a little more. I'm at 4000 miles. Hummmmmmmm??? I'm going to install a K&N. I asked about the other problems listed on this site (squeaks, odors,etc) I am told mine is past the serial number break for those issues. But if I don't start getting better mileage, I'll be back to the dealer every 2 months or 5000 miles. Especially the way gas prices are rising again. I travel 85 miles a day for work (round trip). I also found a shop to make racing stripes for my black NOX. Custom made and installed $175.00. They will actually match the stripes on the S10 Extreme. I'll post pics when I'm done.

triel

hello i was checking around and i came across that problem. the equinox has a problem with one of the holes in the engine getting hot and producing an odor in the car. also the been have a problem with gas seeking in the inside as well. i can't remember were i saw it, but there are many sites out there.

triel

About your gas mileage, it is not going to get better. I ran into a doctor who drives out of town and now has over 10,000 miles and nothing change. See I really fill that i may have bought a lemon, so i been asking people off the street and checking as many sites as possible. the dealer has lie to me, my first equinox got where it wouldn't start and i been complaining about it jerking real bad the first time i drove it off the lot. they suppost to change me into another equinox. i got the other equinox but now its going three weeks and no paper work was done. do any one know how long you got to return a car after you purchase it.

triel

Please tell her not to go that way, because i'm on my second equinox, and i'm still having problems. not to mention the gas mileage, you will be filing up before the week is up. if the nox is going to get only 15 mile per gallon they should at least put a larger tank.