2019 Chevrolet Equinox Brakes Problems

In May 2026 while driving home from her job in downtown St. Louis, my daughter was driving my equinox. While traveling on the highway at the speed limit of 55 miles an hour her brakes failed and she came within a few feet of rear ending a full gas tanker truck. She was able to maneuver to the shoulder of the highway and avoid an accident. After a few moments of the engine, idling the engine completely stopped working and shut down. After having the car towed to my local mechanic at a Midas shop, they began the diagnosis. I began similar research online to find cases of similar things happening. What was diagnosed is that the vacuum pump on the brake line was faulty and broke. Pieces of this pump made their way into my engine and ruined two of the cylinders in my engine. The car is now not drivable and needs a replacement engine. Chevy knew about this faulty, vacuum pump part and they did issue recalls on other vehicles using the same part. They have also issued technical bulletins to their technicians for a diagnosing this failed vacuum pump. I have tried to contact Chevy and they have offered me no assistance. I know a class action suit has been filed for this very same issue. Chevy is aware of this issue. Chevy‘s choice to use a part they knew was faulty. Almost led to the death of my daughter.

NHTSA ID

11755541

Incident

May 11, 2026

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding my 2019 Chevrolet Equinox and the repeated failure of its brake vacuum pump. This is not an isolated repair issue. I have had the brake vacuum pump replaced or repaired three separate times, and each failure has placed my safety, and the safety of others, at serious risk. The first failure was the most terrifying. While driving approximately 65 miles per hour on my way to work, I suddenly applied the brakes and discovered that I had almost no braking assistance. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and the vehicle failed to slow down as expected. I was fortunate that traffic conditions allowed me to avoid a catastrophic accident. Had another vehicle stopped suddenly in front of me, or had a pedestrian entered the roadway, the outcome could have been fatal. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated event. The brake vacuum pump has failed two additional times, resulting in similar symptoms, including the sudden loss of brake assist and an extremely hard brake pedal. Each occurrence has left me questioning whether my vehicle is safe to operate. I recently learned that General Motors is facing a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit alleging that certain Chevrolet Equinox vehicles suffer from a defective brake vacuum pump that can fail without warning. According to the lawsuit, this defect causes a sudden loss of power brake assist, significantly increasing stopping distances and creating a serious safety hazard. The lawsuit also alleges that GM was aware of brake vacuum pump issues through technical service bulletins and customer complaints dating back several years. My personal experience mirrors these allegations exactly. The failures on my vehicle occurred without warning and created an immediate safety emergency. The fact that I have experienced this same dangerous failure three separate times strongly suggests that replacing the component alone has not corrected the underlying defect.

NHTSA ID

11750577

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

Vacuum pump went out while driving down the interstate causing hard breaking. Break pedal was extremely hard to push down putting us at risk of not being able to break in time. There were on and off alerts to service breaks assist, however it was not consistently an alert. We replaced the vacuum pump and the issue seems to be resolved. The pump is not available as we tossed it in the trash.

NHTSA ID

11738065

Incident

May 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the braking system became inoperable, and the brakes unexpectedly locked up with no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved trouble code TSB-21NA268. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump connected to the crankshaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ID

11738048

Incident

May 15, 2026

Mileage

61,000 mi

Vacuum pump failed: On May 28th, 2025 the brake pedal on our 2019 Chevrolet Equinox became very hard along with check engine light, a "Reduced Power" notification, and "Brake Assist Failure" notification. After a mechanic inspected the engine, he found that the vacuum pump had shattered. The mechanic replaced the pump with an OEM replacement from GM. On May 11th, 2026 the same exact issue happened again. 1. The vehicle and/or part is available for inspection. 2. Anyone driving or riding in the vehicle is at risk due to the difficulty of braking. 3. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer since the 2nd incident.

NHTSA ID

11737135

Incident

May 11, 2026

I was trying to stop at a light and the brakes wouldn't work. I almost crashed into the car in front of me but I had to step on it really hard to stop. Then the brakes were stiff and it was hard to stop. I brought it to a Chevy dealer yesterday and they said the vacuum pump exploded and pieces were in the engine, and it messed up the cam shaft. This is 5l worth of damage. When I looked it up online it seems this has been an issue with GM cars and the equinox was left out of the recall which could have prevented this. I have 95k miles on this car and never had an issue until now. However it is not worth spending 5k on a car that is high in mileage.

