2017 Chevrolet Equinox Powertrain (other) Problems

1.Since I bought the car it has needed oil on a weekly basis. I took it in for repair it had something to do with the oil consumption device $2270.00 to fix. 2. timing chain went out had to fix that too $$$$ 3. While driving along the car at rush hour the car suddenly died without any warning. Had to go off the road clipped a tree and all the cars behind me looked like billiard balls going in all directions so as not to rear end my car. EXTREMELY UNSAFE CAR 😡 I CANT BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE RECALLED EVERY OTHER YEAR FOR THIS ENGINE ISSUE AND NOT THE 2017!!!!!!!!

NHTSA ID

11710650

Incident

May 15, 2025

Bearing on front intermediate shaft broken or missing.

NHTSA ID

11654841

Incident

Oct 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon arriving to the destination, the contact became aware that there was an excessive amount of engine oil pooling underneath the engine compartment of the vehicle, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear main seal. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11646854

Incident

Mar 6, 2025

Mileage

150,000 mi

Oxygen sensor, catalytic system efficiency below threshold bank,o2 circuit low voltage,accelerator pedal position sensor 1-2 not plausible, invalid data received from engine control module, vvt timing solenoid, engine vvt timing solenoid, timing shaft bank 1, exhaust camshaft, intake performance camshaft up and down shift switch circuit left front wheel sensor circuit I have had to replace all this on my vehicle nothing was covered under extended warranty I bought car from drive time wanted to return it when they wouldn’t replace when shield mad me look for estimate and then told me I drove over 400miles and would take it back Bridgecrest financed me and car been in and out of shop since I got it also had to replace some but my gas peddle I still owe on this vehicle they wanted 20k still owe like 14k higher robbery I have contacted BBB this is fraud if you ask me also had to replace fuelrail pressure sensors

NHTSA ID

11645699

Incident

Mar 21, 2022

PCV valve got clogged and failed, i have an extended warranty and the extended warranty EXCLUDES this from any repairs if this is involved. Caused my Rear Main Seal to break and leak oil. Not drivable currently. Quoted 3200 on a repair. Purchased the vehicle less than 12 months ago.

NHTSA ID

11643969

Incident

Feb 19, 2025

2/4/19 bulletin issued for PCV valve defect [XXX] bought car from dealer, was told nothing wrong with car [XXX] sold me a extended warranty to assure me the car would be protected [XXX] car wouldn’t start in driveway had it towed to Tarr Chevrolet. [XXX] warranty refused to fix car, seems they excluded the PCV valve from warranty. The PCV valve blew the rear seal, part of the power train which I have a lifetime warranty on. But since the PCV valve caused it , they didn’t cover that either. This repair cost me $2800.00. Living on social security that’s a lot of money. I have called Chevy, the dealer and the warranty co to no avail, I have read about all the class action suits. This is a very serious problem. The bulletin states below 0 temperatures can cause this, we live in Tennessee, we don’t have that kind of weather. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11643380

Incident

Jan 24, 2025

114k miles and the PCV valve was collecting condensation which froze. This caused a build up of pressure and blew the rear main oil seal and timing chain. No warning, no dash lights, nothing. Oil life at 35% and over 1,000 miles before due for next oil change. Went from running fine to DEAD in less than 1/4 of a mile.

NHTSA ID

11637453

Incident

Jan 11, 2025

Majority of the oil leaked out of the vehicle, the low oil light never came on. Car was towed to the shop after I was told not to drive it, as the engine will most likely seize up. The shop found that the rear main crankshaft seal was blown out and leaking to access crank case pressure due to a PCV orifice plugged, not letting the engine vent.

NHTSA ID

11635449

Incident

Jan 4, 2025

I am writing to address a critical issue involving my 2017 Chevrolet vehicle, which poses a significant safety hazard. I purchased this car from Faulkner Subaru in Bethlehem in 2022. The specific component failure relates to the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system, particularly the lack of a traditional PCV valve and the presence of a fixed orifice vacuum port in the intake manifold. This component is available for inspection upon request. The safety of myself, my passengers, and other road users was compromised due to the sudden and significant oil leakage caused by the malfunctioning PCV system. This not only endangered our safety but also posed a serious risk to others on the road. While the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, it is a well-documented issue with ongoing litigation against Chevrolet. However, there are currently no active recalls addressing the problem. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The incident occurred suddenly while driving, with the strong smell of burning oil and subsequent oil leakage being the first indications of a problem. Your immediate attention to this matter and intervention on behalf of affected consumers is crucial. I urge Chevrolet to address this safety concern through a formal safety recall and to take responsibility for rectifying this manufacturing defect.

