2019 Chevrolet Equinox Engine 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

Car fails to move while in reverse, the rpm’s accelerate but the car doesn’t move the transmission seems to not be griping when in reverse i get a reading from diagnostic saying P2723

NHTSA ID

11753369

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

I was driving and the suv moved forward with a jump like that scared myself, this happened several times. I just had my oil changed at the dealership of which I been working with for 20 years. A few of my sensors went out at the same time. On June 19-26 my suv refused to change gears. I pulled over and tried again. Made it home and towed it to the dealership June 22. I noticed that there are two car factories having the same issue and had a repull, so I thought that my suv would be included. Well, Not, my suv is from another factory that has no recalls. Dealership wasn’t working with me until July 17th after I reported them to BBB-and General Consumer. I met with the dealership July 24, and offered me 11600.00 just for fixing the transmission. I can’t get an answer if anyone else from factory number three has had the same problem as myself and the other two factories. My SUV is seven years and 81,000. Dealership offered to buy my car for 500.00 as is.. and after the transmission only 1000.00. This is crazy!!! I bought new and they are the only dealership that has worked on my car. I only put premium gas. Why does it matter what factory if they all have the same problems. Thank you..

NHTSA ID

11752619

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the brake assist warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed but was stiff. The brake pedal was pressed with force to slow the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the mechanical vacuum pump had exploded and there were metal shards inside the engine oil, camshaft, and the timing jump, and that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11750245

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

I was driving on the freeway at 64 MPH when my Brake Assist alert appeared on my dashboard. At that time I lost assisted braking capability. I was able to steer and stop my vehicle on the shoulder of the freeway. I turned the car off and was unable to start the car again. The car was towed to the dealership where they stated “ Hi Erika, the vacuum pump on your engine seized and broke the shaft and damaged the tone ring on the camshaft, there are quite a bit of metal pieced in the engine due that that failure. Unfortunately, the solution is a remanufactured engine at the cost of $11500.00 parts and labor plus tax. How would you like to proceed?” Currently we are opting to not replace the motor. It is apparent that this is a common issue with this year/make/model of vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11748925

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

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

Air filter box housing top came off. Loss of power. Found that screws are used instead of a latch system. They had been wrenched down after last oil change and cracked the screw housing which is plastic. Filter housing came loose allowed more air and dirt to come into the housing box. Loss of fuel economy.

NHTSA ID

11719397

Incident

Sep 11, 2025

A "Reduced Engine Power" warning in a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT usually indicates the car has entered "limp mode" to protect the engine, most commonly caused by a dirty/faulty throttle body, loose Charge Air Cooler (CAC) tube, or sensor issues (MAF/TPS). Common codes include P0299 (turbo underboost). When this occurs, I cannot utilize my remote starter. I purchased an Innova OBD2 Code Reader, connected it to the vehicle and this code P0299 populated. There has been a few times that the engine light would go off, then I was able to use the remote starter to start the engine.

NHTSA ID

11716010

Incident

Oct 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate above 35 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the turbocharger had failed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11714976

Incident

Jan 29, 2026

Mileage

70,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 72,000.

NHTSA ID

11700160

Incident

Nov 5, 2025

Mileage

72,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormally loud sound. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 12 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the nearest mechanic, which was a Toyota dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed throttle body and a failed air cooler outlet tube. The contact was informed that the throttle body and the air outlet tube needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 52,827.

NHTSA ID

11693429

Incident

Aug 6, 2025

Mileage

52,827 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

2 nights ago, my engine light came on. I purchased a code reader today so see what may be wrong, and code P0299, popped up. I’ve reviewed and saw there’s no known recall on the issue but there’s a known Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). In a Facebook group I saw, it says that some people have replaced and code P0299 is still populating. I’m buying this vehicle and I have barely had 2 years now and wanted it to last.

NHTSA ID

11691348

Incident

Oct 2, 2025

Charge pipe/air intake hose came disconnected when driving causing reduced engine and idle problems. Car stalled multiple times at idle. Higher rpm’s cause hose to disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11691072

Incident

Sep 22, 2025

I was stopped at a traffic light and the car just froze. All the dash lights started flashing, the brakes would not work. The car started moving slowly backing up traffic behind me. I barely made it to a parking lot off the road.

NHTSA ID

11690724

Incident

Sep 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the engine revved continuously as if the vehicle was going to drive forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11682834

Incident

Aug 20, 2025

Mileage

70,000 mi

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

My car had been sitting for a week as we were off on vacation and when I came back the car would not start. Oil had been changed 1 week before that by Miller and Son. After towing it to Miller and Son Chevrolet (724-378-0542)we were told it was a timing chain issue and once they opened things up I was told the engine is ruined. The car only had 71,000 miles on it(I purchased it last year) We spoke to multiple mechanics who stated this was a common problem for this car and if the engine had failed while driving it could have caused a fire/accident. I have a [XXX] son and he very much could have been trapped in the car. If this is happening frequently as the mechanics have told me why has this not been recalled. I religiously had my oil changed as required. I tried calling GM (case #[XXX]) without much success. The dealer wants $9000 to put in a new engine which I need to get a loan to do but also my fear is will this happen again. I would appreciate you looking into this issue. Thank You. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11672677

Incident

May 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while shifted into gear. Several unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and a transmission error code was retrieved; however, no other failure was identified. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, and an unknown part was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic for a second opinion; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a third independent mechanic, where it was it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

NHTSA ID

11662032

Incident

May 20, 2025

Mileage

97,000 mi

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the contact and to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant expansion tank recovery hose had failed causing engine coolant to leak from the hose onto the PCM. The contact stated that the hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that due to the location on the hose the failure would reoccur once the hose was replaced. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 49,549.

NHTSA ID

11659991

Incident

Mar 9, 2025

Mileage

49,549 mi

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

The vehicle is leaking oil from in between the engine and transmission I am some bit mechanical and im sure its the rear Maine seal leaking yes the vehicle is available for inspection im taking it to H&H chevrolet [XXX] for a inspection I talked to Christian brothers repair and I told them what it was doing and they told me alot about my vehicles problem and gave me some Estimates and also said they have 2 in there shop right now needing the same repair...How was my safety or the safety of others put at risk? well me and my family went out to get a few groceries and it was -25 outside and we almost didn't make it back home because the car was not wanting to drive.if it had died we would have been stuck in dangerously cold weather.no warning lights came on I only found it was leaking when I started to smell burning oil so I looked under it and there was a small puddle of oil. this happened Monday [XXX] and the car hasn't been drivable since it sounds fine but I don't know we haven't moved it since we got it home. this is really inconvenient this vehicle is my only means of transportation to work and I never thought on a car I purchased brand new it would ever blow a rear seal I have heard many other having these problems and I still can't understand why this isn't a recall this is a very expensive problem to just be put on people financially. i hoping GM can resolve this for me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11641412

Incident

Jan 20, 2025