NHTSA ID

11736352

Incident

May 3, 2026

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the brakes failed to operate properly while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake pump had exploded, causing damage to the camshaft sensors and several other parts inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched the failure and became aware of a recall associated with the failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11734133

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

Mileage

102,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH and exiting the parkway, the brake pedal was depressed but remained depressed to the floorboard. The contact's husband attempted to pump the brake pedal, but the vehicle was unresponsive and failed to slow down as intended. The contact's husband then shifted to neutral(N), and the parking brake was activated until the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster pump or vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11731024

Incident

Apr 9, 2026

Mileage

81,000 mi

On Monday 12/22 at around 10:30am, I was driving back from Stanford CA where I have been taking my mom to her radiation therapy appointments. All of a sudden my brakes got super hard (Service Brake Assist appeared) and when pressing the brake pedal it continued to accelerate, I was able to swerve to my right hand side went over a curved side wall and pulled over before almost crashing the car in front of me and scaring my mom that was resting her head on the side seat. Vehicle has OnStar but prior to this it had not given me any alerts that is what caused such concern as it directly affects braking performance and Vehicle safety specially about this happend 8 months after purchase and No recalls are listed for my VIN. I had to call my brother to pick up mom because she has been delicate of health with cancer pain and couldn't wait long for towing truck to arrive since I used my insurance AAA to tow my car. After doing research this is a known malfunction and they are still selling the vehicles with a high price. My car has been in repair for over 3 months and still waiting.

NHTSA ID

11729213

Incident

Dec 22, 2025

My brakes stopped working while driving on highway I80 West. I had to have AAA tow my car to nearby shop. The mechanic said my vacuum pump needed to be replaced and he sees this happen often with Chevrolets.

NHTSA ID

11728311

Incident

Mar 29, 2026

On multiple occasions my vehicle (2019 equinox LT) that I bought just over 30 days ago has falsely activated the forward collision feature and slammed on its own brakes followed by “service ESC” and “service brake assist” with traction control lights and stability control lights illuminating. Dealership has confirmed that 4 computer modules are out of date on programming/updates. This is a critical safety issue and I am unsure why it hasn’t been recalled as I have read multiple instances of this. Unfortunately because it has not it is a hefty repair bill. When this happened the last time before heading into the dealership, there was a vehicle behind me that could’ve rammed into my rear due to the sudden and excessive braking at highway speeds when I was pressing on the gas.

NHTSA ID

11722202

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

My wife and I were in our car driving on [XXX] on [XXX] at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I was about three car lengths behind the car in front of me and I was doing 30-32 miles per hour. The brake lights in front of me went to red and I immediately stepped on my brakes but my car would not stop nor slow down causing me to hit the person in front of me. It was a matter of seconds passing but when I hit the back of that car in front of me I had both feet on the brake pedal. My car would not stop. My wife was injured, the young lady that I hit hurt her leg and the back end of her car was destroyed. Our car was totaled. The vehicle is now in possession of AAA auto insurance where I was told the brakes would be looked in to. I will be placing a call to the General Motors customer service to lodge a complaint. There were no warning signs of any type prior to this accident. This car is a 2019 model with only 30,200 miles on it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11716995

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

Repaired a friend's vehicle that had a total brake failure. Vehicle only has 50k miles and no brake repair history. Blew all of the brake fluid out of the stainless braided line coming from master cylinder rear brake channel to abs module. Found the line coming from the front channel to master cylinder also starting to fray and come apart as well. Did not blow out yet. No evidence of brake lines rubbing on any components or that anything has been apart or touched before. Line looks to have failed from the inside out.

NHTSA ID

11707269

Incident

Dec 23, 2025

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, when the vehicle in front stopped suddenly, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle slowed down; however, it did not stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal twice, and the vehicle failed to respond and rear-ended the vehicle in front, where it came to a stop. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. All the air bags were deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The insurance company was notified, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. The contact related the failure to  NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V704000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11705394

Incident

Oct 4, 2024

The vaccum pump for the braking system exploded in the cam shaft. Check system brake assist came up on the dash. The power brakes were non operational making it incredibly difficult to stop and increasing the distance by at least double. This is a 'known' issue with chevrolet but they have chosen NOT to issue a recall.