NHTSA ID

11581227

Incident

Jan 20, 2024

I was driving my car to work it started shaking really bad. It cut off on me and was leaking oil. Check engine light, oil light, and low oil pressure indicator came on. The worst start or drive

NHTSA ID

11567678

Incident

Jan 14, 2024

PCV valve froze causing rear main crankcase seal to break and massive oil loss. Fotunately I was able to get home and not have the engine die on the road in -10 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.

NHTSA ID

11566294

Incident

Jan 18, 2024

When I was driving the vehicle, the dash said low pressure oil turn car off. Not even enough time to find a place to pull over. It just shuts off. Had been going 55 instead of 35. I could’ve gotten rear-ended with it just shutting off talk to a Car repair shop and they said those are all starting to do that the rear main seal blowing out. They didn’t have a big enough hole in the intake and it’s plugging up and building pressure and blowing the rear main seal.

NHTSA ID

11566034

Incident

Jan 14, 2024

My engine failed. It's available for inspection upon request. The engine stalled in the middle of high traffic. I called GM customer care and explained to them what happened. They told me to take it to a GM dealership for diagnosis, (it was already diagnosed by a major company). The dealership confirmed a broken timing chain and bent valves. They also said that it was $12,000 to repair and that GM would only cover $1,200 since its out of drive train warranty. They request that I put down $8,657 before they could order a new engine. The codes the car gave were P0016, P0017, P228D, P0089, and P0341.

NHTSA ID

11514098

Incident

Feb 28, 2023

My 2017 equinox which I purchased at this dealership starting burning excessive oil and has bad piston rings, they quoted me a $9500 for engine... I had those issues at 97500 miles and the dealership failed to properly inspect and fix the rings even though this motor was known for these issues. The failed piston rings should have been fixed when my vehicle was covered under warranty at approx 97,500 miles! My equinox has approx 100,600 miles on it currently and has sat for 1.5 months. So 600 miles past the warranty and now it needs a new engine? It needs a new engine because the service department knowingly failed to thoroughly fix my car when I had it in at 97,500 miles.

NHTSA ID

11510817

Incident

Jan 17, 2023

I am a recent 2017 Equinox owner with a 2.4L Ecotec engine. I purchased the vehicle 9 months ago and have put less than 30k miles on it since owning the vehicle. On Tuesday, 1.31.23, while driving to a work appointment on a busy interstate my equinox seemed to have a power failure and started making a noise. I proceeded to move toward the shoulder of the highway and before I could get to the shoulder, a warning light came on that there was low oil pressure, to stop the vehicle. Before I could safely get all the way to the shoulder, the car shut off and the engine ceased. From the time my vehicle started making noises, to it ceasing on that 4-degree weather day, was bout 6 seconds. The mechanic states the engine is ceased and that it would be about 10k for a remanufactured engine installed. No guarantees that this would not happen in the future as this is a manufacturer's defect in the size of the PCV system that is on vehicles with this motor, the 2.4L ecotec . The mechanic states that the rear engine seal has failed. This was caused by the defective PCV valve being too small which causes excessive pressure to build up and the rear main engine seal to fail. This is a known issue for vernal motors. There are literal thousands of people in this same situation, and I could have been killed by oncoming traffic had I not been able to get to the shoulder all the way. I have documents relating to this system failure and copies of the bulletins that gm has issued their dealerships, however the file is too large to attach here. Please email me for documentation.

NHTSA ID

11506157

Incident

Jan 31, 2023

The rear main seal on the vehicle broke and dumped oil onto the road. The vehicle instantly stopped being able to accelerate, but no engine lights came on. My safety was put at risk as I was on a main county road in heavy traffic. Luckily, I was able to pull into a parking lot, but had it happened five minutes later, I would have been stranded on the side of the interstate. Prior to this incident, my vehicle has been in near mint condition and has regularly been serviced for upkeep. At the time of the repair, there were other cars of the same model with this issue in the repair shop. It left me without a vehicle for five days, and cost just south of $1,300. For a vehicle of this age, milage, and condition to have this kind of mechanical error is not acceptable, especially knowing it is a common issue with this model. General Motors should issue a recall on this as it has the potential to leave someone in a very dangerous situation.

NHTSA ID

11499710

Incident

Dec 26, 2022

I arrived at my workplace. Was there for about an hour, I then went outside to grab something from my vehicle and noticed that I was leaking oil. After further inspection, I realized that I no longer had oil in my vehicle. I had it towed to my service station. After looking at it they called me and said that the PCV had gotten clogged with ice, therefore causing pressure buildup and blowing out the rear main seal. There were no warning lights whatsoever of this problem. I am just happy that I wasn't on the highway or long drive, because this would have left me stranded or worse causing an accident. From doing research online, this seems to be an issue that GM is aware of and refuses to make right. They had a recall for this exact issue for model years 2010-2014 but now are refusing to issue one for later years, even though the same engine style and PCV placement are the same. Not telling their customers about this potential serious issue is almost criminal and then not standing behind their product with either a recall or reimbursement of cost of repairing is ridiculous.