NHTSA ID

11697174

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The contact completed the work himself. The contact recently took the vehicle the vehicle in for service at a dealer and was informed that the rear brakes and calipers would need to be replaced soon. The contact stated that the pads and rotors had been replaced approximately one year ago, and the vehicle was not driven daily. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11695880

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal was extremely hard and tight. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle because the vehicle was not being driven at a high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as CAM shaft failure, timing chain, and vacuum pump failure. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft, timing chain, and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact, who was an independent mechanic, stated that it was very important that the braking system operated independently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,400.

NHTSA ID

11692061

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

Mileage

75,400 mi

Break assist break vacuum pump

NHTSA ID

11678702

Incident

Aug 3, 2025

Vehicle Information: 2019 Chevrolet Equinox VIN: [XXX] Mileage: [Insert your current mileage] Engine: 1.5L Turbo ⸻ Complaint Summary: Sudden and complete loss of brake assist while driving. Brake pedal became extremely hard to press, making it difficult to stop the vehicle safely. A warning message appeared on the dashboard stating “Brake Assist”. This happened without warning and made braking unpredictable and dangerous. If I had been driving downhill or in the mountains, I could have easily lost control or crashed. I was lucky to be on a relatively flat road when it happened. I inspected the vacuum hose and brake fluid level — both were normal. After researching, I discovered this is a known issue in 2019 Equinox models with the 1.5L turbo engine, related to vacuum pump failure or loss of vacuum supply to the brake booster. There are service bulletins and limited coverage programs (N192268490 and N182202780), but my VIN does not show an open recall. I believe this is a serious safety defect that could affect many vehicles not yet covered by the recall or service campaigns. GM needs to expand the recall and properly warn drivers before someone gets killed. Please investigate this problem and hold GM accountable for fixing this safety-critical issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11678573

Incident

Aug 2, 2025

My vacuum pump failed on this vehicle. Causing my brakes to lock and a crash to almost happen

NHTSA ID

11674720

Incident

Jul 11, 2025

I own a 2019 Chevy Equinox LT 1.5L and am experiencing the exact symptoms described in GM recall 18V576000. After 1–2 hours of driving, the rear brakes begin to drag, creating hesitation during takeoff. The issue resolves after the vehicle cools down. Both my mechanic and independent research confirm this is the same safety defect described in that recall, but my VIN is not included.

NHTSA ID

11668135

Incident

May 8, 2025

I was driving brake pedal went causing me to use emergency brake to stop. Took and got it diagnosed. The brake vacuum went out. The repair bill was $680 that have to pay tomorrow 6-19. I had someone in my car that I was transporting. This could end very card if I was an experienced CDL driver. My car 2019 Chevy Equinox only has 107,310 miles. I am so frustrated this is not on the recall list for the same problem other GM owners were having

NHTSA ID

11668012

Incident

Jun 19, 2025

I was driving and all of a sudden my brake assist light and engine light come on and then when I tried to brake, the brake pedal was very hard to push and it was very hard to stop.

NHTSA ID

11659449

Incident

May 6, 2025

Poor quality Vacuum Pump failed, resulting in debris in crack shaft assembly and preventing brake functionality. Check engine displays and error message stated "Service Brake Assist" which does not indicate a vacuum pump failure, which is misleading in troubleshooting issue. Hard brake pedal is a symptom, which would lead a repair facility or consumer to replace Brake Power Booster, which does not resolve issue, but will temporarily resolve brake pedal symptom, leading to further damage to crank shaft.

NHTSA ID

11650054

Incident

Mar 12, 2025

I was driving down the road and my engine stopped. It stopped so suddenly that I did not have time to get out of the road and my safety was put at risk. When I took it to a certified Chevrolet dealership, they told me that the vacuum pump failure caused extensive damage to the motor and I needed to have my entire motor replaced. When I asked them what I could have done to prevent such catastrophic failure, they stated that there was nothing to prevent it. I did not have any warning on my dash at the time of the incident. This was at least the 2nd vacuum pump failure on this vehicle since I've owned it. I got it replaced at a certified Chevrolet dealership in 05/2022 when my brakes went out. In 05/22, the brakes went out but I was in a driveway and I did not feel my safety was a concern at that time. Now it's not even been 3 years and the vacuum pump failure risked my safety and caused catastrophic damage to engine to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11643717

Incident

Feb 10, 2025