NHTSA ID

11499116

Incident

Dec 24, 2022

Several transmission components and functions have failed. This has caused dangerous lurching while gears change and the loss of the ability to move forward, all while driving and without warning. The transfer case also failed, resulting in similar lurching, as well as bouncing and grinding. This problem has been attempted to be repaired multiple times with the dealership returning the car each time claiming that it was repaired, inspected and found good. In all cases the same problem reoccurred within 50 miles of driving. There were no warning lights or symptoms leading up to the failure which would worsen as time went on. The lurching generally occurred when reducing speed, which would unexpectedly bounce the vehicle towards other slowing vehicles, greatly increasing the likelihood of rear ending another driver. When the complete loss of forward function occurred, it had done so similarly while slowing down, which nearly resulted in another driver rear ending us. Fortunately, the reverse gear still worked and the car was able to be removed from the road. The unexpected nature of the behavior of the car and the failures in general, paired with the false assurance from the dealership that the problem was fixed, left the driver highly likely of being involved in a collision.

NHTSA ID

11471880

Incident

Jun 30, 2022

Chevy is already well aware there is a prominent issue with timing chains on their equinox model and refuses to acknowledge or recall the issue. This is the second major repair I am needing to my vehicle in just barely over 1 year. Both the timing chain and the rear main seal need repairs in approx 1 years time. Again, these are known issues Chevy refuses to acknowledge that is costing many customers thousands of dollars.

NHTSA ID

11465345

Incident

May 18, 2022

Rear main seal blew out due to known (and recalled in previous years) fault with the PCV valve. The check engine light never came on and neither did the oil light when there was no oil left due to the seal blowing out. This incident caused damage to crucial engine parts including the transmission.

NHTSA ID

11465343

Incident

Feb 18, 2021

The gear shift when in drive can be pushed into other gears without pushing the button. When driving down the highway going 70 mph, my dog has more than 10 times pushed it into neutral. It’s extremely dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11458573

Incident

Mar 27, 2022

This is a well known issue with the Equinox. The rear main seal goes and oil pours out the vehicle causing other issues to the engine, like the intake manifold. My rear exhaust manifold was cracked and now codes are coming up for timing chain. The dealer wanted over $2600 to repair since my warranty was expired. Haven’t had the car 3 yrs and I personally only put under 50 K miles on the vehicle. Still owe $12000 for a junk SUV. The recall only covers 2010-2014 models yet GM is putting the same engine in newer models. This should be recalled due to all the complaints. My mechanic sees this all the time with the Equinox. I found a mechanic to repair for $1560+ but did not include timing chain. Still have check engine light on.

NHTSA ID

11449828

Incident

Jan 18, 2022

It seems to be a known problem with the pvc valve getting moisture in it, freezes, and then blowing the main seal. I found lots of records online of other victims. It caused loss of vehicle power and dumped oil on the road. Chevy refuses to cover it with a recall and I'm stuck with a $2500 repair on a vehicle with less than 100k miles. I have it at a shop now. I have talked to a dealership and Chevrolet customer service and they say they know it's a problem but there's no recall on it.

NHTSA ID

11449328

Incident

Jan 27, 2022

The vehicle shutters when shifting up and hard shifts down in lower power bands.

NHTSA ID

11448533

Incident

Dec 9, 2021

I heard some scraping sounds while driving. It sounded like something dragging on the ground. Checked and saw nothing. Continued on driving then a few miles later saw some light smoke in rear view mirror. Pulled to shoulder of interstate and lifted hood to see smoke from behind engine. Vehicle was towed to auto dealer where it was purchased. No warnings of any kind from the systems. Service department identified the problem as a hole in the transfer case which was covered under the CPO extended warranty. Chevrolet has not been able to provide the parts for the dealer to fix the vehicle since the beginning of May and is now saying the November 12, 2021 expected delivery of the parts probably will not happen. No customer courtesy vehicles are available and Chevy Corporate customer relations recommended that I rent a GM product from Enterprise and once the vehicle is repaired submit the rental bill for reimbursement. The vehicle is sitting in the back of the Curry Chevrolet lot collecting dust should the NHTSA want to take a look at it. It should be there until GM can "find" the parts to fix the almost 5 model year old vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11430484

Incident

May 12, 2021